WIR 4/10-4/16

Wednesday 4/10: Pine, Palm, and Yellow-rumps at Great Meadows but not a ton else.

Thursday 4/11: Usual at BBN.

Friday 4/12: GW Teal and Ring-necks were new for me at the Wayland Community Gardens but no Blue-winged and little else. Nothing nearby either. Did have an Osprey over the office.

Saturday 4/13: Led an MBC walk at BBN. Only one person braved the rain, which tapered off quickly. Fox Sparrow, 6+ Rusties, and a patch tick. After that, I wandered Concord Ave hoping the teal dropped in. No luck with that but did have a Virginia Rail, snipe (both new for Belmont), and a few warblers. I continued to Arlington Res, where the early Spotted Sandpiper was still around. Revere Beach was next, Manx Shearwaters were easy but no shorebirds. Continued up to Lynn Beach but no luck there either. Stopped at Station Landing on the way home, an American Lady was my first butterfly of the year.

Sunday 4/14: Decided it was sunny enough to look for butterflies at Assabet. More or less clouded up by the time I got there but 2 azures and a Mourning Cloak plus 2 sapsuckers, singing Hermit Thrushes, etc. Stopped at Flint’s (loon) and Waltham St (kestrel and Savannah Sparrows plus a snapping turtle) on the way home.

Monday 4/15: Started with a check of the res and Flint’s after the rain stopped. Nothing at either, probably should have gotten out an hour earlier. Since it was nice, I headed to Mt. Auburn and figured if it got crappy I’d check Fresh Pond. Tons of kinglets and Hermit Thrushes and a few sapsuckers plus an Osprey. It stayed nice, so went to look for the RB Mergs by the Watertown dam. No luck with those but had a Spotted Sandpiper. East of the dam had a Pine Warbler but not much else. Absolutely nothing at the duck ponds. Since there was another storm, checked the res again and had 4 Red-necked Grebes.

Tuesday 4/16: Gnatcatcher and Barn Swallow among the arrivals at College Pond plus first for Weston Fish Crow.