Category: nature

Waltham 2009

Once again, here’s lists for the year. Bold is yard, italics is new to Waltham.

Birds

  1. Canada Goose (1/2, Charles)
  2. Mute Swan (1/2, Charles)
  3. Wood Duck (3/30, Leitha)
  4. American Wigeon (3/15, yard/HP)
  5. American Black Duck (1/2, Charles)
  6. Mallard (1/2, Charles)
  7. Green-winged Teal (12/5, Hardy Pond)
  8. Northern Shoveler (10/9, Hardy Pond)
  9. Ring-necked Duck (1/2, Charles)
  10. Black Scoter (10/24, Cambridge Res)
  11. Bufflehead (2/15, Charles)
  12. Common Goldeneye (1/2, Charles)
  13. Barrow’s Goldeneye (1/2, Charles)
  14. Hooded Merganser (1/2, Charles)
  15. Common Merganser (1/2, Charles)
  16. Ruddy Duck (4/3, Hardy Pond)
  17. Wild Turkey (4/15, Met State)
  18. Pied-billed Grebe (10/13, Purgatory Cove)
  19. Red-necked Grebe (11/1, Cambridge Res)
  20. Double-crested Cormorant (4/19, Charles)
  21. Great Blue Heron (1/2, Charles)
  22. Great Egret (8/11, Trapelo & 128)
  23. Green Heron (6/25, yard)
  24. Turkey Vulture (3/27, Prospect Hill)
  25. Osprey (4/5, Bentley)
  26. Sharp-shinned Hawk (2/22, Leitha)
  27. Cooper’s Hawk (1/3, yard)
  28. Red-tailed Hawk (1/2, Met State)
  29. American Kestrel (10/19, Leitha)
  30. American Coot (1/26, Charles)
  31. Killdeer (3/26, UMass Field Station)
  32. Spotted Sandpiper (6/2, Waverly Oaks Marsh)
  33. Solitary Sandpiper (5/10, Met State)
  34. American Woodcock (3/18, Lot 1)
  35. Ring-billed Gull (1/2, Lexington St)
  36. Herring Gull (1/2, Charles)
  37. Iceland Gull (2/16, Charles)
  38. Lesser Black-backed Gull (2/25, Charles)
  39. Great Black-backed Gull (1/26, Charles)
  40. Rock Pigeon (1/2, Main St)
  41. Mourning Dove (1/2, yard)
  42. Yellow-billed Cuckoo (5/12, Met State)
  43. Eastern Screech-Owl (2/13)
  44. Great Horned Owl (1/2, Met State)
  45. Barred Owl (10/22, Prospect Hill)
  46. Common Nighthawk (8/20, Trapelo)
  47. Chimney Swift (5/4, Beaver Brook)
  48. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (9/1, Paine)
  49. Belted Kingfisher (8/18, Hardy Pond)
  50. Red-bellied Woodpecker (1/2, yard)
  51. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (10/12, Met State)
  52. Downy Woodpecker (1/1, yard)
  53. Hairy Woodpecker (2/8, Met State)
  54. Pileated Woodpecker (kinda new) (8/31, Prospect Hill)
  55. Northern Flicker (1/21, Paine)
  56. Eastern Wood-Pewee (5/22, Met State)
  57. Least Flycatcher (9/1, Paine)
  58. Willow Flycatcher (6/2, Waverly Oaks Marsh)
  59. Eastern Phoebe (3/27, Prospect Hill)
  60. Great Crested Flycatcher (4/30, Prospect Hill)
  61. Eastern Kingbird (4/29, Beaver Brook)
  62. Blue-headed Vireo (4/27, Beaver Brook)
  63. Warbling Vireo (5/7, Hardy Pond)
  64. Red-eyed Vireo (5/10, Met State)
  65. Blue Jay (1/2, Met State)
  66. American Crow (1/3, yard)
  67. Fish Crow (4/25, yard)
  68. Common Raven (5/25, Prospect Hill)
  69. Northern Rough-winged Swallow (4/19, Charles)
  70. Tree Swallow (4/11, Hardy Pond)
