Reports from Boxborough Birders Trips in 2016

Assabet River NWR
October 29, 2016
Full list

Hager Land
October 22, 2016
Five braved the weather at the Hager Land yesterday morning. Nothing unusual
except the Rusty Blackbirds, but, very enjoyable viewing the Wood Ducks. Not
one warbler heard or seen. (full list)

Grassy Pond
October 15, 2016
Frosty start to the morning, but warm sunshine. Birds congregated in the sunny corner of the field, where we had great views of yellow-rumped warblers, ruby-crowned kinglets, blue-headed vireo, etc. When we returned to the field, a red-tailed hawk and two raven disputed hunting rights over the field. Five species of woodpecker. (full list)

Delaney WMA
October 8, 2016
Highlights included savannah sparrows, palm warblers, and a family of mute swans (full list)

Bolton Flats
September 24, 2016
We enjoyed birding Bolton Flats and Pine Hill Rd (Lancaster) on Saturday, though it was a bit cool to start, it was a beautiful morning. At first the birds were slow to reveal themselves but as things warmed up we had some good looks at quite a few of them – the highlight was a dramatic (low) sweep through of a gorgeous Northern Harrier. Hawks are definitely on the move. We had a couple of warblers too. (full list)

Morrison Land & Ice House Pond
September 17, 2016
Eight of us met for a walk in Acton on Saturday on a cool but pleasant morning. We began at Ice House Pond, where we saw great blue heron, cormorant, and mallards. We then walked up the road to Morrison Farm, where the community gardens were very active with people and birds. House wren, flicker and towhee were among the sightings. We also took a loop through the woods, where we looked in vain for the brown creeper that some heard, and out to the Woodlawn Cemetery, where we saw bluebirds. (full list)

Yapp Conservation Land
September 11, 2016
A quiet day, however, this is gorgeous land, and, beautiful wooded walk. Cobb Pond
water level very, very low; however did not see shorebirds in the muddy
boundaries. (full list)

Jenks Land
September 3, 2016
Six of us walked the Jenks land in Acton on Saturday, crossing over the train tracks to check out the wooded piece as well, then returning to cover the meadow. We had some excellent sightings. We saw an American Redstart as we set out on the path. We had great looks at several Bobolinks on the wing and in the field. Bluebirds were about as well as were raptors: we had good looks at a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk; and phoebes were plentiful. (full list)

Oxbow NWR
September 1, 2016
We ventured to Oxbow after the front moved through last Thursday. We only saw 2 common nighthawks; however, it was a beautiful evening and nice sighting of a Pileated Woodpecker who conveniently landed in front of us mid-journey. (Lists: Still River Depot Road, Bridge over Nashua River)

Sargent Memorial Library & Hager Land
August 27, 2016
Saw a Green Heron on a log in the water between the trees with the Great Blue Heron nests and the shoreline abutting the Hager Land, closer to the shoreline. An Osprey flew along the far shore heading north. Saw a Cooper’s Hawk on east side of library parking lot and flew into Pine canopy…same tree on which a Red-tailed Hawk was perched. (full list)

Still River Depot Road and Nashua River (Oxbow NWR)
August 25, 2016
Common Nighthawk (CONI) migration: 4 of us met on Still River Depot Road in Harvard and spent some time viewing from the hill, and, about 30 minutes viewing from the bridge over the Nashua River (Oxbow NWR). A beautiful calm evening, but, we only saw (barely) 4 CONI soaring high above the riverbed looking due north from the bridge. It was a very quiet evening; however, at about 6:30PM as we were leaving the Still River Depot Road position between the meadows, a flock of about 12 birds that at first seemed to be cedar waxwings until they stopped flying and all dropped abruptly out of sight into the grass. They were probably migrating Bobolinks, based on the flock’s size, individual bird size and behavior. (full list)

Knox Trail, Acton
June 25, 2016
Great views of little blue heron and green heron catching frogs, and of an osprey circling overhead. (full list)

Acton Arboretum
June 11, 2016
Saw ovenbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, common yellowthroat, brown creeper, and indigo bunting. (full list)

Delaney WMA
June 5, 2016
Heard a black-billed cuckoo and saw 2 spotted sandpipers. (full list)

Fruitlands Museum
June 4, 2016
Saw a red-shouldered hawk in gliding flight, most notable reference point – translucent pale crescent across wingtips.(full list)

Great Meadows NWR
May 29, 2016
We saw and heard some fantastic birds: the highlight was the great surprise of the prothonotary warbler — we could hear it singing away near the end of the Dike Trail at the opening to the Concord River and then along the left side trail. Some of us got a fleeting view of it. We saw and heard many other birds — flocks of cedar waxwings, and lots of Eastern kingbirds and warbling vireos. Also a singing Northern waterthrush. (full list, including blurry pictures of the prothonotary warbler)

Steele Farm
May 28, 2016
Four of us Boxborough birders had some wonderful looks at a pair of bobolinks at the start of our walk and at the end of the walk, beautiful Baltimore orioles. It was so mosquito-y in the woods we had to keep moving and did most of our birding by ear! (full list)

Oxbow NWR
May 21, 2016
49 species (Full list)

Cisco, Boxborough
May 15, 2016
6 species of warblers (full list)

Grassy Pond, Acton
May 14, 2016
Fleeting glimpses of several different warblers and a yellow-throated vireo. Nice views of ovenbirds, swamp sparrow, common yellowthroat, and great crested flycatchers.  Four red-tailed hawks circled over the pond at the same time. (full list)

Jenks Land, Acton
April 30, 2016
Full list 

George & Lucy Yapp Conservation Land
April 24, 2016
Low 40s; sunny; breezy; we got great look at the Sharpie and the Hermit Thrush. (full list)

Fruitlands Museum
April 23, 2016
Six Boxborough Birders joined up with a Brookline Bird Club walk of the Fruitlands Museum trails in Harvard (MA). The day started out looking very iffy; it was gray and drizzling but the air was warming, already in the mid-50s. The trails were muddy from the recent rain and the drizzle was with us for about the first 45 minutes of our walk. The first birds we counted were two turkey vultures lazily drifting overhead. The last bird we counted was a male northern harrier – ‘Gray Ghost’ as it is often called. (Full list)

Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
April 16, 2016
Palm, pine and yellow-rumped warblers, as well as a blue-headed vireo (full list)

Rolling Meadows
March 27, 2016
At least 3 woodcock; 2 seen soaring then diving; 3 heard peenting; peenting began at 7:26P; flight shortly thereafter; still peenting when we left at 7:40P (full list).

Sargent Memorial Library & Hager Land
March 26, 2016
Excellent sightings of Brown Creeper pairs along the water’s edge (at least one nest in progress). Also six great blue herons, one winter wren, and a pileated woodpecker nest (full list).

Bolton Flats
March 14, 2016
Highlights were the Wilson Snipe and the early Tree Swallows (full list).

Boxborough Station WMA
March 5, 2016
A cold, but enjoyable first walk of the season with ring-necked ducks and hooded mergansers among the highlights (full list).