WIR 5/13-5/19

Wednesday 5/13: Lincoln’s Sparrow and Least Flycatcher were all that was new at Dunback. As many sparrows as warblers.

Thursday 5/14: Green Heron, Veery, Wilson’s Warbler among others at Lot 1, plus a Fish Crow.

Friday 5/15: Storm was a bit of a bust. Great Meadows had a few swallows including a Bank, a YT Vireo, and a couple likely Least Sandpipers. A few warblers included Palm, Nashville, and Wilson’s, probably should have spent more time in the woods.

Saturday 5/16: Birdathon, unfortunately under carbon free rules, would have been an incredible day if we did the normal route. Falzone, especially Brookhaven, was hopping. Second bird in was a Bay-breasted, joined by a Blackpoll and about a dozen other warblers. West Meadow added Solitary Sandpiper and a couple other things. Beaver Brook North had similar diversity to Falzone (Red-eyed Vireo and Magnolia finally among them). Rock Meadow was crowded but had a Nashville. The duck ponds had 5+ Solitaries and a Spotted Sandpiper, but were otherwise too crowded. The loop back was fairly quiet until I got back to Brookhaven where I had a tanager, Canada Warbler, and better views of several of the ones from before. Afternoon loop of Hardy Pond and Graverson had nothing until I was passing Miriam and the eagles flew over, #77 on the day.

Sunday 5/17: Woke up to a Black-billed Cuckoo, yard #116. Res was very quiet, as was Nine Acre in a very quick scan. Heard Pond had less than I expected, Wilson’s Warbler and Least Flycatcher the best. Was a bit cool and cloudy but went to Assabet anyway. Fisher loop didn’t have much beyond a Prairie Warbler. Quick pass through the Desert had a Canada Warbler but no bugs of interest. Checked the Patrol Rd too before leaving, nothing there. Afternoon pass of the res had an eagle and a nasty looking fox.

Monday 5/18: Arlington Res had a bunch of warblers including showy Blackpolls, a Bay-breasted, a couple Wilson’s, a Chestnut-sided, and a Blackburnian plus Least Sandpiper, Least Flycatcher, and Swainson’s Thrush.

Tuesday 5/19: FOY Pewee and Willow Flycatcher at Forest Grove but not a lot else.

WIR 5/6-5/12

Wednesday 5/6: FOY tanager, GC Flycatcher, House Wren at Hayden Woods plus 3 Rusties, a few warblers, etc.

Thursday 5/7: Found Francis’s Western Palm at BBN plus Broad-wing, Great Egret, Orchard Oriole, and a decent variety of other warblers among 50 species.

Friday 5/8: Solitary Sandpipers and finally a prework Turkey Vulture at a very crowded Arlington Res. Stopped at the duck ponds for 10 minutes after and had both there too. Also the young eagle flew right over the house as I was leaving.

Saturday 5/9: Loon at Flint’s was the only thing at all interesting in a quick loop after the snow.

Sunday 5/10: Couldn’t find the RH Woodpecker for May, but did have 50 other species between the two ponds. Oxbow had a few more birds I needed for Ayer (23 total on the day), and a turkey crossing the railroad tracks in Shirley rounded things out. Afternoon ride probably had the Ring-neck at the res but it wasn’t in a spot where I could stop.

Monday 5/11: Went to Hanscom to get Field Sparrow and towhee on the prework list. Got those and a Sharpie plus BT Green, lots of Black-and-white and Blue-winged, a Prairie, etc. While taking a snack break late morning, I saw a warbler pop up outside the window. Went out to get a better look and found an Ovenbird walking under the bushes, yard bird #115! The warbler turned out to be a yellowthroat. Also House Wren and Barn Swallow were yard FOY, finally over 50.

Tuesday 5/12: WC Sparrow, BT Blue, hummer, a few more warblers at BBN. Four+ Solitaries at the duck ponds.

WIR 4/29-5/5

Wednesday 4/29: BH Vireo was about it at BBN (pretty sure I heard a distant grosbeak but it shut up by the time I got closer).

Thursday 4/30: Yellow Warbler at Forest Grove.

Friday 5/1: Bufflehead and adult eagle at Hardy, nothing elsewhere. Afternoon loop had essentially the same except there were now 2 eagles at Hardy and they were actually more visible from the yard than from the other side.

