July 2016

A hot and quiet month with only two Leverett Pond patch visits.

The first visit caused some mild excitement as I mis-identified a non-breeding/female Green-Winged Teal as a blue-winged teal; the latter being more unusual than the former. A couple local birders visited after my initial report and took much better pictures and picked out more features than I had been able to, good to know for future reference.



The second visit was with a new camera lens, the Canon 100-400mm USM II. Despite its heaviness it was worth carrying around as I managed to get some good photos including a juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron.



Wednesday 13th & Tuesday 26th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

June 2016

After the intensity of May I eased off in June and focused on adding a few Suffolk county ticks by visiting Belle Isle Marshes. It's a very good spot, the best in Suffolk according to eBird species logged, but only my second visit. It was later also cast under a cloud after reports of a fatal assault and police warnings about visiting! Nevertheless I was able to add Willet, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Semiplmated Sandpiper, Least and Common Tern, Snowy and Great Egret.

Monday 6th, Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, MA, USA.

Towards the end of the month I made a patch visit.

Sunday 26th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

"Magic" May 2016

The first week in “Magic” May began quietly at Olmsted Park, with the continuing Green-Winged Teal, Blue-Headed Vireo and 2 Eastern Phoebe on the 2nd.
I went to Ward’s Pond (3rd) after I saw an eBird report recording lots of migrants there, but I only saw 2 Eastern Phoebe, engaged in what I assumed to be courting/territorial behaviour, nesting Canada Goose and already fledged young Mallard - fast movers! I then went through to Willow Pond, following up on report of a Prairie Warbler which I did see; a site-tick.

Back at Leverett Pond the next day (4th), for excellent numbers of swallows: Tree, Northern Rough-Winged and Barn Swallow all in attendance, the latter a site-tick. There was also a Blue-Headed Vireo again and a singing Orchard Oriole. I was also tipped off that the Red-Tailed Hawks were nesting on one of the softball field’s floodlights and I was able to confirm that they were! It’s a pretty busy spot, especially on the weekend, but these urban hawks seemed completely unperturbed.
The week ended with a Brown Creeper on the 6th.

Monday 2nd, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Tuesday 3rd, Ward’s Pond, MA, USA.
Tuesday 3rd, Willow Pond, MA, USA.
Wednesday 4th & Friday 6th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

The weekend was quiet apart from a flyover Osprey, a site-tick. This is a species I assumed that I would see much more regularly on the patch, considering how popular it is with the wildfowl, however it hadn’t turned out that way.

Saturday 7th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

The next week also started quietly, however I did see an excellent site-tick Broad Winged Hawk on Monday, 6th. It flew over towards downtown Boston, hovering in the wind at one point. That day there were several other reports from the area so it seemed it was their day for migration. Also notable were 8 Barn Swallows and an Orchard Oriole in its usual spot.
On Wednesday, 11th, things had picked up. FOY Northern Parula in the yard at home, and more warblers at Leverett Pond too. Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Black-and-White Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-Rumped Warbler and Black-Throated Green Warbler all in attendance, as were a couple of Spotted Sandpiper. A Wood Thrush was also heard singing, as was a site-tick Rose-Breasted Grosbeak; the former was not visible in the trees and the latter was mobile from one side of the pond to the other and I didn’t see it either.

Thursday 12th, initially revealed no additional species but as I rounded the south-side of the pond I got a glimpse of another long hoped for site-tick: Belted Kingfisher. It flew low across the water, out of sight, but soon returned to perch on shaded trees quite high above the water. Another species, like the Osprey I had expected to see more of, however on seeing it at the pond it got me thinking. There were lots of people around, and with its size and the lack of dense vegetation around the sides of the pond that it seemed to favour, maybe it’s not such a big surprise that it doesn’t frequent the pond more often. There’s not much space for it to be secluded and fish in peace.
At the weekend I saw a few additional site-tick migrants: Great Crested Flycatcher, Ovenbird and Wilson’s Warbler. The latter two I just heard, the former was high in the trees foraging and occasionally singing/calling. Also notable was a FOY American Redstart.

Monday 9th, Wednesday 11th, Thursday 12th & Saturday 14th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

One other notable for the week: on Friday 13th, I saw another Osprey, this time from my home, soaring high over towards the Emerald Necklace. Funny how often you don’t see something for ages then see two or more one after the other!

