Tag: weekinreview

Monday 5/3: Woke up to a Swainson’s Thrush singing, second yard record I think. Quick stop at Hardy Pond at lunch had another Orchard Oriole along with Tree Swallows working on a nest. Thrasher singing behind work in the afternoon.

Tuesday 5/4: Graverson loop in the morning had House Wren, continuing Waterthrush, and BT Green. Yellow Warbler singing along Lexington St. Prospect Hill at lunch had Indigo Buntings, many butterflies (2 swallowtails, ETB, copper, etc), 1 darner (presuming Springtime).

Wednesday 5/5: Car finally fixed, quick stop at the Woerd Ave boat ramp had a bunch of Rough-winged Swallows and Warbling Vireos.

Thursday 5/6: Graverson loop had nothing new. BBN at lunch had a ton of summer residents arriving (Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Blue-winged Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Yellow-billed Cuckoo) plus Solitary Sandpiper. Also very early (record early?) Hobomok Skipper among other butterflies and my first Common Whitetails of the year.

Friday 5/7: Ended up at Beaver Brook eventually, few Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and not much else. Baskettail was new for the year.

Saturday 5/8: Trip got rained out. Scarlet Tanager, Black-and-white Warbler, thrush in the yard. Rain stopped briefly so ran to Arlington Res and got soaked but a few Bank Swallows and a yellowlegs weren’t bad. Out to Ethan’s after that, where I could hear Ovenbird among several warblers and saw a Red-eyed Vireo.

Sunday 5/9: Still at Ethan’s but too cold and windy to go out. Best views I’ve had of a black squirrel at his feeder. Nothing much on the ride home or around the house.

Monday 4/26: Checked Forest Grove at lunch, 1 yellow-rump, 1 forktail.

Tuesday 4/27: Hardy Pond had a couple Barn Swallows mixed in with many Tree.

Wednesday 4/28: Paine Estate was quiet.

Thursday 4/29: Too windy at Prospect Hill but did have what was most likely a Bald Eagle over the Cambridge Res (lost it before I could be certain but nothing else it could have been).

Friday 4/30: Started for Beaver Brook in the morning but had car issues, so only managed 30 minutes. Few yellow-rumps, 1 Hermit Thrush were all I could find. Car trouble prevented me from going out at lunch, but a Peregrine over the Charles at Moody St later was very nice.

Saturday 5/1: Led the BBC trip to Mt. Auburn. Went into Boston with parents and uncle later in the day. Public garden was too crowded by then, but 3 Black-crowned Night-Herons along the Charles were nice.

And a couple shots of the hawk:

Sunday 5/2: Graverson/Hardy Pond loop had an Eastern Kingbird, Northern Waterthrush, and Common Yellowthroat (and a Chimney Swift when repeating the walk in the afternoon). Arlington Res had 4(!) Orchard Orioles, many Warbling Vireos and Kingbirds but not much else.

Monday 4/19: Went to the Littleton Rookery where the Red-headed Woodpecker eventually showed off. Also pair of Osprey, Wood Ducks in the trees and entering a hole, etc. Continued to Assabet River where I couldn’t find the gos but did have Purple Finch, Rusty Blackbird, 2 Kestrels, and a Woodcock.

Tuesday 4/20: Paine was fairly quiet but a few Yellow-rumps were recent arrivals.

Wednesday 4/21: Duck ponds were dead other than a Clouded Sulphur. Did Graverson/Hardy Pond loop twice and had Blue-headed Vireo, Kingfisher, and Savannah Sparrow.

Thursday 4/22: Prospect Hill had a few butterflies (Juvenal’s Duskywings mostly) but nothing for birds.

Friday 4/23: Walked the trail behind work at lunch, not much of anything today.

Saturday 4/24: Did garlic mustard removal at Lot 1 in the morning, first forktails of the year there. Great Meadows in the afternoon was pretty quiet, but FOY gnatcatchers and coots (finally) and an Osprey, plus more forktails and a green darner. Also 40 cormorants flying over the street after dinner.

