Tag: weekinreview

Wednesday 3/28: Great Meadows had the usual. Highlight was actually a Mallard that landed up in the trees next to the tower.

Thursday 3/29: Same at BBN.

Friday 3/30: Phoebe finally at Rock Meadow plus patch FOY Great Blue Heron and Wood Duck. Also some peepers.

Saturday 3/31: Went west. Lots of Common Mergansers and an eagle at Fitchburg Res, Hooded Merganser at Ashby Res. Ruffed Grouse (presumably) flushed on Watatic and probably heard a crossbill. Tree Swallow driving to Townsend State Forest (plus Wood Frogs) which was pretty quiet beyond an Eastern Comma. Phoebe at Townsend Hill WMA. Fish Crow at Fitch’s Bridge, raven,GH Owl nest, and a garter snake at Rocky Hill, larks and several Fish Crows at School St.

Sunday 4/1: Lesser Scaup at the res. Same stupid dog owner at Mill Pond and no obvious ducks so didn’t linger. Osprey, Tree Swallows, Greater Scaup at Horn Pond. No Rough-leg around Hanscom but lots of Tree Swallows. Yellowlegs still at Kaveski. Snipe and Savannah Sparrow at Waltham St and lots of Ruddy at Hardy Pond for 50 species on the day.

Monday 4/2: Tree Swallows, DC Cormorant, usual at Purgatory/Forest Grove.

Tuesday 4/3: Nothing new at BBN.

Wednesday 3/21: 2 Killdeer, 3 Fox Sparrow at BBN.

Thursday 3/22: Yuck morning, nothing at Heard or Nine Acre on the way home.

Friday 3/23: Usual at Arlington Res.

Saturday 3/24: 16+ Iceland Gulls and an interesting molting eider at Deer Island. No oystercatcher at Pico. Gadwall and what was probably a heard-only phoebe at Belle Isle. Greater Scaup and not much else at Winthrop Beach. Red-necked Grebe at Draw Seven.

Sunday 3/25: Nothing at the duck ponds or Concord Ave. Fox Sparrows at Lot 1 and West Meadow.

Monday 3/26: Bufflehead at College Pond was my 100th species there, nothing much else.

Tuesday 3/27: Expected stuff at Heard Farms.

Wednesday 3/7: Merlin was eating something in the same tree at Forest Grove, nothing much else.

Thursday 3/8: Home from the storm. Took a late afternoon walk over to Hardy Pond and had a Great Cormorant.

Friday 3/9: Tried to get the cormorant for the commute year list. No luck but 3 Wood Ducks. Continued to the res where there was another Great so got it anyway. Then got stuck in a maze of roads blocked for downed trees and eventually gave up and backtracked to 128 and straight to work.

Saturday 3/10: Started at Mill Pond in Burlington hoping for a few of the waterfowl that I still need there. Total waterfowl: 8 mallard, 2 Canada Goose. Not much else either. Continued north a bit, eventually ending up at Lake Quannapowitt. Relocated the Red-necked Grebe, couldn’t identify a second grebe, had a Turkey Vulture and 3 Killdeer. Circling around to the other side for the second grebe (never did get a scope view), I found 2 Green-winged Teal. Then drove around a bit more without anything worth noting.

Sunday 3/11: Birder’s Meeting most of the day. Stopped at Carson Beach (Brant and a Merlin) and Castle Island (Purple Sandpiper finally for Suffolk, 200ish Brant). Buzzed a bit of the river (no birds) and the res (a few Ring-necks and Common Mergs).

Monday 3/12: BBN had mostly the usual but a woodcock ran around almost in the open (and more or less posed).

Tuesday 3/13: Tree Sparrow in the yard.

Wednesday 3/14: House/computer issues

Thursday 3/15: Nothing on the riverwalk. Traffic was bad on the way home so cut around the Cambridge Res and was rather surprised by 2 Horned Grebes.

Friday 3/16: Too windy at Great Meadows, did get the screech-owl, surprisingly a new commute bird (215).

Saturday 3/17: Still too windy. Got the Cackling Goose at Nine Acre, Great Cormorants at Spy Pond, and the Goldeneye x Hooded Merganser found by the Swains at Flint’s.

Sunday 3/18: Fox Sparrow at Cutler Lake, nothing at Nahanton, Canvasback, Red-necked Grebe, DC Cormorant at Great Pond.

Monday 3/19: Nothing at Forest Grove.

Tuesday 3/20: Oil change so only a brief check of Norumbega (nothing). Res on the way home had a ton of Common Mergansers but that was about it.

Wednesday 2/28: Usual at College Pond, although Hooded Mergansers were apparently a first for the site.

Thursday 3/1: Got the WF Goose for the commute list, then had local FOY Turkey Vulture, along with a Rusty Blakbird and Fox Sparrow at BBN.

Friday 3/2: Rain was way too heavy, but cruised through Nine Acre. No Snow Goose, did get a few GW Teal and some waxwings.

