Reports from 2019 Boxborough Birders Trips

Nagog Hill
November 16, 2019
Clear and cold. A very small bit of ice at the edge of Nagog Pond, less than expected. Highlights were mergansers and a goldeneye on the pond, a barred owl sitting in a pine tree, and nice views of various woodpeckers. (full list)

Bolton Flats WMA
October 26, 2019
A stunningly gorgeous morning with rising sun streaming through hundreds of dew-laden spider webs.  Five of us outfitted with orange successfully negotiated the large turnout of hunters.  Fortunately they were headed to a back meadow for pheasants and we stayed on the main path between the water and farm field.  A constant chips of sparrows and calls of red-winged blackbirds throughout the walk. (full list)

Rock Meadow Pond
October 19, 2019
The juvenile red-headed woodpecker was easy to find on the north side of the Habitat Observation Point as it frequently moved from tree to tree. Other highlights included great views of rusty blackbirds, eastern bluebirds, towhees, palm and yellow-rumped warblers, and a ruby-crowned kinglet. (full list and photos)

Fruitlands Overlook
October 13, 2019
An informal hawk watch: red-tailed hawk, Cooper’s hawk, bald eagle, turkey vulture (full list)

Barrett’s Mill Farmland
October 5, 2019
Three of us bundled up and enjoyed some good birds at the Barrett’s Mill farmland yesterday, with some excellent views of a sharp-shinned hawk and some very accommodating sparrows, among others. (full list)

Fruitlands
September 28, 2019
53 – 69F, sunny, clear and breezy.  Very quiet morning until New Meadow and fantastic display between an immature red tailed hawk and immature coopers hawk.  A joint walk for Brookline Bird Club and Boxborough Birders.  The falling colored leaves, the fully canopy and breeze made for a challenging morning for identifying moving birds in canopy.  Most noted was hearing the soft “chip” of probable song or white-throated sparrows in the dense grassy, bushy areas, but, no sightings. This was during the first hour or so when it was cold. (full list)

Assabet River NWR
September 15, 2019
We had a great day out, nine of us enjoying surprisingly dry trails after so much rain the night before… the highlight of the day was perhaps seeing a ton of pine warblers and bluebirds flitting about in the trees some distance away… and as we were nearing the end of our hike, a mini-fallout of warblers that were too high up for us to identify with any confidence… Also we were very lucky to see a red-shouldered hawk in flight. In addition, there were no mosquitoes, and we enjoyed views of many turtles sunning themselves on logs. (full list)

Steele Farm
September 8, 2019
Sunny, 60 degrees F, traveled through farmland and Beaver Brook Woods loop (full list)

Liberty Square Fields
September 3, 2019
Despite a lovely evening, not one Common Nighthawk flew over. Enjoyed each other’s bird stories and watching the adult and immature Robins (stunningly attractive). (full list)

Fruitlands Museum
July 6, 2019
Bird highlights included a brilliant scarlet tanager that flew into the cedar across from the upper parking area at the start of our walk, indigo buntings offering us several excellent views, and a few singing warblers, including a black and white warbler that we were able to see very well near the New Meadow edge and an American redstart giving voice perched up in a tree near the Fruitlands farmhouse. Sounds of veeries and wood thrush were wonderful to hear. And we were able to locate a pair of well-hidden Eastern towhees at the end of the yellow loop trail. (full list)

Fruitlands Museum
June 22, 2019
Excellent sightings of blue-winged warbler near main campus at edge and near New Meadow. Clearly heard prairie warbler near main campus and at old meadow. Three of us had a brief sighting of a kestrel near Pergola site and it soared over the meadow towards New Meadow. (full list)

Steele Farm
June 1, 2019
Nice views of bobolinks, cedar waxwings, orioles, Cooper’s hawk, and barn and tree swallows. Also brief views of blue-winged warbler and female redstart. Red-tails were soaring overhead much of the time. Notable for their absence: bluebird, flicker, downy, phoebe. (full list)

Long Lake Park
May 25, 2019
Highlights were VERY close looks at a red tailed hawk we came upon and visited with for a few minutes, and really nice open views of a female American Redstart, up along the mowed trail by the cell tower and adjacent to the lower field. Also of note were ravens on their nest, Great crested flycatcher, overbirds aplenty. (full list)

Acton Arboretum
May 19, 2019
It was a beautiful sunny day. Many of the trees, flowers, and wildflowers are leafing out, blooming, etc. There is an abundance of birds. We went around the Orchard and Wildflower Loops and then on the Bog Loop, where we saw the Oriole, Flycatcher, Tanager, and many more. (full list)

Fruitlands Museum
May 18, 2019
Highlights included 9 species of warblers, 3 types of thrushes, scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, and indigo bunting. (full list)

Assabet River NWR
May 4, 2019
It was a later start due to the rain but we did well, despite some flooding along Winterberry Way trail that kept us from venturing as far along the trail as we would have liked… some excellent spotting led us to find pine, palm, and black-and-white warblers, and a hermit thrush, among many other highlights. (full list)

Fruitlands Museum
April 20, 2019
The rain held off, luckily. We had some great views of a female American kestrel in the old meadow, then as we left we saw the male kestrel at the overlook, excellent close views. We also had great looks at a male Eastern towhee. Bird song was everywhere. (full list)

Rolling Meadows
April 10, 2019
An evening “concert” of peenting and flight displays. ~ 38F, slight breeze, beautiful post-sunset clear sky provided excellent back drop for flight displays. (full list)

Great Meadows
April 7, 2019
Spent about 15 minutes on the Observation Tower, where we saw the Northern Harrier and Merganser, Wood, and Mallard ducks, and some sparrows, etc. Then we walked to the Concord River on the Dike Trail, and back on the Dike/Edge Trail. We saw a Painted Turtle and heard Wood Frogs. We looked for Virginia Rails but didn’t see any. Good view of the Pie-Billed Grebes, first from the Dike Trail, and then closer on the far side of the Lower Pond. (full list)

Boxborough Station WMA and Rolling Meadows
April 6, 2019
Chilly start at the WMA, but trending toward clearing. Herons and osprey were on nests. Many ducks and geese on the pond. Especially nice views of ring-necked ducks and hooded mergansers. Short stop at Rolling Meadows where we had nice views of phoebes, song sparrow, and a goldfinch sitting in the pussy willows. (lists: Boxborough Station WMA / Rolling Meadows)

Jenks Land
March 30, 2019
We had a nice walk this morning and saw a fair number of birds at the Jenks land in Acton though it was cloudy and a bit chilly when we first started. There was much bird song. (full list)

Fruitlands Museum
March 16, 2019
Icy trail conditions and very windy (~20 mph+ gusts). 42F with wind chill 37F. Most of time spent in meadow as wooded trails very icy and quite challenging to negotiate. Low species count due to windy conditions. Highlight of the morning was the Snow Geese sighting. (full list)