WIR 10/16-10/22

Wednesday 10/16: A loop of the Charles: 2 Lesser Scaup, 7 Ruddy, many GW Teal, and a Parula at Purgatory Cove. More teal and a shoveler at Norumbega. Coots at Charlesbank. On to the res, where a big flock of ducks in the middle had me jumping out of the car. They were Ruddies however. Hardy Pond had wigeon and Ruddy.

Thursday 10/17: Prospect Hill had a few warblers. About 27 Ruddies on the res, 2 Common Mergansers on Flint’s.

Friday 10/18: More Common Mergansers on Flint’s. Nothing at Great Meadows.

Saturday 10/19: Lots of the usual at BBN and West Meadow (Nashville the best). Dunback was quiet beyond another Nashville and a Bobolink and Waltham St was dead. Greater Yellowlegs and not much else in a very quick scan of the north end of the Cambridge Res.

Sunday 10/20: Possible Blue Grosbeak at the other section of Waltham St, Field Sparrows at both.

Monday 10/21: Started at the West Meadow (Lincoln’s Sparrow about it). Decided to quickly check Rock Meadow since I was almost there and came up with 2(!) Vesper Sparrows. In between those, Marj called and confirmed the grosbeak. I was headed there way anyway, but skipped the far side of the marsh. Walked in and got a very brief view immediately but it took a good bit of effort to get enough to feel comfortable with it. Didn’t spend much time on other stuff but a leucistic Song Sparrow was interesting (there was a White-throat yesterday). After giving up on getting photos, I headed out to the rotary fields to look for the White-fronted Goose seen yesterday. It wasn’t in the flock at the front of the prison field and I couldn’t find a way to check the bigger flock at the back. No birds at Weatherbee and nothing but crows at School St. Nothing but cormorants in a quick scan of Flint’s on the way back.

Gardens Vesper

Boardwalk Vesper

Tuesday 10/22: Went to Plum for a change. Quiet overall but nice. Skimmers showed up towards high tide, Eurasian Wigeon at the north overlook, raven over the Dunes trail, lots of Yellow-rumps, GC Kinglets, etc. Gannets constantly moving along the ocean, shovelers all over the pools.

Skimmers