It’s hard to believe that Ida Giriunas, well known Massachusetts birder and long-time director of the Brookline Bird Club (BBC), passed away two years ago on August 20.  We wanted to update friends and the birding community on the status  of the expansion of the Mass Audubon Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary’s bird habitat garden area in her name, funded by your generous contributions.  In spite of the uncertainty created by the pandemic for the last year and a half,  IRWS has been busy adding to the gardens and they are filling out beautifully.  A sanctuary volunteer is in the process of  creating a guide to the plants including their names and benefits to the birds. Additional plants will be added this fall, and a location for a plaque will be evaluated.  While we hoped to have a formal dedication, that is on hold till the current public health situation is resolved to satisfactory levels of safety for MAS staff and visitors.  Please stop by to see the gardens! The photos don’t do it justice.  But remember to go online beforehand and reserve a parking spot.

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Upcoming Field Trips

Maine – Rangeley Lakes

Join us for a seven-day exploration of mountains and lakes of western Maine! As always, this trip will concentrate on Maine’s boreal specialties including Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Olive-sided and Yellow-bellied flycatchers, Philadelphia Vireo, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Bicknell’s Thrush and 20+ species of warbler. We also observe and enjoy flora and fauna along way. [...]

Quabbin Reservoir

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

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.

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