Wednesday 2/15: Lots of robins but that was about it at Dunback.
Thursday 2/16: Decision to wait a day for Drumlin proved good as the meadowlark flew up as soon as I walked up. Two Killdeer in the next field were nice too. Otherwise just the usual. Had time to check the res and found one of each scaup among the Ring-necks. Usual at Hardy, 3 turkeys (somehow my first in Waltham this year) on the way home. Blackbirds arrived in the yard in the afternoon.
Friday 2/17: First in office day of the year, so stopped at Heard. No shrike on my first pass, so out to the overlook. Tundra Swan was out there even though it hadn’t been reported in a week. Shrike was singing on the way back, then 2 Purple Finches and a Pileated along the other edge. Gadwall were obvious at the swamp on the way out.
Saturday 2/18: Bit cool and without a better idea, I did a Brookline-area loop. Hall’s Pond had a Cooper’s but no sapsucker. Leverett Pond had very little, although the flock mobbing something might have been interesting had I found the target. Jamaica Pond had lots of mergansers and a few other things. D. Blakely Hoar had a Winter Wren. More of the same at Chestnut Hill. Saw the report that the Barnacle had flown by Dunback, so gave Fernald, Beaver Brook, Beaver Brook North, and Potter Pond a quick check but no luck.
Sunday 2/19: Did my monthly (hopefully) on foot day. Started well with an eagle flying off from Hardy Pond before I was 2 houses away. Falzone had the usual, as did the West Meadow (including the Fox Sparrow in about the same spot). BBN had 2 more Fox Sparrows. Rock Meadow was fairly quiet, as were the duck ponds. On the way back, I cut along the edge of Rock Meadow then walked down Concord Ave and back in to BBN by the incinerator. Fairly quiet and seeing that the Barnacle was back at Horn Pond dimmed my hopes a bit. West Meadow was quiet as was Falzone. Ended on 39 species, which wasn’t too bad. Need to adjust my goals though, as I’m already at my March target.
Monday 2/20: Day off, went to the coast, starting with Deer Island. Usual ducks all around in pretty good numbers but very little on land (Snow Buntings were using the railing at least). Since there were moderately controlled dogs near the beginning when I started, I stopped at the first hill on the way back instead and had a very brief view of the Palm Warbler zipping by. Fifteen minutes of looping around didn’t turn it up again though. Yirrel Beach was next, no luck with the Audubon’s. Brief stop at Bayswater didn’t have anything, so I headed to Draw Seven for another attempt at towhee. First pass didn’t have anything (murre was in close and I walked down to the Suffolk line to get it there). Sam and Carla were looking for towhee too, so I started a second pass. Thought I heard some scratching at the big bush near the shelter and sure enough it soon started calling (after I had given up and walked off). It flew up and gave us good views for a couple minutes. That’s 5 February birds for the state and 6 for the county!
Tuesday 2/21: Snowing harder than I expected so did a Nine Acre run. Couldn’t see anything at Flint’s on the way. Just a few Mallards and geese in the water, eventually found 4 Killdeer on the fields. Usual at the res on the way home.