Tag: weekinreview

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.

Monday 6/20: YT Vireos cooperated (audibly at least) at the Wayland gardens.

Tuesday 6/21: Nothing too exciting at the duck ponds, mud hopefully will continue to look good.

Wednesday 6/8: Wandered to Meriam’s for Alder Flycatcher. First pondhawk of the year too.

Thursday 6/9: Windy and otherwise quiet at Prospect Hill.

Friday 6/10: Saw Mill Pasture for a change. Still a bit windy and cloudy. Nothing too exciting in the birds, Marsh Bluets and a few FOY odes.

Saturday 6/11: Started at the Hanscom Trails, picked up a bunch of things for Bedford, then took the wrong trail back and wandered along 62 for half a mile. Ode walk at the Cranberry Bog after. Bit cloudy, highlight was Vesper Bluets.

Sunday 6/12: Confirmed the Alder at Dunback, then had another at Mary Cummings. Eagle over the yard.

Monday 6/13: Usual at Purgatory/Forest Grove, FOY Variable Dancer the highlight.

Tuesday 6/14: Lots of Bobolinks and Calico Pennants at Farm Meadow.

Wednesday 6/1: Rock Meadow survey, Willow Flycatcher was about it. Really wish they were reversed and we were at Habitat today…

Thursday 6/2: Usual at College Pond, Barred Owl was showy today.

 

Friday 6/3: Nothing much at Dunback, probable Alder didn’t quite cooperate.

Saturday 6/4: Decided to head towards the coast for a change and give my Suffolk county list a boost. Started with a stop at the Earhart dam, where a Common Tern dropped in fairly quickly. Pretty busy otherwise, although nothing exciting. Continued to Belle Isle. Walked out to the platform, could see a bunch of shorebirds to the right, so wandered back to the car to grab the scope. That ended up working well as a Black-billed Cuckoo started singing at the parking lot. It even posed for a few seconds before dropping back.

Back with the scope, it was the usual shorebirds. Wandered back and forth for a couple hours and got a decent variety, but nothing terribly exciting.

Finally gave up and went to Pico, where 2 oystercatchers flew by immediately.

Sunday 6/5: Quiet in a short walk at Great Meadows, one flyover shorebird and 2 calling Virginia Rails about it.

Monday 6/6: Habitat survey, GH Owl but no moose.

Tuesday 6/7: Final Rock Meadow survey, ok after 10 minutes of downpour. Wood Duck family (finally) at the duck ponds on the way home.

Wednesday 5/25: West Meadow for a change. Calling BB Cuckoo was it for birds, but a Dytiscid beetle larva (common name Predacious Diving Beetles) was cool.

Thursday 5/26: Breeding bird survey at Habitat had a bunch of migrant warblers.

Friday 5/27: Rock Meadow survey had the expected. Quick loop around Lot 1 didn’t have much.

Saturday 5/28: First central MA swing of the year. Started at Willard Brook, which had a few BT Blues and not a whole lot else. Ashby side of Watatic next, which had a Silver-bordered Fritillary, Silvery Blues, Beaverpond Clubtails, and American Emeralds, which surprisingly appear to be a county ode (99!). More of the same at Townsend State Forest. Doing the loop around to the back of the rear pond, there was some interesting rustling ahead of the trail. Exciting to see the bear walk out, but I wasn’t about to continue so never checked the pond.

Sunday 5/29: Led a BBC/MBC/probably 3 more groups walk at Great Meadows. Too many people to start, but we worked our way to the river with a few decent things. Slightly odd song along the river, so I walked down a bit while everyone else looked at a Great Crested. It finally flew across and confirmed what I was thinking.

A couple quick snaps, then a shout Prothonotary! Unfortunately most people heard Solitary and scanned the bank and not the branches above. The bird came back to our side of the river and disappeared. We wandered down and just about everyone was able to hear it, but it was much too deep to see. The rest of the walk was fairly quiet.

Monday 5/30: Wandered back to Great Meadows as the rain ended, hoping for Least Bittern or Black Tern, but it was quiet. Didn’t try for the warbler, but heard negative reports. Checked Heard Pond and Pelham Island Rd quickly, with an Osprey at the pond and a snapping turtle laying eggs on the side of the road. Vulture and hummingbird over the yard in the evening.

Tuesday 5/31: Another Habitat survey, BB Cuckoo was interesting and there was a flycatcher that I would have liked to have heard more.

Wednesday 5/18: 10 warblers at Prospect Hill including a Wilson’s but nothing much else.

Thursday 5/19: Two BB Cuckoos calling at BBN but not much else.

Friday 5/20: Osprey, Chestnut-sided, not a ton else at Forest Grove (plus construction meant I had to walk in from Lyons Park which cut down on time actually looking).

Saturday 5/21: Went to Mt. Auburn, which was pretty quiet (Tennessee and Blackburnian about it). Continued to Assabet for boghaunters. No luck with those, but 11+ other odes. Plus a surprise as I reached the end of the Patrol Road, when a flycatcher started calling pit-seet! 

Sunday 5/22: Slow at Dunback (Prairie and Magnolia and possibly Blue-winged the only migrants) but a Virginia Rail that popped up and landed on Bacon St was nice.

Monday 5/23: Heard Pond was fairly quiet (did finally get Marsh Wren and Green Heron for Wayland, but a stop at the bridge had a Semipalmated Plover, 2 Leasts, 4 Spotted, and a Solitary.