The new week began with no new arrivals, though Blue-Headed Vireo and Northern Rough-Winged Swallow seemed to be getting late.
However, Tuesday was probably the best day of the whole season. All the previous warblers were in attendance. I was able to linger in the dell where I picked up a site-tick Least Flycatcher in the thick brambles near the concrete blocks. A Swainson’s Thrush was also flushed by someone walking through with a dog. I then heard a different song and as I focussed my attention in that direction, up popped a site-tick Lincoln’s Sparrow! It moved around discreetly in the area and didn’t seem to notice me which allowed me to grab some record shots while admiring its intricate plumage, and I then left, well satisfied. On the way out another Wilson’s Warbler calling but again not seen.

A 40 species day from Leverett, which left me feeling pretty satisfied that I had seen the best of what the site has to offer in spring.

The next day things went back to ‘normal’ though I only had 25 minutes to look.

I returned on Friday, and as if to confirm that I had experienced the best day already, the flycatcher and sparrow were not present. However there was one notable new arrival in Chestnut-Sided Warbler which was singing from the south-side of the pond. New arrivals of a different sort - 4 fledged Wood Duck with their mother were swimming on the pond too.

Monday 16th, Tuesday 17th, Wednesday 18th & Friday 20th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

Also that week, at home in Brookline, FOY Common Nighthawk on Wednesday, 18th.

The next week, I went out twice on the Thursday because I heard a lot of birdsong during a brief morning walk and wanted to return with more time to convert the potential into sightings. At Leverett Pond in the morning, I saw 2 Chestnut-Sided Warbler, both singing, as were Black-Throated Green Warbler, Magnolia Warbler and Yellow Warbler.
When I returned in the afternoon, I visited the 3 main parts on my patch - Leverett, Willow and Ward’s - and decided to log them all under Olmsted Park. The birdsong activity had died down somewhat but notable were a FOY Blackpoll Warbler. In contrast to last year these were scarce this year, with only one or two recorded.

Thursday 26th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Thursday 26th, Olmsted Park, MA, USA.

At the weekend I joined a BBC walk around Plymouth Airport, which was my second visit after a trip in July 2015. This trip was much better because of the earlier time of year and for being allowed to walk beyond the fence with the group. All target grassland species were seen: Eastern Meadowlark, UPLAND SANDPIPER, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and Vesper Sparrow. Also notable were BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO and 2 flyover Peregrines.

Sunday 29th, Plymouth Airport, MA, USA.

The last outing of the month to the patch and I found an Eastern Wood Peewee in the dell, another site-tick, as well as a “Traill’s Flycatcher” on one of the Brookline-side islands.

Tuesday 31st, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

I was very satisfied that my plan to really work Leverett had paid-off. From the broad-winged hawk to the peewee I saw a lot of great migrant site-ticks and felt that my understanding of the site and its potential species had been expanded. I ended with 101 eBird species logged there, second on the all-time list.

April 2016

After a couple non-birding weeks I was back to the patch and was surprised by patch-tick Peregrine Falcon flying over the softball pitch. The Red-Tailed Hawks also continued their courtship in the same area.

Saturday 16th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

A couple days later, with good weather, the migrants were starting to arrive. Eastern Phoebe, Brown Creeper, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Palm Warbler, Yellow-Rumped Warbler and Red-Winged Blackbird all in attendance.

I also found a couple of Hermit Thrush at Willow Pond and at Ward’s a site-tick Turkey Vulture drifted overhead.

Monday 18th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Monday 18th, Willow Pond, MA, USA.
Monday 18th, Ward’s Pond, MA, USA.

Later in the day, on the way back from Ikea I spotted an unmistakable American Kestrel hovering over the grass in a roadside field.

Monday 18th, Route 24, Old Landfill Field, MA, USA.

During the next week’s visits, I found a site-tick Savannah Sparrow on the Brookline side of Leverett Pond, not a species I was really expecting to find here. FOY Double-Crested Cormorant flew in and Northern Rough-Winged Swallow arrived. Yellow-Rumped Warbler reached a peak of 20, minimum.

Wednesday 20th, Thursday 21st & Saturday 23rd, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

Thursday 20th, Ward’s Pond, MA, USA.

The following week was notable for up to 6 Northern Rough-Winged Swallow, plus FOY Warbling Vireo, 2 Blue-Headed Vireo and 2 Black-Crowned Night Heron.

Monday 25th, Wednesday 26th & Thursday 28th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

My only visit to the Boston Public Gardens this month yielded 3 Hermit Thrush and a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet on Wednesday 27th.

The final visit to Leverett Pond this month resulted in 6 Chipping Sparrow on the south of the Brookline side, and FOY Baltimore Oriole. The 2 Red-Tailed Hawk were also noticeable over the softball pitches again where I by now assumed they were nesting in the nearby trees.

