Tag: weekinreview

Wednesday 12/27: Loon, RC Kinglet, raccoon, 9 Lesser Scaup at Fresh Pond. Two more loons at Draw Seven, no interesting ducks though. No Great Cormorant in a very quick pass of the Mystic Lakes.

Thursday 12/28: Yuck. Nothing east of the square and everything at the res was too far out.

Friday 12/29: Same ducks and not much for land birds at Arlington Res.

Saturday 12/30: Did a Squantum/Castle Island loop. Squantum Point Park was fairly quiet, Yellowthroat a highlight. Thought I heard a chip across the parking lot as I was getting ready to leave so walked over and found an Orange-crowned which was joined by a Palm. Nickerson Rock was pretty dead. Walked a bit at Wollaston Beach and Caddy Memorial Park, Savannah Sparrow the most interesting. Weather got lousy, but stopped at Castle Island anyway. Got 9 Razorbill and the Barrow’s, plus the peep tbd.

Sunday 12/31: Concord CBC. On the quiet side, felt like less than earlier in the week although most things were still around. One Field and 5 Savannah at Ricci. Nothing beyond waxwings at Hartwell (didn’t check Hanscom Dr). Thought I had a Yellow-rump walking up to Tanner’s Brook, then photographed a junco instead and couldn’t find it, but it started calling when I entered the trail. Not much around, got a tick on me bushwhacking into the marsh. Bunch of waxwings joined the Yellow-rump on the way out. Zero birds on the walk through the woods back to Hartwell.

Monday 1/1: Decided to do Deer Island, Winthrop Beach, and whatever else I had time for. Quick check of the res didn’t have anything new. Deer Island had most of the usual ducks (couldn’t find any Black Scoter), a Razorbill, and an Iceland Gull. Also a warbler sp and cormorant sp. Didn’t find the Western Grebe at Winthrop Beach, lots of Horned and Red-necked. Greenway/cemetery loop was pretty quiet. Belle Isle was quieter. Made the mistake of trying to jump the puddle near the little observation deck. Cleared the puddle but slid through the mud next to it and splashed right in, which was a sign to not bother elsewhere, although I did check Norumbega and Hardy (now 2 Lesser Scaup and an eagle). The eagle was flying down Trapelo as I got home, just barely visible from the yard.

Tuesday 1/2: Found the White-crown at Kaveski. Pileated about it otherwise. Usual ducks at Flint’s in a couple minute scan from the car.

Wednesday 12/20: Nothing much at Habitat, same ducks at the res.

Thursday 12/21: Chased stuff at Nine Acre, got the Greater Yellowlegs and shovelers but no pintail or Cackling. Few pipits still around too. Nothing obvious at Flint’s.

Friday 12/22: Bit of a pond loop. Mystic Lakes were quiet other than a big flock of Red-wings at Sandy Beach. Nothing much at Spy, the res, or Hardy.

Saturday 12/23: Last walking big day of the year. Only 34 species and Winter Wren was the only addition (although what had to be an Orange-crowned would have been had it been closer than 50 yards across the marsh). So 107 total for the year barring any last minute additions (plus BB Cuckoo and Fish Crow only from the yard).

Sunday 12/24: Plan was to check Heard quickly, then do Water Row, then work through the river in Concord looking for whatever curve-billed thing Jay saw a few days ago. Pelham Island Rd was blocked off, did get a couple Gadwall at the marsh. Got to the 27 bridge before realizing Water Row was also likely to be closed and it was. Skipped down to Nine Acre and found Concord Rd was closed. Had a few geese and ducks but nothing noteworthy. Did a quick check of French Meadow and then went down 62 and out to School St. Good flock of Horned Larks was about it there. Barrett’s Mill next, huge flock of blackbirds including one with a mostly white tail plus 4 Field Sparrows, a few siskins, and other stuff. Gave Great Meadows a check. Trails were flooded out, so down the rail bed. Got the coot I was looking for from the benches then walked to the WTP where there was a darker Red-tail. Tower was empty when I got back to the parking lot, so I was able to count another 250 Red-wings and a few more coots. Nothing new at the res on the way home.

