For full details of upcoming walks and other events, please join the Boxborough Birders Group email list. Events in italics are organized by other groups, but may be of interest to Boxborough Birders.
Walk Guidelines:
- Boxborough Birders have resumed regular walk guidelines. Masks are optional (no longer required) and there is no limit to the number of people on a walk.
Thursday, August 27
6:15 PM to Dusk
Nighthawk Watch at Fifer’s Field, Boxborough
Bring a chair and join us for an evening of watching for common nighthawks as they pass through on their fall migration. Very short walk from the parking lot to the field.
Address: 1200 Beaver Brook Rd, Boxborough, MA 01719
Leaders: Dustin Neild and Rita Grossman
eBird Hotspot
Thursday, September 10
8:00-9:30 AM
Ice House Pond/Morrison Farm, Acton
We’ll meet at 8:00 am at the Ice House Pond parking lot on Concord Road in Acton. (It’s near 120 Concord Road in Acton, and it’s also a parking lot for the rail trail.) We will walk about a mile, looking for ducks and swans on the pond, and checking out all the birds that are attracted to the community gardens at Morrison Farm. The trail is wide and relatively level, and the footing is easy.
Leader: Peter Norton
Map and Description
eBird Hotspot
Saturday, September 12
7:00 AM
Fruitlands Museum, Harvard
Co-sponsored with Brookline Bird Club. We will look for warblers, thrushes, sparrows, and raptors, among many other birds. Expect to walk about 2 miles on trails through meadow and woods, with some steep sections. Heavy rain cancels the trip.
Meeting place: Top parking lot at Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard.
Leaders: Sandy Oxley, Rita Grossman
Directions
eBird Hotspot
Saturday, September 26
8:00-10:30 AM
Newtown Hill Conservation Area & Williams Land, Littleton
We will walk about 2 miles on a wooded trail looking for fall migrants and resident birds. We will be passing through open fields, mixed hardwood and softwood forests, as well as a wetland marsh. The trail is a bit rough and steep in a few locations so sturdy footwear is recommended.
Location: Use 559 Newtown Road, Littleton on GPS for location. Sign indicating Newtown Hill Conservation Land seen at the bottom of the access road. Parking on the left before the locked gate entrance to the water tower.
Leader: Greg Clark
Newtown Hill Map & Description
Williams Land Map & Description
Saturday, October 10
8:00-10:00 AM
Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve, Littleton
We will walk about 1 mile on a wooded trail looking for fall migrants and resident birds along Beaver Brook and through a mixed hardwood forest. The trail has a couple of moderate inclines and some roots and rocks.
Location: Meeting location is at the Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve parking area located off Hartwell Avenue in Littleton about 0.6 miles off Route 2A/110 (aka King Street).
Leader: Greg Clark
Hartwell Preserve Map & Description
Saturday, October 17
7:30 AM
Fruitlands Museum, Harvard
Co-sponsored with Brookline Bird Club. We will look for fall migrants and resident birds. Expect to walk about 2 miles on trails through meadow and woods, with some steep sections. Heavy rain cancels the trip.
Meeting place: Top parking lot at Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard.
Leaders: Sandy Oxley, Rita Grossman
Directions
eBird Hotspot
Saturday, November 7
8:00-10:30 AM
Nagog Pond and Cobbs Pond, Littleton
Nagog Pond and Cobbs Pond are migratory stopovers for ducks and other waterfowl in the spring and fall seasons. We will look for these migrants from the shore of these two locations.
Location: Meeting location will be at the Cobb Memorial Forest parking area on Nashoba Road located between Cobb Lane and Dutton Road.
Trip Leader: Greg Clark
Sunday, January 3, 2027
Concord Christmas Bird Count
February 12–15, 2027
Great Backyard Bird Count
Safety During Hunting Season
For safety when you are planning to go birding or simply walking in the woods, it is important to know when and where hunting is allowed. Here are some tips.
- The dates of hunting season vary depending on the species being hunted. Much of it occurs between September and December, and shotgun season for deer hunting is in December. For a full hunting schedule and overall guidelines about the season, see the Hunting Regulations on the Massachusetts state website.
- Wear orange for visibility and safety during hunting season.
- Hunting is not permitted on Sundays in Massachusetts.
- Hunting is permitted (paradoxically) in Wildlife Refuges, Wildlife Management Areas, state parks, and some town lands. Local National Wildlife Refuges include Assabet River NWR, Oxbow NWR, and Great Meadows NWR. State Wildlife Management Areas include Boxborough Station WMA, Bolton Flats WMA, and Delaney WMA.
- Hunting is not allowed on Boxborough, Acton, or Littleton town-owned conservation land.
- The Trustees of Reservations allow hunting on some of their properties, but not at Fruitlands Museum or Dexter Drumlin.
Boxborough Birders 
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