April 2014

A slow start to the month with regulars at Olmsted Park.

Sunday 6th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA
Sunday 6th, Willow Pond, MA, USA
Saturday 12th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA
Saturday 12th, Willow Pond, MA, USA

However migration season gave notice with a wonderful HOODED WARBLER in Boston Public Gardens, albeit I had to view it from under an umbrella during an icy downpour!

Wednesday 23rd, Boston Public Garden, MA, USA

At the end of the month I dipped yellow-throated warbler at Nahanton Park but I did see first of year Palm Warbler and Tree Swallow there.

Sunday 27th, Nahanton Park, MA, USA

March 2014

A couple of Olmsted Park patch visits turned up the regulars who were now beginning to get more vocal, most obvious were a couple of House Finches in Willow Pond Meadow.

Sunday 1st, Leverett Pond, MA, USA
Sunday 1st, Willow Pond, MA, USA
Sunday 1st, Ward's Pond, MA, USA

Mid-month was vacation time in Montego Bay, Jamaica! There were scant few birds around the small Iberostar resort so I hired a taxi to take me to the wonderful garden and forest at Rocklands Bird Sanctuary. I totalled 39 species, 22 life ticks, including 10 endemics! I also saw a few more familiar species on the sewage farm outside Montego Bay on the way back from Rocklands.

Endemics (all life-ticks):
Chestnut-Bellied Cuckoo (Coccyzus pluvialis)
Jamaican Lizard Cuckoo (Coccyzus vetula)
Jamaican Mango (Anthracothorax mango)
Red-Billed Streamertail (Trochilus polytmus)
Jamaican Tody (Todus todus)
Jamaican Woodpecker (Melanerpes radiolatus)
Sad Flycatcher (Myiarchus barbirostris)
White-Chinned Thrush (Turdus aurantius)
White-Eyed Thrush (Turdus jamaicensis)
Orangequit (Euneornis campestris)

If I go again I'll try to go to more birdy part of the island and follow some of the tips in these two posts: part 1, part 2.

Monday 10th, Iberostar Rose Hall Beach, Jamaica
Wednesday 12th, Rocklands Bird Sanctuary, Jamaica
Wednesday 12th, Montego Bay Sewage Ponds, Jamaica

After returning from the Caribbean, the still frozen north felt particularly parsimonious, for birds and warmth. However first of year Common Grackles and Red-Winged Blackbirds at Brookline Village T-stop and Olmsted Park respectively, offered hope that I wasn't living in Narnia or Arendelle.

Wednesday 19th, Brookline Village T-stop, MA, USA
Sunday 23rd, Leverett Pond, MA, USA
Sunday 23rd, Ward's Pond, MA, USA

February 2014

Three patch visits to Olmsted Park produced some very nice site-ticks: Hooded Merganser and Golden-Crowned Kinglet at Leverett Pond; Rusty Blackbird at Willow Pond, and plentiful numbers of wintering regulars, particularly Northern Cardinals on the east side islands.

Saturday 1st, Leverett Pond, MA, USA
Saturday 1st, Willow Pond, MA, USA
Saturday 1st, Ward's Pond, MA, USA

Sunday 9th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA
Sunday 9th, Willow Pond, MA, USA

Sunday 16th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA
Sunday 16th, Willow Pond, MA, USA
Sunday 16th, Ward's Pond, MA, USA

January 2014

Sea ducks and gulls were the primary species for new year's day, with some good winter sea ducks from Wollaston Beach, including Greater Scaup.

Wednesday 1st, Wollaston Beach, MA, USA

At Leverett Pond, more winter ducks including Common Merganser, a site-tick.

Sunday 19th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA

Castle Island provided good looks across to Logan airport for a couple of Snowy Owls and a possible Roughleg, though the distance and brevity of the looks meant I couldn't tell for certain.

Monday 20th, Castle Island, MA, USA

I ended the month braving the extreme cold at Revere beach while dipping a Glaucous gull, for the third time, which means I now consider it a nemesis bird!

Sunday 26th, Revere Beach, MA, USA

December 2013

Returning back to the freezing north, the ducks on Leverett Pond began to build up, and the dogs outnumbered the birds at Millennium Park, with the special sparrows long-gone.

Sunday 29th, Millennium Park, MA, USA
Monday 30th, Leverett Pond, MA, USA

November 2013

At the start of the month I saw a large flock of grackles getting ready for migration at Riverway as I walked past.

Saturday 2nd, Riverway, Boston, MA, USA

Mid-month I braved the numerous unleashed dogs at Millennium Park for a couple of nice sparrows: Clay-Colored Sparrow and a life-tick FOX SPARROW also notable Hairy Woodpecker and Eastern Bluebirds.

Sunday 17th, Millennium Park, MA, USA

At the end of the month a Thanksgiving trip to Florida provided ample birds as usual. A visit to Siesta Key, for the amazing beach and Snowy Plover at the north end. A drive along Myakka Road to the State Park's north entrance provided a moment of good luck because as I watched Palm Warblers and Sandhill Cranes in someone's large front garden, a CRESTED CARACARA flew over; a very distinctive bird, life-tick and the highlight of the week/month!

Monday 25th, Myakka Road, FL, USA

Myakka SP itself was also awesome, especially the non-bird alligators, my first. I also saw my first CASPIAN TERN, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and BLACK-NECKED STILTS.

Monday 25th, Myakka River SP, FL, USA

Although I didn't see the scrub-jays at Shamrock Park, on the way back at Bowdoin Road I did see BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK, a life-tick.

Wednesday 27th, Bowdoin Road Pond, FL, USA