Species A-E

American black duck: After looking for this duck for years, I finally found one... and then another... and then some more. They're really a phenomenon of the winter on the Mystic.  Seasonally common; Nesting: No
American coot: A winter bird of the Mystic. Seasonally common; Nesting: No
American crow:  There are plenty of crows present in Somerville. Common; Nesting: Possibly
American goldfinch:  This goldfinch in its winter wear was seen eating alder seeds on the banks of the Mystic. Less common; Nesting: Possibly
American kestrel:  The kestrel gets a mention because one day I was driving on Broadway in East Somerville when a kestrel swooped down, clung to a chain-link fence for a bit, then flew off. Rare; Nesting: Possibly
American redstart:  One of the migratory warblers you might see passing through in the spring, and probably at no other time of the year. Less common; Nesting: No
American robin:  One of America's most familiar birds.  They nest here as much as any other native bird, I'd say.  They're regarded as a bird of spring and summer, but some are resident here in winter as well. The mountain ash tree shown here is a particular favorite of theirs. Abundant; Nesting: Yes
American tree sparrow:  The fringe of trees and brush alongside the Mystic is the haunt of number of sparrow species, including this one.  On a winter's day, a flock of eight or ten was sallying from the trees to glean in the grass.  Less common; Nesting: No
American wigeon:  These wigeons were seen as November migrants on the Mystic. Rare; Nesting: No
American woodcock:  I saw one once, a few springs ago. It flew out of my neighbor's yard, crashed into the side of my house, and then continued on its way. No picture, regrettably. Rare; Nesting: No
Bald eagle:  On the Mystic in the winter, you can sometimes see a bald eagle, either perched in a tree or out on the ice. Rare; Nesting: No
Baltimore oriole:  The Baltimore oriole is by no means a rare bird, though it took me some years of looking before I finally spotted this one, near the playground by Dilboy Field, on the banks of the Alewife Brook. Less common; Nesting: Possibly
Barn swallow:   Barn swallows are the more recognizable of the swallow species that live by the Mystic.  The others are hard to identify, but are likely bank swallows or rough-winged.  All are hard to photograph on the wing. Seasonally common; Nesting: Probably
Barred owl:   This individual spent the day sleeping outside Somerville High, to everyone's delight. The photo is by my daughter's friend Celia. Rare; Nesting: No
Belted kingfisher:   Kingfishers are reported much more frequently from the Medford bank of the Mystic, but I did finally see one that made a brief stop in a willow on the Somerville side.  Unfortunately, it was fishing well out on the river before I was able to get a picture. Less common; Nesting: Possibly
Black-and-white warbler:   Another passing visitor.  This one was photographed in early May. Less common; Nesting: No
Black-capped chickadee:   The chickadees are a year-round presence, though I notice them more in winter.  And I'll hear them as much as I see them. I never see large flocks of them -- just a single individual, or maybe two or three. Common; Nesting: Yes
Black-crowned night heron:   As all good herons do, this one lives by the water.  By the Mystic, you can see this heron either at water's edge, or up in the trees.  It's a bit skittish, though, and quick to fly off. Less common; Nesting: No
Blackpoll warbler:   The blackpoll arrives at the back end of the warbler migration, typically the last week of May.  And it's usually high in the trees, which makes getting a good view difficult. Less common; Nesting: No
Black-throated blue warbler:   Another warbler migrant, this one from Prospect Hill. Less common; Nesting: No
Black-throated green warbler:   Unlike the black-throated blue, which is seen every year, the black-throated green shows up infrequently. Less common; Nesting: No
Blue-headed vireo:  Vireos, like warblers, show up in the spring and fall, high in the trees, usually.  The red-eyed vireo is the only one I've seen here in the summer, near the Mystic. Rare; Nesting: No
Blue jay:   A noisy, conspicuous bird almost everyone has seen.  They're here winter and summer, and in fall, they're sometimes to be seen in flocks of a dozen or so birds. Common; Nesting: Yes
Blue-winged teal:   In the fall, waterfowl begin to move around, and you get a chance to see some things you otherwise wouldn't. This teal, spotted right near the Blessing of the Bay Boathouse, is a perfect example. Rare; Nesting: No
Broad-winged hawk:   You'll see these hawks en masse migrating in the fall.  This hawk was one of half a dozen seen over Union Square. Rare; Nesting: No
