Birds of Macdonald Park
We search for birds every week in Macdonald Park in Medford. Here are some photos from our walks in 2020, most recent visits first.
A year of birds in the heart of the city
Torbert Macdonald Park in Medford is the largest riverfront park in greater Boston, part of the Mystic River Reservation. The park is named in honor of Rep. Torbert Macdonald , who represented the people of Mystic River watershed for 20 years in Congress until 1976. Macdonald Park was created by filling wetlands with earth moved in the construction of I-93. At least 177 species of birds have been documented here .
Species we have seen since Jan 2020: 72
Species list updated May 20, 2020. 13 visits. All photos taken in Macdonald Park, 2020.
September
Red-tailed Hawk.
More Red-tailed Hawks.
Red-eyed Vireo stopping in Medford on its way to South America (!) for the winter.
May
Baltimore Oriole, posing for portrait and singing
Common Yellowthroat.
Common Tern. Regular visitor in summer in the Mystic River Basin. Historically they nested on a nearby bridge structure.
Barn Swallow with nest material. Flying in and out of abandoned Police Boat House, where they almost certainly are nesting. Also seen collecting mud for nests. Known to return to same nests year to year.
Turkey Vulture.
Northern Parula, migrating warbler.
Scarlet Tanager.
Gray Catbird
Yellow Warbler.
Magnolia Warbler
May 5: a great day for migrating birds from Mexico, Central America and beyond. Warblers, vireos, orioles, and more. Every spring it's amazing to imagine the journeys of these animals (that weigh ~0.5-1 oz.)!
Amazing, too, that they can make a living in the heart of the city, either stopping over or staying all summer. Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo, and Baltimore Oriole all have nested here.
On May 12 we saw or heard 42 species.
Female Baltimore Oriole.
Black-and-white Warbler.
Warbling Vireo.
April
Pine Warbler, early warbler to arrive in migration.
Pine Warbler. The white outer tail feathers in flight help identify it as this species.
Beware, O rabbits of Medford! Red-tailed Hawk talons.
Build it and they will come. Tree Swallow, staking claim to nest boxes built by volunteers from the Mystic River Watershed Association. Tree swallows--aerial insectivores--come back to breeding grounds early to grab the available cavities as nest sites.
Tree Swallow territorial dispute?
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, tiny bird named for .... well, you can see.
Savannah Sparrow. Another bird moving north for the spring.
Northern Flicker, second largest woodpecker in North America. The only woodpecker here to forage regularly on the ground.
Swan on nest. Scientists have called a bird's nest a "disordered stick bomb, with just enough stored energy to keep it rigid.” Seems especially apt here.
Downy Woodpecker.
March
Grainy video, but magical to witness in person: the display flight of American Woodcock. After sunset, males zoom out and up, then spiral down with musical wing sounds. At least 5 birds here, 100 yards from Mystic Valley Parkway.
Song Sparrow, singing.
Belted Kingfisher.
Belted Kingfisher. If Kingfishers are around, so are fish. This bird may have been here all winter, fishing the Mystic River.
An especially dramatically feathered Red-winged Blackbird, displaying. Males return before females to nesting territories. He's showing off for other males, here.
White-throated Sparrow. Winter visitor.
February
Bufflehead. Migratory ducks that nest in northern Canada and move to the coasts and south for the winter.
Brave squirrel.
Red-breasted Merganser, not often seen in fresh water in winter, but regular here.
January
Common Merganser (bottom) and Common Goldeneye males, migratory ducks. The huge white form in the background is a swan. When the river ices over, many species share the same remaining bits of open water.
