Thanks to our inspired volunteer Board, committee members, and field trip leaders, the Brookline Bird Club enjoyed impressive successes during 2024. 

Our volunteer trip leaders and enthusiastic participants tallied 274 species of bird across 262 trips in Massachusetts.  The total climbs to  281 including birds from trips to NH and Maine.  These are our highest annual totals since 2019! 

Living our mission statement, we continued to reach out to and include newer and experienced birders of all identities. Our walk schedule expanded to include offerings at a range of urban, suburban and rural locations, many accessible by public transportation. In addition to well known birdy locations like Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Mount Auburn Cemetery, Fenway Victory Garden, The Esplanade, Cape Ann, and Lowell Cemetery, we added trips to Franklin Park, Neponset River hot spots, the Esplanade, and other Boston walks led by inspired and inspiring trip leaders. Co-sponsoring with other bird clubs and outdoor groups, we birded lesser known, productive locations, committing to include these in our future annual offerings. We have purchased a number of loaner binoculars that we hope to make available at more trips over the coming year.

We revived our highly popular and productive pelagic day trips, from Gloucester and Plymouth, while continuing to run our nationally known overnight “extreme” pelagic from Hyannis out to resource-rich canyons at the edge of the continental shelf. Visiting locations such as Hydrographer, Dogbody and Welker Canyons brought sightings of sought-after shearwaters, petrels, skuas, phalaropes, jaegers, and other exciting avian, mammal, marine species. Those who attended our late summer Newburyport boat cruise got to see the North Shore’s Great Marsh, the “other side” of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. 

The BBC Conservation Education Committee sent two more teen birders to Maine’s Hog Island Camp, thanks to your generous donations to the Bill Drummond Scholarship Fund. Similarly, we supported several school libraries, classrooms and programs by providing funds for purchasing birding materials for aspiring birders. Through this committee’s thoughtful research and decision-making, the BBC continues to contribute to organizations that support essential efforts like habitat restoration and maintenance. 

The Programming Committee offered – and continues to offer – a wide range of webinars, with topics covering warblers, sparrows, pelagics, quetzals, and female bird ID, to Peregrine and Red Knot restorations, shorebird counts, Avian Flu information, and entomologist Doug Tallamy’s Chickadee’s Guide to Gardening. Walks include native and nonnative plants with Botanist Ted Elliman, and field walks following bird identification webinars. Our “Big Three Indoor Meetings” offer opportunities for members to socialize and consider ideas presented by guest speakers. 

We truly are America’s most active bird club!  We look forward to the coming year and hope to see you at some of our many events.  Interested in contributing your time?  Please reach us at info@brooklinebirdclub.org.

Good Birding to all in 2025!

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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Upcoming Field Trips

Quabbin Reservoir

Quabbin Reservoir - Gate 10 235 Daniel Shays Hwy, Pelham, MA, United States

Join Glenn on a 5-to-6-mile walk through a very birdy area with species ranging from Broad-winged Hawk to Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-headed Vireo, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, and lots of stuff in between. (Maybe a moose or a bobcat!) Co-sponsored with the South Shore Bird Club.

The Quiet Beauty of Birding at Winthrop Beach

Winthrop - DCR Winthrop Beach Reservation - Sturgis St 59 Winthrop Shore Drive, Winthrop, MA, United States

Join DCR park staff for a leisurely walk across sandy stretches and areas of loose rocks at this Massachusetts State Reservation, a well-known hot spot for birdwatching. We'll be on the lookout for shorebirds, waterbirds, and gulls. Binoculars are recommended. Suitable for adults and children ages 8 and up (with an accompanying adult). Sponsored by [...]

Fruitlands Museum, Harvard

Harvard - Fruitlands Museum 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, MA, United States

All the nesting birds will still be around, with good views of young out of the nest being fed by parents: Veery, Indigo Bunting, Catbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Tree Swallow, Bobolink, Wood Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, and Warblers. Expect to walk about 2 miles on trails through meadow and woods with some steep sections. Heavy rain cancels [...]

Birch Hill WMA

Royalston - Birch Hill WMA Royalston, MA, United States

Includes three to five miles of walking relatively flat terrain. Might include some bushwacking. Driving on hard packed dirt roads. Co-sponsored with the Athol Bird & Nature Club.

Southwick WMA

Southwick WMA - Suffield WMA entrance Point Grove Road, Suffield, CT, United States

We will hike the fields focusing on grassland breeders, particularly Eastern Meadowlark and Grasshopper Sparrow.

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