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Wednesday 10/17: More or less the usual at BBN. Hermit Thrush was an overdue patch year bird and ties my previous high.

Thursday 10/18: Did a pond check. Nothing exciting at Hardy. Sun was bad so skipped the res. FOF Bufflehead at Flint’s. Pipits at Nine Acre, sun bad at Heard.

Friday 10/19: Squeezed in a day off and made a brief Cape run. Pochet Island up first (well after the walk down Nauset, which had a Hairy Woodpecker among other things). Clay-colored was one of the first birds but it was fairly slow after that. Rusty Blackbird, good raptor show, a few other passerines. Back up Nauset had tons of ducks including a few GW Teal. Went to Corn Hill next, which was pretty quiet. Pilgrim Heights was also quiet, Winter Wren on the bike path the best. Wind had really picked up, headed to Head of the Meadow but missed the turn and just followed roads at the next turn to Truro’s Coast Guard Beach. Better parking area to scan from, especially once I turned around and used the hatch as a shelter. Tons and tons of scoters, a few Cory’s, a huge flock of resting Tree Swallows, and not much else.

Saturday 10/20: Waited out the rain then went to Fort Hill. YB Cuckoo, Ruddy Turnstone, and regular stuff otherwise. Wind was picked up but tried Morris Island anyway, which was a bit of a mistake. Did have a few oystercatchers but that was about it. Next stop was going to be Santuit Pond, but since I was passing Marston’s Mills Pond, I stopped there first. Big flock of wigeon and got the Wood Duck I wanted there. Santuit was pretty quiet, another Wood Duck, 4 Ruddy, and not much else until I got back to the car, where there was a bit of a mixed flock, although nothing unusual. Realized I was at 99 for the two days and debated Scusset Beach or Crane. Decided Crane was closer but then realized it was too windy and it was hunting season, so gave up and skipped. Lucked out as about 100 yards before the county line I had a flock of turkeys. Stopped at Norumbega (GW Teal) and the res (nothing) on the way home.

Sunday 10/21:  Res had Bufflehead and nothing else. Flint’s had Ruddies. Great Meadows had a ton of birds moving, mostly robins and geese but 5+ Cooper’s and 2 White-crowns. Too cold and windy though, so I went back home for a heavier jacket (18 wigeon at Elm Brook on the way). Nothing at Spy Pond, kingfisher (100 for Medford for the year), TV, Peregrine at Mystic Lakes. Scanned Horn Pond and Arlington Res from the car without anything. Afternoon loop of the res added a few geese but did have a Merlin fly over at Trapelo and Smith.

Monday 10/22: Tried the Old Rt. 27 bridge. Lots of blackbirds flying around, not a ton else. Hermit Thrush the only thing of moderate interest.

Tuesday 10/23: Hermit Thrushes, 4 Gadwall, not too much else of note at Arlington Res/Lexington Community Farm.

Wednesday 10/10: Dunback was pretty busy, Parula, Redstart, Rusty Blackbird, Red-shoulder, White-crown the best.

Thursday 10/11: Pond loop, very quiet. GW Teal at the Pelham Island Rd swamp the only thing of note.

Friday 10/12: Great Meadows was almost too dark to look at sparrows, but they were pretty much all Swamp. Did have a few GW Teal, 2 Pintail, 2 ravens, a harrier, Merlin, and 3 Cooper’s. Another Merlin landed on Bacon St on the way home.

Saturday 10/13: Started working locally in the rain. Nothing at the res or Spy Pond. Nothing on the Mystic Lakes but a sapsucker and Winter Wren in the wood lot were good. No Dickcissel at Horn Pond but lots of sparrows. Rain wasn’t stopping so I decided not to bother with Mary Cummings and went for the BH Gull/skimmer combo at Wollaston Beach instead. Detoured on the way to Draw Seven, which was quiet (although Savannah Sparrow, junco, and phoebe were all Somerville birds). Once I found the right spot at Wollaston, the two skimmers and the gull were all very obvious. Continued to Castle Island from there. Went around the fort first for some reason and kicked up a bunch of passerines in the trees. Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, a few warblers, a few kinglets, and more. Worked my way over to the causeway but wasn’t seeing much, so went back to the trees, adding BH Vireo, 5 phoebes, and a RB Nuthatch. Did have a banded RB Gull on the railing. Sent in the details and it was the first resight since being banded. At Castle Island in 2013. Not quite as exciting as I hoped. Looped through Norumbega (GW Teal) and back around the res (Common Loon) on the way home.

