Phone dinged while I was on a checkin call this morning. Cliff: “if you’re out birding, hudsonian godwit at lower mill st pond at beaver brook”. “!!!” Realized I had a couple hours before anything urgent, so I sent a quick message saying I’ll be back in an hour and ran out.
Twenty five minutes later:
Yes, on the heavily vegetated side and not the drained pond.
County 302, patch 180!
Thanks Leslie and Diana!
Didn’t manage a recording of the rail unfortunately. Last 2 patch bird day was back in 2013.
Rough timeline from Saturday:
11:14 Pull into the tennis court lot at Dunback.
11:20: Reach the first boardwalk and hear interesting finches, decide to check by the gardens instead of heading to the Bowman end.
11:33: Find some crossbills.
11:38: Pull out phone at get a recording.
11:46 They’ve quieted down, text recording to Tim.
11:48: Tim says type 1 and 10 by ear, sonogram check proceeding.
11:49: OMGOSH 1, 3, and 10!!!!!
11:55 Tim sends edited clip with sonogram.
So, 20 minutes in the field from discovery to expert analysis to full documentation.
Thinking my goal of six new commute birds might be a bit too easy, this is already #3 for the year (shrike and crossbill).
Patch #175, Commute #221 too.
Nice surprise at Arlington Res today. Did have a brief Hammond’s flashback when it flew away from the farm and disappeared before anyone else arrived but fortunately it went to the edge of the res and spent the day there. Guessing there aren’t too many photos of this combo (or with a Mallard which I also have).
And much better views when first found
Thanks Bill (and Dave)!