Month: August 2024

Wednesday 8/21: Herons all still at BBN plus 2 Blackburnian, a Parula, a bunch of Redstarts, a waterthrush, and more.

Thursday 8/22: Redstart at Cookson, nothing on the river.

Friday 8/23: Redstarts and Black-and-whites about it at Lone Tree Hill, nothing much at the duck ponds.

Saturday 8/24: Did an on foot day. Not great but not bad, 61 species with a bunch of easy misses. Added the Little Blue and a Prairie Warbler to my overall green list plus got Great Egret off the house only version and Merlin off the house/neighborhood only version. Also FOF BT Green, an Ovenbird, etc.

Sunday 8/25: Started at Danehy where there were 2 redstarts, a couple interesting flycatchers, and an Osprey. Fresh Pond next was very quiet, as was Mount Auburn (where the goal was seeing if I could see the terns at Spy Pond from the tower). Gave the res a quick look on the way home, 4 Turkey Vultures were the only things of interest.

Monday 8/26: Magnolia, bunch of redstarts, Black-and-white at Dunback.

Tuesday 8/27: Semipalmated Plover finally at Hobbs Brook, usual otherwise. Fox on the way home.

Wednesday 8/14: Prospect Hill had a bunch of redstarts but couldn’t find any other migrants.

Thursday 8/15: Little Blue still at Hobbs Brook plus a Semipalmated Sandpiper along with the usual shorebirds. Wood Thrush was the only bird of any note in the woods.

Friday 8/16: Ended up at College Pond, which was pretty quiet.

Saturday 8/17: Waited on Laughing Gull news and debated the Cranberry Bog ode walk, so started with the res where a cormorant was on one of the highway signs along Winter St but little else. Hobbs Brook had 2 Little Blues but otherwise nothing of note. Walked the Shade St land too and found nothing. Decided it was too cloudy for odes and no word either way from Wachusett so went to Arlington Res, which was very high. Decided the Prothonotary at Spot Pond was worth a check. No sign of that at Quarter Mile but walked down most of the way to the boat launch and found a certain Dusky Dancer finally.

Sunday 8/18: Started to wait out the rain then realized it was inland anyway, so went to Squantum as planned. White-rump, brief LB Dowitcher at the pans, not too much else. Tide seemed high, so went to Wollaston where there were several hundred Semis (both Sandpiper and Plover) plus a few other things.

Decided on Belle Isle next, started with Lawn Ave. Got eaten pretty good on the way to the platform but it was fine once out there. Picked through the close birds but didn’t find much at first. Started looking further out and picked up something in flight. Large and buffy, a Marbled Godwit! Fired off a pile of shots (only later realizing I wasn’t even close to full zoom) and lost it towards Morton St/145. Calmed down eventually after sending out a few messages and picked out a Stilt Sandpiper finally. Eventually it moved more into the open and was joined by a second. Moved to the main reservation and got really eaten alive. Also couldn’t see much of anything and the Cooper’s eventually flushed most of the birds.

Had been thinking about Revere Beach next but decided Fisherman’s Bend and searching for the godwit was a better idea. Couple others had the same idea but we had no luck. Lots of BB Plovers, oystercatchers, and a few dowitchers and turnstones.

Monday 8/19: Did a bit of a pond loop. Started at Spy, where there were a couple terns still bouncing around but nothing else. Water level was up at Blair and it was a cormorant and bunch of Mallards. Duck ponds had a Great Egret, 3 Least, and a Solitary. Res had nothing. Hardy had another egret.

Tuesday 8/20: Ibis was still(?) at Great Meadows, not too much else. Flyover Bobolinks and a black duck (an actual one) were about it.

Wednesday 8/7: No shorebirds in the rain at Great Meadows but an ibis and Bank Swallow were nice. Little Blue was back at Hobbs Brook in a two second pause.

Thursday 8/8: Tried for early warblers at BBN without any luck. Did have Barred Owl, Red-shoulder, and the herons.

Friday 8/9: Lousy morning weather, did a Nine Acre – School St – Flint’s – res – Hardy loop with nothing of note.

Saturday 8/10: Early signs were the storm was a bust, so didn’t head west. Res had nothing, Hobbs Brook had nothing from the road. Lynnfield Marshes had what appeared to be a bit higher water, but 4 Lesser Yellowlegs flew out and a few other things were new for the area. Earhart had nothing but terns. Terns were still at Spy Pond too, including 2 sitting on the water (was a bit surprised when I got the scope on them and saw they weren’t Bonaparte’s). Hobbs Brook had a few shorebirds and the same herons.

Sunday 8/11: Started at Chestnut Hill Res (after a very quick check of Hammond Pond). Got the early arriving Ruddy and Greater Scaup right away. Walked the road back to the rink and had a Black-and-white in the woods there. Decided to go to the coast next, starting at Winthrop Beach. Low tide and very few birds beyond Least Terns around. Had one Semipalmated Plover fly through, then 18 oystercatchers at the southern edge of the sisters. Walking pack, a White-rumped flushed and a Semipalmated Sandpiper dropped in closer. Eventually dug up a Piping Plover and had a Savannah bouncing around too, which got my Suffolk August list to 100. Belle Isle Cemetery next, enough shorebirds to get the scope. While walking back to the car, a Least Flycatcher popped up. Couldn’t find anything in the channel, so went to the main part of Belle Isle. Not too many birds around and they were mostly hiding in the grass. One dowitcher (presuming Short-billed) over plus a few yellowlegs and peep were it.

Monday 8/12: Finally had some early warbler luck with Canada, Parula, Black-and-white, and redstarts at BBN. Herons were all around too. And a Red-banded Hairstreak was a long expected lifer.

Tuesday 8/13: Cliff’s Olive-sided was still at Dunback. Also a Prairie, redstart, and Least Flycatcher.