WIR 3/11-3/17

Wednesday 3/11: Mystic Lakes had a woodcock, 4 Double-crested Cormorants, and the usual mergansers and eagles.

Thursday 3/12: Woodcock was peenting from the yard (#123!) early. Too foggy for Fresh Pond, so just went to Dunback. Another woodcock, a Barred Owl, 20 turkeys, a phoebe, a Turkey Vulture, and more made it fairly good.

Friday 3/13: Fresh Pond was pretty quiet, GC Kinglet and eagle the closest to interesting.

Saturday 3/14: Started at Water Row hoping for some movement before the wind got too strong. Nothing too exciting, lot of blackbirds, lot of Hoodies and a few teal, FOY PB Grebe, etc. Drove down to the other end but it was still frozen, so moved on to Mill Pond in Maynard where there were Fish Crows and bluebirds among the usual stuff. Continued to the rail trail, where Bufflehead were #50 for Maynard (finally, all towns now at least that high). Also added mockingbird and had a few mergansers and common passerines. School St. had pintail and teal among the geese and Mallards. Nine Acre had teal, turkeys, and a couple giant blackbird/starling flocks. Res was just starting to open, couple mergansers have found it.

Sunday 3/15: Started at Millennium. No luck kicking up a woodcock but a few ducks (and a Red-tail hunting them), a Sharpie, a small falcon, etc. Continued to the Charles River Peninsula where I got bluebird, sapsucker, and eagle for March in Norfolk. Tried Kendrick Pond for more but it was a waste. Quick check of the Charles at Norumbega had a pile of Ring-necks and Common Mergansers, and a few teal. Afternoon repeat of yesterday’s loop had about the same birds.

Monday 3/16: Too wet

Tuesday 3/17: Windy at Great Meadows, decent numbers of diving ducks but not too much else. At least 3 eagles at the res in a quick check.

WIR 3/4-3/10

Wednesday 3/4: Wandered around Falzone, getting dripped on and hearing the ice melting. And falling down in the deep stuff on the field.

Thursday 3/5: Scaup were back at the ball field, eagle was in the parking lot, and a couple Wood Ducks were in along the river. Still frozen past Moody and nothing on land there.

Friday 3/6: Too icy

Saturday 3/7: Horn Pond had the usual. Drove around Wilmington a bit after, nothing worth mentioning.

Sunday 3/8: Started at Earhart which had 2 loons and not too much else. Continued up to Nahant. Checked the Brant at Short Beach, then did a quick walk around the thicket, before doubling back to Nahant Beach where I found the 3 Black Brant. Not the best views, but one in the bank. Quick stop at King’s Beach didn’t have much.

Monday 3/9: BBN had a flyover Killdeer or two, FOY cowbird, and FOY (first migrant for the state?) Tree Swallow.

Tuesday 3/10: Nothing much at Great Meadows. Rusty, Pileated, Red-shouldered the most exciting.

WIR 2/25-3/3

Wednesday 2/25: Still snowy

Thursday 2/26: Made it to BBN. Lot of bluebirds but not too much else. Trails were fine but the sidewalk somehow was not.

Friday 2/27: Grackles were in on the riverwalk. Most of the usual ducks (no scaup) plus a RB Merganser too.

Saturday 2/28: Needed a county month bird so headed west. Started in Worcester revisiting the longspur, which was showing well (by itself) when I arrived. Continued to the Elm Circle entrance at Squannacook. Trails had some ski tracks but were often soft. Red-shoulder and eagle over and a couple waxwings by the car were it. Decided to try Townsend State Forest too. Better trails but minimal birds. Groton Library (after getting turned way around doubling back to park) had 4 Evening Grosbeaks and a bunch of waxwings. Turkey Vulture over School St on the way home.

Sunday 3/1: Went to Dunback in case the snow was worse than expected. Other than a pile of flickers, not much. Snow got heavy enough that I walked all the way back along the roads. Ended up not accumulating but didn’t bother going back out after.

Monday 3/2: West Meadow had a few blackbirds but not much else, BBN had 3 Hoodies and not much else.

Tuesday 3/3: Nothing at Cookson, not much more at the dam.

WIR 2/18-2/2

Wednesday 2/18: Forest Grove had 5+ bluebirds but not much else. Pump house had some open water but just common stuff.