  71. Barn Swallow (5/7, Hardy Pond)
  72. Black-capped Chickadee (1/1, yard)
  73. Tufted Titmouse (1/2, Met State)
  74. White-breasted Nuthatch (1/1, yard)
  75. Red-breasted Nuthatch (11/16, Prospect Hill)
  76. Brown Creeper (1/2, Met State)
  77. Carolina Wren (1/2, yard)
  78. House Wren (4/28, Met State)
  79. Winter Wren (3/15, Met State)
  80. Golden-crowned Kinglet (1/8, Prospect Hill)
  81. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (4/18, Met State)
  82. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (4/30, Prospect Hill)
  83. Eastern Bluebird (11/1, Cambridge Res)
  84. Swainson’s Thrush (5/10, Met State)
  85. Hermit Thrush (4/18, Met State)
  86. Wood Thrush (5/10, Met State)
  87. American Robin (1/2, streets)
  88. Gray Catbird (4/28, Met State)
  89. Northern Mockingbird (1/1, yard)
  90. Brown Thrasher (4/28, Met State)
  91. European Starling (1/2, streets)
  92. Cedar Waxwing (2/16, Charles)
  93. Blue-winged Warbler (5/12, Met State)
  94. Tennessee Warbler (5/12, Met State)
  95. Nashville Warbler (4/28, Met State)
  96. Northern Parula (4/28, Met State)
  97. Yellow Warbler (5/4, Beaver Brook)
  98. Chestnut-sided Warbler (5/2, Paine)
  99. Magnolia Warbler (5/19, Paine)
  100. Cape May Warbler (10/1, Prospect Hill)
  101. Black-throated Blue Warbler (5/3, Paine)
  102. Yellow-rumped Warbler (4/29, Beaver Brook)
  103. Black-throated Green Warbler (4/30, Prospect Hill)
  104. Blackburnian Warbler (5/12, Met State)
  105. Pine Warbler (4/15, Paine)
  106. Prairie Warbler (9/1, Met State)
  107. Palm Warbler (4/18, Met State)
  108. Blackpoll Warbler (5/19, Paine)
  109. Black-and-white Warbler (4/28, Met State)
  110. American Redstart (5/11, Prospect Hill)
  111. Worm-eating Warbler (5/25)
  112. Ovenbird (5/2, Paine)
  113. Northern Waterthrush (5/8, Beaver Brook)
  114. Common Yellowthroat (5/6, Leitha)
  115. Hooded Warbler (5/14, Prospect Hill)
  116. Wilson’s Warbler (5/12, Met State)
  117. Scarlet Tanager (5/8, Prospect Hill)
  118. Eastern Towhee (5/25, Prospect Hill)
  119. American Tree Sparrow (1/1, yard)
  120. Field Sparrow (4/14, Met State)
  121. Chipping Sparrow (4/15, Paine)
  122. Savannah Sparrow (4/24, Beaver Brook)
  123. Song Sparrow (1/2, yard)
  124. Lincoln’s Sparrow (10/12, Met State)
  125. Swamp Sparrow (4/18, Met State)
  126. White-throated Sparrow (1/2, yard)
  127. Dark-eyed Junco (1/2, yard)
  128. Northern Cardinal (1/1, yard)
  129. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (4/28, Met State)
  130. Indigo Bunting (5/12, Met State)
  131. Bobolink (9/25, Met State)
  132. Red-winged Blackbird (2/15, Charles)
  133. Brown-headed Cowbird (3/28, Paine)
  134. Common Grackle (2/22, yard)
  135. Baltimore Oriole (4/27, Leitha)
  136. House Finch (1/1, yard)
  137. White-winged Crossbill (2/8, Met State)
  138. Pine Siskin (3/22, Paine)
  139. American Goldfinch (1/1, yard)
  140. House Sparrow (1/1, yard)

