Next Bear Creek, Saugus, walk on Sunday December 7, 9 am; report for November 23 walk

[sohz...@gmail.com]

Folks,

The next walk at Bear Creek Sanctuary in Saugus is on Sunday, December 7 at 9 am. Details at the end of this email. Note that There is NO walk next Sunday, after Thanksgiving (Nov 30). Furthermore, there will be no public walk on Sunday, December 14, the date of the Greater Boston Christmas Bird Count.

For the remainder of November and all of December, I will be using massbird, Arlingtonbirds or Bostonbirds email lists only to publicize these walks. If you do not subscribe to one or more of those lists, time to join.

The walk on Sunday (today) was highlighted by some of the usual suspects: Bald Eagles, Horned Larks, a Lapland Longspur, Snow Buntings.

Thanks to Brendan Burke for fulfilling list-keeping duties. If you were there, the following link will allow you to share the list:
https://ebird.org/mychecklists?subID=aE-ObK8XxH95txOUbZPfrQ==&s=t


Bear Creek Sanctuary (restricted access), Essex, Massachusetts, US Nov 23, 2025 9:04 AM - 11:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.022 mile(s)
32 bird species

Canada Goose 20
American Black Duck 4
Surf Scoter 2
Bufflehead 8
Red-breasted Merganser 40
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 10
Mourning Dove 5
Killdeer 1
American Herring Gull 80
Great Black-backed Gull 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Northern Harrier 3
Bald Eagle 2
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
American Crow 4
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Horned Lark 120 Regular flock
Carolina Wren 2
European Starling 400
Northern Mockingbird 3
House Sparrow 5
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 8
Lapland Longspur 1
Snow Bunting 20
White-throated Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 10
Red-winged Blackbird 4
Northern Cardinal 2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S285877687

Here are details for attending the walk at this property on December 7:

Bear Creek is an upland sanctuary built on the WINWaste (formerly Wheelabrator) landfill at the northeast corner of Rumney Marsh in Saugus and Revere. Access information is below. Wear waterproof walking shoes and be prepared to hike 3 – 4 miles. The property is mostly very open, so be prepared for sun, wind and weather.

This walk is free and open to the public, but also note that this property is accessible by invitation only and visitors need to be chaperoned at all times. Please allow roughly 4 hours for this field trip. The actual length of the trip depends on conditions and the birds present. It's usually difficult to break up the party if you need to be somewhere in the early afternoon. Come prepared to stay with the group.

WINWaste company has graciously stocked up on some extra pairs of binoculars, so if you or someone you know wants to learn about birds and birding, come on down. Please let Geoff Wilson s2...@comcast.net know you're coming so we can have a head count.

Bear Creek Sanctuary access is via the WINWaste plant, 100 Salem Turnpike (Rte 107), Saugus. The rotary at the intersection of Rtes 60 and 107 is about 1½ miles southwest of the plant and about 1 mile east of Rte 1 exit on Rte 60. When traveling northeast on 107, if you go over the Ballard Street bridge (just after a set of lights) you’ve gone too far — turn back. Here is a link to google maps:
http://tinyurl.com/326v87d.

When you arrive, drive through the plant gates, park in the parking lot immediately and wait for the group. Please do not drive farther into the property without an escort.

Soheil Zendeh
Littleton, MA