Wednesday 10/20: Lone Tree Hill was quite birdy. Finally a Purple Finch on the ground, lots of sparrows including a Towhee, a few warblers, etc. Quick check of the duck ponds had lots of Mallards, a black duck, 3 Wood Duck, and not much else. Water level was down again, but I’m sure it’s too late for any shorebirds.
Thursday 10/21: Quick check of the res had an interesting flock way out in awful light. Sure they weren’t scoters but couldn’t say much else. Decided on Alewife instead of Danehy based on traffic. GC Kinglet and Hermit Thrush were Cambridge year birds plus a BT Green and Nashville. Winter Wren was new for Cambridge in general. Had just enough time for a quick loop of the Acorn Park side. Walking past the ponds, a guy waved me over and said “I think there’s a bittern here.” And there was!
Friday 10/22: Arlington Res for the Stilt Sandpiper for the second half of October and anything else. Sandpiper cooperated, a few yellowlegs were still around, but not much else. Gadwall was a ‘commute’ year bird and GC Kinglets are back after being a no show last winter. The two at the farm were local combined town year list #1484, a new high for me.
Saturday 10/23: Started on Water Row. The viewpoint had a tree blocking a bit and isn’t as good in fall, plus nothing was moving. Lot of sparrows down the road so I stopped and walked a bit but didn’t find much of note. Round Hill ad a lot of Song and Swamp Sparrows in the gardens but not much else (Herring Gull was #100 for the site though). Walked through the GM headquarters trail too and added Mute Swans, a couple Purple Finches, and a Winter Wren plus 3 deer.
Sunday 10/24: Worked Arlington a bit. After a check of the res (eagle trying to hold something in the water), started at McClennen. Fairly birdy around the pond and above (although too many dogs above to really check). GW Teal and Purple Finch the highlights (plus a likely siskin) but a couple phoebes and bunch of Savannah Sparrows were nice too. Spy Pond had a cormorant on the water and 10 geese on the ballfield and that was it. Started to go to Meadowbrook but decided it wasn’t worth the effort and went to Sandy Beach instead. Both kinglets, at least one sapsucker, and not too much else (good conversation though). Made a quick stop at Winter Pond after for Wood Duck and PB Grebe, which were almost the entirety of what was there.
Believe the Wood Duck was local combined town year list #1500 (see Friday). The super crazy goal when I started this idea (2014 or so) was to average 100 a town, so with 16 towns in the area, I’m 99 away. Currently at 6 over 100 plus 4 at 96 or more. Newton’s at 84 and the rest are between 54 and 71. Only need 6-7 per town from here, or get all those under 75 to 75 and those under 100 to 100 and a couple more each for those already above. There’s 18 species not in all towns that should be doable in all, plus some more ducks (and pigeon in 7 towns) and I can get there.
Monday 10/25: Flock of ducks flying around in the rain at the res appeared to be Black and Mallard. Nothing at Flint’s. Nice GWF Goose at Nine Acre, which appears to have led to others finding a second at School St.
Tuesday 10/26: Quick res/Flint’s check had nothing.