Wednesday 10/1: Started by successfully chasing Bob’s Dunlin along with 6 shoveler and a few other ducks and shorebirds at Arlington Res.
Continued to Hobbs Brook to find my own but no luck with that. Big flock of teal that surprisingly turned out to be more Blue-winged than Green-winged. Cambridge Res was quiet, as was Hardy. First White-throat of the fall in the yard.
Thursday 10/2: Went to Great Meadows (after quickly checking Flint’s which had nothing but cormorants). Was expecting a couple hours but ended up staying about 6 on the platform. Lots of raptors moving (25 Osprey, 8 harriers, 3 Sharp-shinned, 3 Merlin, 6 Peregrine) and a few shorebirds (6 Pec, 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 1 Least). Along with several pipits, warblers, etc. Big highlights were 54 White-winged Scoters (all sorts of reports on reservoirs to the west) and two good flocks of Rusty Blackbirds (80+ in total).
Friday 10/3: Started at Dunback. Lincoln’s and Scarlet Tanager in the gardens. Ran into Marj down Bacon St and we went over to Waltham St. Bobolink, lots of Indigo Buntings, but not much else. I walked back to Dunback and had a bunch of Yellow-rumps but not much else. A quick check of Hobbs Brook had 7 Green-winged Teal and a tree crew.
Saturday 10/4: Stayed in for Yom Kippur. Cooper’s across the street.
Sunday 10/5: Joined the MBC trip to Dunback and Waltham St. Started with a meadowlark (#211 in Lexington, #210 is above), then had an Orange-crowned Warbler (singing!) before adding a Baltimore Oriole. Quick check of the West Meadow was quiet by 11:30.
Monday 10/6: Quick check of the res had 45ish Ring-necks and a Pied-billed Grebe. Afternoon walk around Arlington Res had a few less shorebirds (3 Semis, 3 Solitary, 1 Spotted, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 9 Killdeer) but the shoveler count was up to 8.
Tuesday 10/7: Last weekday to really wander for a few months most likely. Danehy was quiet, McClennan wasn’t much better. Horn Pond had a mousing heron in the gardens but not a whole lot more. Stopped at Hobbs Brook and got the only rain of the day other than the couple seconds right after I left the house so no walking out there.
