December 2015

After returning north I had a quiet month, though I did twitch a life-tick YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT in downtown Boston.

Wednesday 9th, P.O. Square, Boston, MA, USA.



I only managed one Olmsted Park patch visit. Usual winter species were in attendance, but there was a surprise flock of approx. 20 Common Grackle in one of the nearby gardens.

Sunday 20th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Sunday 20th, Willow Pond, MA, USA.

November 2015

I started the month with a regular Boston Public Garden visit but was rewarded with a site-tick Cooper’s Hawk soaring over the city on Wednesday 4th.

A couple of weeks later I was off to Florida again for Thanksgiving with the family. Although on this trip I had less time to spend at some of the fantastic places there, I was still able to get out a few times.
I visited Venice Rookery for an excellent selection of resident and some migrants/over-wintering species, including a flock of very argumentative and noisy Black-Bellied Whistling Duck.

Saturday 21st, Venice Rookery, FL, USA.

A few days a later I went to Shamrock Park and was rewarded with some excellent close views of a favourite of mine: Florida Scrub Jay. A couple were in close attendance of a Loggerhead Shrike on both sides of the inter-coastal water. They were so engrossed they didn’t really seem to notice me at all. Along the waterway I also saw an immature YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON stalking through the mangrove roots, which was a nice life-tick.

Tuesday 24th, Shamrock Park, FL, USA.

On the way home I stopped by a little drainage pond on Bowdoin Road and saw more Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks as well as American Coot and Common Gallinule/Moorhen.

Tuesday 24th, Bowdoin Road, FL, USA.

On Thanksgiving day, as the turkey cooked, I managed to run out to Cedar Point Park, a new place to me. I went on the off-chance of seeing a reddish egret but did not, however it was a good walk and I saw a Bald Eagle nest with apparently recently fledged youngsters still in the area with the parents.

Thursday 26th, Cedar Point Park, FL, USA.

October 2015

I started the month at the Boston Public Gardens which yielded a notable Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker and Blackpoll Warbler on Monday 5th.

A week or so later I tried a new place, West Island, Fairhaven and I saw some good sea and shore birds. The highlight was a small salt-marsh creek that runs adjacent to the beach where 16 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, 15 Semipalmated Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper, were all feeding.
After that I called in at another new spot and hoped to see or hear a reported SORA...which I did! As I was walking back out I heard a loud and distinct call from somewhere in the reeds. I conferred with another birder there who confirmed that it was the Sora calling, a life-tick by ear.
Other notables were flyover Red-Shouldered Hawk, Common Yellowthroat and Belted Kingfisher.

Saturday 10th, West Island, MA, USA.
Saturday 10th, Egypt Lane Ponds, MA, USA.

Back at the Boston Public Gardens on Monday 19th, there were some good fall migrants including an excellent White-Crowned Sparrow and a Swamp Sparrow, both with a group of mainly House Sparrows on the Charles Street side, as well as 3 Blackpoll Warbler still.

I ended the month’s efforts with a patch visit to Leverett Pond to record regular species, on Wednesday 21st.

September 2015

A slight uptick in outings with 3 visits to the public gardens, although the birding was pretty slow with American Redstart (3rd) and Black-Crowned Night Heron (21st) noteworthy among the regulars.

Thursday 3rd, Monday 14th & Monday 21st, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

Leverett Pond was a little more lively, with Least Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper (2nd and 15th) and Blackpoll Warbler (15th) most noteworthy.

Wednesday 2nd & Tuesday 15th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

August 2015

The dog days of summer only featured a couple visits to the public gardens. On the 25th I heard a flycatcher sing very briefly and not enough to identification.

The week after I observed several Cedar Waxwing and a few Yellow Warbler one of which even going to ground.

Tuesday 25th & Monday 31st, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

July 2015

A trip back to the UK and I swung by a raptor watch-point and saw regular farmland species.

Friday 3rd, Burnham Market, Norfolk, UK.