(56 yard, 1 missing from total for now)

Mammals

  1. Opossum (2/28, yard)
  2. Coyote (1/5, yard)
  3. Gray Squirrel (1/2, yard)
  4. Eastern Chipmunk (2/25, yard)
  5. Eastern Cottontail (1/31 (actually earlier), yard)
  6. White-tailed Deer (2/14, Cambridge Res)

Butterflies

  1. Silver-spotted Skipper (Epagyreus clarus) (5/22, Met State)
  2. Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades) (6/20, Prospect Hill)
  3. Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades) (5/25, Prospect Hill)
  4. Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus) (5/21, Met State)
  5. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) (5/2, Paine)
  6. Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae) (5/19, Prospect Hill)
  7. Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor) (7/3, yard)
  8. European Skipper (6/20, Prospect Hill)
  9. Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea) (5/10, Met State)
  10. Indian Skipper (Hespeia sassacus) (6/1, Met State)
  11. Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius) (5/25, Prospect Hill)
  12. Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles) (8/15, yard)
  13. Northern Broken-Dash (Wallengrenia egremet) (7/20, Prospect Hill)
  14. Little Glassywing (Pompeius verna) (7/5, Paine)
  15. Hobomok Skipper (Poanes hobomok) (5/22, Met State)
  16. Dusted Skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna) (5/25, Prospect Hill)
  17. Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) (5/8, Prospect Hill)
  18. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) (5/8, Prospect Hill)
  19. Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) (5/12, Paine)
  20. Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) (4/28, Paine)
  21. Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) (5/26, UMass)
  22. Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) (4/17, Bentley)
  23. American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) (5/12, Paine)
  24. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) (7/5, Paine)
  25. Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon) (5/1, Prospect Hill)
  26. Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas) (5/8, Prospect Hill)
  27. Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) (5/10, Met State)
  28. Cherry Gall Azure (Celastrina serotina) (5/16, Prospect Hill)
  29. Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta) (7/5, Paine)
  30. Monarch (Danaus plexippus) (6/3, Charles)
  31. Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) (6/1, Met State)
  32. Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) (5/25, Prospect Hill)
  33. American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) (4/28, Met State)
  34. Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) (7/23, Paine)
  35. Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) (3/17, Met State)
  36. Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) (4/5, Paine Estate)
  37. Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) (9/23, Prospect Hill)
  38. Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) (5/20, Met State)
  39. Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia inornata) (8/14, Prospect Hill)
  40. Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela) (5/22, Met State)
  41. Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) (7/20, Prospect Hill)

Dragonflies

  1. Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) (5/25, Prospect Hill)
  2. Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis) (6/26, Charles)
  3. Aurora Damsel (Chromagrion conditum) (5/19, Prospect Hill)
  4. Azure Bluet (Enallagma aspersum) (8/18, Hardy Pond)
  5. Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) (7/27, yard)
  6. Stream Bluet (Enallagma exsulans) (6/26, Charles)
  7. Skimming Bluet (Enallagma geminatum) (5/22, yard)
  8. Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum) (7/5, yard)
  9. Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita) (5/20, Met State)
  10. Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) (5/8, yard)
  11. Lilypad Forktail (Ischnura kellicotti) (8/26, Purgatory Cove)
  12. Shadow Darner (Aeshna umbrosa) (8/10, Met State)
  13. Green-striped Darner (Aeshna verticalis) (9/18, Met State)
  14. Common Green Darner (Anax junius) (5/2, Paine)
  15. Springtime Darner (Basiaeschna janata) (5/11, Prospect Hill)
  16. Stream Cruiser (Didymops transversa) (5/16, Prospect Hill)
  17. Common Baskettail (Epitheca cynosura) (5/19, Prospect Hill)
  18. Prince Baskettail (Epitheca princeps) (7/13, Charles)
  19. Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa) (7/27, Paine)
  20. Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) (8/18, Hardy Pond)
  21. Common Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) (7/5, Paine)
  22. Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) (5/16, Prospect Hill)
  23. Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta) (7/28, Charles)
  24. Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) (7/20, Prospect Hill)
  25. Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) (5/25, Prospect Hill)
  26. Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata) (5/16, Prospect Hill)
  27. Painted Skimmer (Libellula semifasciata) (7/5, Paine)
  28. Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) (7/5, Paine)
  29. Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) (8/10, WHS)
  30. Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) (7/5, Paine)
  31. ‘Ruby’ Meadowhawk (Sympetrum rubicundulum/internum, probably internum) (7/5, Paine)
  32. Band-winged Meadowhawk (Sympetrum semicinctum) (8/10, Met State)
  33. Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum) (8/17, Met State)
  34. Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) (8/18, Hardy Pond)

2009 in Review

So I suppose I should do a review like everyone else.

