Month: July 2013

Wednesday 7/17: Quick walk at BBN didn’t have much. Went back to Purgatory Cove with a camera but no Vespers to photograph.

Thursday 7/18: Prospect Hill had the usual, plus a Swift River Cruiser. Quick stop at the duck ponds had 5 Solitaries.

Friday 7/19: Very quick stop at Hardy Pond, where I picked up about 15 dragonfly exuviae that I may eventually key out. Sat on the deck instead of heading to the Cape for Saturday’s canceled pelagic and added a kestrel to the yard yearlist (and a Red-bellied at the peanut feeder in the morning made for another).

Saturday 7/20: Great Meadows started with 3 Least Bitterns and a Green Heron from the tower. A few shorebirds were around, but none easy to see. Made it down to the river and after dismissing an odd call by the opening to the left as a blackbird, I noticed a Sora standing right there.

Sunday 7/21: Dunback to start. A female kestrel and lots of overgrown paths. Quick check of the duck ponds on the way home added a Killdeer, 2 Least Sandpipers and a Solitary.

Monday 7/22: Mt. Misery to Farm Meadow without much of anything.

Tuesday 7/23: Dodged rain to run to Hardy (1 Herring Gull, a few geese) and the res (eagle, more geese, mallards, and cormorants). Continued to the duck ponds but a landscaping crew was working so didn’t stop.

Wednesday 7/10: Checked Hardy Pond and the res but it was too foggy out to see at either. Moved on to Great Meadows where I could see, but the highlight was an all white pigeon. Also made a quick stop at Purgatory Cove in the afternoon, where there were 10 Wood Ducks, 7 swans, and a night-heron.

Thursday 7/11: Got to Prospect Hill just as the rain started. Tanager on the ground was all I managed before it got too heavy. Eagle again at the res.

Friday 7/12: Walked from Rock Meadow through BBN and the West Meadow without seeing much. Quick stop at the duck ponds had a Solitary in the usual corner. The left pond is very low (possibly to fix the walkway) and has potential for shorebirds soon.

Saturday 7/13: Concord Butterfly Count.

Sunday 7/14: Great Meadows early. No repeat of the Whistling-Duck, but a Least Bittern put on a good show.

Monday 7/15: Duck ponds again. Solitary and Spotted plus a deer and a huge snapping turtle.

Tuesday 7/16: Purgatory Cove eventually. Vesper Bluet and Striped Hairstreak.

Wednesday 7/3: Went to Horn Pond Mountain for my hairstreak fix. Found good numbers and everything but Acadian. Also had 2 ravens on one of the towers.

Thursday 7/4: Went to BBN earlyish. Doe and fawn, Scarlet Tanager feeding young (cowbird unfortunately), Orchard Oriole, towhee, Mocha Emeralds, and a Unicorn Clubtail made it worthwhile.

Friday 7/5: Great Meadows had a Unicorn Clubtail. Showed Alan the Squannacook after, it was much more comfortable out there for most of the morning. Highlights included the jewelwing show, a posing Dragonhunter, male and female Eastern Least Clubtails, and a distant Common Sanddragon.

Saturday 7/6: Nothing outdoors.

Sunday 7/7: Eventually wandered to Lone Tree Hill where the humidity and afternoon heat were brutal. Very few butterflies. One Aeshna and a couple Somatochlora had me going back for a net but nothing came close.

Monday 7/8: BBN again. More of the same, lots of Spot-winged Gliders and skippers. Ducks ponds quickly too, nothing exciting there.

Tuesday 7/9: Paine for a change, nothing to say I should go more often.

Wednesday 6/26: Started at Great Meadows, which was hot and quiet. Checked St. Anne’s fields again as I was debating a heard only flycatcher yesterday. Still unsure but likely just a Willow. Flushed a woodcock on the way in though. Another (well likely the same immature) Broad-wing over the yard.

Thursday 6/27: Kestrel and displaying Cooper’s at Dunback (plus a few million mosquitos).

Friday 6/28: People generally require you to do things like lunch on your last day of work.

Saturday 6/29: Long, disappointing day.

Sunday 6/30: Rock Meadow and Lone Tree Hill for bugs mostly. One Somatochlora sp, a few hairstreaks, and an Orchard Oriole.

Monday 7/1: Purgatory Cove had 3 BC Night-Herons and not much else. Lots of mosquitoes at Forest Grove. More night-herons along the river walk plus lots of Powdered and Blue-fronted Dancers.

Tuesday 7/2: Eventually wandered to Prospect Hill for butterflies even though it was still cloudy. Good numbers, although nothing exciting there. One good bird though with a singing Winter Wren down the Pine Ledges Trail. And a very nice dragonfly with a Mocha Emerald landing (picture here if I hadn’t drained my camera battery accidentally overnight). Circled the res on the way home and there was an eagle in the normal tree.