Date: 3/16/25 7:56 am From: John Edmondson <johnhedmondson...> Subject: [Arlington Birds] Today's walk at Arlington Reservoir
We had a large group today at the Arlington Reservoir for the co-sponsored Brookline Bird Club and Menotomy Bird Club walk. Cloudly, bordering on foggy. Not very cold though. Only a few drops of either rain or condensing fog while we were out.
At the start we heard from a dog walker that there was a hawk over the path near the Lexington Gardens so we headed that way. On the way we were treated to a lengthy conflict between a Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Northern Flicker in the vicinity of a freshly made cavity in a tree. We speculated that the hole was made by the Red-bellied and it was trying to chase off the Flicker. The Flicker was not leaving without a fight.
There were Killdeer in the farm fields and flying around actively. Hard to count accurately. Some were heard in the reservoir direction and I assumed were part of the same group of 4 that were moving around, but there could have been more.
We finally came across the Red-tailed Hawk in the back part of the farm near the chicken coop. Then another. Both first year birds with banded tails instead of the classic red tail. Recognizable by the belly band and general shape.
On the water, we had good looks at Bufflehead, Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks, Mallards and Black Ducks. One Scaup turned up and was probably a Greater but I didn't feel certain and put it down as Greater/Lesser.
Expected more Grackles. The only ones I saw were flying over the farm field at one point. Lot's of Red-winged Blackbirds.
Thanks for the help from participants finding birds and helping others to see them! It was a fun walk I thought.
Arlington Reservoir, Middlesex, Massachusetts, US Mar 16, 2025 7:57 AM - 9:40 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.05 mile(s) Checklist Comments: 27 of us (maybe 28). BBC and Menotomy BC co-sponsored walk. Interesting to see a Red-bellied Woodpecker have a conflict with a Northern Flicker which may have been investigating a fresh cavity made by the Red-bellied. 27 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 17 Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 2 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 13 American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 3 Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 3 Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 17 Greater/Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila/affinis) 1 Ed noticed it with the Ring-necked Ducks. Likely Greater but it was a bit distant and I think we can't be sure. It had a rounder seeming head that was held low and forward. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 12 Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) 2 Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 3 Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 4 Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2 2 first year birds Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2 Having a fight with a Flicker, perhaps because the Flicker was investigating a cavity made by the Red-bellied. Can't be sure the casue of the fight. Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 3 Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2 Having a fight with a Red-bellied Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2 Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) 1 Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 1 White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 2 European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 6 Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 1 American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 12 House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 7 Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 4 Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 7 Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 18 Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 4 Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 4
