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! 🦅🦉💕

ANNUAL REPORT 2025

Brookline Bird Club 2025 Statistical and Year-End Report By David Scott, Club Statistician The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 284 species for 2025, with 275 species in Massachusetts (one more than last year) and nine [...]

ANNUAL REPORT 2025

Brookline Bird Club 2025 Statistical and Year-End Report By David Scott, Club Statistician The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 284 species for 2025, with 275 species in Massachusetts (one more than last year) and nine [...]

ANNUAL REPORT 2025

Brookline Bird Club 2025 Statistical and Year-End Report By David Scott, Club Statistician The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 284 species for 2025, with 275 species in Massachusetts (one more than last year) and nine [...]

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Upcoming Field Trips

  • Charles River Esplanade

    Boston - Charles River Esplanade MA, United States

    We will walk along the Charles River Esplanade from the Longfellow Bridge upriver looking for birds on both land and water. We hope to see a range of fall migrants as well as year round residents. Cosponsored with the Charles River Esplanade Association. Loaner binoculars available (request in advance). Preregister on the Esplanade Association’s website: [...]

  • Delaney WMA, Stow NEW DATE and TIME

    Stow - Delaney WMA Boat Launch 353 Harvard Road, Stow, MA, United States

    We will spend the morning walking 3-4 miles through fields, forests and wetlands looking for post-nesting birds and early migrants. No restrooms are available. Bring sunscreen and insect repellent. Be prepared for poison ivy. Rain cancels.

  • Family Bird Walk, Condon Shell, Medford

    Medford - Condon Shell Parking 2501 Mystic Valley Pkwy, Medford, MA, United States

    Sponsored by the Medford Public Library. Join local birder Leslie Kramer of Brookline Bird Club for a family-friendly bird watching walk along the river! Our group will meet at the Condon Shell parking lot and follow the path along the river, which is ADA-accessible and stroller friendly. Note: Attendance is free but registration is required [...]

  • Mystic River Reservation (Early Birders Series)

    Medford - Mystic River State Reservation 4253 Mystic Valley Pkwy, Medford, MA, United States

    Join fellow birders in their 20s-30s as we visit Mystic River State Reservation! Located just north of Boston in Medford, Mystic River Reservation is a state nature reserve home to over 300 acres of space in a riverfront setting. As we navigate our way around the 2.3 mile park loop trail, expect to see all [...]

  • An Oasis for Birds at Belle Isle Marsh

    East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United States

    Join 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 shorebirds during their peak in migration and passerines that are beginning their southerly migration. Participants are responsible for their own transportation [...]

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