Once back in the US I arranged a trip to Plymouth Airport for myself after speaking with the airport manager. I had read about specialist grassland species and hoped to see a few. I was rather later after the official BBC walk in May but figured these were breeding species and I might still have a chance to see some of them. I ended seeing only one of my target species, life-tick, VESPER SPARROW. However I had an enjoyable trip and I resolved to come again with the official trip the next year in the hope of picking up the ones I missed out on.

Monday 13th, Plymouth Airport, MA, USA.

June 2015

A post migration slow-down with only a single Leverett Pond patch visit, though it brought me a site-tick Great Black-Backed Gull on Saturday 20th.

May 2015

Magic May again and 25 checklists submitted to eBird!

The first outing of the month was to Leverett Pond where I had a few expected migrants: 3 warblers and a Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher.

Saturday 2nd, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

My FOY Chimney Swift arrived to back in Brookline, Saturday, 2nd.

Things then picked up. Returning from a family trip to Dartmouth I took a detour to twitch a Prothonotary Warbler at Willow Pond. Obviously a site-tick and excellent views of a stunning bird.

Sunday 3rd, Willow Pond, MA, USA.

My main focus this year was to leverage regular access to the Boston public gardens to pick-up as many migrating species as I could. Since it was on my way to work and many species have been seen here I wanted to find out what I could see if I concentrated my time here.
This effort began on the 4th with 5 warblers, Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher and a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. On the 5th, overnight and early morning rain had caused a bit of a “fall” and it was probably the best morning I’ve ever had at the gardens. There were 9 species of warbler including another Prothonotary Warbler (not the same one from Willow Pond though), Ovenbird and Northern Parula; also site-tick Wood Thrush, Eastern Towee and Scarlet Tanager.
The next day (6th) could not match that day but the Prothonotary Warbler was still present. My last visit of the week saw things “back-to-normal” and relatively quiet especially for May.

Monday 4th, Tuesday 5th, Wednesday 6th & Thursday 7th, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

A busy week was concluded with an outing to Mount Auburn Cemetery where I tallied 40 species, including 11 warblers in particular Blackburnian Warbler, Chestnut-Sided Warbler and life-tick TENNESSEE WARBLER singing loudly from a path-side tree but resolutely staying out of view! Other notables were Great Horned Owl, Blue-Headed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager and Orchard Oriole.

Friday 8th, Mount Auburn Cemetery, MA, USA.

Another weekend visit to Leverett Pond for American Redstart and Blackpoll Warbler among others on Sunday 9th.

Back to the public gardens for the week with usual warbler numbers moving through on Monday. The situation improved on Tuesday with a site-tick Northern Waterthrush among 8 warblers species. Wednesday produced a site-tick Nashville Warbler and a couple more Eastern Towee. Thursday went back to being quiet again.

Monday 11th, Tuesday 12th, Wednesday 13th & Thursday 14th, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

FOY Common Nighthawk arrived ‘home’ to Brookline, Friday, 25th.

Switching to Olmsted Park at the weekend, a singing Wood Thrush and another Nashville Warbler were present at Leverett.

Sunday 17th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Sunday 17th, Willow Pond, MA, USA.

I managed three more public garden visits in the remaining weeks of the month, the first of which (21st) produced a fantastic and much wanted life-tick BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. I also saw Nashville Warbler and Wilson’s Warbler, both in the big willow tree next to the water. That morning I also bumped into the chief eBirder of Scotland who was visiting on holiday for the birds. I was able to show him and his wife around and I believe the Wilson's was a life-tick for him, which was great!

The next week’s visit (26th) was much quieter with only American Redstart and Common Yellowthroat representing the warblers. The final visit (28th) saw Black-and-White Warbler replace Yellowthroat alongside the American Redstart.

Thursday 21st, Tuesday 26th & Thursday 28th, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

Also on the 26th, I chased but dipped a reported mourning warbler at Leverett Pond, but I did see Northern Rough-Winged Swallow and an Orchard Oriole in its apparent 'usual' spot.

