An Urban Wild in the Arnold Arboretum
On Sunday May 15 I led a bird walk in Bussey Brook Meadow in the Arboretum. As usual, the walk was hosted by the Arboretum Park Conservancy (APC), an organization that is largely responsible for...
View ArticleA Nice Finish for the last Spring Walk
Two dozen birders joined me on a beautiful morning for a walk from the main gate to Bussey Hill and back at the Arnold Arboretum. As the passerine migration begins to subside we were hoping for some...
View ArticleEarly fall Arboretum walk, and some notable sightings of the summer
This morning I was met by 13 birders for a walk around Peters Hill in the Arnold Arboretum. At 51 F the chill was evident, but the sun was out and a brief overnight rain promised a turnout from the …...
View ArticleAn October Bird Walk
This morning twenty people faced 40 degree fall weather for a bird walk in the Arnold Arboretum. Most were local folks but we had a visitor from London and a newly arrived transplant from North...
View ArticleAfter the Storm
I always like to do a bird walk in January to help fill out everyone’s Year List. Then every sparrow, jay or robin counts for the new year. This morning was a challenge though, with an overnight...
View ArticleSpring Bird Walks Begin!
The spring birding season is starting up and early migrants are arriving. Here is one I saw yesterday: I will be leading walks for the Arnold Arboretum, the Brookline Bird Club and other organizations...
View ArticleT’was a dark and damp walk
Eight birders gathered this morning in light drizzle after the heavy overnight rains . The plan was to bird Peters Hill, but I elected to start the walk on Hemlock Hill hoping to avoid some of the...
View ArticleA bright and windy walk in Bussey Brook Meadow
There was a major shift in the weather compared to yesterdays walk on Hemlock Hill and Peter’s Hill, and the turnout reflected that. Nearly 50 folks showed up for this walk, sponsored by the Brookline...
View ArticleA Late Migration Bird Walk
Those of you who are birders know that the spring migration in Boston this year has had its up and downs. The lingering cold and inauspicious winds kept the migrants back, and to some extent moved...
View ArticleHow rare is rare? – a butterfly tale
As spring slides into summer birds go quiet; nesting, rearing their young, preparing for their southern migration or just hanging out. I switch to Lepidoptera and Odontata to keep me busy....
View ArticleButterfly postscript- and fall bird walks
In my last post I promised a followup on the Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars that the Arboretum staff and I had collected and placed in inclosures back in late July. Here is a shot of some of them in...
View ArticlePPS: What’s in the picture?
In my last post on the evolution of the Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars I also included three images of a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird that I photographed on the same Harlequin Glorybower bush...
View ArticlePeters Hill Fall Bird Walk
Twenty-three people joined me on this gray morning for a walk on Peters Hill in the Arnold Arboretum, looking and listening for birds. It was slow going, with no fall warblers seen and several winter...
View ArticleHappy and Cold New Year!
The weather folks are claiming that this Saturday will be the coldest day so far this winter. Sunday morning at 9AM, the scheduled kickoff for the January Winter Bird Walk in the Arboretum, is...
View ArticlePostponed Winter Walk- Still Cold!
When I postponed the January winter walk I was hoping for warmer weather and we got it; the thermometer was 20 degrees higher than last Sunday. But it was still only 15 degrees and despite that over...
View ArticleSpring Walks Begin!
The weather was quite different for the two spring bird walks I led this weekend; Saturday was sunny and quite warm but Sunday was cool and cloudy with occasional rain. The attendance was reflected by...
View ArticleWarblers at last!
After overnight rains the air was damp and humid when 31 birders arrived at 8 AM for my last scheduled bird walk in the Arboretum this spring. Given reports from other nearby locales I was hopful that...
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