Saturday 5/2: Northern Waterthrush at Meadowbrook (Arlington #99). Nothing at Draw Seven. Towhee, Hermit Thrush, 3 Osprey at Station Landing. Lots of Savannahs and a raven at Earhart. Quick stop at Menotomy Rocks on the way home got Pine Warbler, so 22 towns to 100 now. Kestrel, Osprey, at least one eagle, and a Turkey Vulture over the yard plus FOY Chimney Swifts.

Sunday 5/3: Moderate movement overnight, FOY Blue-winged, BT Green, Ovenbird, Parula, Common Yellowthroat at Nobscot plus a few Black-and-white, a Louisiana Waterthrush, many BH Vireos, a grosbeak, and a catbird. No odes out at Assabet and the Desert, moderately good butterflies though along with a few Broad-wings.

Monday 5/4: Lots of recent arrivals at BBN, kingbird and Wood Thrush were the only ones new for the year but about 12 patch year birds.

Tuesday 5/5: Watertown Charles while doing errands. Lots of Warbling Vireos and a few warblers including Nashville.

WIR 4/22-4/28

Wednesday 4/22: Nothing at the res, same eagle at Hardy, waxwings and a kingfisher at the duck ponds.

Thursday 4/23: Good number of Palms, a few Pines and Yellow-rumps plus turkeys flying across the river at Purgatory/Forest Grove.

Friday 4/24: Fairly quiet at Arlington Res, Spotted Sandpiper and Barn Swallow new for the prework list. Nothing much at the res, eagle again at Hardy.

Saturday 4/25: First Black-and-white and RB Grosbeak of the year at Hanscom plus at least 6 kestrels. Nothing much at Warner’s Pond. A few Common Mergansers and a Ring-neck still at the res. Raccoon on Concord Ave in between. Chipping Sparrow in the yard finally.

Sunday 4/26: Couple Bufflehead on the res (and the odd sight of 2 Kingfishers on the wires by Wagon Wheel while getting gas first). Assabet had the interesting towhee and both waterthrushes. Did the near 6 mile outer loop and don’t think I saw much of interest after the first couple. Unfortunately too cloudy for any bugs beyond a springtail mass.

Monday 4/27: Finally got some storm-related birds with 4 Red-necked and a Horned Grebe on the res. Loon at Flint’s may or may not have been related (or new). Nothing much at Nine Acre or Hardy.

Tuesday 4/28: Nothing at Arlington Res.

WIR 4/15-4/21

Wednesday 4/15: Almost nothing in a very quick run around the duck ponds.

Thursday 4/16: Only enough time for a quick check of the Charles in Watertown, 10 night-herons before my face covering caused my glasses to fog to the point I couldn’t see.

Friday 4/17: Ton of Savannahs by Kaveski but not much else. Finished with enough time to check the res (eagle, 5 Common Mergansers) and Hardy (different eagle, RW Swallow).

Saturday 4/18: Did a res->NAC->School St and back loop without anything worth noting.

Sunday 4/19: Nothing at the res. Spotted Sandpiper and kestrel at NAC. Hour and a half on Water Row had a flyover Great Egret, the catbird, and a few raptors.

Monday 4/20: Kestrel and a couple gnatcatchers at BBN.

Tuesday 4/21: May or may not have been chased out of Upper Vine Brook by a fox. Kestrel and the usual at Dunback. Quick loop of the res after the storms in the evening had a good number of mergansers and Bufflehead but no obvious storm drop ins.

Fox

WIR 4/8-4/14

Wednesday 4/8: Quick check of Hardy and the res had nothing. Hairy in the yard was the first in some time.

Thursday 4/9: Forest Grove was pretty quiet (3 phoebes, Chipping Sparrow, Pine Warbler). DC Cormorant and a bluebird at the res on the way home.

Friday 4/10: Marsh Wren, Virginia Rail, Palm Warblers along Concord Ave. Took circling the entire place but finally got a snipe at Waltham St.

Saturday 4/11: Nothing at the res. RB Merg at Flint’s. Probable ibis at Nine Acre along with 4 feeding Turkey Vultures.

Sunday 4/12: Towhee at Ricci Field, gnatcatcher and FOY butterflies (Comma and Cabbage White) and Tanner’s Brook.

Monday 4/13: Nothing much on a pond loop.

Tuesday 4/14: BW Teal and kestrel at BBN.

WIR 4/1-4/7

Wednesday 4/1: Another Fox Sparrow but not much else at the West Meadow (should have bushwhacked down to the concrete pad…). About the same ducks at Hardy.