Top 10 things in Waltham this year:

10. Prince Baskettail
Not at all unusual, but finally getting a photo of one was nice.
9. Cape May Warbler
One of the less common warblers that I missed in the spring, getting it in fall and adding it to my Waltham list was a good surprise.
8. Iceland Gull
A second sighting for me in Waltham, but much more cooperative than the previous one (and it led directly to one of the other highlights).
7. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
An overdue new bird for Waltham.
6. Red-necked Grebe
Another overdue bird and also only my second for the county.
5. Bald Eagle
Yet another overdue bird, but two of them putting on a good show would have made this list even if I had many previously.
4. Hooded Warbler
A nice spring overshoot, my first self-found one in Massachusetts.
3. White-winged Crossbill
Great birds and after chasing them around for several weeks, it was great to see them up close.

2. Lesser Black-backed Gull
A very good county rarity and one that points to the potential of the Charles.
1. Worm-eating Warbler
One of two birds that I couldn’t talk about at the time (the other is #0 on this list). I heard about one bird on territory and when I went to check it out, found a second nearby. Hopefully breeding will be confirmed next year. Given the amount of bushwhacking I did to find them, who knows how long they’ve actually been around? And how many other good birds are right under our noses?

And 10 more from elsewhere in Middlesex county:

10. Sleepy Duskywing
Probably the most common butterfly I had yet to identify before this year, I finally found a couple that felt satisfactory.
9. Summer Tanager
A bird that I’ve missed a couple times in the county. Running over to Mt. Auburn at lunch meant views were brief (especially since I was more interested in a presumed Bicknell’s Thrush nearby).
8. Harlequin Darner
Great dragonflies, even though one tried to take a bite out of my finger.
7. Lilypad Forktail
The ghost white mature females are extremely cool. After hearing about them at the DSA meeting, I was very happy to find them along the Charles. Hopefully I’ll be prepared with a camera next year.
6. River Otter
A very brief view but a great sighting in Wayland.
5. Great Meadows Shorebirds
Great Meadows had enough mudflats to bring in the shorebirds again this year and they showed up. I found 16 species including county rarities such as Baird’s, White-rumped, and Stilt Sandpipers, and American Golden- and Black-bellied Plovers. Not quite shorebirds but the bittern show was spectacular as well. Photos of some of those birds here.
4. Yellow-headed Blackbird
At one point, I had almost 20 county years birds in a row at Great Meadows (Common Nighthawk and Great Egret weren’t but they were both either coming or going so they almost count). The best was the Yellow-headed Blackbird that spent a few days right along the path, closing a big hole on my state list.
3. Lark Sparrow
After chasing and missing many over the years I finally got one in Massachusetts. Nice and cooperative (and at a spot that hosted several last year).
2. MacGillivray’s Warbler
A nice late fall rarity.
1. Tufted Duck
A nice early spring rarity. One of several excellent birds on these lists found by John Hines, I was able to get out to Water Row quickly and got good views and fair pictures (and I hear that those may be the first pictures of a Tufted Duck in Massachusetts).

And 5 from Massachusetts:

5. Comet Darner
One of the coastal plain specialties, huge and red, how can you go wrong. Highlighted a trip to Miles Standish State Forest. Unfortunately too fast to photograph, but some of the other things weren’t.
4. Black-capped Petrel
The pelagic highlight of the year. Would have been higher on the list, had the boat been steadier and I had gotten more than a couple seconds of views.
3. Ross’s Goose
One of the best days of the year started with a flock of these.

2. Short-eared Owl
And ended with these (and a Snowy).
1. Ivory Gull
I’m not convinced I wouldn’t put the adult as a top 5 bird in the world. Fortunately after just missing the Gloucester one, the Plymouth one hung around another week.

And a handful from out of state:

Vermont and northern New Hampshire
A few boreal bugs including Gray Comma, White-faced Meadowhawk, and Variable Darner along with Ruffed Grouse, Barred Owl, and a few warblers.
DSA Meeting, Southern New Hampshire
Still haven’t posted about it, but highlights included Coppery Emerald and Scarlet Bluet.
Texas
Great as a whole, but Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Chestnut Crescent, and Roseate Skimmer highlighted the trip.

Overall, 297 birds (25 lifers), 243 in state (6 new), 201 in county (9 new), and 142 in Waltham (12 new). Butterflies numbered 97 (36 new, thanks Texas), 56 in state (only 1 new), 55 in county (1 new), and 41 in Waltham (1 new). Dragonflies were 90 (16 new), 66 in state (1 new), 58 in county (2-3 new depending on how I sort out the meadowhawk mess), and 35 in Waltham (2-3 new). Also a few good tiger beetles, robber flies, moths, etc. No real complaints for the year but here’s to 2010 being better.