Thursday 2/19: Just about nothing at Dunback.

Friday 2/20: Moody St was frozen, couple Fish Crows over Crescent St on the walk over. Usual stuff down to Shaw’s.

Saturday 2/21: Work-related mishap blocked up the morning. Lot of waxwings and not much else at Nashawtuc in the afternoon. School St. was birdless.

Sunday 2/22: Waited for fulmar news and started at the Lynnfield Marshes, which were pretty birdless. Decided Castle Island made sense anyway, tried to find an Essex county stop on the way and failed. Bird was obviously gone (owl midnight snack?) but the Pine Warbler and northern eider were around along with a few Snow Buntings and most of the usual ducks. Stopped at Earhart, 2 RT Loons, 3 Gadwall, not much else.

Monday 2/23: Too blizzardy.

Tuesday 2/24: Too much snow

WIR 2/11-2/17

Wednesday 2/11: West Meadow was quiet. Bushwhacked out to Dawes and didn’t have much in that bit of BBN.

Thursday 2/12: Riverwalk was about the same.

Friday 2/13: Dunback had 50+ Red-wings and 10ish waxwings and not much else.

Saturday 2/14: Had a Bird Observer event, thought I had time for Needham Reservoir and the nearby Barrow’s first. Took the wrong turn off 128 and ended up almost at Millennium, so ended up with just enough time to buzz the Barrow’s, which was visible without even stopping thankfully.

Sunday 2/15: Wanted to go check the river in Lowell but decided to start in Tyngsborough. Probably a mistake as the snow was knee deep and the river was frozen solid there. Did add a raven at least. Just common looking gulls at the boat launch, so on to Tsongas. Ton of goldeneye around, all Common that I could see. Eagle flushed the gulls so I walked down past the ballpark without much. Came back and an Iceland and Lesser Black-back were both on the ice. Lesser was new for Lowell (as were Bufflehead, Black Duck, and Hooded Merganser somehow). Continued to the parking lot in Tewksbury and had 500 Herring Gulls and another eagle. Afternoon loop of Nine Acre and School St had a few waxwings and a flock of larks crossing Rt. 2 so no idea if anything was with them.

Monday 2/16: Went to the coast for the holiday. Started at Winthrop Beach where I couldn’t find the pipits. Eventually found Snow Buntings with a single lark but other than a flyby harrier, the rest was on the water. Both loons, both grebes, usual ducks, etc. Winthrop Greenway/cemetery next, pretty quiet. Ran into Tim on the way out and he said the oystercatchers were back, so went to Revere Beach instead of Belle Isle first. Got those but no other sandpipers, then went up the beach and got the Glaucous pretty quickly. Back to Belle Isle, where there were a ton of goldfinches and another harrier but not much else. Quick stop at the Mystic Lakes on the way home had not much.

Tuesday 2/17: Went to College Pond for a change. Interesting sounding crow and possibly a grosbeak but otherwise totally dead.

WIR 2/4-2/10

Wednesday 2/4: River walk had 3 scaup (not 100% the same 3), 2+ eagles, 20 waxwings, etc. Had time to stop at Beaver Brook on the way back, couple hoodies about it.

Thursday 2/5: Dunback had a flock of roosting turkeys behind the houses on Brookside, a pile of Red-wings, and not much else.

Friday 2/6: Got the pintail at Alewife, fairly quiet otherwise. Still too tight to park on Mystic Valley Parkway, so went to Cambridge Res where the Ring-necks were still there but no other ducks.

Saturday 2/7: Too cold and snowy

Sunday 2/8: Too cold and windy

Monday 2/9: Too cold and windy

Tuesday 2/10: No parking east of the square. River looked frozen towards the dam so walked towards the warblers. Yellow-rump flew around and an eagle was across the river. Also a weird presumably immature Bufflehead with an interesting bit of extra white. No luck with the Pine or kinglet but not much time.

WIR 1/28-2/3

Wednesday 1/28: Cold

Thursday 1/29: Finally made it out. River walk was full of ducks, mostly the usual with a few more mergansers and 3 Lesser Scaup. Also a Swamp Sparrow and some sort of swimming mammal.