Saturday 3/3: Figured there had to be a Dovekie around somewhere. Not on Cambridge Res (eagle and a few goldeneye), Draw Seven (two Common Loons), the Mystic Lakes (1 RT Loon, 3 RB Mergs, 1 Great Cormorant), Sandy Beach, Winter Pond (20 Ring-necks), Horn Pond (1 coot), Arlington Res, Spy Pond (2 eagles), Memorial Drive, Fresh Pond, or the Beaver Brook Ponds.

Sunday 3/4: More or less the same at the res. The Snow Geese were nice and close at Nine Acre. Decided to continue west on 117 and ended up at Bolton Flats. Bit too flooded but decent duck numbers and thousands of blackbirds. Working back, stopped at Delaney WMA where the jays picked out a Barred Owl, then Steele Farm in Boxborough which was fairly quiet. Pintails were flying around at School St, nothing much at Hobbs Brook.

Monday 3/5: Very little at Dunback.

Tuesday 3/6: Finally got a raven in Lincoln, more of the usual at Lindentree. Had enough time to cruise through Nine Acre and add the Snow Geese to the commute list.

Wednesday 2/21: Looked for the goose again, nothing at all on the golf course. A few Canadas at the duck ponds but not much else. Looped Rock Meadow, normal early spring stuff. Came home back roads with the windows rolled down and had a peenting woodcock in Lincoln.

Thursday 2/22: Surprisingly quiet at Purgatory and Forest Grove. Merlin perched over the road, a few blackbirds, a Wood Duck, and that was about it.

Friday 2/23: Best of the ducks at Great Meadows were a few wigeon, a goldeneye, and 25ish Ring-necks, not much in other birds.

Saturday 2/24: Finally got a Cape Ann trip in. Mostly quiet at Andrew’s Point. Was told about a Thick-billed Murre at the Granite Pier, so headed that way. Murre was in close when I arrived, but I got distracted by a Northern Common Eider next to it. Jodrey had nothing (but it was nice to get some close eider to compare). Eastern Point had another murre, several guillemots, an Iceland Gull, and more of the same ducks. Didn’t really stop at Niles other than to pick up scaup. Nothing at the Elks Club, Glaucous on another pass of Jodrey, then Barrow’s Goldeneye but no King Eider at Plum Cove.

Sunday 2/25: Worked my way west to start. Bufflehead and Common Mergansers at Flint’s, cowbirds and not much else exciting at Nine Acre. The White-fronted Geese were at School St (although one immediately disappeared) along with a few pintail. Arlington Res had a ton of gulls, none interesting after a few minutes of excitement. Two Great Cormorants, 425+ Common Mergansers, a couple Red-breated, and one of the Red-throated Loons at the Mystic Lakes. About 25 Ring-necks on the res (finally).

Monday 2/26: Thought Heard Farm was quiet, but a Fox Sparrow started singing as I was leaving. Bunch of Ring-necks on the pond too.

Tuesday 2/27: More in Wayland. Not much at the old Rt. 27 bridge. Had 15 minutes or so to check Pelham Island Rd and got 25 species including the Rusty I was looking for.

Wednesday 2/14: Nothing much at Kaveski.

Thursday 2/15: Fogged in at Farm Pond.

Friday 2/16: Fogged in at Forest Grove.

Saturday 2/17: Started with a quick check of the duck ponds (nothing), and then the Belmont Country Club course. After some wandering along Concord Ave, got the White-fronted Goose that had been at Arlington Res yesterday (patch #172). After that, moved on to trying various things for Jeremiah’s Slaty-backed. Not much along the Charles, and 3 hours freezing at Fresh Pond. Did get an Iceland Gull off Memorial Drive late in the day.

Sunday 2/18: Nice adult Iceland at the UMass boat ramp. Ravens at Fresh Pond (but next to no gulls again), 3 RT Loons on Memorial Drive plus about 20 RB Mergansers and a Peregrine (one in Chelmsford on the way to Lowell too).

Monday 2/19: Inland Norfolk county for a change. Needham Transfer Station eventually had an Iceland Gull fly through, plus 2 Turkey Vultures, some cowbirds, and a ton of both crows. Cutler Lake had more uninteresting gulls plus Common Mergansers. Couple stops along the Charles on the way home didn’t have much and I wasn’t in the mood to drive to Gloucester.

Tuesday 2/20: Couldn’t find the White-front at Arlington Res (or the Killdeer, or any kinglets) but did have a Peregrine.

Computer died, took some time to replace and get easy access to things again…

Wednesday 1/24: Rock Meadow had a pair of ravens and a Rusty or two. Quick stop at the duck ponds had a very surprising Common Goldeneye, patch #171.

Thursday 1/25: Nothing at College Pond.

Friday 1/26: Huge flock of goldfinches and not much else at Lindentree.

Saturday 1/27: Very windy Cape trip. Got 5 Barnstable birds, nothing terribly exciting before bailing. Stopped at TIdmarsh in Plymouth on the way home and got a few more Plymouth birds too.

