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Wednesday 12/18: Was nice out so of course the Pine Warbler was chipping away along the river. One of two count week birds along the Charles today and not quite as good as the Townsend’s found in Watertown. Also a Ruddy and otherwise about the same.

Thursday 12/19: Too cold, did scan the res very quickly, nothing new.

Friday 12/20: Busy

Saturday 12/21: Finally tried for the Townsend’s, no luck obviously. Nothing terribly exciting along the river, RC Kinglet was the most exciting at Mt. Auburn after.

Sunday 12/22: Usual at Horn Pond. Goldeneye on Upper Mystic Lake was surprisingly a first for me on the lakes. Only found one of the Chipping Sparrows at Meadowbrook. Very little open water on the res, Ring-neck, couple Hoodies, couple goldeneye, and a few gulls.

Monday 12/23: Riverwalk was dead.

Tuesday 12/24: Started by Watertown Square again. No Townsend’s but got the Yellow-rump and catbird that had been seen over the last few days. Continued to the east and had another Yellow-rump. Continued from there to Magazine Beach for some reason, which was totally dead.

Wednesday 12/11: Nothing exciting in the yard.

Thursday 12/12: Eagle flying over BBN was a very overdue patch bird.

Friday 12/13: Barred Owl about it at Dunback.

Saturday 12/14: Thought it was going to be a washout, but the rain stopped late morning. Started for the res, realized it was fogged in, so went up to Norumbega and worked my way down to the river walk, finding nothing at any point. It had gotten quite a bit brighter so headed back to the res to find it still foggy. Did pick out a few Ring-necks and goldeneye but I’m sure most of the birds were out of view.

Sunday 12/15: Greater Boston CBC in the wind. Quiet at Dunback, missed a Yellow-rump at Lot 1. A distant scaup at Hardy Pond, so we drove around and walked in from Graverson. Scaup confirmed as a Lesser then a Field Sparrow popped up on the way out, both new for the sector. Nothing terribly exciting after that, field station, Gore, and along the river.

Monday 12/16: Wasn’t windy so of course I found 4 species at BBN that we missed yesterday: Chipping Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, and Hairy Woodpecker.

Tuesday 12/17: Snowed in.

Wednesday 12/4: Nothing on a quick buzz of Cambridge Res.

Thursday 12/5: Wood Duck among the regulars at Pelham Island Rd.

Friday 12/6: Quiet on the riverwalk.

Saturday 12/7: Same ducks on the res. Slogged through the snow at both ends of Waltham St and found nothing. Mostly the usuals at Moody St but a chip alerted me to a Pine Warbler. Chased the meadowlarks at Hanscom without any luck.

Sunday 12/8: Tried for the meadowlarks again, only had 4 Field Sparrows and an eagle. Another eagle plus a GB Heron at the res, which was close to freezing over.

Monday 12/9: Merlin and 3 Wood Ducks at Forest Grove.

Tuesday 12/10: Barred Owl at Lot 1.

Wednesday 11/27: Winter Wren and not much else at the West Meadow.

Thursday 11/28: Looped out as far as Nagog without anything of note.

Friday 11/29: Charles by Watertown Square was pretty quiet. Nothing exciting at Torbert McDonald, nothing at Draw Seven. Eventually found Jonathan’s Long-tailed Duck by the casino but no interesting sparrows. Big Ring-neck flock at the res but nothing else among them beyond Hoodies.

Saturday 11/30: Made the brilliant decision to try Wachusett Res. Freezing, windy, and pretty birdless. Rail trail had very little and no hybrid hawk. Gave up and worked my way home, stopping at Fort Meadow Res, Hager Pond, Heard Pond, and Norumbega without much.

Sunday 12/1: Usual at the res. Rusty, Winter Wren, and a Yellow-rump among the usual at Dunback. A good 50+ Red-wings at Waltham St as I drove by. Apparently walked by the Lark Sparrow at Earhart, got the Long-tail for December, then found the sparrow on the way back. Hundred+ mergansers on Spy Pond plus a few Ruddy, Hardy almost frozen.

Monday 12/2: Snowed in, White-throat, junco, Song Sparrow about it.

Tuesday 12/3: Snowed in, 2 Song Sparrows but no White-throat.

Wednesday 11/20: Fish Crows and a Fox Sparrow at Forest Grove.

Thursday 11/21: Late(ish) catbird and lots of blackbirds at Dunback.

Friday 11/22: Made it back to Farm Pond. Snow Bunting on the causeway, eagle over, creeper at the other end.

