Reports from Boxborough Birders Trips in 2017

Plum Island/Parker River NWR
December 16, 2017
Highlights: snowy owl, snow buntings, gannets, grebes, loons, and scoters (full list)

Sargent Memorial Library & Hager Land
November 15, 2017
Very clear sightings of many Wood Ducks gathered with the Canada Geese on west bank of pond behind the school. Icy patches on the water, but, Wood Ducks present much to our surprise. Excellent, close-up sightings of Rusty Blackbirds, both sexes on the west pond in the grasses, small snags and on the trees on the banks of the west pond behind the school. (full list)

Long Lake Park
November 4, 2017
Cold, breezy morning and there were no ducks on the lake, but it warmed up nicely in the sunny fields, where we had nice views of bluebirds. We also saw golden-crowned kinglets, kingfishers, a great blue heron, and a monarch butterfly. (full list)

Great Meadows NWR
October 28, 2017
Highlights include pied-billed grebe, northern harrier, peregrine falcon, palm warbler, yellow-rumped warbler (full list)

Delaney WMA
October 7, 2017
Highlights included Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Pine Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Chipping Sparrows, Field Sparrow, White-throated Sparrows, and Savannah Sparrow (full list)

Captain Sargent Conservation Land
October 1, 2017
Sunny, 50F, no wind. Forest vibrant with bird calls, chipmunks. With more eyes and time, would have probably found more warblers. This is a great birding destination, especially on such a gorgeous morning. (full list)

Fruitlands Museum
September 23, 2017
Sunny as we started, cool, 60 degrees. Quiet day. Heard a common yellowthroat and some other birds that couldn’t be positively identified. (full list)

Sargent Library, Blanchard School, ABFN
September 17, 2017
A one-hour afternoon walk for parents and very young children with the Acton-Boxborough Family Network. Thankfully some wood ducks and a great blue heron showed up to assist! Another highlight was a baby snapping turtle found in the Library parking lot (photo).

Jenks Land – Beginning Birding Walk
September 16, 2017
We had a good group of folks show up, people of varying familiarity with bird watching. Highlights definitely would have to include the Prairie Warblers, Yellow Warblers, and the Red-Tailed Hawks and the Northern Harrier. Flycatchers were about, including one that was a bit unusual, the Olive-sided Flycatcher. (full list)

Grassy Pond
September 9, 2017
Chilly start (upper 40s) but bird activity picked up as the sun warmed things up. We had very good looks at an ovenbird, a redstart (female or young), and scarlet tanager (likewise female or young). We watched a great blue heron across the pond as it stalked and caught a fish or frog. Also saw 2 otters swimming in the pond, and a deer in the woods. (full list)

Hager Land
September 4, 2017
Beautiful walk Labor Day morning at the Hager Land. The highlight was the altercation between the Cooper’s Hawk and the Belted Kingfisher! (full list)

Great Meadows
September 2, 2017
Great Meadows yielded a good variety of birds on a sunny day. Highlights were a Merlin, a Cooper’s Hawk, and 4 Cedar Waxwings hawking for insects over the Concord River. (full list)

Fruitlands Museum
July 8, 2017
The meadows and edges were most productive. We worked hard to see the Chestnut-sided Warbler (we’ve been hearing it sing but hadn’t seen it) and our efforts were finally rewarded. Excellent views of Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and Red-eyed Vireo as well. (full list)

Sargent Memorial Library & Hager Land
June 25, 2017
Great viewing of the adult Great Horned Owl yesterday. 3 juvenile Great Blue Herons in the far nest; 1 in the near nest. The Black-crowned Night Heron was a fly-over at the end. (full list)

Goosewing Beach Preserve, Newport, Rhode Island
June 10, 2017
Walked Goosewing beach, fording a stream, and proceeded to climb the dunes over to the Quicksand mudflats, returning through the stream and along the beach. The Least Terns have not yet been nesting. As soon as they do, the staff at Goosewing Beach fears that their eggs and the Least Terns may suffer the same fate as the Piping Plovers–being attacked at night by foxes and coyotes. We saw only 3 Piping Plovers, as so many had been killed by predators. (full list)

Fruitlands Museum
May 28, 2017
Mostly cloudy, 56 – 60F. Walked through the Old Meadows to the New Meadow, then returned to the woods taking the orange to yellow trail to the campus. Mystery birds: probably woodpecker with yellow on crown; buteo soaring with missing tail feathers and deeply notched wing tips; scarlet tanager with patches of yellow plumage. (full list)

Jenks Land
May 27, 2017
Sunny morning, 58 degrees F, 0-5 mph winds. Willow flycatcher, blue-winged warbler, indigo bunting, black-billed cuckoo (heard), common merganser (flyover). (full list)

Mt. Auburn Cemetery
May 20, 2017
Clouds gave way to sun and warmed to low 50sF. Observations area included Indian Ridge Path, brief visit to Halcyon Lake returning to Indian Ridge Path and down to Auburn Lake, to the Dell, Washington Tower and Laurel Ave (Circle), Willow Pond and back to the main entrance. Highlights included 14 species of warbler, great horned owl (one dead, one alive), orchard oriole, veery, ravens. (full list)

Bolton Flats
May 11, 2017
Yesterday evening, seven of us walked Bolton Flats (off Route 117) and saw many yellow legs, greater and lesser. American Bitterns calling was a highlight, as were the Swamp
Sparrows and warblers. A magnificent sunset breaking below the cloud cover ended a short, but, very enjoyable walk. (full list)

Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
April 29, 2017
Cloudy at first, gradually brightening. Very warm. We started by climbing the observation tower, where we sighted 2 Wood Ducks, a Beaver, and several Canada Geese. Then we took the Dike Trail to the Concord River, and turned left, walking .75 mi., returning by the same route. (full list)

Sargent Memorial Library & Hager Land
April 19, 2017
A cool (~ 40F), beautiful but relatively quiet morning with an exceptional number of Tree Swallows! We  did not see several anticipated species: no mourning doves; no Red-tailed Hawk; no Brown Creepers; only 1 White-breasted Nuthatch. (full list)

Long Lake Park
April 15, 2017
Sunny morning at ~ 39F at the start ~51F at the end. Nine of us started at the Queen Road entrance of Long Lake Park walking south on the trail uphill to the meadow just west of the cell tower, then west on the AT&T easement trail to the flooded section and returned to the Queen Road entrance following the trail bordering the Lake’s south shore. Northern harrier, fish crows, 3 species of warblers. (full list)

Rolling Meadows
March 29, 2017
We could hear the flights of several woodcocks. Ground calls were sparse and there were only a few visual flights. (full list)

Rolling Meadows
March 28, 2017
We braved the cold, wet rain in wait for Woodcocks and we were not disappointed. Despite a steady rain, and, 40F temps we had nice, if wet, views from the roadside at the entrance to Rolling Meadows. (full list)

Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
March 25, 2017
Walked from the Visitor Center along Puffer Pond to the end of Winterberry Way and back to the Visitor Center. 7:30 to 9:30 overcast, 9:30 to 10:30 drizzling. 40 degrees. Great views of common mergansers, hooded mergansers and an early Eastern phoebe. (full list)

Sargent Memorial Library & Hager Land
March 18, 2017
Walked the west side of the Hager land and the back of the Blanchard Mem. Elem. school to better view the beaver pond. It was sunny and cold (~ 20F). Nice views of the Cooper’s Hawk and female Pileated Woodpecker. Pond behind school frozen; about 8-10 inches of crusted snow cover. (full list)