Thursday 4/2: Chased the Canvasbacks at Fresh Pond, commute #228 (and an April bird, so another month with an addition, was expecting that to be tough).

Friday 4/3: Yuck

Saturday 4/4: PB Grebe at the res but little else. Not much at Nine Acre or Knox Trail. One snipe at Waltham St. Afternoon look of the western side of the Charles had a bunch of vultures over Norumbega and another grebe at Edgewater. Killdeer calling from a roof on Bear Hill Rd was interesting too.

Sunday 4/5: Tried Round hill since I won’t be getting there on the way to work any time soon. Snipe and a couple GW Teal at Pantry Brook, 3+ Pine Warblers on the hill, and a Palm in the gardens on the way out. Stopped along Water Row where Brian picked up a kestrel, I got an Osprey, and then a catbird came in within seconds of him leaving. Nothing much on Pelham Island Rd beyond people.

Monday 4/6: Mostly the usual at BBN, phoebe, Chipping Sparrow new in plus a kingfisher. Raven at Norumbega later and vulture over the yard.

Tuesday 4/7: Nothing different at St. Anne’s.

WIR 3/25-3/31

Wednesday 3/25: Rusties and a Fox Sparrow at BBN.

Thursday 3/26: Quick run along the Charles east of Watertown Square had nothing of interest.

Friday 3/27: At least one Fox Sparrow at Falzone plus patch FOY Killdeer. Quick stop at Hardy had a few Tree Swallows.

Saturday 3/28: Two Fields Sparrows (finally a March bird for the county), Rusties, a kestrel, and a phoebe at Hanscom. Another Field Sparrow at Waltham St. Tree Swallows over the yard and nothing on the res in an afternoon check.

Sunday 3/29: Pretty yuck out, pond loop had pretty much nothing. Did finally have a second Red-belly in the yard.

Monday 3/30: Nothing in a res/NAC/Flint’s loop. Thanks to a text from Francis, patch bird #184 at lunch:

Tuesday 3/31: 4+ Fox Sparrows at Dunback, Fish Crows at home.

WIR 3/18-3/24

Wednesday 3/18: Leucistic Killdeer and singing Fox Sparrow at Kaveski/Meriam’s/Brook Village. At least 5 woodcock peenting without getting out of the car at BBN around 7:30.

Thursday 3/19: Yuck

Friday 3/20: Scaup among the ducks at the res, nothing at Nine Acre or School St.

Saturday 3/21: Town listing is good right now, going to lots of places with essentially zero people. Did a long loop in Carlisle from Foss Farm. Added Winter Wren, Great Black-backed Gull (100 up!), and Common Raven plus a few Rusties and 2 Pileated. Tried across the river on the Billerica GMNWR trail, only managed Carolina Wren there and not much else in the wind. Plus Turkey Vulture over Rt. 3 on the way home.

Sunday 3/22: More town listing. Desert Natural Area added Golden-crowned Kinglet and Killdeer for Marlborough but no luck with any different sparrows. Continued to Fort Meadow Reservoir which had 2 Greater Scaup, so 100 up (and town #20!). Buzz through School St and Nine Acre on the way home had absolutely nothing.

Monday 3/23: Quiet at Dunback and Upper Vine Brook.

Tuesday 3/24: Probably should have gone for a walk even with the snow on the ground, 3 Ruddy at Hardy, nothing at the res or Nine Acre, nothing much at Elm Brook.

WIR 3/11-3/17

Wednesday 3/11: 3 Shovelers at Arlington Res.

Thursday 3/12: Bunch of Rusties at the Pelham Island Rd bridge.

Friday 3/13: Rainy, nothing much at any ponds/rivers.

Saturday 3/14: Usual at the res. Did a bit of a town listing run although it was too windy for much. Added 3 in Melrose at Ell Pond, then 17 in Stoneham at Greenwood Park before checking Brooks for the OC Warbler again (no luck).

Sunday 3/15: No luck with the RH Woodpecker but did have a few Tree Swallows and some ducks to pump up the Ayer list a bit. Kestrel on the way over to Fitch’s Bridge Rd, which was fairly quiet. Yellow-rump at Heald St. Nothing good among the Canada Geese in the prison fields on the way home.

Monday 3/16: Mostly the usual at BBN. Winter Wren was a commute year bird if going home counts.

Tuesday 3/17: Ruddy among the usual at Hardy Pond, nothing new at the res.