Date: 7/12/25 12:31 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 7/11 Squantum Highlights -Ninety Short-billed Dowitchers
What a nice day to go birding. Comfortable temps and minimal sun. Beware of the greenheads deer flies, and mosquitoes. I birded from 1:45-7:15:
Snowy Egret 10+
Great Egret 4+
Great Blue Heron 1+
Oaprey 8 including three young split between the two nests
Wild Turkey 2
Killdeer 2
SHORT_BILLED DOWITCHER 90
Willet 6
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 7
American Oystercatcher 1+
Least Sandpiper 2
peep sp. 2
Common Tern 3
Least Tern 3
Eastern Kingbird 1 usual spot!
AMERICAN KESTREL 1 ad. male being driven off marsh by Two Common Terns!
Common Yellowthroat 6 Squantum Point Park
Yellow Warbler 6
Saltmarsh Sparrow 3
LEPIDS:
Monarch 1
butterfly sp' 1 Viceroy or Monarch
Orange Sulphur 1
Clouded Sulphur 1
Cabbage White 4
Date: 7/9/25 4:09 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 7/9 Belle Isle Marsh Highlights
I birded here from 10:15-12:15. The tide was high. I later went to Belle Isle Cemetery near low tide to check out the mudflats of Belle Isle Inlet.
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3 including one Lewis Lake
night-heron sp. 1 juv, flew in and flew out due to many starlings assaulting it
Great Blue Heron 2+
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 3
Osprey 4 three adults; one young in nest (that I could see)
Killdeer 2 fifteen at Winthrop Beach
Piping Plover 7 Winthrop Beach
Short-billed Dowitcher 13
American Oystercatcher 5
Least Sandpiper 15
Willet 15 seen from cemetery on mudflats
Greater Yellowlegs 10
Ruddy Turnstone 5 Winthrop B
Least Tern 9
Common Tern 1
Eastern Kingbird 1 cemetery
Willow Flycatcher 1
flycatcher sp. 1 cemetery
Warbling Vireo 1
Purple Martin 3 usual spot; two adult males and one adult female
Saltmarsh Sparrow 7 all from boardwalk tip
Baltimore Oriole 1
Date: 7/6/25 12:42 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] Heron Addict Brookline and Winthrop Beach NoNos
First, let me get to the light-hearted bit. Last evening, while I was at an outdoor cafe eating pizza, a man walked by with an image of a heron emblazoned on his chest. Below it were the following words:Heron Addict!
Now for the enfuriating story: A very well-known birder in the Winthrop and East Boston/Revere area witnessed a man, at 6:00 a.m., about five days ago JOGGING WITHIN the bird exclosure. at Winthrop Beach He also mentioned that there were one or two UNLEASHED DOGS scaring the living daylights out of all the birds. There are signs at all the entrances to the beach warning people to keep their dogs on leashes UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15. I can't help but think of all the birds casualties that will ensue from that time until mid-September IF NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS!
Date: 7/5/25 1:23 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] Cuckoo Clocking at Burrage Pond W.M.A., Etc.
7/4 I went to Burrage Pond in Hanson and Halifax in hopes of getting Sandhill Cranes. Success! But what was really interesting was, what I assume to have been, at least two cranes calling together making a sound that I can only describe as a very loud cuckoo clock! It was hard to pinpoint where the calls were coming fro, I also saw with just my bins two adults in the usual northwest area.( from the dike) Their color (rust) really stands out, so that it would be difficult to mistake them for Great Blue Herons. (that is provided that you actually get a look at them, They do disappear into the taller phragmites.
Great Blue Heron 6
Great Egret 4
Wood Duck 2
Osprey 3 nest is on the cell tower
SANDHILL CRANE 4 Minimum
Cooper's Hawk 1
Killdeer 1
Least Sandpiper 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2 one doing knocking series, other kdowl series
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
Eastern Phoebe 1
Eastern Kingbird 10
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Common Raven 1+ heard
Marsh Wren 1
Common Yellowthroat 10
Yellow Warbler 10
Pine Warbler 4
Eastern Towhee 12
Field Sparrow 2 juv.
Swamp Sparrow 7
Orchard Oriole 3 ad. fem. and two 1st summer males
Lepids:
Monarch 2
Viceroy 1
Little Wood-Satyr 2
Common Wood-Nymph 2
Date: 7/3/25 5:24 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 7/2 Belle Isle Marsh Highlights
Yesterday evening, I went to Belle Isle in hopes of finding the Ruff. No luck, but a good time was had by all
Black-crowned Night-Heron 6 including three Lewis Lake
Great Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 2
Oaprey 1+
Virginia Rail 1 called once at 8:40 p.m. between the boardwalk and pond; pig-like grunts
Killdeer 3
Willet 2
Greater Yellowlegs 4
yellowlegs sp. 3
American Woodcock 1 flushed from the path!
large shorebird sp. 4 either Willet or American Oystercatcher
Least Tern 2
Willow Flycatcher 1
Saltmarsh Sparrow 6 two from end of boardwalk killer looks
Baltimore Oriole 2 male and female adults at nest site
Date: 6/27/25 9:36 am From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 6/26 Brown Thrasher in Squantum (Not where you think)
I birded in Squantum from 2:30-7:00 I was delighted to see a Brown Thrasher in an area where most people don't bird. I heard several calls. After a short while, I realized that I could be hearing a thrasher I hurried over to the area in time to see the bird land briefly on a tree top and then dive into dense brush. This is the area where the old, long-abandoned swing set and ball field used to be. It is at Airport Rd. at Saratoga Rd. I covered all of Squantum with the exception of Nickerson Park That means the salt pannes, Moswetuset Hummock, Squantum Pt. Park, nature trail opposite nursing home, river trail, and Billings Salt Marsh Trail
Gloss Ibis 1
Great Blue Heron 2
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1+
Snowy Egret 4+
Great Egret 4 +
Osprey 4+
CLAPPER RAIL 1 calling between the two salt pannes
Wild Turkey 3
Killdeer 7
American Oystercatcher 2
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Willet 5+
Least Tern 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Warbling Vireo 2
House Wren 1
Carolina Wren 2
Brown Thrasher 1
Gray Catbird 12+
Yellow Warbler 12+
Common Yellowthroat 3
Saltmarsh Sparrow 5 Kennedy Center salt panne
Swamp Sparrow 1
Baltimore Oriole 2
Date: 6/22/25 11:17 am From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] Moose Hill in Sharon Highlights
I birded here from 1:00-6:00 I hit the Hobb's Hill Loop Trail, then all of the Kettle Trail, the Field Loop, Billings Loop, the Pasture Trail, the Old Pasture Trail, and finally, most of the Bluff Trail.. Along the Old Pasture Trail, three birds of the same species were singing, down low, an amazing song that was warbler-like. The song had three different sections to it, each section seeming to end the song, but then the bird would sing more and more! Winter Wren? The song wasn't high and tinkling like I would expect from this species.
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Wild Turkey 9 including six adorable poults crossing Moose Hill Parkway with mum
Killdeer 1
Barred Owl 1 minimum
Hairy Woodpecker 3 family
Great Crested Flycatcher 5
Red-eyed Vireo 4
Common Raven 2 minimum
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 first ones in a while
Brown Creeper 3
Winter Wren 3 See Above
Veery 6
Wood Thrush 1
Eastern Bluebird 1
Ovenbird 35
Pine Warbler 25
Northern Wterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 6
Eastern Towhee 7
Swamp Sparrow 2
Scarlet Tanager 6 a surpirise
