Brookline Bird Club – America’s most active bird club!

Thank You Bob Mayer!

For more than 20 years Bob Mayer, a lifetime member of the BBC, has led field trips at Arnold Arboretum and nearby locations. Bob let us know that he is going to stop leading walks on a regular basis due to age and not hearing the birds as well. Since he started leading walks in 2004, Bob estimates that he has led around 200 walks, mostly in the Arboretum but also in other locations such as Olmsted Park/Leverett Pond, and the Boston Nature Center.

Bob is so appreciated as a leader in the Arboretum area that when we asked other leaders to offer a field trip there they said “that’s Bob’s place” until we explained that he was retiring as a leader. Some of the people who are leading trips in the area can remember walks led by Bob as among their early birding experiences and that he is in some way a part of how they became birders and birding leaders. (Bob has asked to stay on our field trip leaders email list and, if we are lucky, will surprise us with a spontaneous field trip.)

Here are a photos taken by Stephen Baird showing Bob leading one of his earlier walks. We love to see how everyone is having a good time!

Winter bird trip led by Bob Mayer
Photo by Stephen Baird
Winter bird trip led by Bob Mayer
Photo by Stephen Baird
Winter bird trip led by Bob Mayer
Photo by Stephen Baird

Bob has contributed to birding in many other ways over the years.

He created a blog with some wonderful pages and images of birds.

During Covid, he hosted a virtual walk with the Brookline Greenspace Alliance .

Over the years he has also helped with Christmas Bird Count, the Breeding Bird Atlas, and contributed multiple articles to Bird Observer. He has also helped rescue an injured Great Horned Owl with Andrew Joslin, and worked with Brendan Keegan on the NestWatch program.

Bob has also been a volunteer docent and field guide for elementary school students at the Arboretum for many years. He is retiring from that as well. In recognition and appreciation, his fellow volunteers recently threw a surprise party and gave him a nice photo book celebrating his time at the Arboretum.

We want to thank Bob for his years of trip leadership and support for birds and birding. Inspired by his friends at the Arboretum, we created a pair of picture mugs as a thank you gift. Here he is with these holding the mugs along with recognition from the BBC.

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Today

  • Scusset Beach State Reservation

    Sagamore - Scusset Beach Pier Parking Lot MA, United States

    Offered by the Cape Cod Bird Club! and co-sponsored by Brookline Bird Club. We'll spend the morning exploring the thickets on the wooded trails for fall migrants, walking the bike path along the canal where wintering waterfowl should just be coming in and exploring the campground area. We’ll finish up at the beach and scope [...]

  • Fresh Pond, Cambridge

    Cambridge - Fresh Pond - TD Bank 235 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge, MA, United States

    An easy 2-mile walk through pondside meadows and forest paths at Fresh Pond. The over-wintering waterbirds have started to arrive, and we may see Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks and both Hooded and Common Mergansers. Meadow and forest species may include year-round residents as well as seasonal visitors from the north (e.g. White-throated Sparrows, Juncos).

  • Franklin Park – Scarboro Pond (Early Birders Series)

    Boston - Franklin Park Tennis Courts (Meeting Spot) MA, United States

    Join fellow birders in their 20s-30s as we visit Franklin Park! Located in Roxbury, Boston’s largest open space is home to a plethora of natural features, including miles of trails, playing fields, a pond, and plenty of birds! Here we will look for all sorts of songbirds, including late fall migrants and early winterers. Whether [...]

  • An Oasis for Birds at Belle Isle Marsh

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

    Led by DCR staff. We will search on foot up to one mile, on flat, easy terrain for snowy owls and other raptors, native sparrows, finches, waterfowl, and other birds. This is a traveling program by car or bike. Prepare for ticks. Ages: Adults and kids 8 years+ with adult chaperone. Binoculars recommended. Cosponsored by [...]

  • Arlington Reservoir with Arlington Open Space Committee and Arlington Reservoir Committee

    Lexington - Arlington Reservoir 210 Lowell Street, Arlington, MA, United States

    Getting into late fall, we'll look for interesting ducks and perhaps lingering shorebirds. We'll also check the gardens for remaining fall migrants. Cosponsored by the Arlington Open Space Committee and Arlington Reservoir Committee, and Menotomy Bird Club. For late arrivers, this time we'll circle the reservoir in the clockwise direction looking for interesting ducks first. [...]

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