Category: nature

Wednesday 4/13: Lots of the expected stuff at BBN but nothing new for the year. Possible integrade teal possibly still present.

Thursday 4/14: Busy but had FOY Barn Swallow in a brief check of Heard.

Friday 4/15: Poked around the lower end of the Mystic Lakes looking for the early Yellow Warbler seen yesterday. No luck (probably heard it fly off), but a few Palms, a Yellow-rump, lots of kinglets, 2 eagles, 2 kingfishers, etc.

Saturday 4/16: Started at Squantum Point Park, which was pretty busy with common stuff, double digit Hermit Thrushes among others. Both teal down in the flooded spot plus a couple snipe and a few other things around. Squaw Rock was very quiet. Went to Millennium from there for Blue Grosbeak and Vesper Sparrow. Grosbeak wasn’t seen while I was around but I got the sparrows and a meadowlark, which was nice enough to fly across the river so I added it for Norfolk too. Also a good raptor show including a couple Osprey, a harrier, and a kestrel harassing a Cooper’s.

Sunday 4/17: Two sleeping scaup at Horn Pond were awake on the way out and proved to be Lesser. The Cooper’s Hawks and Barred Owls were having a fight and the Green Heron was still by the gardens but fairly quiet otherwise. South end of the Mystic Lakes was very quiet and there wasn’t too much at Sandy Beach either. Raven over the yard later was only my second here, although I’ve heard an occasional croak that was presumably one but never called again to be sure.

Monday 4/18: Caspian Tern was at Bolton Flats and I finally got Worcester county BW Teal too (swimming directly behind the tern). Lots of Green-winged, a couple Greater Yellowlegs, a few Rusties, etc. Continued to Pine Hill where there were kestrels fighting with a Merlin but might have been a bit too cool for insects.

Tuesday 4/19: Quiet post storm check. Common Merganser was the only non goose/mallard on the res, nothing at Flint’s or Nine Acre or French Meadow. Great Meadows had a Field Sparrow, BW Teal, and goldeneye but not much else (later in the day however…).

Wednesday 4/6: Nothing unexpected at Arlington Res.

Thursday 4/7: More of the same at Forest Grove, eagle or two and a kingfisher the best.

Friday 4/8: Nothing really came down in the rain, 2 Ring-necks at the res, nothing at Nine Acre or School St, PB Grebe at Hardy.

Saturday 4/9: Started at Station Landing, Savannah was probably the most interesting although a Fish Crow going over was a patch bird. Over to Earhart, not too much down near the casino (other than a hoped for Blue-winged Teal flyby). Good to catch up with Bob at the other end, no birds to see though. Continued to Revere Beach where one Manx put on a reasonable show before it started raining. Took a quick look for the Dickcissel nearby but it was pouring. Rain stopped by the time I got to the Mystic Lakes so pulled in briefly, nothing much there. Afternoon check of the res right after another set of showers had the first cormorants there for the year but not much else.

Sunday 4/10: Chased a waterthrush along the Charles but only found FOY Palm. Continued to Chandler Pond (FOY RC Kinglet and Rough-winged Swallow) and Chestnut Hill Res (couple Hermit Thrush). Quick stops at Newton City Hall and the duck ponds didn’t have anything. A few Ring-necks on the res in the afternoon.

Monday 4/11: Couple RC Kinglets and a Pine Warbler at Falzone, Palm at West Meadow.

Tuesday 4/12: Lot of waxwings and a kingfisher at Cookson, ten night-herons and another kingfisher at the square.

Wednesday 3/30: Rail was vocal at Forest Grove, not too much else.

Thursday 3/31: Nothing really of interest at BBN.

Friday 4/1: 3 Ruddy at the res. Got absolutely soaked at Farm Pond and a goldeneye was the only thing of interest.

Saturday 4/2: Figured it would be too windy for a lot of things, so tried a Water Row vigil. A pair of PB Grebes in close, an eagle, and not too much else in a little over an hour. Walked the other end a bit without much. FOY Osprey finally at GM HQ, then it or another at Nine Acre plus a kestrel.

Sunday 4/3: Loon on the res. White-crowned before I even parked at Millennium, not much else in a quick circuit. Moose Hill Farm had a kestrel and RB Nuthatch but quiet otherwise, still no luck with turkey or Pileated in Norfolk.

Monday 4/4: Finally a singing Pine Warbler plus 2 Lesser Scaup and a DC Cormorant at Weston Station Pond.

Tuesday 4/5: Finally caught up with Blue-winged Teal at Great Meadows. Otherwise, rest of the usual dabblers and a flyover cormorant were about it.

Wednesday 3/23: Rusty at Gaining Ground on the way to Hanscom, Field Sparrow was the only thing of note there. Did make it a quick trip so I had time to pull over and take a quick look at the Snow Geese at Meriam’s.