Tuesday 5/24: Nothing at the res. Got a Cliff Swallow at Nine Acre for the commute yearlist but little else. Solitary and single Least at Pelham Island Rd, expected a bit more with the rain.

Wednesday 5/11: More arrivals at Prospect Hill included an Indigo, Nashville, a bunch of Scarlet Tanagers, and a Black Swallowtail.

Thursday 5/12: Bobolinks and stuff at Forest Grove.

Friday 5/13: Up early, so ran to Nobscot for something a bit different. YB Cuckoo flying through and an apparent Gray-cheeked Thrush. Did miss a Blue Grosbeak though.

Saturday 5/14: Birdathon, started with 2 Hoodeds and a Worm-eating, ended with something better. If I bothered going to the Charles, it would have been a new record too. First Green Darners too.

Sunday 5/15: BBN early, before I realized how bad the wind was. Singing Bay-breasted, a few other things.

Monday 5/16: Still too windy but a waterthrush and FOY pewee at Hayden Woods.

Tuesday 5/17: Lots of the usual at College Pond.

Wednesday 5/4: Sora (in flight!) at Great Meadows.

Thursday 5/5: Least Flycatcher and a few other expected arrivals at Purgatory/Forest Grove.

Friday 5/6: Grosbeaks, an Ovenbird, Blue-wings, and a few other things at BBN.

Saturday 5/7: Started at the res, which was quiet. Made a lousy decision to check Arlington Res next, which was very quiet.

Sunday 5/8: BBC walk at Mt. Auburn had a few new warblers, plus a tanager, GC Flycatcher, etc. More later in the day.

Monday 5/9: BBN was moderately busy. New birds included a Broad-wing or two, Magnolia, BT Green, Redstart, Yellowthroats, and orioles.

Tuesday 5/10: More additions at Dunback included Prairie and BT Blue. Eagles on both ends of the commute.

Wednesday 4/27: More or less the usual at College Pond.

Thursday 4/28: Virginia Rail calling at Pantry Brook, nothing too exciting near Round Hill.

Friday 4/29: Parula, several Black-and-whites, a Pine, tons of Palms, 5+ BH Vireos, a Turkey Vulture on the ground, and a towhee at BBN.

Saturday 4/30: Started at Forest Grove and Purgatory: Kingbird, Chimney Swifts, BH Vireo, Hermit Thrush, etc. On to Prospect Hill, which was quiet in 30 minutes of scanning the skies. Nothing at the res. Spotted Sandpiper, Palm Warbler, and more swifts at Hobbs Brook plus first of season Eastern Forktail and another Henry’s Elfin.

Sunday 5/1: Chased the White-faced Ibis. Couldn’t pick it out of the flock, even knowing it was in there but a few year birds and 100+ Glossies made the trip somewhat worthwhile. Stopped at Arlington Res after had had both yellowlegs. Nothing of note at either bit of Cambridge Res.

Monday 5/2: 2 Ring-necks and an eagle at the res. Bank Swallow, 10+ Rusties, and a few other things at Heard Pond.

Tuesday 5/3: About the same.

Wednesday 4/20: Quiet at Prospect Hill.

Thursday 4/21: Quiet at Dunback.

Friday 4/22: Arlington Res in the morning had a Spotted Sandpiper and tons of Yellow-rimps and Palms. Stopped at Cambridge Res on the way home and had a Long-tailed Duck.

Saturday 4/23: Quiet at the res, Flint’s, and then pouring at Great Meadows. Did finally get Barn Swallows. Afternoon walk around AGM had a Henry’s Elfin.

Sunday 4/24: BH Vireos and Black-and-white Warblers at Mt. Auburn in the morning, 3 species of ode at Assabet in the afternoon.

Monday 4/25: Yellow Warbler at Forest Grove.

Tuesday 4/26: Looped around a bit and had next to nothing anywhere.

Wednesday 4/13: RC Kinglet, lots of Palms, and nothing much else at Forest Grove.

Thursday 4/14: Nothing overly exciting at Round Hill. Lots flying around Pantry Brook, having a bit more time to sit there would have been nice.

Friday 4/15: Started with a RC Kinglet in the yard. More or less the usual expected stuff at College Pond.

Saturday 4/16: Started with the MBC walk at Horn Pond. Other than a pair of kestrels, not much. Stopped at Arlington Res, which had my first migrant Yellow-rumps and the usual, then hawkwatched a bit at Prospect Hill with a Merlin and some Rough-winged Swallows.

Sunday 4/17: Led the MBC walk at BBN: kestrel, raven, not much else. Went to Kaveski after where I had a Pileated and Savannah Sparrows finally.

Monday 4/18: Took advantage of the day off, starting at Great Meadows. Nothing much on the water (pair of GW Teal and a coot about it) and no raptor movement. Did have a couple Osprey and a flyover loon was new for me here. Continued to the Massport Trails where I got the Field Sparrow and towhee I expected (100 for the year in the county finally) along with a Pine(?) Elfin and Six-spotted Tiger Beetles. No meadowlark though. Went to Foss Farm for a change next, nothing too exciting beyond another Pileated, some Azures, and another Pine Elfin. Finally, checked Hayden Woods where the Rusties were vocal and eventually popped up.

Tuesday 4/19: Tons of Yellow-rumps and Palms between Purgatory and Forest Grove plus a gnatcatcher.