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Wednesday 10/23: Nicer than expected out, so I went to Rock Meadow. Field Sparrow was new for the patch year list (125!) but not much else. A few Ruddy, a couple scaup, and some wigeon on the res, more Ruddy at Flint’s were enough to stop at Hardy. Ruddy were all over, I counted 130 plus a Gadwall.

Thursday 10/24: Went to Great Meadows. Windy and not overly active, but David Sibley had a Clay-colored that hung around long enough for me to get it. A check of some of the goose fields had next to nothing (lots at the back of the prison field in an unscannable spot). Stopped at the Cambridge Res on the way home. A couple white spots out in the middle were enough for the scope. They turned out to be Bufflehead, but while double-checking my count a Red-necked Grebe stuck its head out. That was #200 for the county this year! The same ruddy, wigeon, and scaup were at the Trapelo end.

Friday 10/25: Amazing numbers of sparrows at Arlington Res. Fox Sparrow or two and a couple Field Sparrows were it for exciting ones though. Good variety of ducks including a Gadwall and a couple Shoveler too, 52 species total. Cambridge Res on the way home added 2 Horned Grebes.

Saturday 10/26: Started at West Meadow. Lots of White-throats but not much else. Looped through Met State without anything. Red-necked Grebe again at the Cambridge Res. Continued on to the north end. The Cackling Goose looked fairly obvious so I got out to scope. After showing it to a passing birder, it started to swim a bit closer, so I waited even though it was freezing with the wind. Unfortunately, it decided to take a nap instead of join most of the birds really close. However, as I started to walk back to the car, I noticed a few more geese swimming in from around the corner. A quick look and there was a bright orange bill staring back. I suspect that the White-fronted showing up here confirms David Sibley’s theory that the Cackling is coming from Great Meadows and passing Kaveski.

Sunday 10/27: Started at Rock Meadow where I finally got a fall Purple Finch and a lateish Common Yellowthroat. After pancakes, I went over to Sandy Beach and enjoyed the Nelson’s Sparrow for an hour or so.

Monday 10/28: Started at Forest Grove, where a Winter Wren was new for me on the Charles. A Rusty Blackbird was also nice, but quiet otherwise. Surprisingly little on Purgatory Cove and the river (raccoon hunting on the far shore). Usual coots and stuff at Charlesbank, nothing on the Cambridge Res.

Tuesday 10/29: Started at Meriam’s Corner with a bunch of bluebirds and a few Palm Warblers. Walking up Shadyside to Kaveski, I had a couple (or more) White-crowned Sparrows but that was about it. Cambridge Res on the way home added 4 Horned Grebes (three in the photo below). Flint’s had nothing (assuming the dark things sleeping were all Ruddy and not 2 Black Scoter).

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.

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.

Wednesday 10/9: Joined the MBC walk at Danehy. Chestnut-sided was about it.

Thursday 10/10: Went to BBN to look for sparrows. Tons of birds around early, although nothing interesting. Boardwalk at West Meadow as busy with lots of Swamps and a White-crowned. Decent variety of warblers including Nashville and BT Green. On return, there were a bunch of sparrows behind the basketball court including an interesting looking White-crowned. After some reading and consultation, I feel pretty good about calling it a Gambel’s.

More orange bill, pale lores, etc. Click through the photo for a full set.

Walking down to the cemetery and then up the hill was not particularly productive.

Friday 10/11: The morning was described elsewhere. Sitting outside in the afternoon, a juvenile Bald Eagle flew over (and then a Yellow-rump for #80 for the yard this year).

Saturday 10/12: Waltham St/Dunback MBC trip. Couple Rusty Blackbirds, 2 Bluebirds at Dunback, and that was about it. Ruddy at both Cambridge Res and Hardy Pond.

Sunday 10/13: Wandered to Lindentree and Waltham St without much.

Monday 10/14: Refound the sparrow and then the goose. Scarlet Tanager at the West Meadow in between.

Tuesday 10/15: Started for Rock Meadow but construction stuff there, so I went to Lone Tree Hill first. Lots of Hermit Thrushes and that was about it. On to Dunback, which was busy but not much exciting (late House Wren, Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos about it). Waltham St had a kingfisher.

Wednesday 10/2: Wandered Lincoln for a bit in the morning without seeing too much (missed a Connecticut by a few minutes). A Band-winged Meadowhawk over the yard in the afternoon tied my late date.

Thursday 10/3: Went somewhere slightly different for a change, McClennen Park in Arlington. Lots of sparrows but nothing unusual. Stopped at Arlington Res after, a Ring-necked Duck among the Mallards was it. Then on to Arlington Great Meadows to look for Buck Moths. No luck with those but 10 wigeon and a Solitary Sandpiper were on the Waldorf Pond and a couple Parula were in the trees back at the car.

Friday 10/4: BBN and Waltham St were on the quiet side.

Saturday 10/5: Started at the Wayland Community Gardens. Nothing too exciting, assuming the junco isn’t anything. Cambridge Res next: 21 Ring-necks, 3 Pied-billed Grebes, 1 eagle. North end had 2 Least, 1 Solitary, 1 Spotted, and 1 Pectoral Sandpiper, a Greater Yellowlegs, a Semipalmated Plover, and the two Blue-winged Teal. After a call from Marj, I headed to Waltham St where the Clay-colored cooperated briefly (but longer than the Yellow-billed Cuckoo).

Sunday 10/6: Cambridge Res: nothing, Flint’s Pond: nothing, north end of Cambridge Res: similar shorebirds to previous days, Hardy Pond: nothing. In nice weather too.

Monday 10/7: Rock Meadow: Meadowlark (1st record for the site?), lots of common stuff. Cambridge Res: Great Cormorant.