Monday 12/25: Did a bit of scouting at Ricci. Ton of Mourning Doves, a bunch of Savannahs, and 2 Field Sparrows. Did a quick loop at Hobbs Brook on the way home, 4+ more Field Sparrows and a Winter Wren.

Tuesday 12/26: Waited out the fog then went on an Assabet/Desert run. Hop Brook was fairly quiet (and still foggy). Didn’t realize that Eversource had the railbed blocked off, so did a short loop. Drove over to the main Desert entrance with a quick check at Grist Mill (nothing worth noting). More than a few crossbills around, 2 types that I recorded. Also siskins, 3 Winter Wrens, and a lot of the common winter stuff. Couple quick stops on the way home didn’t have anything.

Wednesday 12/6: Nothing exciting at BBN.

Thursday 12/7: Even less at Hanscom.

Friday 12/8: Usual at Forest Grove.

Saturday 12/9: Started with a Suffolk run. Got 10 new December Suffolk birds at Millennium but no Wilson’s. Yellowthroat, flyover Horned Larks, 2-3 Marsh Wrens the highlights. Red-shoulder was at Cow Island Pond. Nothing interesting (no Pileated) at Allendale Woods. Was planning on Nahanton after but saw the eider report from Earhart and rushed that way. No luck, Wood Duck from Station Landing the most interesting.

Sunday 12/10: Another eider attempt. Went to the Everett side today. Yellowthroat by the casino but not much else, few ducks today. Decided to make a quick coastal run from there. Started at Revere Beach, which had a ton of scoters and Herring Gulls. Fisherman’s Bend had 3 Dunlin. Quick check from one of the parking lots at Crystal Cove had the yellowlegs, which was what I actually came over for (December bird). Stopped at Rivergreen Park on the way home and dug up the towhee but not much else. And gave Draw Seven a quick check, which was quiet.

Monday 12/11: Too wet, bunch of mergs and Ring-necks at the res.

Tuesday 12/12: Ruby-crowned Kinglet crossing between Cookson and Gore.

Wednesday 11/29: Nothing much at Dunback.

Thursday 11/30: Tried for crossbills at Brewster’s Woods and somewhat surprisingly had 4. Also Winter Wren, 3 Common Mergansers, etc.

Friday 12/1: Weston Station Pond had 3-4 Gadwall, a pintail, and the Clay-colored.

Saturday 12/2: Mt. Auburn had 3(!) Orange-crowns.

Sunday 12/3: Couldn’t find anything driving around in the rain.

Monday 12/4: Usual ducks at Arlington Res, no shorebirds or interesting land birds.

Tuesday 12/5: Crossbill and lots of geese at Great Meadows.

Wednesday 11/22: Nothing at Flint’s, little at Nine Acre, mergansers at the res.

Thursday 11/23: Quick check of BBN didn’t have any interesting geese. Winter Wren at the West Meadow and giant flock of blackbirds about it. Sharpie in Otis plus what was probably an owl flying by soon after (just about at sunset).

Friday 11/24: Checked Otis Reservoir on the way home, 4 Common Mergansers all that was on the water. Also got junco for Hampden county on the way. Tried for roosting geese at BBN in the afternoon, but they apparently drop in then leave. Lots of robins flying out too.

Saturday 11/25: Went to Halibut Point for a change. Not much on land, usual ducks but that was about it on the water. Heard about the tanager as I was leaving, so gave it 30+ minutes with no luck (but got the sapsucker and a few other things I had missed up until then). Pulled in to the Lynnfield Marshes on the way home and after scoping distant dabbling ducks, noticed that the closest bird wasn’t a Bufflehead but a Long-tailed Duck! Was thinking about how to tell local bird Melissa about it when I looked up and saw her pulling in, so that worked out well. Gave Lake Q a quick check too and had an Iceland Gull. Got home to a message from Karsten about an Ash-throated at Danehy, ran right over but only a Palm and 2 Winter Wrens.

