Date: 7/19/25 11:52 am From: Diana F. <diana.fru...> Subject: [Arlington Birds] 1 more space available for Guyana birding tour in March
We have 5 people confirmed. Can take 1 more and possible room share available. The price listed in the doc below is $5895, but since we are sending deposits now, the guide has lowered the price to his 2025 rates of $5595. Dates are March 17 to 31 2026.
Please email me if you are interested. Lots of potential life birds on this trip!
Date: 7/18/25 6:50 am From: Paul Ippolito <paulippolito295...> Subject: [Arlington Birds] MBC walk on Saturday
Fellow MBC members,
As a reminder from our June updates, there is a trip along the Charles
River tomorrow, Saturday. Do continue to look at your e-mails as we will
look to add trips based upon what is being seen, weather and availability
of our leaders.
*Saturday July 19*
*Charles River Walk, Waltham*
*Emily Szczypek 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM*
Join us as we stroll along an easy to walk paved path. Possible sightings
include Wood Ducks, Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo, and Great Blue Heron.
Cosponsored with Waltham Land Trust and Brookline Bird Club. No dogs
allowed. This trip will not run in the event of rain. Meet at the Shaw's
parking lot, 130 River Street, Waltham, MA southwest corner of the
lot. 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Emily Szczypek <plover08...>
There are still some interesting observations being posted throughout
Massachusetts and migration will soon be upon us so keep exploring your
local patches, *report what you’re seeing* and enjoy all that our area has
to offer.
Please continue to post your observations.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Date: 7/17/25 6:18 am From: 'PAUL ROBERTS' via Arlington Birds <arlingtonbirds...> Subject: [Arlington Birds] Six Mystery Terns at Mystic Lakes 7:30 a.m. 7/17/25
This morning, roughly around 7:30, while watching for juvenile eaglet movements I spotted six large terns flying flock-like in a wedge of 4 on one side and two trailing on the other side, flying very high, north to south, over the lower Mystic Lake. I was surprised because they were very high overhead and already well past me when I saw them against the cloud cover, flying into a 10-12 mph S wind. They were definitely terns, not any type of gull. I tried to get people, especially photographers, on to them but few actually saw the birds, and none in time to photograph them, which would have been horizontal lines on their viewfinder. I'm familiar with Common Terns, and usually we'll have several visiting the lakes regularly, though not that I've seen this year. I've seen only one. These birds were considerably larger and had slower wing movement than commons. Without getting anything other than their size, bulk, and number, the best likelihood is probably Caspian Terns. but that number and now, in mid-July? There is some reason to suspect, especially with this three-day heat wave, that they might be Royal Terns, which usually peak in mid-July, but on the Mystic Lakes? (Note, they weren't on the lakes, but flying quite high over them.) I'm wondering if anyone else in the Mystic or Charles River watersheds has seen multiple Caspian or Royal Terns the past week, and possibly the six I saw this morning, which were coming from the direction of Horn Pond... Best, Paul Paul M. Roberts Medford, MA <phawk254...>
I did a walk at the Brooks Estate earlier this year with the Brookline Bird
Club, and we saw a pair of barred owls, so they're definitely around.
Nina Shepardson, Arlington
On Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 9:55:51 PM UTC-4 Paul Devaney wrote:
> Saturday July 12, 2025 9:50 PM
> I can hear from my bedroom the faint call of a Barred owl from the
> direction of the Brooks Estate.
>
> Paul Devaney
> Winchester
>
Date: 7/8/25 3:28 pm From: <sohzendeh...> Subject: [Arlington Birds] Update to New England Shorebird Guide
Folks,
New England Shorebird Guide, a photographic guide to our shorebirds freely available on the Bird Observer site, is now updated to cover 28 species of shorebirds:
Due to severe declines in the populations of most shorebird species over the past several decades, I think it is important that bird and nature-lovers become as familiar as possible with these birds and advocate for their conservation. Shorebirds are reputed to be difficult to identify. This may be true for some species, but it is also partly due to the fact that most shorebird species are highly migratory and travel long distances during the course of a year. Most are in our region for only a few weeks every year, so they are easy to miss and hard to learn to identify.
By learning their habits and habitats, as well as their behavior, shapes, and plumages, most observers can identify 20-plus species-perhaps up to 30 species of shorebird-in New England and adjoining states and provinces each year. To increase the fan base of appreciation for these birds, I created the visual guide to shorebirds of New England and Bird Observer is generously providing free access on its website.
