Tag: weekinreview

Wednesday 7/11: Duck ponds were pretty quiet. Mud growing but only a Killdeer.

Thursday 7/12: Found something. North end of the Cambridge Res had a Spotted Sandpiper family and not much else.

Friday 7/13: Not much at Purgatory Cove.

Saturday 7/14: Concord 4th of July Butterfly Count. May post more eventually but decent numbers of mostly the usual butterflies. Not a whole lot for other insects (although a ton of Cicada Killers was nice) and quiet for birds. We did end the day with three or four Osprey flying to and from the nest in West Concord.

Sunday 7/15: Refound something.

Monday 7/16: Nothing at the duck ponds. Killdeer flew over the yard.

Tuesday 7/17: Charles: Powdered Dancer was about it. Lots of Blue-fronted as well but not much for birds or butterflies.

Wednesday 7/4: Waited for the rain to clear then checked Lone Tree Hill and Rock Meadow for butterflies. Not much around. The good-looking spot at LTH had two families of turkeys so I couldn’t check thoroughly. Tons of milkweed at Rock Meadow but nothing beyond Monarchs. Usual birds around.

Thursday 7/5: BBN was pretty quiet. First Wood-Nymphs of the year and some presumed Mocha Emeralds.

Friday 7/6: Purgatory Cove: 2 BC Night-Herons, 6 (only) Wood Duck. With the cleaning in progress, probably not going to be much for shorebirds this year. Late Common Baskettail was interesting.

Saturday 7/7: Great Meadows fairly early, nothing much doing. Apparently just missed the Least Bittern.

Sunday 7/8: Quick walk around the duck ponds in the morning. Family of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and what appeared to be several groups of Harvesters were the highlight. Purgatory Cove in the afternoon: different night-heron, Fish Crow, Red-bellied presumably at a nest.

Monday 7/9: Prospect Hill had nothing interesting.

Tuesday 7/10: Looped the marsh at BBN without much.

Wednesday 6/27: Prospect Hill was fairly quiet. Too cloudy for insects and nothing exciting for birds.

Thursday 6/28: Had the day off. Great Meadows, nothing different. At Alan Ankers’ recommendation, checked out the Cranberry Bog in Carlisle for odes. Nothing exceptional today (although the possible reddish saddlebags would have been had it stayed around) but lots of potential. Quick stop at Fort Pond Brook didn’t have much.

Friday 6/29: Half day off so came home at lunch and then lazed around.

Saturday 6/30: Lot 1 and West Meadow in the morning. Blue-winged Warblers off Walnut St were presumably another pair (or offspring). Delaware Skipper, Banded Hairstreak, and Dun Skipper new butterflies for the year, plus a couple patch year tick dragonflies.

Sunday 7/1: Joined the MBC trip to Horn Pond Mountain. Found the usual hairstreaks, a buckeye, etc. Orchard Oriole was the best bird, nothing exciting among the odes.

Monday 7/2: Nothing doing.

Tuesday 7/3: Not much at the duck ponds. Skimming Bluet was new for the patch this year. Evening twitch of the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Great Meadows went much better than last year’s.

Wednesday 6/20: Little bit in the morning, didn’t get out at lunch.

Thursday 6/21: Nothing new at the duck ponds.

Friday 6/22: No work, went to Great Meadows fairly early. No bitterns but Virginia Rail on the path, Hooded Merganser, etc. Cyrano Darner was also nice.

Saturday 6/23: Wandered around Dunback midday. Less butterflies than I expected but I managed Swamp Darner flight shots.

Sunday 6/24: Twitch

Monday 6/25: Too rainy and nothing at Hardy Pond.

Tuesday 6/26: Didn’t get out. Oriole in the yard for the first time in a few weeks.

Wednesday 6/13: Nothing at Hardy Pond or the res.

Thursday 6/14: Aurora Damsel at BBN, plus the Field Sparrow was finally singing.

Friday 6/15: 35+ Wood Ducks, BC Night-Heron at Purgatory Cove.

Saturday 6/16: Up to Vermont for a short weekend (via New Salem, Luna Moth there). Lincoln’s Sparrow in my uncle’s yard was the best thing there. Drove to Mud Pond in NH but nothing exciting.

Sunday 6/17: Took forever to get going, went to a private lake with minimal access in NH, then back to New Salem. Family of tanagers working the yard was nice.

Monday 6/18: Wandered Ethan’s area a bit then gate 22. Blackburnian topped the warblers, which also included Chestnut-sided, Redstart, BT Blue, BT Green, etc. Huge eagle and a loon at the water, a few thrushes and vireos, and that was about it.

Tuesday 6/19: Usual at Rock Meadow.

Wednesday 6/6: Habitat survey again. Nothing unexpected but at least there were birds this time. BBN at lunch, looped the parkway. Couple Indigo Buntings and Tree Swallows that looked interested in one of the dead trees were the highlights.

