Starting the Year Off with the BBC
On January 1 Laura de la Flor and Mark Burns led their our 29th (maybe 30th) Brookline Bird Club New Year’s Day birding trip! I’ll let Laura take it from here…
We started leading this trip on the cusp of the ‘technological boom’ so some of our earliest records are either in notebooks or an old AOL account (remember dial-up modems!). Nonetheless, one of our oldest and dearest birding friends came up to me and said: “You do know this is your 30th year!”… I’m checking our records.
It was a perfect winter day with snow squalls in the morning, temps that hovered around 23°F, and winds that gusted throughout the PM. We birded Cashman Park, the Merrimack River, Salisbury Beach State Park, and Parker River NWR, and tallied 59 species for the club list.
Highlights include: 3 Barrow’s Goldeneye and 4 Bald Eagles seen along the river during a snow squall, a Long-eared Owl roosting in cedars, 2 Snowy Owls hunkered down in the marsh among ice and snow chunks, and both a Northern Harrier and Short-eared Owl hunting the marsh beneath a near full moon.
eBird trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/457805
As always, I loved spending time with old friends and new. Here’s to a very Happy New Year! 
Avian Influenza Spreading in Massachusetts
Avian influenza is an increasing public health concern and is spreading across Massachusetts. In the past few days we have heard reports of waterfowl die offs in Cambridge, Amherst, Plymouth and Brockton. If you see
eBird Tip – How to use eBird When Traveling
Thanks to Bob Ross for the following article, which started out as a MassBird listserv post: The eBird Alerts are an indispensable tool when traveling to a new city or region to go birding. I
NEW! Young Adult Birding series
Young Adult Birding series specifically for birders in their 20's and 30's! Our first meeting will be held at Millennium Park on Sunday, March 2nd at 8:00 AM. We will walk about 2 miles around
Applications Available for Bill Drummond Young Birder Scholarship
The BBC is pleased to announce that we will again offer two Bill Drummond Young Birder’s Scholarships to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young birders. The 2025 scholarships will cover the full
2024 Year in Review!
Photo credit: Manomet Photo credit Jennifer Thornton 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
ANNUAL REPORT 2023
The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 275 species for 2023, based upon 200 trips reported from Massachusetts, and those from out of state. We recorded 267 species in Massachusetts, three more than 2022, with 8
Avian Influenza Spreading in Massachusetts
Avian influenza is an increasing public health concern and is spreading across Massachusetts. In the past few days we have heard reports of waterfowl die offs in Cambridge, Amherst, Plymouth and Brockton. If you see
eBird Tip – How to use eBird When Traveling
Thanks to Bob Ross for the following article, which started out as a MassBird listserv post: The eBird Alerts are an indispensable tool when traveling to a new city or region to go birding. I
NEW! Young Adult Birding series
Young Adult Birding series specifically for birders in their 20's and 30's! Our first meeting will be held at Millennium Park on Sunday, March 2nd at 8:00 AM. We will walk about 2 miles around
Applications Available for Bill Drummond Young Birder Scholarship
The BBC is pleased to announce that we will again offer two Bill Drummond Young Birder’s Scholarships to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young birders. The 2025 scholarships will cover the full
2024 Year in Review!
Photo credit: Manomet Photo credit Jennifer Thornton 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
ANNUAL REPORT 2023
The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 275 species for 2023, based upon 200 trips reported from Massachusetts, and those from out of state. We recorded 267 species in Massachusetts, three more than 2022, with 8
Avian Influenza Spreading in Massachusetts
Avian influenza is an increasing public health concern and is spreading across Massachusetts. In the past few days we have heard reports of waterfowl die offs in Cambridge, Amherst, Plymouth and Brockton. If you see
eBird Tip – How to use eBird When Traveling
Thanks to Bob Ross for the following article, which started out as a MassBird listserv post: The eBird Alerts are an indispensable tool when traveling to a new city or region to go birding. I
NEW! Young Adult Birding series
Young Adult Birding series specifically for birders in their 20's and 30's! Our first meeting will be held at Millennium Park on Sunday, March 2nd at 8:00 AM. We will walk about 2 miles around
Applications Available for Bill Drummond Young Birder Scholarship
The BBC is pleased to announce that we will again offer two Bill Drummond Young Birder’s Scholarships to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young birders. The 2025 scholarships will cover the full
2024 Year in Review!
Photo credit: Manomet Photo credit Jennifer Thornton 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
ANNUAL REPORT 2023
The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 275 species for 2023, based upon 200 trips reported from Massachusetts, and those from out of state. We recorded 267 species in Massachusetts, three more than 2022, with 8
News Categories
Upcoming Field Trips
Field Trips / Events
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Members Webinar: Introduction to the New England Shorebird Guide
For over 50 years, Soheil Zendeh has been monitoring shorebirds populations in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Over the past 35 years there have been drastic drops in most shorebird populations, particularly long distance migratory birds from the Arctic. He is the author of New England Shorebird Guide, a web-based field guide for New England shorebirders focused
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An Oasis for Birds at Belle Isle Marsh
East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United StatesJoin DCR park staff for a relaxed, one-mile bird walk through flat, easy terrain at this Massachusetts State Reservation and birding hot spot. At Belle Isle and at additional nearby locations— We’ll search for large groups of herons and egrets, and shorebird rarities. Participants are responsible for their own transportation between locations (by car or
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Mount Auburn in Summer
Mount Auburn Cemetery 536 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA, United StatesMt. Auburn Cemetery is most heavily visited during migration season, but birding there in the summer allows you to see the large number of vibrant breeding birds without the crowds. Expect to see herons, vireos, flycatchers, and raptors, which may include some Great Horned Owls if we are lucky. Birders and nature-lovers of all skill
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Belle Isle Marsh Reservation (Winthrop)
Winthrop - Belle Isle March and Marine Ecology Park Banks Street, Winthrop, MA, United StatesJoin us to observe resident birds and summer migrants in a unique urban habitat that is a favorite for many bird species, including uncommon and rare birds. Birders of all levels will enjoy this walk. The trails are (generally) flat and easy to walk. A water bottle and water proof clothing including a hat are
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Forest Beach Conservation Area
Chatham - Forest Beach 375-331 Forest Beach Rd, South Chatham, MA, United StatesCo-sponored with Cape Cod Bird Club. We’ll walk the marsh trail to where it meets Mill Creek and return via the beach, less than a mile round trip. We’ll then head towards the overlook where we’ll likely view herons, egrets, shorebirds, passerines, gulls, osprey and Northern Harrier. This is another area with mixed habitat, a