I had a very long post about Dunback written up to continue the 100 Places series, but decided to shrink it down quite a bit. Dunback Meadow, located in Lexington, is one of the best areas around for birding all year. Spring and fall are loaded with migrants, there’s plenty of good breeders, and it’s [...]
The Gore Estate is another place in Waltham that’s worth a stop for the birds and history. The majority of the estate is open fields, but there’s a wooded section with a small stream that attracts a good number of birds. As the home of an early 19th century governor, the estate is kept very [...]
Flint’s Pond is a large pond in Lincoln that’s worth a quick check whenever you’re passing by. Most times there won’t be much, but every so often a sea duck or grebe will drop in and there’s occasionally something of note in the trees as well. For reasons that I still haven’t figured out, Flint’s [...]
Purgotary Cove and Forest Grove combine to be a nice part of the Charles River Walk along the Waltham-Newton line. It’s an area I have yet to explore fully, but seems to have quite a bit of potential. To reach it, take Woerd Ave. off Crescent St. in Waltham. Follow Woerd Ave. to the end. [...]
This is the time of year to visit Fresh Pond in Cambridge. It’s by far the easiest place around to find Canvasback and there are often other interesting ducks as well. On the whole, I don’t like the place but make a trip or two each year. I normally park along Huron Ave as it’s [...]
The Quabbin Overlook in the center of New Salem isn’t particularly well known (I think I’ve seen exactly 1 post on Massbird mentioning it). It also probably doesn’t have a whole lot of wildlife compared to other parts of the Quabbin and the area, but the view is great. The trail is also very short, [...]
Farm Meadow is a field in Lincoln, MA best known for being the last place where Henslow’s Sparrows have bred in the state. In recent years, it hasn’t been planted in a way to encourage grassland birds but it’s still a good spot in migration. To reach Farm Meadow, park at the commuter lot beyond [...]
Time for something a bit different. Today I’ll briefly talk about the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve. Far outside my usual area, it’s located in Clifton Park, New York and was one of the primary areas I birded while at school. The area is a large wetland complex between the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal. [...]
The Beaver Brook Duck Ponds in Belmont are one of the oldest conservation areas in Massachusetts. First established in 1893, the two ponds and associated trails have some pretty good birding. See the DCR for more. The ponds are on Mill St. and parking is just beyond the house mentioned. The basic setup is two [...]
Sure didn’t take long to fall behind on this. And by making the list up ahead of time, I was hoping to draft things in advance and just have to publish. Maybe soon. Places 3 and 4 are very close together: the Lyman Estate and Lyman Pond. The Lyman Estate is right at the Beaver [...]