2024: A Year of Birding
What, where, and how.
At the start of 2024, we stated that our focus would be birding.
Twelve months later, we take a look back at some of the highlights of the birds we saw, the outings we took, and the gear we used. Enjoy š
What we saw
Winter
Getting up and outside when it is cold takes commitment. However, once out, it is both invigorating for the body and stimulating for the mind.
It is also a LOT easier to find AND see birds when there aren’t any leaves on the trees.
Because of the lack of foliage cover, we could spot a hawk perched up in the tree searching for it morning meal, even when optimally camouflaged.
The downside of winter birding is the number of species in the Boston area reduces significantly. Those that remain are still fascinating to see, and we are appreciative of the fact that they are around to cheer us up until the return of Spring.
Spring
The Equinox in late March marks the first day of Spring, but many birds have started to get their groove on way before then.
Species like Downy Woodpeckers, Cardinals, and Blue Jays have been around all Winter. They have a clear head start over those who will migrate up from the south.
Cardinals start their first nest even before the last snowmelt, and eggs are typically laid in March. Blue Jays are right there with the Cardinals, getting busy, building nests, and aggressively defending their airspace from any and all potential threats.
The one kind of bird we didn’t have much luck seeing this Winter were owls. The closest we came was seeing a Great Horned Owl (GHO) WAY WAY off in the distance. We only knew it was a GHO because of its iconic silhouette.
Ospreys build large nests in open areas near water and typically return to the same site each year. In Boston, there are a few locations with platforms erected for them to nest, and those are usually occupied by late March/early April.Ā
Summer
By early Summer, most birds have already had their first brood fledged and are on to their second. Some, like the Baltimore orioles, breed once a year, typically May-June.Ā
The fledglings will stay around for two weeks, and are fed by both adults during that time.Ā
We were incredibly fortunate to have a pair nest right outside our front door and treating us to some amazing up-close photo ops!!!Ā
Fall
Migration season (late AugustāOctober) is another peak opportunity for birding. The Boston area is Ground Zero for birders to catch a glimpse of birds that are passing through and/or may not be around at other times of the year.
At that time of year, sometimes you get lucky and see a giant hawk sitting eight feet off the ground directly on the walking path š
Once the leaves drop, large bird of prey are again easy to spot…even if they are no longer right in front and three feet over your head.
While birds of prey are awesome, birds that are prey are pretty amazing as well. Waterfowl such as geese, swans, and ducks come in different sizes, shapes, and some with a sheen that is almost luminescent in the right light.Ā
What is also cool is that they are MUCH easier to find and photograph. A good river can have a large variety of species all swimming alongside each other. During migration season, the count can be in the hundreds!
Spend enough time looking at ducks and eventually you will come across a Kingfisher. Belted Kingfishers spend quite a bit of their time perched alone along the water’s edges looking for small fish. We love them not just for their cool markings, but for their over-sized attitude….flying around as if they own everything š
Where
A lot of folks travel extensive to check birds off theirāwait for itābird list. We are less committed, but are still willing to get in the car and drive to where they are….like to see this turkey crossing the street in Cambridge.
This was taken during the daily commute to Davis Square š
Below are the top five locations in Boston we frequented repeatedly in 2024. We’ll expand our range next year now that we have gotten some sightings under our belt, but it is likely we’ll continue to return to these top spots because of the abundance of birds, the beauty of the locations, and their ease of access.
1. RainyDayGarden
One can’t find a more convenient birding spot than just “going out back,” especially when the most satisfying observations we made all year were right in the RainyDayGarden.
A pair of robins decided to nest in fence, at eye level, and at such a spot where we could easily observe their nest up close. Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Robin.
2. Joppa Flats
Our second favorite MA spot is the Joppa Flats. This stretch of marsh is rich in wildlife, beautiful any time of year, and within an hour’s drive of Boston.
It is our “goto” spot for birding whenever we want to “get out of the City.”
Egrets, ducks, hawks…pretty much any kind of New England shore birds can be found on the Joppa Flats at some point during the year, and during migration season, many non-natives take a rest a Joppa before continuing on their journey.
3. Olmsted Park
When we don’t feel like drive very farāas in less than five milesāwe have access to Olmsted Park and the Emerald Necklace. This park system is absolutely as its name suggests…a “jewel” in the heart of Boston.
A more experienced birder will see all kinds of species, but we go here for the ducks…all kinds of ducks.