Sunday 4/25: Started at BBN. Walked for probably 2 miles and all the good birds were next to the car: few Palms, couple Yellow-rumps, 3 Savannahs, 1 Towhee, 1 gobbling turkey. Continued to Hayden Woods where a Rusty Blackbird was singing but otherwise quiet. Arlington Res had pretty much no migrants, Spotted Sandpiper was new but nothing else. Tiger Swallowtail in the yard in the afternoon.

Monday 4/12: Prospect Hill: 2 Hermit Thrush, 6+ flickers.

Tuesday 4/13: Quick run to Paine had lots of Pine Warblers and not too much else (lots of movement as I was rushing out though)

Wednesday 4/14: Forest Grove was quiet.

Thursday 4/15: Checked Hayden Woods on the way to work: 2 Palms, singing Hermit Thrush, not much else.

Friday 4/16: Duck Ponds at lunch. Not much there, but 3 turkeys on the way back. Got out of work early so stopped at Hardy Pond, where 2 Common Mergansers continued with a bunch of Tree Swallows.

Saturday 4/17: Cruised around a bit in the rain. Big flock of cormorants on Cambridge Res and 2 Ring-necks at Flint’s Pond where all I could come up with.

Sunday 4/18: Joined the Menotomy trip at Horn Pond (added 4 birds to my Horn Pond list: Turkey Vulture, shoveler, sapsucker, and black duck). Stopped at Arlington Res on the way home and found a bunch of Palms and Yellow-rumps and not much else. Also finally walked the trail from Hardy Pond to Graverson, will likely make a regular loop here in the next couple months.

Monday 4/5: Checked the parkway at BBN without much of anything.

Tuesday 4/6: Had a meeting at 12 so had to make an early lunch run. Quick stop at Hardy Pond had a 1-2 Wood Ducks and not much else.

Wednesday 4/7: Prospect Hill: 2 Cabbage White, 1 Mourning Cloak, first Six-spotted Tiger Beetle of the year, not much else. Struck out on woodcock again at night. Hairy came back though.

Thursday 4/8: Merlin down the street before work. Nothing along Woerd Ave at lunch.

Friday 4/9: Too rainy for much but there were quite a few Tree Swallows at Hardy Pond finally.

Saturday 4/10: Started by leading a Menotomy trip to BBN. It was pretty quiet with a bunch of Palm Warblers being the main highlight. The phoebes weren’t at the nest, but here’s a picture from last week:

Also checked Hayden Woods (more Palms and a Pine) and Prospect Hill (first Hermit Thrush of the year).

Sunday 4/11: Dunback had a couple singing Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a Chipping Sparrow. A few Palms and a Rough-winged Swallow at Mt. Auburn. The ibis at Nine Acre Corner cooperated and there were a couple snipe at the School St. Fields.

Monday 3/29: Rainy but checked Woerd Ave briefly (3 Wood Duck) and Moody St (the Double-crested Cormorant that flew over on the way down was just below the waterfall on the way back).

Tuesday 3/30: Little too rainy to put it lightly. Did end up at Hardy Pond but too wet to even roll the window down. I know there were a few Common Mergansers out there but no clue what else.

Wednesday 3/31: Walked the road at Prospect Hill a bit but nothing worth mentioning.

Thursday 4/1: Paine: 2 Pine Warblers, 2-3 Phoebes.

Friday 4/2: Day off. Started at Dunback. Long walk looking for Red-shoulders and Fox Sparrows without any. Two phoebes were about it. Quick stops at the Beaver Brook Ponds and Hardy Pond didn’t have much either. Afternoon trip to Arlington Res was about equally productive.

Saturday 4/3: Decided to try and find an Upland Sandpiper at Hanscom. No luck with that, but first of year Swamp Sparrow, Field Sparrows, Wild Turkey (displaying), and Eastern Meadowlark plus a kestrel made it worthwhile. Also a brief walk at Assabet River NWR added Spring Azure and the Infant (moth).

Sunday 4/4: Rock Meadow and BBN were both pretty quiet. Many Tree Swallows at Rock Meadow. Field and Swamp Sparrows were both in at BBN along with a flock of Cedar Waxwings. Phoebes were building a nest at the water tower. Forgetful: Hairy in the yard, one of a handful of records. Woodcock walk for WLT at night ended up not seeing any, not sure why.

Monday 3/22: Prospect Hill in the drizzle. Killdeer flying over turned out to be new for me at the site but otherwise very little.