Friday 1/30: Cold

Saturday 1/31: Went for the gull show at Revere Beach. Got the six expected species but was enjoying the spectacle more than searching for weirdos. Also Black Scoter but not much else in a quick scan of the water. Stopped at the res briefly on the way home, 6 Greater Scaup in with the usual.

Sunday 2/1: Did a Watertown Square loop, got the two warblers and kinglet plus an eagle and the usual ducks. Did a Nine Acre/School St loop later with zero birds (or stops).

Monday 2/2: Decided the road wasn’t quite wide enough to stop at the Mystic Lakes, ended up at Beaver Brook which had a raven and not much else.

Tuesday 2/3: Raven and GB Heron were the excitement at BBN. Two ravens flying past the yard were nice though.

WIR 1/21-1/27

Wednesday 1/21: Too cold (expect more of that for a bit)

Thursday 1/22: Nothing east of the square, 2 eagles west. Res had the usual ducks and a coyote.

Friday 1/23: Fairly quiet along the river, usual ducks plus a Red-shoulder, no passerines of note.

Saturday 1/24: Cold

Sunday 1/25: Snow

Monday 1/26: Snow

Tuesday 1/27: Snow

WIR 1/14-1/20

Wednesday 1/14: River walk had a few ducks and RC Kinglet. Nothing exciting down to Prospect. Return trip added a raccoon.

Thursday 1/15: Great Meadows was pretty quiet but finally found one of the Great Horneds (211 for GM) and had a couple deer in the woods.

Friday 1/16: Too cold and windy. School St had larks, a crow, and a raven. Nothing at Nine Acre. Deer carcass with coyote at the res, didn’t scope the birds.

Saturday 1/17: Intended to go up to Lowell and Tyngsboro but it was snowing enough that I decided to stay closer. Ell Pond still had the scaup and finally got a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Walked the edge of frozen Spot Pond next, adding creeper and RB Nuthatch for Stoneham. Turned the wrong way for Fellsmere Pond so went straight to Earhart where the usuals were around.

Sunday 1/18: Forecast was still for an early start to the snow, so again skipped Lowell. Started at Pelham Island Rd where there was a GW Teal among the ducks but nothing more exciting. Walked Water Row next, Merlin and 25+ waxwings by the King Philip parking, a Winter Wren across from the pond, and a Red-shoulder and catbird on the way back. It was snowing pretty decently, but continued to the Assabet and Mill Pond in Maynard (nothing of note), School St (larks staying distant), and Nine Acre (400 geese but nothing else). Did a loop of the res a bit later, no carcass and didn’t scope the ducks.

Monday 1/19: Lazy with the snow

Tuesday 1/20: West Meadow boardwalk was pretty quiet. Rusty was still in the same spot at BBN, not much else there beyond a heron in the big marsh.

WIR 1/7-1/13

Wednesday 1/7: Too icy

Thursday 1/8: Dunback had one towhee and a few Purple Finches.

Friday 1/9: Great Meadows was too busy with the gate closed, so went to Meriam’s. Grackle, Horned Lark, and a fox.

Saturday 1/10: Started at Nut Island where the King Eider was right by the pier (actually swam under it while I was at the end. Also Horned Grebe, LT Duck, a few other things. Squantum Point Park next, Yellow-rump calling as I got out of the car but very little after. Walked along the river and around Commander Shea without much of anything. Continued on to Sylvester Baxter, where I had a loon, 2 scaup, a couple coots, and a pile of gulls. Looped around to Earhart. More ducks on the river but very little on land. Found another loon on the way back. Did a res loop later, eagle was on the rocks right where all the birds have been, seemed like most didn’t care.

Sunday 1/11: Fresh Pond in the limited light had a Merlin, Yellow-rump, 4 loons, a sapsucker, etc. Continued to Mt. Auburn where I couldn’t find the Swainson’s but did have the Orange-crowned. Decided to go for the ducks at Farm Pond instead of Fenway next. Crowd was on the Redhead (and Iceland), no sign of the Barrow’s. Walked at the other end and didn’t add much.

Monday 1/12: Went back to Mt. Auburn where I had the Swainson’s but mostly while standing on the opposite side of Halcyon. Also got the warbler for the ‘commute’ and a RC Kinglet.

Tuesday 1/13: Weston Station Pond was frozen and there wasn’t much along the bike path. Smaller numbers but the usual ducks still at the res and there were four coyotes on the ice.