Sunday 11/26: Did an abbreviated walking day, only from Falzone to BBN. Siskin was on foot #105 for the year but not much else. Parkway marsh was frozen, no luck with the Winter Wren or any blackbirds. Brookhaven Pond was open by the time I got there but nothing on it. Got home to Karsten calling that the flycatcher was back, which worked out well as I was about to head there anyway. Walked up to him watching it, then we followed it around a bit then circled the back side, although nothing else of note to add.

Monday 11/27: Very little at Great Meadows, 6 wigeon the most interesting.

Tuesday 11/28: Got the Ash-throated for the commute (#251). Cold and windy there and I wasn’t seeing much, so I ran over the the Beaver Brook Ponds for a few on the way home. Geese and Mallards and that was about it.

Wednesday 11/15: Decent number of siskins and a Purple Finch at Rock Meadow, otherwise just good numbers of common stuff. Mergansers, a Bufflehead, and a turkey it at the res.

Thursday 11/16: Harrier and 18 Snow Buntings at Danehy.

Friday 11/17: Big flock of cowbirds but not much else at Ricci, nothing on the res.

Saturday 11/18: Nothing on the res. Saw that the rain was supposed to be less a bit to the south and went to Great Pond. Seven Pintail and a bunch of teal by Norroway. Lots of diving ducks on the main pond but the rain came in strong as I reached the other end of the causeway and I got soaked and couldn’t see much. Kicked around Quincy a bit after without anything of note.

Sunday 11/19: Wayland swing. Nothing on Heard Pond. Heard Farm had an eagle, a few finches, a Fox Sparrow, and not too much else. Still was pretty early, so checked Landham Rd (nothing) and then the Raymond Reservation (not much). Watched from the Old 27 Bridge for an hour and a half and a Snow Bunting was about the only thing of note.

Monday 11/20: College Pond had at least one towhee, a catbird, a Pine Warbler, 3 Winter Wrens, and a bunch of finches.

Tuesday 11/21: Not much at Cookson or Gore.

Wednesday 11/8: Nothing at the res, 20 Killdeer, first of fall Tree Sparrow, a Palm, and a bunch of cowbirds at Ricci. Mergansers at Flint’s.

Thursday 11/9: Pond loop, scoter (probably White-winged) on the res but little else anywhere.

Friday 11/10: Day off, so went chasing the Black-headed Gulls that have been around Belle Isle. Started at Morton St where nothing was obvious. Found the flock halfway between there and Lawn Ave from Lawn Ave, which meant they were in the sun, pretty sure at least one was enough larger to be one though. Decided to try Belle Isle proper and see if the angle from the boardwalk was better. It was, slightly, but no luck finding them. Did have the Red-shoulder and a Field Sparrow plus a yellowlegs and other shorebird sp. Went around to the Greenway, which had a ton of sparrows. The bridge was under repair so had to drive over to the cemetery. The gulls had moved over to closer to where I had been but did have a couple Hoodies and a mixed flock of shorebirds flying around. Drove back to Belle Isle and found the flock right in the channel along the entrance. Two Black-headed stuck out, unfortunately too much vegetation to get good photos. Continued around and didn’t find the shorebirds or much beyond the Red-shoulder. Quick stop at Norumbega on the way home had a bunch of GW Teal and 3 wigeon.

Saturday 11/11: Went out to Watatic hoping for a Golden Eagle. No luck with that, but a decent number of Balds, a Red-shoulder, and a type 2 crossbill from the hawkwatch plus Fox Sparrow on the way up and a few waterbirds at Fitchburg Res.

Sunday 11/12: Flock of Snow Buntings, a few Rusties, and a Fox Sparrow at Dunback.

Monday 11/13: BBN was fairly quiet, a few ducks on the unfrozen part of the parkway marsh/pond, a Hermit Thrush, and some posing kinglets.

Tuesday 11/14: Kaveski had 2 harriers and a Merlin. Couple goldeneye, Bufflehead, and a Ruddy on Flint’s.

