Category: nature

Wednesday 6/19: Spent the day odeing. Started trying to find a good access point for Ashby WMA but gave up and went to Townsend Hill instead. Very quiet there, best things were a couple Petite Emeralds and a Barn Swallow grabbing a Four-spotted Skimmer. Moved on to the Squannacook, which was rather high. Add in that it had clouded over a bit and there wasn’t much around. A few Stream Cruisers, some Racket-tailed Emeralds, and a Hylogomphus sp that got away. On to Arched Bridge in Dunstable, where there wasn’t much at the stream (only 2 jewelwings!). The path out to the quarry was a bit overgrown and it was fairly quiet, although the usual field birds were singing. A very worn elfin on the way out appeared to be an Eastern Pine. A quick run around the Cranberry Bog was very quiet but pushed the day’s total to 38+.

Thursday 6/20: Caught up on paperwork.

Friday 6/21: Baby raccoons and not much else at the duck ponds.

Saturday 6/22 and Sunday 6/23: DSA meeting in CT/RI, will write up something sooner or later.

Monday 6/24: Busy with other stuff.

Tuesday 6/25: Went out to Lincoln and enjoyed lots of Bobolinks at Farm Meadow.

Wednesday 6/12: Nothing doing.

Thursday 6/13: MNHP survey finally. Veeries and little else though, probably a little too late.

Friday 6/14: Another(?) Broad-wing over the house.

Saturday 6/15: Joined the Menotomy walk from Met State to Paine, didn’t see much beyond a juv Swamp Sparrow.

Sunday 6/16: Joined at ode walk at the Cranberry Bog. Mostly the same, the one interesting thing got away.

Monday 6/17: Nothing exciting at Prospect Hill.

Tuesday 6/18: Started with Rock Meadow and BBN (couple Blue-wings, a Redstart, not a whole lot else), then went to Great Meadows for the Sora show.

Wednesday 6/5: Arrowhead Spiketail at the duck ponds.

Thursday 6/6: Swamp Darner, Spot-winged Glider, and Pepper-and-salt Skipper at BBN.

Friday 6/7: Nothing at Hardy, Great Black-backed Gull at the res barely qualifies as interesting.

Saturday 6/8: Lazy day.

Sunday 6/9: Cranberry Bog again.

Monday 6/10: Black-crowned Night-Heron and Eastern Wood-Pewee at Forest Grove.

Tuesday 6/11: Too rainy.

Wednesday 5/29: Nothing on Hardy or the res.

Thursday 5/30: Great Meadows early, nothing too exciting. Wood Ducklings leaving a box was the best thing. Nothing too exciting at Prospect Hill either.

Friday 5/31: Dusted and Indian Skippers at BBN.

Saturday 6/1: Went exploring in Townsend for a bit. Caught lots and lots of Common Baskettails and had a few other things. Then went and chased a pelican that had apparently flown off half an hour before I started heading that way.

Sunday 6/2: Led a BBC trip to Great Meadows. Highlights were Least Bittern, American Coot, and a Mink stalking several families of Virginia Rail.

(Click through for more photos)

Went to the Carlisle Cranberry Bog after.

Monday 6/3: Orchard Oriole singing at Hardy Pond.

Tuesday 6/4: Usual birds (including ravens) and bugs at Prospect Hill.

Wednesday 5/15: Prospect Hill, checked the view towards Polaroid without much (Rough-winged Swallow was a likely nester though). Quick walk to the water towers added a redstart.

Thursday 5/16: Rock Meadow before work, nothing unexpected. Forest Grove was pretty quiet beyond yet another Magnolia.

Friday 5/17: Spotted Sandpiper at Hardy Pond early. Veery and a few warblers at Paine plus a Stream Cruiser. A late White-throat in the yard was the first bird for birdathon.

Saturday 5/18: Birdathon/MBC big day. Highlights included a Great Egret at the Vine Brook marsh, Sora at Great Meadows, an Upland Sandpiper right next to Virginia Rd, and a late Ruddy on the Cambridge Res. Miscounted slightly and ended the day on 99, would have dug up one more if I had been aware.

Sunday 5/19: Pretty lazy after running around on Saturday. Eventually went to Dunback where I had a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, kestrel, Willow Flycatchers, and a handful of warblers.

Monday 5/20: Took some vacation time this week. Started at Purgatory Cove and Forest Grove, where a Rose-breasted Grosbeak was (surprisingly) new for the river for me but little else. I moved on to Nine Acre Corner and watched Barn Swallows gather mud until a Cliff buzzed through. Made a brief stop at Cat Rock Park on the way back, but it was so muggy I gave up quickly (did get first Lancet Clubtail of the season).

Tuesday 5/21: Twitch. Spent some time at Hellcat after and had 11 warblers in the couple of pines just outside the parking lot (including Canada and Cape May) plus a few more elsewhere on the trails.