The guide is designed primarily as a visual aid that can be used in the field on your smart phone; it can also be installed on your tablet or computer. I have prepared a brief user manual for the guide:
I hope you find this guide useful for finding and identifying shorebirds in our region. It is also important that you communicate to me the shortcomings, errors, and inconsistencies of the guide so that I can improve future versions. You can reach me at <sohzendeh...>
New England Shorebird Guide content was created by Soheil Zendeh. Marsha Salett of Bird Observer was the editor. Eric Swanzey, web manager for Bird Observer and other Massachusetts birding sites, created the web app. Instructions for installing the guide icon on your iPhone were provided by Jay Dia. The photos in the guide were contributed by many generous photographers.
July, August and September are peak migration period for most shorebirds. Enjoy them right now.
Date: 6/20/25 11:14 am From: John Edmondson <johnhedmondson...> Subject: [Arlington Birds] Fwd: [MASSBIRD] BBC Birds and Blanding's Kids' Walk
Hi all,
I highly recommend this family walk with a good chance of seeing the
endangered Blanding's Turtle in the wild. It's next Thursday!
Spaces remaining at this moment.
John
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Kathy Dia <katbirder...>
Date: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Subject: [MASSBIRD] BBC Birds and Blanding's Kids' Walk
To: <Massbird...>
Spaces remaining!!
Birds and Blanding’s Family Walk — A walk for kids ages 8+ with
accompanying adult(s
*Sponsored by the Brookline Bird Club*
*Thursday June 26, 8-10AM, Concord area*
Special guest Dr. Bryan Windmiller of Zoo New England will talk about the
endangered Blanding’s turtles that call Great Meadows NWR home. Then we
will head out to see what turtles, birds, and mammals and other wildlife we
can observe on the refuge. Dr. Bryan will set a live turtle trap the night
before, so we hope to have the opportunity to see a live Blanding's
turtle! Group size is limited. Please email trip leader Kathy Dia to
register (<kdia...>). Due to limited group size this walk
is limited to kids age 8+ and their parent/adult chaperones. Meeting
location will be sent to all registrants three days before the walk.
Date: 6/20/25 5:20 am From: Paul Ippolito <paulippolito295...> Subject: [Arlington Birds] MBC Meeting, Tuesday, June 24
Fellow MBC members,
Spring migration is wrapping up and our season is winding down for the
Summer, however do continue to look at your e-mails as we will look to add
trips based upon what is being seen, weather and availability of our
leaders. As you will see there is a July trip listed.
To help you plan ahead, our next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 24th @
7:00 PM at the Jenks Center, 109 Skillings Road in Winchester as we will
have Lillian Stokes providing a talk about Finches of the United States and
Canada.
*Tuesday, June 24*
*6:30 PM Social Time, 7:00 Meeting Start *
*FINCHES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA*
*Lillian Stokes** – Jenks Center, Winchester*
Please join the Menotomy Bird Club as we will have Lillian Stokes providing
a talk on the Finches of the United States and Canada.
From goldfinches to crossbills, from backyards to wilderness peaks, finches
are one of the most exciting, mysterious, and beloved group of
songbirds. In this lively, information-packed talk featuring stunning
photography, Lillian Stokes, best-selling author of 35 Stokes guides, will
introduce you to the 43 finches of the United States and Canada from
feeder-favorite goldfinches to Red Crossbill tribes, to least known
mountain-top Black Rosy Finches to endangered Hawaiian Finches with their
own “Darwin’s finches”-like story.
The talk will cover finch identification, behavior, irruptions, how to
attract and conserve finches and more. Sprinkled throughout with quotes
from the creative Quick Take chapter intros, filled with amazing facts,
scientific knowledge and gorgeous photos, this talk will leave you
understanding so much more about the finches you thought you knew.
*Saturday July 19*
*Charles River Walk, Waltham*
*Emily Szczypek 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM*
Join us as we stroll along an easy to walk paved path. Possible sightings
include Wood Ducks, Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo, and Great Blue Heron.
Cosponsored with Waltham Land Trust and Brookline Bird Club. No dogs
allowed. This trip will not run in the event of rain. Meet at the Shaw's
parking lot, 130 River Street, Waltham, MA southwest corner of the
lot. 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Emily Szczypek <plover08...>
There are still some interesting observations being posted throughout
Massachusetts so keep exploring your local patches, *report what you’re
seeing* and enjoy all that our area has to offer.
Please continue to post your observations.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