WIR 12/22-12/28

Tuesday 12/22: Charles by Moody St at lunch, almost totally frozen and nothing interesting among the gulls.

Wednesday 12/23: Checked the rest of the Charles: 2 goldeneye, 3 common mergansers, 2 hoodies.

Thursday 12/24: Dunback in the afternoon, nothing exciting other than robins everywhere.

Friday 12/25: Took a quick walk through Lot 1: Winter Wren, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Flicker, several woodpeckers, big flock of juncos.

Saturday 12/26: CBC, separate post sooner or later.

Sunday 12/27: Stayed in.

Monday 12/28: Sick, stayed in.

WIR 12/15-12/21

Tuesday 12/15: Paine at lunch. Lots and lots of common stuff. Most interesting bird was a junco with a hint of white wingbars.

Wednesday 12/16: Lyman Pond, nothing of note. About 110 geese at Fernald.

Thursday 12/17: Too cold to go out even though I had taken the day off for CBC scouting. Fun time at the museum a least.

Friday 12/18: Eagles! Beaver Brook North after, 1 grackle, 2 Great Blue Herons, many Tree Sparrows.

Saturday 12/19: Down the rest of the Charles, not a whole lot. Also a stop at Gore Place where the Chipping Sparrow continued and a walk around Lot 1 with lots of robins and a few red-wings.

Sunday 12/20: CBC postponed because of snowstorm. Tree Sparrow in the yard among other things.

Monday 12/21: Annual holiday lunch, so no birding.

Waltham Eagles!

I took yesterday and today off to scout for the CBC. Yesterday was too cold and windy to go out (and I had other things to do that I’ll talk about eventually) but today was somewhat better. However, as I was getting ready to go I got a phone call saying check my email about an eagle on the Charles. It was in a spot that’s outside the count circle but I headed over (luckily while I was reading the email my father called to say he was heading home, so I was able to wait for him).

After looping around a bit due to road construction, we reached Woerd Ave. The observer lives on Riverview Ave, although I’m not sure where exactly, so we pulled in at the boat ramp for a quick scan and then headed to Purgatory Cove. Crossing the bridge, I saw two(!) huge lumps on the ice. After almost swerving off the road, I managed to park and we jumped out. There were two adult Bald Eagles sitting next to what appeared to have been a cormorant.

Eagles!

Eagles!

Eagles!

I set up the scope and attempted to digiscope a picture or two as well (not any better than these, so not uploading them). While doing so, a car screeched to a halt and someone got out. She came over and completely ignored the eagles, instead asking me to check on the swans that were way off to the side and see how many young ones there were. Not going to question, but I don’t understand.

After a few more shots, the cold and wind off the river got to be too much, so we turned around and headed home. A very overdue bird for Waltham (#183, 107 along the Charles).

Crows, Eagles, Most of a Cormorant

Crows had enough

WIR 12/8-12/14

Tuesday 12/8: Charles at lunch: 2 hoodies, very little else.

Wednesday 12/9: Too nasty out for anything.

Thursday 12/10: Lyman Pond: Double-crested Cormorant still around, Great Blue was about it otherwise. Big flock of geese on Warren Field but nothing interesting among them in a quick scan.

Friday 12/11: Paine, lot of the common stuff but nothing of real interest.

Saturday 12/12: Stayed in, 18 species in or around the yard.

Sunday 12/13: Dunback quickly: flicker was about it. Charlesbank had a coot and a ton of ducks just out of sight. Forest Grove and Purgatory Cove had 5 Wood Ducks and a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds. A quick check of the river by Cronin’s Landing found this along with a couple hoodies and many common gulls:

Goose

Monday 12/14: Green-winged Teal at the YMCA. Lot 1 had lots of birds including a grackle at the pond and some waxwings mixed in with the many, many robins.

WIR 12/1-12/7

Some things I can mention from the last week:

Golden-crowned Kinglet in the yard, Wednesday 12/2.

A single meadowhawk still flying, Friday 12/4.

Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, many mergansers (both Common and Hooded), and a kingfisher on Hardy Pond, Saturday 12/5 (and everything but the kingfisher Sunday too).

Red-breasted Nuthatch at Paine, Monday 12/7.

