Month: September 2014

Two weeks as I forgot to hit post last week.

Wednesday 9/17: Rock Meadow was pretty quiet (at first). Continued through BBN with not much more. On the way back, an Eastern Kingbird was flying around the bluebird boxes, about a week later than I’ve ever had one. Quick check of Waltham St had nothing.

Thursday 9/18: Scouted Lincoln for Sunday’s MBC trip. Five or more Indigos, a Lincoln’s Sparrow, and a Nashville Warbler at Farm Meadow, a Redstart and not much else at St. Anne’s. Path to Lindentree was flooded and I didn’t feel like looping all the way around and went to Hobbs Brook instead, where there was a Greater Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpiper.

Friday 9/19: Started at Danehy. First Purple Finch for the county this year plus first White-throated Sparrow and Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the fall. Not much else though. Continued to Fresh Pond where there were 4 Ring-necked Ducks and 2 Nashville Warblers. Brief stop at the duck ponds on the way home had a Northern Waterthrush and not much else.

Saturday 9/20: Another Purple Finch and that was about it at BBN.

Sunday 9/21: MBC walk in Lincoln was pretty much same as Thursday (minus the Nashville). Cooperative Virginia Rail at Great Meadows, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 10 GW Teal at Hobbs Brook.

Monday 9/22: Next to nothing at Purgatory Cove and Forest Grove (was midafternoon though).

Tuesday 9/23: Dunback was slightly busier than things have been: BT Green, Magnolia, Blackpoll, singing Pine, Black-and-white, and a Redstart in addition to first of fall Golden-crowned Kinglet. Lots of raptors as the morning went on with Sharpie, Osprey, Kestrel, and a bunch of distant presumed Broad-wings. Also some interesting dead mammals: Star-nosed Mole (I think) and a skunk. Quick run through Hayden Woods after had more BT Greens and a Parula.

Wednesday 9/24: Started at Rock Meadow, where there were a couple warblers, an Indigo Bunting, and a few turkeys in the gardens. BBN was fairly quiet beyond a Broad-wing and there was nothing of note at the West Meadow.

Thursday 9/25: First of fall White-crowned Sparrow and American Pipit at Great Meadows.

Friday 9/26: Had to take the car for service, so walked to Mary Cummings Park while I waited. Five species of warblers and a few other things (and a probable flyover siskin).

Saturday 9/27 and Sunday 9/28: Pelagic. Lots of Audubon’s Shearwaters, a White-faced Storm-Petrel and some nice phalarope and jaeger photo ops. Quiet otherwise birdwise. Basking Shark and Leatherback Turtle made up the other fauna highlights.

Monday 9/29: Arlington Res had 4 shoveler, 5 wigeon, 2 snipe, 2 Pectoral, a Palm, and a bunch of Yellow-rumps. Lots of Savannahs at Waltham St.

Tuesday 9/30: Started at the West Meadow which had a bunch of sparrows (including White-crowned), several warblers, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Jogged through BBN to Rock Meadow. Wood Thrush, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and not much else there. Back through BBN in more detail added a few more sparrows and another warbler or two. Bunch of Ring-necks and an even bigger bunch of other ducks at Cambridge Res.

Wednesday 9/10: Dunback was pretty dead, 1 waterthrush, 1 parula. Nothing at Waltham St.

Thursday 9/11: Rock Meadow was dead (although I apparently missed a Clay-colored in the gardens), as was McClennen. Semipalmated Plover and 2 Green-winged Teal were new at Hobbs Brook and a Pied-billed Grebe was at Hardy.

Friday 9/12: Tennessee Warbler and a potential Philadelphia Vireo at BBN. Nothing at all at Hobbs Brook.

Saturday 9/13: Dunback was pretty quiet, a couple Blackpolls, 1 Chestnut-sided, and an interesting Catharus up high in poor light. Afternoon not birding in Westport, but a continuous flow of Ospreys was nice.

Sunday 9/14: Started in Wayland. Tennessee Warbler was about it from the community gardens (nice to catch up with Glenn though), hundred or so Rough-winged Swallows at Heard Pond. Cambridge Res was quiet and shorebirds at Hobbs Brook were limited to 1 Killdeer and 1 Pectoral. At least 6 Green-winged Teal mixed in though.