Saturday 30th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

March 2016

I again started the month with visits to the public gardens where increasing numbers of up to 20 Common Grackle heralded the spring.

Tuesday 1st, Wednesday 2nd, Monday 7th & Tuesday 8th, Boston Public Garden, MA, USA.

An Olmsted Park visit in beautiful early spring weather provided the expected mix of winter and early spring migrants.

Sunday 13th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Sunday 13th, Willow Pond, MA, USA.

The next week on Leverett Pond there was a male Green-Winged Teal that was apparently trying to woo a female Mallard! Also a notable Hairy Woodpecker and two displaying Red-Tailed Hawks over the softball pitch.

I managed two further visits later in the month when regular migrants and residents were recorded.

Sunday 20th, Sunday 26th & Wednesday 30th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.

With full spring migration round the corner I decided to make Leverett Pond the main focus of my birding activities. I was really keen to see exactly what the site had to offer during May migration. In previous years I had favoured visiting Boston Public Gardens and chasing at other sites, for example, Mt. Auburn. However I wanted to give Leverett my full attention, see what migrants it attracted and to hopefully elevate my eBird list for the site.

February 2016

Three consecutive daily visits to the public gardens and the Mallards were back in numbers after the deep freeze. I also saw a FOY adult Common Grackle - the promise of spring to come.

Monday 1st, Tuesday 2nd & Wednesday 3rd, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

At the weekend I tried again, successfully this time, for the BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, which was pretty close to the shore for several minutes. A very handsome drake and a long sought after life-tick, the only disappointment was that I wasn’t able to get any photos because it was diving too frequently.

Sunday 7th, Kennedy Library Seawall, MA, USA.

The next week’s visits to the public gardens, with good numbers of American Robin seen one morning.

Tuesday 9th & Wednesday 10th, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

Olmsted Park patch visit for a site-tick Lesser Scaup, one of the two that was previously at Willow Pond, where one still remained.

Sunday 21st, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Sunday 21st, Willow Pond, MA, USA.

The next day I visited the public gardens where all the water had been drained from the pond. There was also a Northern Mockingbird in the 9/11 garden.

Monday 22nd, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

January 2016

A busy month to start the year, and to start the month, a couple of late Common Grackle in Pierce Park on Saturday 2nd.

I then decided to chase a couple of Massachusetts and life-ticks at local reservoirs: Northern Shoveler then REDHEAD and LESSER SCAUP respectively. The latter two were among some good numbers of wildfowl at Cambridge Reservoir, unfortunately though it was not the easiest place to view as there was no off-road parking.

Sunday 3rd, Arlington Reservoir, MA, USA.
Sunday 3rd, Cambridge Reservoir, MA, USA.

A Leverett Pond patch visit yielded regular winter species on Monday 18th.

A couple of visits to the public gardens were notable for the fast diminishing open water, though several Mallards tenaciously clung on to what was left.

Tuesday 19th & Wednesday 20th, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

After winter storm Jonas bustled through the area I visited Leverett Pond again hoping for some different movement...and was rewarded with my first Massachusetts Bald Eagle. It flew from JP to the north of Leverett Pond, and because I was at the south of the pond, I was unfortunately unable to get photos, but this was a species I had been hoping to see for some time. Also notable was a dapper male Northern Pintail.

Sunday 24th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Sunday 24th, Willow Pond, MA, USA.

A couple more public garden visits confirmed the weekend storm had finally driven the Mallards off the frozen pond. The next day I returned and was rewarded with a site-tick Fox Sparrow, which was foraging on the ground near Washington’s statue.

Monday 25th & Tuesday 26th, Boston Public Gardens, MA, USA.

Another Olmsted Park patch visit: Leverett Pond was notable for good numbers of Wood Duck and a couple of American Crow - not all that common here.

At Willow Pond were two Lesser Scaup, a good site-tick, and much easier and closer views than the ones I had earlier in the month at Cambridge Reservoir.

Wednesday 27th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA.
Wednesday 27th, Willow Pond, MA, USA.
Wednesday 27th, Ward’s Pond, MA, USA.

I ended the month with another chase. This time a Barrow’s Goldeneye at the Kennedy Library Seawall, but I was unsuccessful. However I did see good numbers of winter sea ducks, enjoyed the walk and was able to experience a hotspot new to me (once I found my way through the construction site onto the actual wall!).

Saturday 30th, Kennedy Library Seawall, MA, USA.