Birder's Guide to Carlisle
Greenough, Foss Farm, and the O'Rourke land consist of a great mix of habitats, with swamps, deep forests, open croplands. In March of 2013, the O'Rourke land was host to crowds of birders looking for a Fieldfare, a Eurasian thrush that was found by Alan Ankers, a fantastic Carlisle birder with lots of experience and skill. He was checking for early spring migrants, such as Red-Winged Blackbird and Killdeer, when a flock of Robins contained a different thrush, which turned out to be the Fieldfare, only the 6th record in the U.S., and the first since 1991 in Minnesota.
Winter (December-March): Besides the Fieldfare, these 3 hotspots offer a wealth of birds. In the winter, one can find winter sparrows such as American Tree and Fox, as well as Northern Shrike, Cooper's Hawk, Eastern Bluebird, and Golden-Crowned Kinglet. The most productive path for most seasons is to start at Foss Farm, then walk along the fields, through the woods, then into the O'Rourke Land. During winter, Foss can hold Eastern Bluebirds, but otherwise the bird life is pretty bleak. At O'Rourke, the bushes by the dirt road can hold numerous sparrows throughout the winter, such as Fox and American Tree. At the Greenough Land, a number of great birds can be found in the deep woods, such as Winter Wren, Dark-Eyed Junco, Carolina Wren, and Red-Breasted Nuthatch.
2014 Update: On March 20, 2014, Sam Heinrich found a Northern Shrike at the O'Rourke Land. A week later, he and Alan Ankers found an early Eastern Towhee as well as a nice Fox Sparrow. Tom Brownrigg found 2 Bald Eagles and an American Kestrel that week as well. On December 6, 2014, Sam Heinrich located Middlesex County's first December record of Swainson's Thrush in his backyard, less than 1/4 of a mile from the Greenough land. This represents just the 2nd Massachusetts record for December.
Spring: (Late March-June)Some great birding can be done here in spring. The steady stream of migrants starts in mid-march with Killdeer and Red-Winged Blackbird, and continues into late June. In mid-April, the 3 early warblers arrive, Palm, Pine, and Yellow-Rumped. In late April, the variety starts to occur, with Yellow Warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, and Rose-Breasted Grosbeak being the highlights. April is also primetime for raptor migration, and the O'Rourke land is great for American Kestrel, Cooper's Hawk, and the occasional Osprey. The Greenough Land can hold Barred and Great-Horned Owl, and many waterfowl and marsh birds flock through, such as Hooded Merganser, Mallard, Ring-Necked Duck, and Great Blue Heron. In May, the warbler floodgates open, and speceies such as Black-Throated Green, Nashville, Wilson's, Black-and-White, and Magnolia Warblers can be found. Later, in June, Great-Crested Flycatchers, Willow Flycatchers, and Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds come through. Greenough hold some species during this time that Foss and O'Rourke don't, especially on the waterfowl front. Greenough can have American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, and Double-Crested Cormorant.
2014 Update: On May 3rd, Alan Ankers led a Carlisle Conservation Foundation walk that found a Prairie Warbler and 2 Ovenbird.
Summer:(Late June-Early August) Summer is pretty slow throughout Carlisle, but some interesting birds can still be found. These include Killdeer, Eastern Bluebird, Osprey, Swamp Sparrow, and Brown Creeper. Killdeer and Bluebirds are common in the agricultural fields at Foss, Swamp Sparrow is common at the marsh area between Foss and O'Rourke. Osprey is an occasional flyover at O'Rourke, Foss, and Greenough, and Brown Creeper is common at Greenough and O'Rourke. As July progresses, Solitary, Spotted, and Least Sandpipers can be seen at the Greenough Land.
2014 Update: In early July, Sam Heinrich found a Virginia Rail at the Greenough Bridge on Maple Street.
Fall:(Mid August-November) Many warbler, flycatcher, and raptor migrants are the same in the fall, but fall migration is more spread out for these birds. Some species are more prevalent in the fall than in the spring though. These birds include sparrows such as White-Crowned, Vesper, Lincoln's, American Tree, Fox, and White-Throated. Fall is also good for raptor migration, and Sharp-Shinned, Red-Shouldered, and Cooper's Hawks are regular visitors to all three locations. White-Crowned, Field, White-Throated, Vesper, and Lincoln's Sparrow are most prevalent in October, while American Tree and Fox are more common in November. Another migrant more common in Fall is American Pipit. Another species that is more abundant in October, and all through winter, is Purple Finch. Two uncommon species for Carlisle, a late Tennessee Warbler and a Greater White-Fronted Goose, also rare for MA, were found at the O'Rourke land in October 2010.
Spotlight on Local Birders: Alan Ankers
How did you get interested in birding?
I was always interested in birds as a youngster in England, but did not really become what I considered a serious birder until 1991 when we moved to West Medford, close to the Mystic Lakes, and noticed that a wide variety of ducks could be seen there. About five years later I became acquainted with some other local birders and realized I was nowhere near a “serious” birder. As a kind of birding mentor, Marj Rines showed me how many birds one could find locally, away from the widely-recognized birding venues. Medford’s Brooks Estate was our own Mount Auburn. This had a profound influence on my birding style as I focused heavily on local areas, with particular emphasis on my “hometown list.” I carried this over when I moved to Carlisle in late 2007, making it my goal to find as many species as possible within the town limits, and gain the best understanding I could of the local birds.
What is your favorite Carlisle birding spot?
The old O’Rourke farmland, now part of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, became my favorite birding spot because of its great variety of landscapes and bird species.
What is your favorite bird?
The best answer would probably be “The last one I saw”, but forced to make a specific choice, I would take the American Kestrels that can frequently be found at O’Rourke.
Any other stories, anecdotes, or favorite birding experiences?
I always enjoy the high-intensity birding events like the Christmas Bird Count and Mass Audubon’s Birdathon, and occasionally create my own by embarking on a “Carlisle Big Day” - trying to find as many species as possible within a single day without leaving town.