Sunday 1/28: Grackles at Elm Brook and Hanscom. Tree Sparrow at Hansom was Bedford #100. Same at Mystic Lakes, Earhart. Horned Grebe at Draw Seven was a nice surprise.

Monday 1/29: Nothing exciting at Heard Farm.

Tuesday 1/30: Quiet on the riverwalk, 27 waxwings at the office.

Wednesday 1/31: Nothing at Round Hill.

Thursday 2/1: Great Black-backed Gull at BBN, up to 50 waxwings at the office.

Friday 2/2: Eagle over the yard

Saturday 2/3: 3 Iceland Gulls at the UMass Lowell boat ramp, lots of goldeneye elsewhere on the river. School St had 40 larks.

Sunday 2/4: Went to Draw Seven, where Julie told me about a Snowy across the way. Worked over there, watched it fly back to Sylvester Baxter. Usual stuff otherwise, got the owl for 3 towns. Continued to Winthrop Beach (not much), and Mills Ave (another Snowy).

Monday 2/5: Only 2 Long-ears at Dunback.

Tuesday 2/6: Calling Great Horned Owls at Lot 1.

Wednesday 2/7: Merlin on the riverwalk.

Thursday 2/8: Larks again at School St but next to nothing else.

Friday 2/9: Usual at Forest Grove.

Saturday 2/10: Did a Suffolk/Norfolk trip. Snowy at Castle Island plus a raven. Merlin, Peregrines, and a few other things at Squantum and Wollaston.

Sunday 2/11: Started heading east but ducks on the field at Spy Pond said School St might be an interesting option in the rain. That was a good idea with 5 pintails.

Monday 2/12: 13 Red-wings at BBN.

Tuesday 2/13: Thought I was doing well with a harrier at Heard Pond, then had Fish Crow, Pileated, and Rough-legged Hawk, all new for Wayland.

Wednesday 1/17: Too snowy

Thursday 1/18: Usual on the riverwalk.

Friday 1/19: Creeper (believe that’s #50 for the commute this year) about it at BBN.

Saturday 1/20: Did some local work. Quiet at Mary Cummings but an eagle was distantly visible as I was reaching the car. Mostly the usual at Horn Pond, except for 4 Fish Crows flying over. Another eagle at Sandy Beach, then 2 more at the boat club. South end of the lakes had a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a raven. Spy Pond was frozen but presumably the same raven flew by.

Sunday 1/21: More local stuff. Nothing exciting at Blair Pond. GW Teal and little else at Alewife. Yet another eagle east of Watertown Square, a raven west of the square along with 4 Wood Ducks, then another eagle at Forest Grove. Next to nothing at Moody St.

Monday 1/22: Looped Nine Acre and Pelham Island Rd without anything (did finally get some turkeys on the way).

Tuesday 1/23: 2 coots, 1 teal, a couple black ducks, and no pintail at Hager.

Wednesday 1/10: Couple Red-wings and an eagle at Heard Farms.

Thursday 1/11: Nothing exciting at Meriam’s.

Friday 1/12: GW Teal and a coot at Hager but no pintail or Gadwall.

Saturday 1/13: Got nice earlier than expected, so decided to finally head west. Stopped at School St for a big flock of Mallards, geese, and gulls, then ran into a rainstorm further out Rt. 2. Quick stop in Gardner for a pintail, then up to Watatic. Two(!) flying squirrels at night.

Sunday 1/14: Started at Draw Seven, which had 3 Common Loons and a Red-throated. Nothing much in a quick scan at Sylvester Baxter, and nothing at Earhart. However, driving behind the shopping center, I came across a Red-shouldered Hawk. Continued to Castle Island where I couldn’t find any Purple Sandpipers or scaup (or Snow Buntings). Saw the Ross’s was near a parking area on the way by, so pulled in and ended up talking to Jim for a few minutes, picking up Iceland Gull and Horned Grebe in the process. Drove around Squantum and Quincy a bit without finding much.

Monday 1/15: Swung towards Lowell but the gulls weren’t on show and I wasn’t up for walking along the river. Got a Glaucous in a parking lot in Tewksbury, then walked around Hanscom and saw nothing.

Tuesday 1/16: 2 Long-ears and a sharpie at Dunback but no luck with the Rough-legs.

Wednesday 1/3: Dunback had the Rough-legs (commute #212), a grackle, but the Long-ears were hidden.

Thursday 1/4: Snow

Friday 1/5: Snow but first Cooper’s in the yard for awhile.

Saturday 1/6: Cold, Red-belly in the yard.

Sunday 1/7: Didn’t warm up fast enough but did an hour’s drive midday (Res, Hobbs Brook, out 2A to Meriam’s and up Virginia Rd, then over to Hardy Pond). Combined total: 1 red-tail, 3 Ring-billed Gull, 3 Rock Pigeon, 2 Blue Jay, 1 junco.

Monday 1/8: River walk was rough walking and frozen from Shaw’s to the ball field, but 31 species including the regular ducks, 2-3 Cooper’s, and 2 wigeon.

Tuesday 1/9: Merlin at BBN, waxwings getting off the Pike.