Sunday 10/14: Started at Hanscom. Targets were RB Nuthatch and Purple Finch. Didn’t get the nuthatch but got a bunch of other Bedford birds including Harrier, GH Owl, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and American Pipit. Went out to Fitch’s Bridge Rd next. Lots of birds, got most of the sparrows I wanted but nothing terribly exciting. Thought about another stop out that way but went to Waltham St instead, which was quiet.

Monday 10/15: Rock Meadow had a Dickcissel (finally) and lots of sparrows.

Tuesday 10/16: Round Hill had a YB Cuckoo (about time I got one considering the big influx).

Wednesday 10/3: Lots of Swamp Sparrows and not much else at Great Meadows (other than a brief flyby flock of mostly Pecs).

Thursday 10/4: Missed the Dickcissel at Rock Meadow and didn’t have too much else.

Friday 10/5: Usual at Wayland Community Gardens, Bronze Copper the best.

Saturday 10/6: Started at Danehy (planned before the WE Vireo showed up). No vireo, lots of other birds including 7(+) species of warbler, Clay-colored Sparrow(s), Warbling Vireo, and Rusty Blackbird. Spy Pond had very little, Meadowbrook had a Black-and-white and a BH Vireo. Lower end of the Mystic Lakes had a nice flock with Parula, Black-and-white, Redstart, more vireos, both kinglets, etc. Sandy Beach had Purple Finches and a sapsucker.

Sunday 10/7: Led an MBC walk at Waltham St. Started nicely except the birds refused to sit still but then died down and we had basically no birds on the normally busy edges of the back right field. Dunback was about the same. I continued to BBN (nothing around the parkway), Rock Meadow (ravens, WC Sparrow but no Dickcissel), and the duck ponds (nothing).

Monday 10/8: Great Meadows was quiet. Did have a couple Pecs and a yellowlegs on the way out plus first pipit of the season. Decided to head back to Danehy from there and refind the possibly interesting warbler from the other day. No luck with that, felt like pretty complete turnover. Nashville, White-crowned, not too much else exciting. Continued to Fresh Pond. GW Teal at the golf course, 2 Orange-crowns at Lusitania were the highlights.

Tuesday 10/9: Lindentree had extra electric fences, 3 pipits, and not a ton else.

Wednesday 9/26: Nashville, few Purple Finches, Red-shoulder (or two?) at Rock Meadow.

Thursday 9/27: Traffic on the way to Westborough, so not enough time. Lots of the common stuff.

Friday 9/28: Great Meadows was pretty quiet in the rain. Lots of sparrows on the path, nothing exciting among them. Only shorebirds were 2 Leasts flying over and nothing much in ducks.

Saturday 9/29: Squantum area run. Very little at Squaw Rock and the marshes. Commander Shea was busy, Northern Waterthrush and Lincoln’s Sparrow the best. Nut Island had a big but distant feeding frenzy. Passanageset Park had lots of sparrows but little else.

Sunday 9/30: Joined the MBC walk at Waltham St, which wasn’t overly exciting (few Lincoln’s about it). After we did the equally dull Dunback, I continued to Kaveski. Pec at the back, then a nice close Red-shoulder flyover. Walked down the road a bit and had a late nighthawk and a very late gnatcatcher. Ricci Fields next, Pileated and coyote about it. Had enough time to buzz the res (7 Ruddy) and Hardy Pond (1 Ruddy, 2 Greater Scaup) before the game.

Monday 10/1: BBN was pretty busy, had about 30 species on the parkway alone. Philadelphia Vireo the best, along with a few warblers and sparrows.

Tuesday 10/2: Arlington Res had a few ducks and too much rain to find much else.

Wednesday 9/19: Nothing in the yard.

Thursday 9/20: Turned the wrong way on 495 to go to Westborough so went to Waseeka instead. Very little there, but looks interesting for late May next year.

Friday 9/21: First of fall Lincoln’s and White-throated Sparrow and Blackpoll Warbler plus a couple other warblers at the Wayland Community Gardens.

Saturday 9/22: Danehy was a bust, Barn Swallow the only thing of note. Waltham St was pretty busy, added 3 birds to my list there: Cape May and BT Blue Warblers plus RB Nuthatch. Few Palms, Blackpolls, Nashvilles, and Purple Finches as well. Water up a bit at Hobbs Brooks and not much for shorebirds but a mixed flock along the road had a Philadelphia Vireo and a harrier flew over the water, numbers 169 and 170 for me here!

