Minuteman NHP – Vernal Pool Trail, Middlesex, Massachusetts, US
Jun 1, 2017 5:45 PM – 8:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: BBC- Minuteman NHP- Leader: Kathy Dia- We started out at the Hartwell Tavern lot and walked via the Vernal pool Tr. back to the Brooks Village lot. Sunny with a few clouds until dusk; mild 60’s to 50’s F. Observers: Lynette, Bev, Juana Ham, Bob, Gail, Stan, Bill Lee, Kathy Dia
40 species (+2 other taxa)
Canada Goose 2
Wild Turkey 2
Double-crested Cormorant 2 Fly over
Great Blue Heron 2
Mourning Dove 5
Common Nighthawk 6 Feeding high over the boardwalk with swifts and swallows. Tough to count as they kept coming from different directions, but I think this is reasonable. I wonder whether they are nesting nearby. A pair has also been seen regularly at Great Meadows- Concord since mid-May.
Chimney Swift 6
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern) 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Alder Flycatcher 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 2
Warbling Vireo (Eastern) 1
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 1
Tree Swallow 15
Barn Swallow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 5
White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern) 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Veery 1
Wood Thrush 4
American Robin 8
Northern Mockingbird 1
Cedar Waxwing 8
Ovenbird 2
American Redstart 1
Pine Warbler 2
warbler sp. (Parulidae sp.) 1 A “see-saw” heard once; likely Black-and-white or redstart.
Chipping Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 3
Scarlet Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3
Indigo Bunting 0 This was an unfortunate surprise. Each June since 2012 the Buntings have nested in the brushy edges of the spot called the “Bloody Angle” . Each evening like clockwork the males would perch on the trees in the open area and sing. This year no buntings although I have heard one or two elsewhere in the park.
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 13
Common Grackle 6
Baltimore Oriole 4
blackbird sp. 8
House Sparrow 3
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37389023
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers Do you have ideas for BBC webinar speakers? Would you like to be involved in planning club events such as our annual meeting, fall speaker, and winter member's meeting? Interested [...]
Migration Madness Membership Drive
Migration Madness Membership Drive To celebrate the excitement of spring migration, the Brookline Bird Club has a special offer for any new member joining the club from April 17 to May 31, 2025! All new [...]
Changes Coming to Mt Auburn Cemetery This Spring
Changes Coming to Mt Auburn Cemetery This Spring Mt. Auburn Cemetery has announced changes to birder access starting this spring. In short, the gates will open every day starting at 6:00 AM but the key [...]
Threats to Federal Bird Science Funding
Threats to Federal Bird Science Funding According to the journal Science, the administration has targeted the Ecosystems Mission Area at the U.S. Geological Survey for elimination in its upcoming Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. The [...]
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming. What key field [...]
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers Do you have ideas for BBC webinar speakers? Would you like to be involved in planning club events such as our annual meeting, fall speaker, and winter member's meeting? Interested [...]
Migration Madness Membership Drive
Migration Madness Membership Drive To celebrate the excitement of spring migration, the Brookline Bird Club has a special offer for any new member joining the club from April 17 to May 31, 2025! All new [...]
Changes Coming to Mt Auburn Cemetery This Spring
Changes Coming to Mt Auburn Cemetery This Spring Mt. Auburn Cemetery has announced changes to birder access starting this spring. In short, the gates will open every day starting at 6:00 AM but the key [...]
Threats to Federal Bird Science Funding
Threats to Federal Bird Science Funding According to the journal Science, the administration has targeted the Ecosystems Mission Area at the U.S. Geological Survey for elimination in its upcoming Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. The [...]
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming. What key field [...]
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers Do you have ideas for BBC webinar speakers? Would you like to be involved in planning club events such as our annual meeting, fall speaker, and winter member's meeting? Interested [...]
Migration Madness Membership Drive
Migration Madness Membership Drive To celebrate the excitement of spring migration, the Brookline Bird Club has a special offer for any new member joining the club from April 17 to May 31, 2025! All new [...]
Changes Coming to Mt Auburn Cemetery This Spring
Changes Coming to Mt Auburn Cemetery This Spring Mt. Auburn Cemetery has announced changes to birder access starting this spring. In short, the gates will open every day starting at 6:00 AM but the key [...]
Threats to Federal Bird Science Funding
Threats to Federal Bird Science Funding According to the journal Science, the administration has targeted the Ecosystems Mission Area at the U.S. Geological Survey for elimination in its upcoming Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. The [...]
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming. What key field [...]
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]
News Categories
Upcoming Field Trips
Fruitlands Museum, Harvard
Harvard - Fruitlands Museum 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, MA, United StatesCo-sponsored with Boxborough Birders. We will look for resident species including Indigo Bunting, Savannah Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Veery, Blue-headed Vireo, Wild Turkey, American Kestrel, and a variety of warblers. Expect to walk about two miles on trails through meadows and woods, with some steep sections. Prepare for ticks. We will bird at the [...]
Belle Isle Marsh and Vicinity
East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United StatesLed by DCR staff. We will search on foot up to one mile on flat, easy terrain, for migrating or resident songbirds, raptors, shorebirds, and marsh birds at this birding hotspot and state park. This is a traveling program by car or bike. Prepare for ticks and mosquitoes. Ages: Adults and kids 8 years+ with [...]
Franklin Park – Scarboro Pond
We will look for warblers, orioles, and other migratory birds in the Scarboro Pond section of Franklin Park. Beginners welcome and encouraged. Expect to walk up to two miles on paved paths. Co-sponsored with the Franklin Park Coalition, Franklin Park Tennis Association, and the Emerald Necklace Bird Club. Limited number of loaner binoculars available.
Forest River Conservation Area (CANCELED)
Marblehead - Forest River Conservation Area MA, United StatesThis trip is canceled due to scheduling conflicts. Easy to moderate 1.5 mile hike on 26 acre property which includes marsh, tidal pools, upland fields and woods. Expect to see various warblers, sparrows and Vireos. Wear hiking boots for modest uphill and downhill paths with some mud.