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DSA 2016 Day 2

Tuesday 7/12: Up early and out to Corn Creek. Couldn’t find the thrasher spot on the way in, but got Lucy’s Warbler stepping out of the car. Looped around a bit with Pale-faced Clubskimmer, my first Flame Skimmers, and a few other goodies. Flycatchers and hummingbirds baffled me a bit, although I’m fairly sure the hummers were all Black-chinned. On the way out, a couple juvenile Black-throated Sparrows were nice.

Next stop was Floyd Lamb State Park. Typical pond odes and birds, but a nice stop for a few minutes.

Off to Utah. Very few birds on the road. A brief stop in Arizona at the Virgin River campground had more confusing flycatchers and White-belted Ringtails, a major target. Got into Hurricane and grabbed Subway (partially for lunch tomorrow) before a brief meetup with the group.

DSA 2016 Day 1

Monday 7/11: Morning flight direct to Las Vegas. Arrived early afternoon, got the car, stopped for gas, muffins, pretzels, and water, and went to the Clark County Wetlands. Not overly wet but a few birds included lots of Chats, a Gallinule family, and an Abert’s Towhee (lifer #1). Odes were limited to a few dancers (Blue-ringed and Powdered), a Familiar Bluet, and some gliders.

Continued on to the Duck Creek trail on the other side, which was even drier. Eventually found a pond which had some avocets, a White-faced Ibis, and some Clark’s Grebes but no odes.

Given that it was over 100 and not shady, I gave up quickly and found the hotel (one of the nearby casinos). Had dinner at the burger stand inside, then crashed.

WIR 7/27-8/2

Wednesday 7/27: Fairly quiet at Rock Meadow and still nothing at the duck ponds.

Thursday 7/28: Most of the interesting shorebirds had left Hobbs Brook.

Friday 7/29: Nothing exciting at Great Meadows.

Saturday 7/30: Good numbers of shorebirds at Horn Pond included a Semipalmated Sandpiper and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs along with a RB Nuthatch. Great Egret at Hobbs Brook, nothing at the res or duck ponds.

Sunday 7/31: Snowy Egret at Hobbs Brook (plus an interesting emerald that didn’t slow down). Cliff Swallow at Great Meadows, loon and eagle at the res.

Monday 8/1: A few sandpipers at Norumbega (now to figure out how to really stop and scan), usual stuff at Purgatory with a few more Leasts flying around.

Tuesday 8/2: Pretty much the same at Hobbs Brook (2nd Great Egret was presumably new).

WIR 7/20-7/26

Wednesday 7/20: Usual at BBN in the morning. Got to work (with a Broad-wing flyover on the way) and got a call from Marj about ibises at Hobbs Brook, so stopped on the way home. Was rather surprised by a small white heron with them, although a quick check showed multiple reports of a Little Blue. Not often I get two new birds for a location like this anymore.

Thursday 7/21: Nothing of much note at Forest Grove.

Friday 7/22: Fox, lots of Wild Indigo Duskywings, and a family of Phoebes giving odd calls at Prospect Hill.

Saturday 7/23: Fairly good morning at the Desert Natural Area, nothing terribly exciting beyond first of fall Solitary Sandpiper and a woodcock. Ibis still at Hobbs Brook along with FOF Lesser Yellowlegs and Semipalmated Sandpiper plus baby Spotted Sandpipers.

Sunday 7/24: Quiet at Great Meadows, the same minus the ibis at Hobbs Brook.

Monday 7/25: Gnatcatchers and the usual at Dunback.

Tuesday 7/26: Family of Cooper’s Hawks and a Swamp Darner at the duck ponds.

WIR 7/13-7/19

Wednesday 7/13-Monday 7/18: DSA meeting/travel.

Tuesday 7/19: Half second look at the bridge on Pelham Island Rd didn’t have anything.

WIR 7/6-7/12

Wednesday 7/6: Kingfisher at the duck ponds was a patch FOY.

Thursday 7/7: Usual at College Pond

Friday 7/8: Went to Nobscot to fill in some holes, confirmed Ovenbird nesting but not a ton else.

Saturday 7/9: Cruised around looking for shorebirds without finding much other than first of fall Least Sandpipers at Hobbs Brook.

Sunday 7/10: Repeat of yesterday.

Monday 7/11-Tuesday 7/12: Transit to DSA meeting.

WIR 6/29-7/5

Wednesday 6/29: Tried hitting the duck ponds early before the rain started with minimal success. Poured before I finished and nothing much of note.

Thursday 6/30: BBN had the usual plus a flock of Rough-winged Swallows over the parkway.

Friday 7/1: Flushed a woodcock a couple times at Round Hill.

Saturday 7/2: Started with a check of Nine Acre and Knox Trail for shorebirds, nothing beyond Killdeer and Spotted (FOY Blue-fronted Dancer at Knox Trail at least). Continued to Holliston to check out a couple sites for odes, tons of pondhawks and dashers but nothing exciting (more FOY included Slender Spreadwing and Autumn Meadowhawk).

Sunday 7/3: Went up to Dunstable for the first time in a couple years. Still like the area but nothing about. Continued to Townsend State Forest which had lots of Frosted Whitefaces and a singing Yellow-rump but little else.

Monday 7/4: Nothing at Great Meadows.

Tuesday 7/5: Got rained on at Forest Grove.

WIR 6/22-6/28

Wednesday 6/22: Red-bellied Tiger Beetle at Prospect Hill along with a Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Thursday 6/23: Nothing exciting in Lincoln.

Friday 6/24: Rough-winged Swallows and a Redstart at Lot 1 plus FOY Black Saddlebags.

Saturday 6/25: Wandered down to Fairhaven for the Clapper Rail(s) that have been reported regularly. One was calling for pretty much the entire hour and a half I was there, but never got a view. Pretty birdy otherwise, nothing too exciting. Continued to West Island, which padded out the Bristol county list a bit, highlighted by a pair of Oystercatchers. Started for Freetown State Forest but decided on Myles Standish instead. Bad move, some sort of bike ride going on and I didn’t want to stop along the road (ponds were way low too, would have been tough to access many). Stopped at the river walk briefly, BC Night-Heron below the waterfall but no Blue-fronted Dancers or anything else of note.

Sunday 6/26: Started with the Little Blue Heron at Knox Trail (first adult in the county in years(?)). On to Hugh Cargill, which had a few Bog Coppers but no Elfin Skimmers. Cranberry Bog had the usual, first meadowhawks, amberwings, and Skimming Bluets of the year but no Lilypad Clubtails. Continued to Horn Pond where the kestrels were showing off but not much else.

Monday 6/27: Took a chance on another Little Blue reported in Lexington. No luck (and likely wasn’t), but first time at Parker Meadow. Looked good for butterflies at least.

Tuesday 6/28: Tower at Great Meadows was fairly quiet.

WIR 6/15-6/21

Wednesday 6/15: Not much at BBN. First European Skipper of the year but that was about it.

Thursday 6/16: More Bobolinks at Heard Farm.

Friday 6/17: Two or three Least Bittern at Great Meadows (finally).

Saturday 6/18: Bug day. Atlantis Fritillary and Harris’s Checkerspot on Watatic, then a milestone at Willard Brook. Couldn’t dig up the Crimson-ringed Whiteface at Townsend State Forest and Bertozzi was fairly quiet late afternoon, but a good day.

Sunday 6/19: Minuteman survey was pretty quiet. Shadow Darner in the yard at night was very early for me.