Future trip to Boston

[kansabirdguy]

My family is planning on going to Boston next year. Just wanted advice for what to look for. I'm from Ks, so I'll be completely out of my element:)

[The Bird Nuts]

What time of year and how far are you willing to travel?

I haven't been birding in Massachusetts much, but Parker River NWR on Plum Island is a well-known birding hotspot.  I can recommend it, although there can be a lot of people there, not just birders.  I think it's good for birds any time of the year.  It's about an hour away from Boston.

[Charlie Spencer]

I picked up scoter and other waterfowl in Plymouth and other coastal spots south of the big city.  Salem didn't yield much.

Edited May 23, 2021 by Charlie Spencer

[kansabirdguy]

it'll be september

[AlexHenry]

On 5/23/2021 at 6:24 AM, kansabirdguy said:

it'll be september

I highly recommend either Essex County, especially the Plum Island / Parker River NWR area, or go out onto Cape Cod. In September, shorebirding along the coast should be great, and there should be some fall songbird migration as well.

If possible try to convince your family to take a whale watching trip out of Provincetown on Cape Cod. Its about a two hour drive from Boston, but well worth it, especially if you stop at other places on the Cape on your way out or back. A whale watching trip out of Provincetown is a pretty sure way to see a few shearwaters (Sooty, Manx, Great, Cory's are possible) or Wilson's Storm-Petrels - which should be exciting for someone from Kansas! Other great spots on the Cape include Wellfleet Bay, the North Beach/South Beach/Monomoy area in Chatham (although access is complicated for the islands), or Fort Hill in Eastham or Sandy Neck.

If you can't make it all the way out onto the Cape, I suggest checking out spots like Nahant, Millenium Park, Nahanton Park, Great Meadows in Concord, or Dunback Meadow in Lexington.