WIR 1/16-1/22

Wednesday 1/16: Winter Wren, Barred Owl, not much else at BBN.

Thursday 1/17: Poked a bit along the river in Wayland as it was too cold to walk. RC Kinglet on River Rd was a bit of a surprise. Heard what was presumably an otter crash into the water at the Old Rt 27 bridge.

Friday 1/18: Snow didn’t happen overnight but still went to the riverwalk. Decent numbers of Bufflehead, Hoodies, a couple Ring-necks. Path to Landry was taped off, so drove over to Moody. One Song Sparrow, so ran to Cronin’s too. Usual there but the first Great Black-backed I’ve had in Waltham in a couple months. Server farm issues at work meant I got to leave early, so I went to Crane Swamp to look for the Clay-colored. Eventually found the junco flock but no sparrows with them. Did have a Peregrine buzz over, which somehow was a county bird but little else. Also buzzed Big Chauncey with no interesting gulls and School St, Flint’s, and the res all with zero birds.

Saturday 1/19: Started at Draw Seven. Lots of RB Mergs but not much else. Checked Earhart for the hawk again, no luck with that but a creeper was new for me in Everett. Continued to Belle Isle. Lots at the feeder but nothing of note. Started to walk around and heard a chip in the pine that had the Orange-crowned back on 12/8. Picked up movement and was shocked to see a Nashville instead. Which was then joined by an Orange-crown. Guessing it’s the Nashville that was across the water on the greenway side, but only about the 5th record I can find for January (one a couple weeks ago in Fairhaven though). Nothing much else there, so went to Revere Beach. Scoter flocks still around, but didn’t look like a ton of gulls and the wind was strong, so I doubled back to Deer Island. Surprisingly, the wind wasn’t bad. Four plus Iceland Gulls, 3 Razorbills, lots of eider. No luck with any grebes though. Headed home from there with a brief detour for the Barrow’s Goldeneye off Bayswater.

Sunday 1/20: Yard birding, nothing exciting.

Monday 1/21: Same

Tuesday 1/22: Same