This is a page for keeping track of what I’ve seen along the Charles River in Waltham (and a bit of Watertown and Newton). I’ve been exploring the area for almost 10 years now, mostly a few times a month in winter and sometimes summer, a bit less in spring and fall.

At the moment, here’s my checklists. Photos are almost all linked in now, note that the date of the photo isn’t likely to be the date of the first sighting. The date of the first sighting is listed. If it hasn’t been seen between Shaw’s and Elm St. I’ll note that as well. Bold means something quite unexpected.

Birds (98)

1. Snow Goose (Prospect St, 12/19/01)
2. Canada Goose (1/29/00)
3. Mute Swan (12/19/99)
4. Wood Duck (1/30/00)
5. Gadwall (11/30/02)
6. American Wigeon (2/24/00)
7. American Black Duck (12/20/98)
8. Mallard (12/20/98)
9. Northern Shoveler (12/30/05)
10. Green-winged Teal (12/10/05)
11. Ring-necked Duck (2/6/00)
12. Lesser Scaup (12/25/04)
13. Bufflehead (1/4/01)
14. Common Goldeneye (1/4/01)
15. Hooded Merganser (12/20/98)
16. Red-breasted Merganser (1/29/05)
17. Common Merganser (1/30/00)
18. Wild Turkey (Newton, 4/15/06)
19. Double-crested Cormorant (4/29/00)
20. Great Cormorant (1/29/05)
21. Great Blue Heron (12/19/99)
22. Black-crowned Night-Heron (7/10/00)
23. Turkey Vulture (7/23/00)
24. Sharp-shinned Hawk (3/14/01)
25. Cooper’s Hawk (12/21/00)
26. Red-tailed Hawk (1/30/00)
27. American Kestrel (3/12/03)
28. Merlin (3/19/06)
29. American Coot (1/29/00)
30. Killdeer (7/15/04)
31. Spotted Sandpiper (5/14/03)
32. Least Sandpiper (8/27/05)
33. Black-headed Gull (Prospect St, 1/30/00)
34. Ring-biled Gull (12/19/99)
35. Herring Gull (12/19/99)
36. Great Black-backed Gull (1/30/00)
37. Rock Pigeon (12/19/99)
38. Mourning Dove (12/19/99)
39. Chimney Swift (5/28/00)
40. Belted Kingfisher (12/20/98)
41. Downy Woodpecker (12/19/99)
42. Hairy Woodpecker (1/29/06)
43. Northern Flicker (4/26/01)
44. Least Flycatcher (5/14/03)
45. Eastern Phoebe (8/21/00)
46. Great Crested Flycatcher (Newton, 7/3/05)
47. Eastern Kingbird (5/2800)
48. Blue-headed Vireo (5/5/05)
49. Warbling Vireo (5/29/00)
50. Red-eyed Vireo (8/19/03)
51. Blue Jay (12/20/98)
52. American Crow (12/20/98)
53. Fish Crow (3/12/03)
54. Tree Swallow (5/29/00)
55. Northern Rough-winged Swallow (8/29/00)
56. Barn Swallow (5/14/03)
57. Black-capped Chickadee (12/20/98)
58. Tufted Titmouse (4/29/00)
59. White-breasted Nuthatch (2/24/00)
60. Carolina Wren (2/24/00)
61. Golden-crowned Kinglet (11/30/02)
62. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (11/22/01)
63. Hermit Thrush (10/6/04)
64. American Robin (2/24/00)
65. Gray Catbird (5/28/00)
66. Northern Mockingbird (12/20/98)
67. European Starling (12/20/98)
68. Cedar Waxwing (5/28/00)
69. Northern Parula (5/14/03)
70. Yellow Warbler (5/28/00)
71. Chestnut-sided Warbler (5/17/02)
72. Magnolia Warbler (5/14/03)
73. Yellow-rumped Warbler (5/7/01)
74. Pine Warbler (7/3/05)
75. Palm Warbler (5/9/05)
76. Blackpoll Wrbler (5/7/01)
77. Black-and-white Warbler (5/14/03)
78. American Redstart (5/15/03)
79. Common Yellowthroat (5/15/03)
80. Wilson’s Warbler (5/28/00)
81. American Tree Sparrow (2/6/00)
82. Chipping Sparrow (11/22/01)
83. Savannah Sparrow (4/29/00)
84. Song Sparrow (12/20/98)
85. Lincoln’s Sparrow (5/16/05)
86. White-throated Sparrow (12/19/99)
87. Dark-eyed Junco (12/19/99)
88. Northern Cardinal (12/20/98)
89. Indigo Bunting (5/15/03)
90. Bobolink (5/14/03)
91. Red-winged Blackbird (3/25/00)
92. Common Grackle (3/25/00)
93. Brown-headed Cowbird (5/28/00)
94. Baltimore Oriole (5/28/00)
95. Orchard Oriole (5/29/07)
96. House Finch (12/20/98)
97. American Goldfinch (12/19/99)
98. House Sparrow (12/20/98)

Iceland Gull flyover nearby (1/31/07)

Reports from other people include Ruddy Duck (C. King), Horned Lark (J. Crooks), and Brown Creeper (J. Carr, Forest Grove end).

Butterflies (16)

1. Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) (7/15/04)
2. Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) (7/15/05)
3. Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius) (9/4/06)
4. Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta) (7/24/05)
5. Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) (5/29/06)
6. Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) (Newton, 7/3/05)
7. Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) (5/3/07)
8. Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) (6/2/05)
9. Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) (7/14/07)
10. Monarch (Danaus plexippus) (6/27/06)
11. Silver-spotted Skipper (Epagyreus clarus) (7/15/04)
12. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) (Newton, 4/15/06)
13. Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor) (8/7/05)
14. European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola) (6/18/05)
15. Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius) (6/2/05)
16. Broad-winged Skipper (Poanes viator) (7/17/06)

Odes (20)

1. Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) (Watertown, 8/7/05)
2. Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis) (7/9/05)
3. Variable Dancer (Argia fumipennis) (6/18/05)
4. Stream Bluet (Enallagma exsulans) (6/18/05)
5. Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum) (7/9/05)
6. Vesper Bluet (Enallagma vesperum) (7/25/07)
7. Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita) (6/18/05)
8. Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) (6/2/05)
9. Common Green Darner (Anax junius) (6/24/05)
10. Aeshna sp. (6/24/05)
11. Common Baskettail (Epitheca cyanosura) (5/29/07)
12. Prince Baskettail (Epitheca princeps) (7/24/05)
13. Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicollis) (7/3/05)
14. Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) (6/8/05)
15. Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta) (7/3/05)
16. Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) (8/7/05)
17. Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) (7/3/05)
18. Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) (7/24/05)
19. Ruby Meadowhawk (Sympetrum rubicundulum) (7/24/05)
20. Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum) (10/10/06)

Mammals

Mammals seen include Raccoon, Mink, Gray Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, and Eastern Cottontail.