Tuesday 10/8: Prospect Hill: 6 species of warblers, multiple sapsuckers, a bunch of Blue-headed Vireos. Nothing at Waltham St.

Wednesday 9/25: Joined the MBC walk at a fairly quiet Danehy, then on to Dunback which was also fairly quiet (tanager, RB Grosbeak about it). After a meeting in the afternoon, I buzzed the Cambridge Res and had a Common Loon and Pied-billed Grebe.

Thursday 9/26: Rock Meadow was slow but 12-13 warblers were at BBN along with a late pewee.

Friday 9/27: West Meadow had a Rusty Blackbird and a very confiding Yellow-rump but not much else. Nothing at Waltham St. Chased the reported Western Tanager at Dunback with no luck.

Saturday 9/28: Rock Meadow had nothing interesting. Ran into Marj at Waltham St. She was on her way out but predicted a Dickcissel in the newly mowed back field. It was actually in the front field, along with a Bobolink. Nothing much at Dunback.

Sunday 9/29: Great Meadows late morning had a calling Sora, 4+ pintail, a few pipits and bluebirds flying over, and a snake eating a frog. North end of the Cambridge Res had a few Least Sandpipers, a Lesser Yellowlegs, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Blue-winged Teal, and a Bald Eagle.

Monday 9/30: Walked Lot 1 and West Meadow. Sapsucker at the meadow was about it.

Tuesday 10/1: Started at Rock Meadow. Quiet otherwise, but a thrasher smashing up a Wooly Bear was interesting. Quick stop at the duck ponds added another sapsucker.

Wednesday 9/18: Checked Prospect Hill again. Numbers down (other than Parula), but the Cape May was still there and I ended up with 13 warblers including my first Yellow-rump of the fall. A Yellow-throated Vireo at Big Prospect was the other highlight.

Thursday 9/19: Hayden Woods was fairly quiet. Ended up with 6 warblers but it was hard work. Very quick run at Waltham St. had nothing. Afternoon check of Cambridge Res had a few of the usual shorebirds and 2 Blue-winged Teal (waterfowl species #26 for the res!).

Friday 9/20: Rock Meadow had a Bay-breasted. BBN had more of the same warblers along with another Tennessee.

Saturday 9/21: Led an MBC walk in Lincoln. No sun and fog made for a slow time at Farm Meadow (the farmer wrapping bales of hay didn’t help, although it was interesting). Lindentree had lots of sparrows and bluebirds and a surprising flock of Pine Warblers in the middle of the field.

Sunday 9/22: Since it was cloudy, I headed back to Heard Pond. Spent some time on the swallows and found 4 species (no Tree surprisingly). Over to Purgatory Cove for the first time in a few weeks and had first American Wigeon of the fall plus 5 Rough-winged Swallows and a few warblers.

Monday 9/23: Dunback was somewhat quiet but 3 Scarlet Tanagers and a few warblers made it worthwhile. Bob and I decided to try to find a sheltered spot and went across the street to the other section of the Waltham St. Fields. Getting towards the back corner, Bob found one of the most cooperative Connecticut Warblers you’ll ever see.

Tuesday 9/24: Prospect Hill again. Twelve species of warblers including at least 2 Cape Mays, 3 Swainson’s Thrushes and a sapsucker. Quick check of the Cambridge Res had 1 Pectoral, 3 Solitary, 1 Killdeer, 2 Semipalmated Plover, and a Peregrine.

Wednesday 8/28: Didn’t get out again.

Thursday 8/29: Walked to the duck ponds. On the way: Green Heron and Redstart at Lot 1, more Redstarts, a Black-and-white, and a Canada at Met State, and a gnatcatcher at Rock Meadow. Five Solitaries, 1 Least, 1 Killdeer, and not much else at the ponds.

Friday 8/30: Great Meadows: 3 Snowies plus the Little Blue, a snipe among the usual shorebirds, and a few warblers.

Saturday 8/31: Full loop of Dunback. Mostly quiet beyond lots of grosbeaks, but right as it poured Cliff and I had a Mourning Warbler in a small flock.

Sunday 9/1: Usual at Duck Ponds and Cambridge Res (except a GW Teal).

Monday 9/2: Same as yesterday

Tuesday 9/3: Another Mourning Warbler at BBN (plus something that’s getting a separate post). More of the same at the ponds.

Wednesday 9/4: Nothing exciting at Dunback, although Nashville was a year bird.

Thursday 9/5: Great Meadows in the rain: American Golden-Plover. Once it cleared, good views of the Little Blue plus a nice raptor show including a Bald Eagle and a Merlin. More of the same at the Cambridge Res.

Friday 9/6: Rock Meadow and BBN were quiet, beyond an interesting Catharus that I really needed a better view (and to hear). Nothing new at the ponds. Brought my computer in for repairs and stopped at Cambridge Res on the way over (Hooded Merganser) and Kaveski on the way back (got the Buff-breasteds eventually).

Saturday 9/7: Joined (and then accidentally wandered away from) the Menotomy trip at Dunback without much. Handful of warblers at Hayden Woods after and then a Marsh Wren at Waltham St. Great Meadows late in the afternoon was pretty dull, a nighthawk shortly after arriving was the best, minimal heron/duck flight.

Sunday 9/8: Nothing at Cambridge Res or Arlington Res. Hawkwatched a bit at Prospect Hill: 1 Osprey, 1 Cooper’s, 3 Red-tails, a few unidentified, plus a cuckoo over my head.

Monday 9/9: Lots of birds at BBN including an early Lincoln’s. Ran over to Dunback after but no luck with the Hooded.

Tuesday 9/10: Absolutely nothing at Dunback. Up to 12 Least Sandpipers at the duck ponds. Couldn’t find the possible good birds Bob had at the Cambridge Res later.