The next day I was back in the morning but again dipped the mourning warbler, although the oriole was still there. On reaching Willow Pond I almost immediately saw a flycatcher which was active just off the road under the canopy. I took some pictures and fortunately recorded its song because I wasn’t sure what it was, but assumed "Traill's". After uploading the song to xeno-canto.org I was assured that it was a life-tick ACADIAN FLYCATCHER! A species I did not expect to see here as it’s not commonly reported in Suffolk county. A brilliant way to end another ‘Magic May’.

Tuesday 26th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Wednesday 27th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Wednesday 27th, Willow Pond, MA, USA.



I did manage one more visit to Leverett Pond where everything seemed to be settling down for another breeding season on Saturday 30th.

April 2015

To start the month, a couple of Leverett Pond patch visits, the first of which was to see a site-tick Gadwall (4th), and the second (11th) for early spring migrants including Eastern Phoebe and Tree Swallow.

Saturday 4th & Saturday 11th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

I twitched but dipped a black-backed woodpecker, Sunday 12th, Forest Hills Cemetery, MA, USA.

I managed 3 visits to the public gardens in one week for more migrants, notably 3 Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker and likely Hermit Thrush both on the 13th.

Monday 13th, Wednesday 15th & Thursday 16th, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

On the weekend I visited Arnold Arboretum for the first time. I didn’t see an awful lot but enjoyed the walk and putting a place to the name.

Sunday 19th, Arnold Arboretum, MA, USA.

Only one Olmsted Park patch visit where notable migrants were limited to Ruby-Crowned Kinglet and Brown Creeper.

Sunday 26th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Sunday 26th, Willow Pond, MA, USA.
Sunday 26th, Ward’s Pond, MA, USA.

March 2015

Limited outings continued, although I did twitch my first Massachusetts Bohemian Waxing in deep snow along the river in Waltham, along with a load of other birders. On the same day I failed miserably to connect with northern shoveler in Cambridge, as I was lead astray by my phone’s map app.

Saturday 7th, Riverwalk Park, MA, USA.
Saturday 7th, Alewife Reservation, MA, USA.

Monday 16th, FOY Common Grackle arrived at Brookline Village T.

February 2015

Only one patch visit in this month, the snowiest Boston February on record!

Sunday 1st, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Sunday 1st, Willow Pond, MA, USA.

January 2015

Happy New Year!

I was lucky enough to start my new year on Manasota Beach where I saw an impressive flock of 30 American White Pelican soaring in the thermals like vultures. 2 Magnificent Frigatebird were also seen later in the day.

Even later in the day I hit the Venice Rookery for a good selection of species including a hooting Great Horned Owl. On the way back I called in at Bowdoin Road Pond.

Thursday 1st, Manasota Beach, FL, USA.
Thursday 1st, Venice Rookery, FL, USA.
Thursday 1st, Bowdoin Road Pond, FL, USA.

On Friday 3rd, the day of departure, 4 Sandhill Crane and an American Kestrel were in the area close to the house where we took a walk before departing for the airport.

Back up north I visited Leverett Pond for a site-tick Northern Pintail on Sunday 11th.

On the 26th a big snow-storm pushed up to 12 Dark-Eyed Junco onto the small yard feeder as well as 6 other common species.



On the 29th I saw a late/wintering Northern Mockingbird at Pierce Playground, Brookline.

December 2014

Mostly not birding this month, however I did spot an unusually late Black-and-White Warbler in Brookline on Saturday 20th.



On Boxing Day I was in Florida again for family fun which started at the Sarasota Big Cat park where I observed flyover Wood Stork and a big group of 30 Boat-Tailed Grackle in the park’s small trees.

Saturday 27th, Sarasota Big Cat Park, FL, USA.

A family beach day at Siesta Key surprised me with a life-tick NANDAY PARAKEET which was squawking from the wires above the car-park! Later in the day I observed a Magnificent Frigatebird over the sea.

Tuesday 30th, Siesta Key, FL, USA.

Finally a drive out to Gasparilla Island to experience a new part of the area although the regular species were all that I saw.

Wednesday 31st, Gasparilla Island, FL, USA.