Submitted by FormerlySalve_Lilac t3_11sw2c7 in CambridgeMA
Just an fyi for my fellow bird-watchers:
In North Point Park there's an American Coot hanging around, I've seen it two weekends in a row and am going to check on it again this weekend.
Also, on Sunday I saw a pair of Red-Breasted Mergansers on the Charles and in the Cambridgeside canal, absolutely gorgeous and I've never seen them in this area before!
Let me know about your own finds!
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Early this morning I had a loud turkey on the roof of a neighbors two-story building, right outside our bedroom window.https://i.imgur.com/gtELtgO.jpg
Check out Fresh Pond - the golf course pond is often visited by Mergansers.
Great photo!
We had a regular hermit thrush visitor last winter. Was sad to not see him? around at all this season. I hope that lil bird found another porch that put out berries every day.
Content with the cardinal pair that hangs around our neighborhood, always having a spat somehow.
There's a female bufflehead whose been hanging out at the Alewife Brook Reservation all winter. Finally spotted her with a male yesterday.
Fresh pond gets a very wide variety of waterfowl. https://ebird.org/hotspot/L207370 - click on the bar charts (left sidebar) and also "more top media" to see people's photo submissions.
However, I'm even more excited about this tiny park near Central Square that I added to eBird about 7 years ago and visit regularly in the mornings: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L4490532
62 species so far, in a 1/3 block urban neighborhood park!
Although I have only submitted a small portion of the photos I've taken there over the years, here's a sample of what I've seen there: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L4490532
Oh, this is an easy walk from me, I'll have to check it out!
I got all of those because I go there a lot, rather than because it's an especially excellent spot for birds, of course. What's exciting about it is that it means if you really pay attention, you can see a lot of cool birds in places you wouldn't expect.
If you look at the bar chart, you'll see the warblers and thrushes and several other unusual birds for Cambridge stop by there during migration - mostly May and October. There are some summer residents (like chimney swifts) who are gone in winter, and some winter residents (such as juncos) who are gone in summer. Click the bar chart on the left sidebar.
Also, because it's a small urban park with playground, it gets enough people that shyer species go away later in the day. But you probably know birds are most active early in the morning. So if you do want to visit and submit lists there (which would be very cool!), arriving during the hour after sunrise is usually best. Some species are bolder - robins, jays, grackles (in summer), cardinals, house sparrows, mockingbirds - and will still be around when there are more people.
I've seen a lot of them in my neighborhood, but not the nuthatches, warblers, or the sapsuckers!
If you want to take photos, I really have to recommend North Point Park, especially in the spring and summer. Lots of redwing blackbirds, a great blue heron every once in a while. There's even a pair of swans sometimes.
When I want to go out of my way (rather than a short walk from home) to see a really good variety, Mystic River Reservation by routes 28 & 16 is my choice. Didn't post about it here because it's outside Cambridge :)
Especially during migration. But all year you'll see herons & swans there.
Here's the bar chart: https://ebird.org/barchart?r=L2477842
Photos: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L2477842 - Click "more" at the bottom, there are a lot. it's a popular spot for birders, so most of those photos are not from me. (Here are my photos from that spot: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L2477842&searchField=user&sort=obs_date_desc&userId=USER554444 )
and castle island!
Opposite_Match5303 t1_jcfy9mc wrote
Yeah, the mergansers are around all winter! Occasionally ring-necked ducks with them as well.
Check out the emerald necklace for all sorts of cool ducks :)