Thursday 3/24: Raining so pond loop, nothing of note.

Friday 3/25: Great Meadows had a PB Grebe, a Rusty, a ton of Tree Swallows, and the 3 Snow Geese flew through(?) just as I was leaving.

Saturday 3/26: Did a Suffolk trip. Started at Deer Island. Fish Crow over was nice, then a Gadwall flew out, which is apparently a first for the site. FOY DC Cormorant at the tip, then an egret and 3 Turkey Vultures flew in on the way back. Winthrop Beach next, couple Piping Plovers were near the edge. Pico had a couple oystercatchers in a quick stop. No Manx at Revere Beach. Another cormorant at Draw Seven on the way back but no scoters or anything else of interest.

Sunday 3/27: Kaveski/Meriam’s loop was fairly quiet. Snow Geese were still around and one pintail was obvious with them but the sun made scanning the rest of the ducks a pain. Quick check of Hardy and the res after had nothing.

Monday 3/28: Dunback was quiet and cold (and slightly snowy even with nothing at home). Hardy had a Ruddy, which got me to 100 for the year in county, earliest I’ve done so.

Tuesday 3/29: Quick Hobbs Brook check finally had a Fox Sparrow (res patch #184). Kingfisher was the only other thing of any note.

Wednesday 3/16: 4+ Killdeer, 4+ Rusties, 16+ Wood Duck at Ricci Farm, nothing different at Elm Brook.

Thursday 3/17: Tried Great Meadows in the fog, basically the same as last week (from what I could see).

Friday 3/18: In office meeting, which meant a chance to check Wayland. Good start when I remembered I should have my key and had to backtrack, but still had enough time to check the gardens quickly then go down Pelham Island Rd. Snipe was the most interesting at the gardens, FOY Tree Swallow at the swamp (finally) and just about nothing on Heard Pond.

Saturday 3/19: Did the usual wet weather loop without much in the morning. Got a text about an egret at the parkway marsh while I was getting into the car in the afternoon so looped over and got it as a drive-by.

Sunday 3/20: Out to Bolton Flats for a change. The geese appeared to have moved on and not many ducks beyond GW Teal. Dexter Drumlin had a few raptors including a kestrel. Delaney had the Lesser Scaup I was looking for, but that was a fairly poor return given the number of possible county birds I had.

Monday 3/21: RB Nuthatch was a surprise at BBN, just the usual stuff otherwise.

Tuesday 3/22: Quiet at Cookson and east of the square.

Wednesday 3/9: Decided to check the ponds and marshes at BBN. Only a few Mallards and Hoodies on the parkway, nothing at the big one. Over to the West Meadow which had more common stuff. A Winter Wren was calling at the smaller boardwalk and a woodcock flushed on the way out (tough ‘commute’ bird).

Thursday 3/10: No Blue-winged Teal or Tree Swallow at Great Meadows but a bunch of commute and other year birds including Gadwall, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, Belted Kingfisher, and Fish Crow.

Friday 3/11: Sharpie flew through the parking lot as I arrived for an eye exam. Drove through Nine Acre on the way home, geese but wasn’t seeing well enough to scan for anything else. Fish Crow flew by at home.

Saturday 3/12: Too foggy for much. Waltham Community Farm had the usual, couldn’t see the water at the res, nothing at Nine Acre, nothing different beyond RB Gulls at School St, could see even less at Flint’s.

Sunday 3/13: Too cold and windy, checked the Charles from Norumbega down to Mt. Feake and back up to Purgatory without anything, then drove through the res (and Hobbs Brook) and Flint’s with even less.

Monday 3/14: Weston Station Pond had a ton of Ring-necks, an eagle, a few Wood Duck, and that was about it. Evening walk along the parkway at BBN had 4+ woodcock and a Mute Swan.

Tuesday 3/15: Rock Meadow: bluebird, Killdeer, phoebe, few other things.

Wednesday 3/2: Nothing at Cookson, maybe 2 GW Teal along the river, Turkey Vulture (finally) on the way home.

Thursday 3/3: Pretty quiet at Lone Tree Hill and the duck ponds.

Friday 3/4: Nothing at Nine Acre or School St.

Saturday 3/5: Usual at Hanscom, wish the likely bunting flock was a bit more cooperative. Wood Ducks were in at Great Meadows, as were Fish Crow (one at Gaining Ground too).

