WIR 5/11-5/17

Wednesday 5/11: More arrivals at Prospect Hill included an Indigo, Nashville, a bunch of Scarlet Tanagers, and a Black Swallowtail.

Thursday 5/12: Bobolinks and stuff at Forest Grove.

Friday 5/13: Up early, so ran to Nobscot for something a bit different. YB Cuckoo flying through and an apparent Gray-cheeked Thrush. Did miss a Blue Grosbeak though.

Saturday 5/14: Birdathon, started with 2 Hoodeds and a Worm-eating, ended with something better. If I bothered going to the Charles, it would have been a new record too. First Green Darners too.

Sunday 5/15: BBN early, before I realized how bad the wind was. Singing Bay-breasted, a few other things.

Monday 5/16: Still too windy but a waterthrush and FOY pewee at Hayden Woods.

Tuesday 5/17: Lots of the usual at College Pond.

WIR 5/4-5/10

Wednesday 5/4: Sora (in flight!) at Great Meadows.

Thursday 5/5: Least Flycatcher and a few other expected arrivals at Purgatory/Forest Grove.

Friday 5/6: Grosbeaks, an Ovenbird, Blue-wings, and a few other things at BBN.

Saturday 5/7: Started at the res, which was quiet. Made a lousy decision to check Arlington Res next, which was very quiet.

Sunday 5/8: BBC walk at Mt. Auburn had a few new warblers, plus a tanager, GC Flycatcher, etc. More later in the day.

Monday 5/9: BBN was moderately busy. New birds included a Broad-wing or two, Magnolia, BT Green, Redstart, Yellowthroats, and orioles.

Tuesday 5/10: More additions at Dunback included Prairie and BT Blue. Eagles on both ends of the commute.

Concord in the storms

After wandering around in the mist yesterday morning and seeing very little, I finally decided that Great Meadows was probably the place to be. Right decision, a bit too late, as I immediately ran into Cole, David, and Tim and found that I missed a probable Arctic Tern and 3 Black-bellied Plovers. The Red-necked Grebe didn’t move and, fortunately, the shorebird show continued a bit, with both yellowlegs, some Solitaries, a Least, and a Red-necked Phalarope all flying around.

Red-necked Phalarope

Guessing the loons overhead were not overly related. Moderate swallow/swift show including a Cliff plus a possibly interesting swift.

Mt. Auburn kept me from the Willets Sunday, but I decided to head back after seeing that report and the rain moving in. Wasn’t the best trip, not many swallows and nothing else overhead. The ibis did finally fly around, so it wasn’t a wasted trip at least.

Ibis

Stopped at Elm Brook on the way home and got Simon a yardbird (and the first I’ve seen in state away from Great Meadows and not chased).

Gallinule

WIR 4/27-5/3

Wednesday 4/27: More or less the usual at College Pond.

Thursday 4/28: Virginia Rail calling at Pantry Brook, nothing too exciting near Round Hill.

Friday 4/29: Parula, several Black-and-whites, a Pine, tons of Palms, 5+ BH Vireos, a Turkey Vulture on the ground, and a towhee at BBN.

Saturday 4/30: Started at Forest Grove and Purgatory: Kingbird, Chimney Swifts, BH Vireo, Hermit Thrush, etc. On to Prospect Hill, which was quiet in 30 minutes of scanning the skies. Nothing at the res. Spotted Sandpiper, Palm Warbler, and more swifts at Hobbs Brook plus first of season Eastern Forktail and another Henry’s Elfin.

Sunday 5/1: Chased the White-faced Ibis. Couldn’t pick it out of the flock, even knowing it was in there but a few year birds and 100+ Glossies made the trip somewhat worthwhile. Stopped at Arlington Res after had had both yellowlegs. Nothing of note at either bit of Cambridge Res.

Monday 5/2: 2 Ring-necks and an eagle at the res. Bank Swallow, 10+ Rusties, and a few other things at Heard Pond.

Tuesday 5/3: About the same.

First Insects

All from last weekend

Springtime Darner

Springtime Darner, Assabet River NWRWhiteface

Dot-tailed White-faceBeaverpond Baskettail

Beaverpond BaskettailHenry's Elfin

Henry’s Elfin, Arlington Great Meadows

WIR 4/20-4/26

Wednesday 4/20: Quiet at Prospect Hill.

Thursday 4/21: Quiet at Dunback.