Brown creeper:   Creepers show up once in a great while.  I've seen them in my yard on a few occasions, usually in late summer, but this one was by the Mystic in mid-November. Less common; Nesting: Possibly
Brown-head cowbird:   A mild exterior conceals a villainous heart. Luckily for our tranquility, not too many are to be found here. Less common; Nesting: Possibly
Brown thrasher:   I've seen brown thrashers maybe twice.  This one was up in my apple tree in the spring. Rare; Nesting: No
Bufflehead:   Another diving duck frequently seen on the Mystic in winter. Seasonally common; Nesting: No
Canada goose:   Here's the all-too-familiar despoiler of grassy areas, in the company of a couple other herbivores. Common; Nesting: Yes
Cape May warbler:   This warbler is not one of our most familiar migrant visitors; in fact, I've only seen them once. Rare; Nesting: No
Carolina wren:   This is the wren that is most usually seen in Somerville.  They're said to be increasing in numbers in Massachusetts, and I'm prepared to believe it. Less common; Nesting: Possibly
Cedar waxwing:   A flock of these was seen in early March of 2011 feeding on crabapples at the Korean War Memorial in front of the high school. They're very common by the Mystic in summer, feeding on the water chestnuts. Seasonally common; Nesting: Possibly
Chestnut-sided warbler:   This sightly warbler in my yard was easy to photograph, but it's not a regular springtime visitor. Rare; Nesting: No
Chimney swift:   These birds say "summer" to me more than any other.  I wish I knew where they nested.  They're generally too high up to get a good photo. Seasonally common; Nesting: Yes
Chipping sparrow:   Yet another in the longish roster of Mystic sparrows. Less common; Nesting: Possibly
Common eider:   However common the eider may be in its home territory in the northern oceans, it's a bit of a rarity here. This one was seen in Somerville's small piece of saltwater, below the Amelia Earhart dam. Rare; Nesting: No
Common goldeneye:   Another winter visitor, albeit an infrequent one, to the Mystic. Less common; Nesting: No
Common grackle:   The grackle is a handsome but angry-looking bird.  Its Somerville headquarters is the Mystic River by the Assembly Square Mall. Seasonally common; Nesting: Yes
Common loon:   One March, for two weekends running, I saw loons just below the Earhart Dam -- but never before or since. Rare; Nesting: No
Common merganser:   Despite their name, these mergansers seem less common than their cousins, the hooded and red-breasted mergansers. But if you frequent the Mystic in winter, you're sure to see them. Less common; Nesting: No
Common tern:   Terns don't usually come so far upriver, but on this occasion, a pair of them was perching on a tiny bit of flotsam just visible from the boathouse. Less common; Nesting: No
Common raven:  I saw one sitting on a light post one day while driving on McGrath Highway. Rare; Nesting: No
Common yellowthroat:   Another commoner.  This is the warbler I've seen most consistently year to year.  The female shown here was photographed during the spring migration in 2012. Seasonally common; Nesting: Yes
Cooper's hawk:   This hawk was eating a pigeon in the neighbor's tree, and wafting the feathers down on my head. Less common; Nesting: Possibly
Dark-eyed junco:   The junco is par excellence our bird of winter.  Nearly every day between late November and early April, there is a flock of them sporting about the yard. Seasonally common; Nesting: No
Double-crested cormorant:   A familiar fish-eating bird of the Mystic. Seasonally common; Nesting: No
Downy woodpecker:   This is our most familiar woodpecker.  They must nest in Somerville, because I see and hear them frequently in the warmer months. Common; Nesting: Probably
Eastern bluebird:   This is a crappy picture even by my low standards.  But, given that I've seen a bluebird here exactly once, it's lucky I have a picture at all. Rare; Nesting: No
Eastern kingbird:  The kingbird is another bird that's relatively common in Eastern Massachusetts, and yet not so numerous in Somerville.  That said, there are a few pairs by the Mystic and Alewife Brook. Seasonally common; Nesting: Yes
Eastern phoebe:   This particular phoebe is nesting on the MWRA building along Alewife Brook.  When I see them in my yard, they're clearly just passing through, in spring or fall. Seasonally common; Nesting: Yes
Eastern towhee:   Towhees are not common here.  This one was was seen in late April, and was apparently passing through on its way north. Rare; Nesting: No
Eastern wood-peewee:   Flycatchers pass through all at once, it seems, in early June, and they love my neighbor's yard. This wood-peewee was one of three flycatcher species in the yard at that moment. Rare; Nesting: No
European starling:   All too familiar and not widely liked, though I think their fall plumage is quite handsome. Abundant; Nesting: Yes