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.