Saturday 11/23: After a quick check of the res, went down for the Franklin’s Gull. No luck (I sort of assumed it was long gone), so went to Great Pond next. Usual big flock of diving ducks but not a ton else, Palm Warbler the highlight. Made a quick scan for the Snow Goose then started towards the Barnacle (but without checking directions, so I just headed back towards the gull). Saw John and Audrey scanning as I drove by, then while I stopped to check details noticed it had been reported again so doubled back. Nice to walk up to a bird in the scope. Watched for a bit, then went to the other side of the golf course for better views. Quick stop picked up the Barnacle Goose too, then home with a very quick confirmation the the Snow flock was elsewhere still.

Sunday 11/24: Too rainy for anything but a pond loop. Nothing at the res, flock of cowbirds but no interesting geese at Nine Acre, Ruddies at Spy, eagle at Mystic Lakes, RN Grebe at Fresh Pond, nothing at Hardy.

Monday 11/25: Another catbird and not a whole lot out at Hanscom/Gaining Ground.

Tuesday 11/26: Barrett’s Mill had 2 Field Sparrows among a lot of more common stuff. Lots of Canadas and pigeons at Wetherbee.

Wednesday 11/6: Harrier about it at Kaveski/Meriam’s, although lots of the regulars.

Thursday 11/7: Field Sparrow and a few ducks at Heard.

Friday 11/8: Nothing at the res. Figured that would mean nothing at Flint’s so went to the Old Rt. 27 bridge. Very little moving but 2 Pied-billed Grebes were SRV workday year bird #150 (finally). First Fox Sparrow of the fall popped up and 2 Red-shoulders were flying around, then the wind really picked up. Checked Heard Pond (a few teal) and Pelham Island Rd (ducks all in the sun).

Saturday 11/9: Planned something coastal. First thought was Castle Island, but a 5K was about to start, so I turned around and went to Squantum instead. Not much at Squaw Rock Park, eagle and a snipe (finally in Norfolk) at Commander Shea Blvd, pair of Cooper’s at Squantum Point Park, then an Ispwich Sparrow or two at Passanageset Park. Usual at Wollaston on the way out, then a coot among other stuff at Charlesbank on the way home.

Sunday 11/10: Joined the MBC walk at Dunback where a perched harrier was the most interesting thing. Continued to the prison fields, School St, and Nine Acre after without anything besides Canada Geese (and a few pipits at School St). Flint’s had goldeneye and nothing else, Res was quiet, Hardy had a few mergansers (as did Hobbs Brook).

Monday 11/11: Took advantage of the day off and started at Alewife. Very late gnatcatcher and an Orange-crowned were nice, as was a Red-shoulder. Continued to Torbert McDonald which had another Orange-crowned plus a Merlin. Draw Seven was very dead. Tried the casino next, lots of sparrows including 5+ Chipping and a Grasshopper!

Tuesday 11/12: Winter Wren at Great Meadows was #199 there but too foggy for anything else.

Wednesday 10/30: 3 Lesser Yellowlegs and the Nashville at Arlington Res.

Thursday 10/31: Pond check turned up nothing.

Friday 11/1: Bald Eagle and a few Rusties at Sudbury GM. Very quickly checked the gardens by Round Hill, Field Sparrow among others there.

Saturday 11/2: Started at Rock Meadow Pond where I couldn’t find the Red-headed Woodpecker but had a pretty good variety of birds, a meadowhawk, and a nice Red Fox. Saw that the Pacific-slope Flycatcher was being seen again, so headed out to Hadley. Lucked out and got on the bird in about 10 seconds, then got pretty good views a couple times over the next hour. Decided not to join the group hunting geese and went to Quabbin instead. Got a message that they had a White-front but I wasn’t about to double all the way back for that. Couple scaup at Winsor Dam and not much else there. Tried Goodnough Dike and was about to say it was a bust but 17 Brant then flew over (calling!). Pileated and a Shadow Darner on the way out. Turek’s Swamp had a few ducks and a Killdeer. Res scan on the way home had a bunch of Bufflehead and Hoodies plus a RN Grebe.

Sunday 11/3: Res had nothing. Joined the BBC trip to Wakefield, highlights were Rusty Blackbirds, a flyover Snow Bunting, and Black Scoters. Arlington Res after had very little.

Monday 11/4: Two BH Vireos and first of fall American Tree Sparrow at BBN. 

Tuesday 11/5: Pond check was quiet after a few other usual at Hardy.