brewster's linnet . com

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.

Wednesday 10/23: Pond check turned up 4 Wood Ducks at the res and basically nothing else.

Thursday 10/24: No Grasshopper Sparrow at Kaveski, BH Vireo, 4 species of blackbirds the highlights.

Friday 10/25: Timing of the plumber meant I had to get ready early so went to Westborough. Nothing unusual, lots of common sparrows.

Saturday 10/26: Decided not to run out to Hadley. McClennen had nothing exciting. Late Solitary, Semipalmated Plover, and Nashville at Arlington Res plus a pipit. Late BT Green at Arlington Great Meadows. Very little at Waltham St and Hobbs Brook.

Sunday 10/27: Wasn’t raining early so hit Danehy for a bit. Marsh Wren was about the only thing of interest. Spy Pond in the rain had 150+ cormorants, Mystic Lakes had a flock of Hoodies.

Monday 10/28: Finally got to Farm Pond, which I’d been saying I should do all fall. Started out the causeway and pretty quickly flushed a very pale sparrow that looks good for Ipswich. My first in the county but the second one to be seen here. That took quite a bit of time, so I didn’t get to the north end. Did have a Bufflehead, 2 coots, and a pipit.

Tuesday 10/29: Nothing of note at Great Meadows.

Wednesday 10/16: Lots of the usual sparrows and Yellow-rumps at BBN but little else.

Thursday 10/17: Pond check had nothing but a few gulls at the res. Fortunately they lingered.

Friday 10/18: 3 geese at the res was it. Very late tanager, lots of Yellow-rumps, not a ton else at Forest Grove.

Saturday 10/19: Did a Plymouth county run which wasn’t the best. Elllisville Harbor was fairly good, at least along the marsh and beach. Marsh Wren, Forster’s Tern, tons of gannets, White-rumped Sandpiper, and more. The fields were quiet. Quick stop at Manomet Point had nothing, so went to Tidmarsh. Long walk around had White-crowned and Field Sparrows but still couldn’t get a Savannah. Manomet Point again was even slower, so tried Nelson Field, which also looked quiet. Checked hotspots towards home and tried the Duxbury Bogs. A bunch of Rusties and a few ducks and shorebirds but no sparrows. Buzzed the res on the way home and wasn’t surprised by 2 Black Scoters given the numbers elsewhere today.

Also lots of meadowhawks all over including an immature looking one, plus a late Bronzed(?) Tiger Beetle.

Sunday 10/20: Slight change in plans, instead of West Meadow then Rock Meadow I went straight to Rock Meadow. Also sapsucker and first local juncos of the fall. Then on to Milton. Fowl Meadow had a BT Blue, a really cooperative Red-shoulder, and lots of Yellow-rumps. Quick check of the res had a PB Grebe, Ruddy, and 4 Ring-necks.

Monday 10/21: Towhee was the best thing at Kaveski.

Tuesday 10/22: Nothing exciting at West Meadow, which left enough time to get the kingbird as commute #227.