Sunday 3/6: Waited out the fog for a bit then worked the river in Wayland and Sudbury. Merlin on Pelham Island Rd but no ducks. Heard was still fogged in, no Rough-leg along Landham. Side trip to Hagar didn’t have anything but I didn’t get out of the car to look around the snow banks. Water Row in Wayland had Ring-necks. Old 27 bridge had a teal and the usual ducks. The Sudbury Water Row viewpoint had more teal, a goldeneye, and not much else. Turkey Vulture over Nine Acre and lots of Canada Geese. Had time for School St. No meadowlark but 40 Horned Larks finally got me to 100 on the year and a good time catching up with Will. That turned out to be very good as 2 Black Vultures were over Rt. 2 on the way home! Local 2 Town #303! Apparently a bit  of a movement today as others had at Minuteman and then at School St later. Checked the res hoping they drifted that way but no luck and fewer birds considering much more was open.

Monday 3/7: Headed to the Mystic Lakes to try for Great Cormorant and Red-throated Loon. Started at the lower end where there were 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and the loon was visible but distant. Wasn’t finding much on land but came up with a Fox Sparrow and 2 GC Kinglets on the way back to the car. Drove up to the dam where the cormorant was posing on the docks and an eagle flew in. Debated a further scan or a run to Spy Pond when I noticed something bright white so got the scope out. Two scaup, but sleeping so ID pending someone else getting a view (seems to be Greater, but still waiting). Luckily Renee stopped by so she got those and I was able to tell her about the sparrow.

Tuesday 3/8: Nothing much at Arlington Res, lots of Ring-necks and Bufflehead, a few Killdeer, a Turkey Vulture about it.

Wednesday 2/23: Killdeer at Dunback and finally caught up with the phoebe at Upper Vine Brook. February was the last month I needed for that, so 79 now in all months in MA I believe. Afternoon check of the res had goldeneye, Ring-necks, 2 eagles, and a nice chat with Simon.

Thursday 2/24: Winter Wren and a deer were about it at BBN.

Friday 2/25: Too snowy

Saturday 2/26: Riverwalk to Moody had the usual and nothing else.

Sunday 2/27: Same at Earhart, the usual stuff, no loons or scaup or anything else.

Monday 2/28: Handful of waxwings was about it at Falzone.

Tuesday 3/1: Had to run to Boston, got a few minutes in the Fenway area without much of note.

Wednesday 2/16: Did most of Dunback without seeing much but then had one of the Yellow-rumps, a few bluebirds, 2 cowbirds, and a Rusty all on the way out.

Thursday 2/17: Pretty quiet at BBN.

Friday 2/18: Too nasty in the morning. Quick check of the res midafternoon had 1 Hoodie.

Saturday 2/19: Started at Heard. Beaver was active in the river, eagle over, FOY valley cowbird about it. No birds at the swamp. GW Teal and a bunch of Ring-necks on Water Row, Wayland side. Goldeneye on the Sudbury side were apparently a new bird for me in Sudbury, bringing up the 150. Nine Acre had nothing exciting, looped a few other spots without anything either.

Sunday 2/20: Attempted to find a few February birds. Started at Millennium where I had the 4 White-crowns. Big flock of waxwings was about it. Continued to Franklin Park and Franklin Field but no obvious Snow Goose. McLaughlin Woods didn’t have the Wilson’s Warbler. Usual stuff Norumbega area.

Monday 2/21: Horn Pond had 2 Barred Owl, a Wood Duck, a Fox Sparrow, a Fish Crow, and the usual coots (no pintail though). Sandy Beach and the lakes had the usual. Nothing at Spy, Blair, and Clay Pit Ponds.

Tuesday 2/22: Heard at least 2 of Paul’s Virginia Rails at Flowed Meadow. No Sora though. Usual ducks on the river, nothing exciting elsewhere on land.

Wednesday 2/9: Umbrello was unplowed (I think) so Lindentree it was. Couple ravens, lots of bluebirds, couple Red-wings about it. Doubled back on the way home to find a perfect snow owl at the compost dump.

Thursday 2/10: Grackle over the yard in the morning. Another at Fresh Pond but not much else there.

Friday 2/11: Red-shoulder at Kaveski (plus finally a commute Cooper’s) and then a Chipping Sparrow back at the car at Brooks Village.

Saturday 2/12: Finally did the Scituate-Cohasset loop I’ve been intending since the 1st of the year. Lighthouse was windy and not super birdy, Great Cormorant and Dunlin the most interesting. Musquashicut Pond had expected ducks. Little Harbor had a harrier and finally a Great Cormorant for Norfolk (didn’t scope so no Harlequin/Purple Sandpiper). Couldn’t find my way around Hull, so went to Nut Island which was quiet. Quick check of the Norumbega area on the way back had nothing. Res and Hardy were still frozen.

Sunday 2/13: Ended up too snowy.

Monday 2/14: Still too snowy.

Tuesday 2/15: Tons of geese along the river in Watertown, quite a few Bufflehead, a Ring-neck, and that was about it.