Tuesday 3/23: Hardy Pond in the heavier rain. Scanned quickly as I pulled up and saw 2 Bufflehead and almost didn’t bother looking again after I ate. Good thing I did as I immediately rushed out of the car to get the scope on 3 Lesser Scaup. Otherwise about the same as the last week (wigeon were up to 4 but no new arrivals).

Wednesday 3/24: Woerd Ave at lunch. Too windy and wet to find much, but 8 ring-necks were in the cove.

Thursday 3/25: Took a long walk at Beaver Brook North but didn’t see much of anything.

Friday 3/26: Cold and didn’t go out.

Saturday 3/27: Dunback and Waltham St. in the morning. Red-shouldered Hawk was the big highlight, but several Wilson’s Snipe weren’t bad either. Arlington Res later was pretty quiet.

Sunday 3/28: Did some work on future trail locations at Lot 1 in the morning. Poked around a bit first without much of anything. Since the Sage Thrasher was back at Salisbury, I finally made the effort in the afternoon and watched it feed for about 40 minutes (pictures sooner or later, other things are more important right now).

Monday 3/15: Raining still.

Tuesday 3/16: Back side of Prospect Hill as it was likely the only place not under water or all mud. First Mourning Cloak of the year.

Wednesday 3/17: BBN without much of note.

Thursday 3/18: Had a Killdeer while running to another school today and then Wood Frogs at Paine (plus another cloak). Peepers were out at the end of the street after dark, probably should have been checking for the last few days.

Friday 3/19: Beaver Brook Ponds: no birds of note but the storm damage was impressive, a large part of the back trail was washed out and there were a couple big sink holes. Woodcock watching at night was limited by the water covering all the trails but we still heard 3 from Falzone Field. A bat was flying around as well.

Weekend 3/20-21: Posted separately. Hardy Pond had the same wigeon/bufflehead/hoodies.

Monday 3/8: Prospect Hill, nice walk but nothing of note.

Tuesday 3/9: Met State, see yesterday. Grackles have fully arrived in the neighborhood.

Wednesday 3/1: Paine, see yesterday.

Thursday 3/11: Beaver Brook ponds. Bob’s Ring-necks had departed and not much else was around. Nothing good among the geese at Fernald either.

Friday 3/12: Hardy Pond had lots of ducks including 25+ Common Mergansers, 5 Hoodies, 1 Ruddy, 3 Ring-necks, 3 Bufflehead, and a Wigeon.

Saturday 3/13: Stayed in, good bit at the feeders but nothing different (other than a passing falcon that I barely got on).

Sunday 3/14: Heavy rain all day.

Monday 3/1: Busy with family things but took a quick walk over to Hardy Pond. Almost totally frozen still but a few gulls, geese, mallards, and swans in the little open water.

Tuesday 3/2: BBN, nothing of note (other than what appeared to be the remains of a deer carcass).

Wednesday 3/3: Charles was very windy but 3 Great Cormorants were very nice (two adults with spectacular color). Also 5 ring-necks and 2 goldeneye.

Thursday 3/4: Checked more of the Charles (Woerd Ave and Charlesbank) with absolutely nothing (snowing and strong wind though). Lots of song in the yard though.

Friday 3/5: Beaver Brook ponds, nothing much. Got out of work a little early and tried to take a quick run to Nine Acre Corner and Water Row. NAC was too trafficy and no teal were obvious. Water Row (and River Rd) were flooded and closed and by the time I detoured around and got to the Old 27 Bridge it was getting too dark. And there were no ducks (a few red-wings and muskrats were about it).

Saturday 3/6: At the Birder’s Meeting most of the day. Skipped the last session and poked around a bit but nothing of any note.

Sunday 3/7: Caught up with the Menotomy walk at Dunback in time for 4 Turkey Vultures. Wandered over to Great Meadows and the to Heard Pond after. Great Meadows was flooded but scanning from the tower for 30 minutes revealed a few ducks and one Bald Eagle flying by. Nine Acre Corner had a few Green-winged Teal but no luck with the Eurasian. Water Row had a few ducks way out but nothing I could make into anything Heard Pond was frozen. Cambridge Res on the way home had 2 Ring-necks and 9 Common Mergansers.