Monday 9/15: First Blue-headed Vireo of the fall at Prospect Hill plus a Magnolia, Black-and-white, Pine, and a few Blackpolls.

Tuesday 9/16: Early run to the West Meadow had a Marsh Wren, Magnolia, and a nice adult Cooper’s. Great Meadows in the afternoon had a Monarch, 4 pintail, a Blue-winged Teal (finally), a Green-winged Teal, lots of Wood Ducks, a few Lesser Yellowlegs, and a Pectoral Sandpiper.

Wednesday 9/3: Started at Mary Cummings Park. Quiet for most of the time, but eventually got one flock that included 3 species of vireos (Yellow-throated being the good one) along with a Nashville, BT Green, and Magnolia. Zabulon Skipper too. Very quick check of Arlington Res (high water) and Hobbs Brook (fewer shorebirds) before a loop of the duck ponds. One Canada Warbler and a Monarch was about it for there.

Thursday 9/4: Went to Plum with Bob. We missed Buff-breasted, Baird’s, and Western Sandpipers along with American Golden-Plover plus got stumped by the one interesting warbler. Did have some first of fall ducks, Red Knot, and a few other things. Quiet at Hobbs Brook.

Friday 9/5: Rock Meadow and BBN were very quiet. Green Heron at the duck ponds.

Saturday 9/6: Went to Prospect Hill before remembering the road was closed for a race and it was too hot to hike up, so around the res and then to Hobbs Brook, where there was nothing new. Continued on to Barrett’s Mill Farm, where there was a Monarch and not much else.

Sunday 9/7: Dunback had a BT Blue, BT Green, Magnolia, Canada, Northern Waterthrush, and bunch of redstarts. Hobbs Brook had more Leasts but otherwise the same.

Monday 9/8: Started at Prospect Hill. Totally dead, spished up a couple Black-and-whites in the first flock and had nothing else all the way down the hill. Did get first of fall Palm Warbler on the way back but that was it. Instead of continuing to the other side, I headed to Great Meadows. Also fairly dead but a Lesser Yellowlegs and flyover Wilson’s Snipe made it worthwhile. Quick check of Hobbs Brook had a few more birds but nothing exciting.

Check out the middle toe.

Tuesday 9/9: BBN was fairly quiet, although a Broad-wing was nice and Parula and Blackpoll were new for the fall (and made up 3 of 4 warbler individuals). Finally found something new at Hobbs Brook with a Pectoral Sandpiper. Also had 2-3 (or more) ravens soaring way off and a decent raptor show.

Wednesday 8/27: Canada Warbler was the most interesting thing at BBN. Mergansers remained at Hobbs Brook but no luck with Marj’s wigeon.

Thursday 8/28: Started at College Pond, which was fairly quiet although I did get a few more things for Weston. Then went to chase Stylurus clubtails out on the Nashua and Squannacook. Not much luck with those but always nice to get in the water. Also found the Middlesex side of Oxbow NWR and had a Wilson’s and Canada in the 10 minutes I walked.

Friday 8/29: BT Green and 2 Black-and-whites were it at Forest Grove. Semipalmated Sandpiper, a third merganser, and a couple warblers at Hobbs Brook.

Saturday 8/30: Out to Otis. Traffic and a nap made for an uneventful day but a few juncos around and 3 nighthawks overhead.

Sunday 8/31: Took a walk through the state forest. Cloudy and dark and quiet but 7 species of warblers included Canada, Bay-breasted, and lots of BT Blues and BT Greens. Pileated over Framingham on the way home was nice.

Monday 9/1: Went looking for Baird’s at Hobbs Brook with no luck. Did hear some towhees at the back of the powerlines but not much else. Stopped at Waltham St. on the way home and had a Broad-wing drift over. Went back for another try at Baird’s late afternoon but no changes on the water. Three nighthawks and a raven almost made it worthwhile.

Tuesday 9/2: BBN had a few warblers including first of fall Nashville and Blackburnian plus Magnolia, redstarts, Black-and-white, Yellow, and Chestnut-sided. Not a whole lot else. Another pass at Hobbs Brook had more Solitaries and a second Semipalmated but nothing else new.