4. Wollaston Beach
We jokingly call Wollaston Beach “the Cape Cod of the South Shore.” It is as beautiful as what you’d see down the Cape, just without the 3-hour drive and the hordes of out-of-towners (make that out-of-staters)
Wollaston has the ocean on one side, the marshes on the other, fabulous birds on both…and of course, awesome seafood at the Clam Box in the middle.
This is our “secret” spot for spying on the Ospreys…shhhh. Nobody knows about the osprey nesting platform in Squantum Marshes in Quincy. Why? It’s because we always tell people it is at Wollaston Beach, which, technically it is, but if you try looking it up using “Wollaston Beach,” Google won’t return anything…useful. (Crap did we just tell everyone about our secret spot?)
4. Arnold Arboretum
What can be more perfect for birding than an arboretum? The Arnold Arboretum is a 281-acre preserve on the edge of the city. Established by Harvard University in 1872 and free to visitors, it is the oldest public arboretum in North America. With over 2,100 different species of trees, is it any wonder that over 188 species of birds have been spotted and recorded in it over the past century?
Less than two miles away from the RainyDay office, the Arnold Arboretum is where we go for a quick stroll, with hopes of owl sightings. There are, of course, lots of other birds there, but we always go with hopes of owl sightings š
5. Jamaica Pond
We like to think of Jamaica Pond as the main jewel of the Emerald Necklace. This kettle lake has a 1.5 mile path surrounded by trees. While it is next to a busy-ish road and normally quite busy with walkers and runners (human ones, we mean), many birds do make their nests in this spot.Ā
The walking path offers a nice opportunity to get in some exercise with a chance of seeing some interesting birds, which is exactly what happened a few years ago. We have not been so fortunate since, but we still get the exercise…so still a win!
Gear
1. Camera and lenses
Our photography game got an update in the Fall of 2023. We purchased a used Nikon D850 from a wedding photographer who was upgrading her gear to Nikon’s mirrorless system. Over the course of a few months, we methodically acquired a few full-frame lenses to go with the new-to-us D850.Ā
After spending a year shooting with the equipment, we have come to the realization that we have only scratched the surface of what we will be able to do with them. Very exciting!!!
The combo we used the most for birding is the D850 with the Nikkor 200-500mm zoom. The range is perfect as it let us stay far enough away so as not to disturb the subject, yet long enough to get good closeup shots!
2. Binoculars
It feels like there are almost as many “birding” binoculars as there are species of birds š Our favorites are pairs from Fujifilm and Bruntons. The Fujifilms are available at a lot of places. The Bruntons, unfortunately, are only now available from the usual used markets.
Our favorite magnification is 10×32, but some do prefer the 10×42 unit.Ā
3. Pack, strap, and sling
The Nikon D850 and the Nikkor 200-500mm combo is powerful, but it is not light. In order to carry it around, we tried several different methods to discover the benefits and limitation of each.
The Ā backpack is the safest and most comfortable way to transport the pair, but it does not give the quickest access for shooting. Our backpack of choice is the Weekender from Maroon Bell. It is roomy, versatile, and doesn’t scream “Camera Bag!!!”
The Skout G2 Strap by Cotton Carrier transports the combo safely and allows for relatively quick access, but the weight in front of the body takes some getting use to. In addition, having the camera in front does on occasion get in the way of the binoculars.
The BlackRapid Blackline Sling solves the problem of carrying both the camera and the binoculars. It is also very comfortable in use, even with an 8 lb body/lens combo at the end of it. This is the one that we use the most on walks where the terrain is easy or moderate. This sling gives the quickest and most natural access to the camera of any other “system” we’ve tried.Ā
The only note we have of the Blackline is, while possible for a short distance, we would be less likely to use the sling on a more vigorous or difficult hike because the camera can swing freely when walking.
4. Clothing
If we could only pack one shirt and pair of pants or shorts to wear for a day, a week, or a month, it would absolutely be something from Graphene-X. They make the toughest line of adventure clothing bar none.
Their Layer-X and All-rounder lines are our “goto” for outings because the Layer-Xs are perfect as a t-shirt, under-layer, or anything else we can think of. Their All-Rounder shorts and long pants are light weight, tear-resistant, and comfortable all day long. We have worn them everywhere and in all four seasons.
Graphene-X clothing will perform as needed…without fail.
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