WIR 11/24-11/30

Tuesday 11/24: Lyman Pond at lunch: 1 heron, 2 hoodies, 2 cormorants, 100+ regular geese.

Wednesday 11/25: Had to run to the mechanic before work, so made a couple stops along the Charles. About 9 Wood Ducks along Charles River Rd and Edgewater Dr along with a Pied-billed Grebe and 3 coots. One grebe at Forest Grove (just on the Waltham side of the line). Stopped at Hardy Pond at noon, about 10 hoodies, one ruddy, and a ton of juncos.

Thursday 11/26: Out to New Salem for Thanksgiving. Odd goose at the rotary caused a detour but it appeared to be a domestic. One moth in the house was about the only thing of note, appears to be Grote’s Pinion.

Friday 11/27: Rain canceled plans to head to Otis, nothing interesting on the ride home from New Salem. Big flock of robins over the yard and starlings over Leitha late in the afternoon. Red-wing and Red-belly calling from the end of the street.

Saturday 11/28: Charles midmorning, absolutely nothing (45 minutes and I had 8 species). Heron flying down the street below the houses was interesting in the neighborhood as was this sharpie in the yard for over an hour:

Yard Sharpie

Yard Sharpie

Sunday 11/29: Another MacGillivray’s and a big milestone. Also 2 meadowhawks still around.

Monday 11/30: Lunch at Hardy Pond: 2 Common Mergansers, many Hooded, 1 Ruddy.

Mac 2

The Fenway MacGillivray’s isn’t the only one currently in Massachusetts. One was found on 11/21 in Medford by Anna Piccolo. It’s in an area that’s less accessible than Fenway and isn’t as cooperative, but it’s a new bird for me in the county so I headed over today.

After a bit of GPS confusion, we arrived at Wright’s Pond and started to look for the correct spot. Luckily, Leslie and Barry were walking out successfully. They told us that there were plenty of people looking so we hurried over.

At the correct spot (which was only a short distance away), we ran into Anna and Patience and could see Marj and Renee working down below. Almost immediately I heard the bird chipping right up close. It proved to be illusive but after starting down the hill, I got two brief flashes of yellow (enough to count it combined with the chipping).

Everyone moved partway down the hill and we began to wait. There were long periods of silence followed by a quick chip or two. Occasionally there’d be a little bit of movement but it never stayed in one place and was very hard to get anything approaching a view. At one point I did get it on the ground and could pick up the eye arcs and gray head but couldn’t get anyone else on the spot.

This continued for almost an hour. At times the bird was fairly noisy but the call was very hard to pinpoint (often sounded to be bouncing back and forth between several spots). Finally, it popped up in the open at the bottom of the slope and everyone got acceptable views. I even managed a couple photos, the best (I use that loosely) of which is below.

Medford Mac

Not surprisingly, everyone took off after that. So, county bird #268 but more importantly, county year bird #200. That’s the first time I’ve hit that number and is not overly easy to do working full time (although given the number of regular birds I’ve missed this year, it shouldn’t be all that hard). The lousy butterfly season ruined my goal of 325 combined birds, butterflies, and odes, but that appears to be a decent goal and hopefully one for next year.

WIR 11/17-11/23

Tuesday 11/17: Beaver Brook North before work. Raven (is that notable still?), few red-wings, not a whole lot else. Paine at lunch, nothing of note.

Wednesday 11/18: Purgatory Cove at lunch looking for Green-winged Teal and Screech-Owl. Neither of those and not much else. Pied-billed Grebe on the river, heron in the cove. Ring-necked Duck popped up as I was driving off.

Thurday 11/19: Field Station at lunch. One Song Sparrow and one Tree Sparrow in the gardens so I went to Fernald to look at geese without finding anything unusual.

Friday 11/20: It was supposed to be rainy but it looked nice so I went to Prospect Hill instead of Hardy Pond and found very little. Two meadowhawks still. They’ve already survived a night in the 20’s and with nothing close to that in the forecast I wonder if one may make it to December.

Saturday 11/21: see post

Sunday 11/22: Long walk around Met State. Heard-only Winter Wren was about it other than good numbers of common stuff. Several meadowhawks still. Great Meadows later, very little there but a huge flock of grackles on the way.

Monday 11/23: Heron overhead on the way to work. Paine at lunch, checking the pines for owls so not much of anything.