Thursday 6/7: Final Rock Meadow survey, more of the same more or less. Phoebe with 2 cowbird chicks was the most interesting. Night-heron among the usuals along the Charles at lunch.

Friday 6/8: BBN again, Painted Skimmer was the only thing different.

Saturday 6/9: Lazy.

Sunday 6/10: Did my Minuteman survey finally. Two Red-breasted Nuthatches (where did they come from?) and a Veery were new for the survey. Numbers of the usual stuff probably a bit down, but it was on the late side this year. GPS points and new signs made it much easier to run.

Monday 6/11: Quiet at Prospect Hill. Another Swamp Darner and one of those extra dull Pine Warblers were about it.

Tuesday 6/12: Nothing too exciting at the duck ponds. First of year Clamp-tipped Emerald was the main highlight.

Wednesday 5/30: Ruddy Duck still at Hardy Pond. Purgatory Cove had the usual suspects.

Thursday 5/31: Killdeer, 2-3 herons, Tree Swallows, pewee all a bit unexpected at the duck ponds (emphasis on bit).

Friday 6/1: Slope at Prospect Hill had very few birds. However, Silver-spotted and Dusted Skippers, Wild Indigo Duskywing, Prince Baskettail, Painted and Twelve-spotted Skimmers, Black Saddlebags, and Swamp Darner were all first of year bugs. Swamp Darner is also my first recorded one in Mass, although I’ve seen several way up that I haven’t been quite convinced about.

Saturday 6/2: ‘Led’ a BBC/MBC trip to Great Meadows. Since it was pouring, only one person showed up and we scanned for no more than 10 minutes from the tower before bailing.

Sunday 6/3: Tried Great Meadows again. Most of the usual but no luck with Least Bittern and gallinule.

Monday 6/4: Habitat survey in the rain was not exactly fun. One possible creeper. Hardy Pond and Cambridge Res had nothing of note.

Tuesday 6/5: Rock Meadow survey had the usual. Blue-winged Warbler and Willow Flycatcher were new from the previous one. Young Barn Swallows at the duck ponds.

Wednesday 5/16: Duck ponds: waterthrush was about it.

Thursday 5/17: Prospect Hill before work. Magnolia and another waterthrush to start. Redstart, Pine, Blackpoll, Parula, Yellowthroat on the hill. Black-and-white at end of Whitney. Indigo Buntings all over. Lots of Red-eyed Vireos on the road (4 in one spot). BBN again at lunch, circled the marsh and found mostly Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.

Friday 5/18: Tried Lone Tree Hill for a change. Nice selection of butterflies including first of year ringlets but not much else.

Saturday 5/19: Lazy day. Karsten’s Black Vulture report finally got me going early afternoon. Ran to Spy Pond and then though better of it and went to the tower at Mt. Auburn. Eventually picked up a (the?) Bald Eagle way off but no vulture. Two minute drive through Lincoln for Marj’s Kentucky Warbler didn’t turn it up.

Sunday 5/20: Walked to Rock Meadow and back. Mostly residents but first of year Willow Flycatcher and hummingbird plus a few local firsts. Butterflies were better and included 3 Pepper-and-salt Skippers in the West Meadow. Also had a huge snapping turtle on Trapelo.

And caught up to this guy (5/10) with a camera (click through for video).

Monday 5/21: Fairly quiet along the Pine Ledges trail at Prospect Hill. Did have a Stream Cruiser at Big Prospect.

Tuesday 5/22: Hoped for some storm birds on Hardy Pond or the Cambridge Res but found nothing but a cormorant at each.

Wednesday 5/9: Duck ponds had lots of orioles, grosbeaks, and catbirds but no warblers.

Thursday 5/10: Spent most of lunch at BBN chasing down a 4 parted warbler song and finally found it to be from a Blue-winged. Quick run through the rest added Black-and-white and 3 Solitary Sandpipers plus Red Admirals and Question Marks everywhere (3 admirals in the yard as well).

Friday 5/11: Paine was fairly quiet but did have Red-eyed Vireo,Black-throated Blue, Parula, and Indigo Bunting. Also Great Crested Flycatcher walking into work.

Saturday 5/12: MBC Big Day. Reached 100 (plus a Harvester), maybe more later.

Sunday 5/13: BBC at Mt. Auburn: Tennessee, Wilson’s among 15ish warblers plus my first Bobolinks for Mt. Auburn. Parula and Black-and-white at Hardy Pond.

Monday 5/14: Flowed Meadow had a Northern Waterthrush (new for me along the Charles) plus a couple other warblers. Unfortunately it also had a flood by the bridge, so I had to turn around and jog back instead of make a full loop.

Tuesday 5/15: BBN: Indigo Bunting, couple redstarts, first Whitetail and Little Wood Satyrs of the year.