Friday 4/22: Arlington Res in the morning had a Spotted Sandpiper and tons of Yellow-rimps and Palms. Stopped at Cambridge Res on the way home and had a Long-tailed Duck.

Saturday 4/23: Quiet at the res, Flint’s, and then pouring at Great Meadows. Did finally get Barn Swallows. Afternoon walk around AGM had a Henry’s Elfin.

Sunday 4/24: BH Vireos and Black-and-white Warblers at Mt. Auburn in the morning, 3 species of ode at Assabet in the afternoon.

Monday 4/25: Yellow Warbler at Forest Grove.

Tuesday 4/26: Looped around a bit and had next to nothing anywhere.

WIR 4/12-4/19

Wednesday 4/13: RC Kinglet, lots of Palms, and nothing much else at Forest Grove.

Thursday 4/14: Nothing overly exciting at Round Hill. Lots flying around Pantry Brook, having a bit more time to sit there would have been nice.

Friday 4/15: Started with a RC Kinglet in the yard. More or less the usual expected stuff at College Pond.

Saturday 4/16: Started with the MBC walk at Horn Pond. Other than a pair of kestrels, not much. Stopped at Arlington Res, which had my first migrant Yellow-rumps and the usual, then hawkwatched a bit at Prospect Hill with a Merlin and some Rough-winged Swallows.

Sunday 4/17: Led the MBC walk at BBN: kestrel, raven, not much else. Went to Kaveski after where I had a Pileated and Savannah Sparrows finally.

Monday 4/18: Took advantage of the day off, starting at Great Meadows. Nothing much on the water (pair of GW Teal and a coot about it) and no raptor movement. Did have a couple Osprey and a flyover loon was new for me here. Continued to the Massport Trails where I got the Field Sparrow and towhee I expected (100 for the year in the county finally) along with a Pine(?) Elfin and Six-spotted Tiger Beetles. No meadowlark though. Went to Foss Farm for a change next, nothing too exciting beyond another Pileated, some Azures, and another Pine Elfin. Finally, checked Hayden Woods where the Rusties were vocal and eventually popped up.

Tuesday 4/19: Tons of Yellow-rumps and Palms between Purgatory and Forest Grove plus a gnatcatcher.

WIR 4/6-4/12

Wednesday 4/6: DC Cormorant and PB Grebe at Forest Grove plus a Rusty.

Thursday 4/7: Tree Swallows, a vulture, and the usual ducks at the res. Same at Flint’s, Nine Acre, Heard, and Pelham Island Rd.

Friday 4/8: Very little at Dunback.

Saturday 4/9: Merlin and not much else at Great Meadows. GW Teal at Hobbs Brook. Snipe at Waltham St. Peregrine over Concord Ave was new for Belmont, usual at Rock Meadow. No waterfowl at the duck ponds.

Sunday 4/10: Two Turkey Vultures and a singing Winter Wren at BBN. Quiet at West Meadow. Hermit Thrush at the res was actually a new bird for me there. Also about 45 Ruddy and 4 Lesser Scaup.

Monday 4/11: Tree Swallows, 2 Common Mergansers, and a couple Rusties at Heard Pond in the rain.

Tuesday 4/12: Res about the same (good number of scaup and Ruddies plus at least 3 Pine Warblers singing). Nothing at Flint’s or Nine Acre and nothing more than a few Rusties at Heard Pond.

WIR 3/30-4/5

Wednesday 3/30: Fox Sparrow and nothing else exciting at BBN.

Thursday 3/31: Forest Grove started fairly quiet beyond some phoebes but an odd chip made me turn around as I headed back from the landfill. After a bit of a run-around, it turned out to be bright Palm Warbler. Back near the houses, I then had a singing Pine. Detoured along the edge of Purgatory and got one on the Waltham side as well.

Palm

Friday 4/1: RC Kinglet, 3 Fox Sparrows, and the usual early spring stuff at College Pond.

Saturday 4/2: Started at Meriam’s and Kaveski, which had the usual but no new sparrows. Rain picked up right as I finished, so tried School St, Nine Acre, and the res (all nothing) before giving up.

Sunday 4/3: Snow

Monday 4/4: Snow

Tuesday 4/5: Managed a quick stop on Pelham Island Rd, Killdeer, cowbirds, and a few teal were highlights. Plus a few swallows made it through.