Sunday 9/23: Started at Nahanton. Big flock moving around when I arrived, failed to pull anything beyond Blackpoll and Parula from it (which was pretty much all others had too, so maybe failed isn’t the right word). Worked the sunny side of the gardens after the flock dispersed and added Cape May and Palm plus flyover Osprey. Moved on to Cutler Lake. No birds on the water. Wood Thrush near the river opening was good as was a singing Warbling Vireo at the end of the offices. Also finally got Blackpoll and BT Green for Norfolk. Next stop Millennium which was very quiet. Leucistic robin and the Red-shoulder calling were about it. Went to Brook Farm to try to see the hawk, succeeded with naked eye view as it flew away but did have a Nashville and Black-and-white.

Monday 9/24: Cool, cloudy, and windy at BBN. Scold tape brought in a few parulas and BT Green but pretty minimal beyond that.

Tuesday 9/25: Had to get some car stuff done, so only a brief stop at Purgatory. BH Vireo and a couple Blackpolls along the road was about it.

Wednesday 9/12: 3 Parula, BT Green, Nashville, little else at BBN.

Thursday 9/13: Farm Pond was pretty quiet. Osprey and the jays once again were working a GH Owl but not much else.

Friday 9/14: Yellow Warbler about it at Rock Meadow.

Saturday 9/15: MBC walk at BBN was fairly quiet. One big flock in awful light that moved downhill quickly so we missed more than we got. We continued to Rock Meadow, which had Purple Finches. A couple of us continued to McClennen (nothing) and Arlington Res (few shorebirds) and then I did Hobbs Brook (usual).

Sunday 9/16: Went out to Watatic. Three loons at Fitchburg Res plus a few warblers there and at Ashby Res on the way over. Cape May on the way up plus a Winter Wren just short of the summit. Stayed with the hawkwatch until late afternoon. Wasn’t a great day but just enough to keep interest up.

Monday 9/17: College Pond was pretty quiet.

Tuesday 9/18: Checked ponds for any storm-related stuff, didn’t find anything better than a few Hooded Mergansers at Flint’s.

Wednesday 9/5: GH Owl but not much else at BBN.

Thursday 9/6: Bunch of Semi Plovers finally at Hobbs Brook plus a few teal.

Friday 9/7: First of fall Magnolia among six warblers at Prospect Hill.

Saturday 9/8: Did a Squantum run. Squaw Rock was pretty quiet, eventually dug out a Magnolia at the tip, then had a Red-shoulder and a Prairie on the way back out. Nothing much at the marshes. Decided to head inland a bit. Milton Landing had an eagle and Osprey but no night-herons. Surprised to find the Caspian Terns still at Great Pond, although they did appear to move off. Quick scan of the gulls had me thinking one looked like a Lesser Black-back in flight, but it landed and was the same color as the adjacent bird. Further down, I watched a presumed scaup sp fly to the gulls flock and then disappear. Basically no land birds at the far end, so started back. Managed to sort of scope the Snowy Egret down by Oak St, then noticed 3 gulls on the rocks. All dark mantled and with yellow legs. Took some time to convince myself, but 3 Lesser Black-backs they were. Nothing else of note on the way out and nothing new at Hobbs Brook in a quick check (and no teal).

Sunday 9/9: Lexington loop. Dunback was tough work but managed 40+ species including Wilson’s Warbler, earlyish Palm Warbler, and 4 Purple Finch. Waltham St had an early Yellow-rump. Same at Hobbs Brook. Finished with 60 species and with a few easy ones missing, I wouldn’t be surprised if 80 was possible (if I didn’t go home to watch the game).

Monday 9/10: Heard Farm had water level higher than I expected and no shorebirds. Did have a calling Red-shoulder right there, which was new to Wayland (4th town with all 4 ‘expected’ Buteos). Pulled over at the pond on the way home for 10 seconds and had Bank and Rough-winged Swallows.

Tuesday 9/11: Got rained on and wasn’t finding anything new at Hobbs Brook, so went to Pelham Island Rd. First wigeon of the fall and 3+ Indigo Buntings were good.

Wednesday 8/29: Forest Grove had a RB Nuthatch and a couple other more expected Charles year birds.

Thursday 8/30: Not a whole lot at Rock Meadow. No sandpipers in a quick run around the duck ponds but a waterthrush popped up across the pond on my last scan.

