WIR 11/18-11/24

Wednesday 11/18: Nothing in the cold and wind at Fresh Pond.

Thursday 11/19: RC Kinglet and a couple flyover siskins about it at Forest Grove.

Friday 11/20: Red-breasted Nuthatches and ravens were about it at Great Meadows headquarters.

Saturday 11/21: Not much at Cold Spring to start (missed the crossbill flock of multiple types). No bluebirds or finches at Millennium and Brook Farm, did get ravens for #100 at Millennium. Was going to stop at Kendrick Pond but too many people so just did Hobbs Brook and saw nothing.

Sunday 11/22: Decided to give coastal Boston a swing, mostly hoping for Cave Swallow. No luck with that and it wasn’t very nice out. Deer Island had almost no passerines but did have the large scoter/eider flock. Out at the tip, I was panning through another eider flock and picked up a guillemot! It dove and gave me a slightly panicked few seconds before it came back up and I could manage a few photos. It then took off, which at least gave me slightly better photos. Surprisingly, my first in MA away from Essex county.

Next stop was the Winthrop Greenway and Belle Isle Cemetery. Nothing too exciting, a couple of late yellowlegs and a Common Merganser the most interesting. On to Earhart. Walked out the little grassy point and the Glaucous Gull was back. Gave the casino grounds a brief look then zipped over to Draw Seven to get the gull in Somerville. Almost couldn’t find it at first, it was climbing up onto the rocks at the fishing platform, allowing for full frame photos. Also a Merlin and a raven here. Last stop was Spy Pond where Jonathan had found and Iceland Gull earlier. No sign at Linwood, but I decided to give the park a quick check and had the gull in the scope pretty quickly. Not the day I expected, but one I’ll definitely take.

Monday 11/23: Yuck

Tuesday 11/24: Redpolls and a Rusty at Dunback.