Wednesday 12/17: Dunback was pretty quiet, couple Purples and a flock of waxwings. On a second pass before leaving, one of the towhees started calling and briefly showed. Also 6 deer and a shrew.
Thursday 12/18: 5 deer and a Red-shoulder at BBN.
Friday 12/19: Only had time for a quick check of the river in Watertown, no luck with the warblers or anything else (beyond turkeys on the way over). Also did a res/Hardy loop but right after the rain started.
Saturday 12/20: Went down to Squantum to try for the Audubon’s Warbler. Had a slightly possible sighting when I walked in but it moved and I didn’t find it again. A good 8-10 Myrtles, a Hermit Thrush, a Common Merganser, and a few other things along Commander Shea. Went to Nut Island next, usual ducks. Stopped at Wollaston where a cormorant flew over. On to Great Pond where I picked out the Barrow’s eventually and also had a Ruddy and GW Teal, which got me to 80 for December in Norfolk.
Sunday 12/21: Thought about the Ross’s Geese bouncing around Worcester but decided the wind wasn’t going to make that too pleasant. Went to Ell Pond instead (stopping at Spot Pond first, Fish Crow, Ruddy there). Ton of geese to pick through but nothing different. Eventually dug out the shoveler, not much else. Drove by Fellsmere Pond which appeared to only have Mallards, so on to Horn Pond. Ton of geese on the main pond, worked up and down for a while without finding the Cackling. Started to head back down the causeway and saw a message that it was by Sturgis, so picked up the pace. Got most of the way back when 4 Canadas and a small bird flew over. Didn’t get great views but a message that they had left right then was enough to confirm. Ran down to the garden pond in case they had dropped there but they hadn’t. Stopped at Library Park on the way out and it was there. Afternoon pass of the res didn’t have anything, 30+ turkeys at Potter Pond on the way back.
Monday 12/22: Arlington Res was frozen, bunch of geese and not much else. That gave me time to check the Mystic River, which had a DC Cormorant and a bunch of Hoodies.
Tuesday 12/23: Started at Ricci, which was completely dead. Flint’s had minimal water open with no birds. Lot of geese on the river at Nine Acre, so I walked over to count nothing but Canada. Drove around the golf course with more Canada, then finally to Verrill where the Snow Goose was obvious. Tried from the office side, which is now temporarily blocked off, so went back and had lousy views. More or less had time to check the res on the way home, few scaup, a Pintail, a Ruddy, some wigeon, etc among the common stuff.