Friday 8/31: Very litlte at Nobscot, 2 RB Nuthatches, 3 Kingbirds, 2 Redstarts, and a Pileated about it. Stopped on Pelham Island Rd on the way home, Solitary and 2 Spotted got Wayland to 100 for the year.

Saturday 9/1: Cambridge was quiet, essentially nothing of note at Danehy. Kingbird at Alewife was about it there. Thorndike field was a complete waste. Blair Pond had 2 Least and a Spotted then 6 Killdeer flew in. Unfortunately what sounded like a Semipalmated Plover overhead didn’t call clearly enough. Raven did though. Meadowbrook had a Scarlet Tanager. Hobbs Brook was starting to show some mud, nothing terribly exciting. Good raptor show at Waltham St with a Broad-wing, Red-shoulder, Sharpie, TV or two, and 4+ Red-tails.

Sunday 9/2: Walked from home to the duck ponds. Ovenbird at Lot 1, RB Nuthatch at West Meadow, 2 BT Green at BBN, and that was about it.

Monday 9/3: Wandered a bit west. Bolton Flats had a Virginia Rail, a couple Bobolink, a redstart, and a Pileated. The farm pond just down the road had a few shorebirds next to it. Nothing at Sterling Peat. Stopped at Hobbs Brook on the way home and had both yellowlegs and a few peep.

Tuesday 9/4: Indigo Bunting, waterthrush, 2 Least plus all the shorebirds from the other day on Pelham Island Rd. Nothing at Heard Pond.

Wednesday 8/22: Too rainy. Gave Norumbega a 2 minute check without anything.

Thursday 8/23: Nobscot again was pretty quiet. Kestrel, one flock of kingbirds about it.

Friday 8/24: Chestnut-sided, B&W, Redstart at Prospect Hill.

Saturday 8/25: Central sweep. Loons in close at Fitchburg Res. Pretty quiet at Blood Hill, BT Green, Yellow-rump, Ovenbird, Chestnut-sided, B&W in one flock and a few RB Nuthatches at the summit about it. Cormorant in the little farm pond on the way to Watatic was #100 for Ashby (town #18 to hit 100). Watatic itself was very quiet. Ruffed Grouse and Purple Finch were the interesting birds and a porcupine was quite nice. Fitch’s Bridge Rd had a bunch of interesting bugs, 5-7 Solitary Sandpipers, and little else.

Sunday 8/26: Joined the MBC walk at Horn Pond. Broad-wing there finally plus a few Redstarts and Black-and-whites. Continued to Sandy Beach where I had a Canada Warbler and Renee’s waterthrush. South end of the lakes had 3 Cooper’s, 4 ravens, and an eagle. Draw Seven had some Semipalmated Sandpipers.

Monday 8/27: Turkey Vulture on the water tower, Red-shoulder along the parkway at BBN.

Tuesday 8/28: Least Flycatcher, waterthrush, etc at Dunback.

Wednesday 8/15: Nothing much at BBN. Lot of odes flying around, but nothing landing.

Thursday 8/16: College Pond had 3+ Indigo Buntings, a redstart, a Chestnut-sided Warbler (finally for Weston), and a good number of other things.

Friday 8/17: No Olive-sided at Nobscot but 25+ kingbirds, a redstart, and a Black-and-white among others.

Saturday 8/18: Last Cranberry Bog ode walk of the season. Went to Nashoba Brook first, hoping to get the Westford list from 0 to 20 or 30. Barely managed 10 in steamy conditions. Cleared up as the walk started although we didn’t have anything exciting.

Sunday 8/19: Started at Draw Seven but the tide was still way up. Bobolink flying around was nice. Went over to Station Landing as I realized I still needed Common Tern for Medford. Got that, plus Great Egret and about 30 in total. Continued to Belle Isle, which was pretty quiet beyond some fly by GW Teal. The Key did have shorebirds including my first White-rumped Sandpipers for Suffolk. Revere Beach had a few Bonaparte’s Gulls but it was too windy to find anything on the water. Returned to Earhart where one interesting shorebird flew by but little else. Rechecked Draw Seven and only had 2 distant peep. Blair Pond had one Least, 30 waxwings but no shorebirds at Beaver Brook, and nothing at BBN.

Monday 8/20: RB Nuthatch and about nothing else at BBN.

Tuesday 8/21: Not much at Lot 1. Enough time to walk down to the West Meadow boardwalk. Quiet there but a Least Flycatcher popped up on the way back.