Wednesday 11/1: Took the scope to Weston Station Pond and ended up with 11 species of waterfowl including 2 BW Teal and a White-winged Scoter (on the quarry pond). Two loons flew over the bike path but a Cooper’s got in the way along the field. Nothing on Cambridge Res.

Thursday 11/2: Car work in the morning, so only time for a res run in the afternoon. Decent number of ducks included 14 Ring-necks, 4 scaup, 15 Bufflehead, and 5 Hoodies.

Friday 11/3: Tried for the Purple Gallinule in Stow. No luck, although by the time I walked to the spot, I didn’t have much time. Lot of Rusties, 2+ Winter Wren, a Pileated, etc were nice compensation at least.

Saturday 11/4: Started at Water Row. Usual stuff, lots of sparrows, robins, Yellow-rumps, etc. Thought I heard a gnatcatcher a couple times but never found it. Old 27 Bridge had a Hairy, Hermit Thrush, and few Rusties. Nothing obvious along Pelham Island Rd, so on to Farm Pond. Two Common Mergansers near the causeway were #100 for Framingham. Also a late yellowthroat, a few coots, and a ton of Song Sparrows.

Sunday 11/5: Started at the Charles River Reservation. Lots of common stuff, a lateish Pine Warbler, a Pileated made for a decent hour. McCarthy Park next, bunch of Field Sparrows but not much else. Handful of Bufflehead and a Hoodie was it at the res.

Monday 11/6: Finally some interesting birds on Cambridge Res with 3 Horned Grebes, just Bufflehead otherwise though. Arlington Res had 4 Lesser and 1 Greater Yellowlegs along with lots of ducks.

Tuesday 11/7: Just short of nothing at Cookson and along the river. Lunchtime check of the res had 2 Bufflehead and a few geese.

Wednesday 10/25: No traffic keeping me from Weston Station Pond today. Few sparrows on the walk in, then 125+ Ring-necks, a shoveler, and 3 Pecs at the pond. Wanted to check the res quickly, so skipped the solar field. Wigeon and 2 Ruddy were it at the res.

Thursday 10/26: Arlington Res had a Greater Yellowlegs, Solitary, 3 Pecs, 3 Lessers, the usual ducks, etc. The farm had a Dickcissel and Field Sparrow. Nothing on Cambridge Res.

Friday 10/27: Piles of finches and robins at Rock Meadow including lots of Purples and probably more than a few siskins. Nothing at the res again.

Saturday 10/28: Still nothing at the res. Tried the North Shore Community Gardens thinking I needed 2 for 100 in October in Essex. Turns out I needed 4 but fortunately got 5 (perks of having a bunch of easy targets). Nothing particularly noteworthy there. Went to Ipswich River Park in North Reading next, which was just about birdless and full of people. Martin’s Pond had nothing obvious, Reading Town Forest looked mobbed, so I went to Waltham St, which was mostly Savannahs.

Sunday 10/29: No early report of the LeConte’s to detour from Deer Island. Lots of ducks, loons, and cormorants moving including a flock of scaup and a flock of GW Teal. Not a ton on land, creeper being new for me there was the highlight along with a group of Snow Buntings that started to fly by and turned around. Greater Yellowlegs also new for me, unfortunately what sounded like a Red-bellied only called once. Yirrell Beach next, other than a ton of RT Loons there wasn’t much. Rain picked up by the time I got to Lawn Ave but I ran out anyway. Yellowlegs and Dunlin plus a Marsh Wren called for a minute when the rain slowed briefly. Nothing of note along the Charles on the way home. Afternoon look at the res had Bufflehead and a Black Scoter (Hoodies were new in the morning).

Monday 10/30: Scoter didn’t stay the night but a Common Merganser was nice. Nothing obvious at Nine Acre, Great Blue was the only bird at Flint’s, and a big flock of robins and blackbirds took off at Hardy. Afternoon loop of the res had nothing different.

Tuesday 10/31: Nothing on the res. Tons of robins and waxwings at the West Meadow plus a bluebird, 3 Purple Finches, and a siskin.