If you’re looking for great Boston birding, come visit the 7,000-acre Blue Hills Reservation in the South Shore area. The hilltops of Blue Hills are a popular breeding ground for many species you won’t find elsewhere near Boston. Here are three of the best places to start birding in the Blue Hills, depending on the season.
Birds at Buck Hill
Start birding at Buck Hill for your best chances of seeing a variety of birds, such as Prairie Warblers, Indigo Buntings, Brown Thrashers, and Field Sparrows. Hilltops are also great places to look for nests with baby birds in the spring. (Read more about finding nests in the Blue Hills.)
Fowls at… the aptly named… Fowl Meadow
In the spring, we recommend walking along Burma Road in Fowl Meadow and look and listen for the birds that nest here, including the Red-breasted Grosbeaks and Blue-winged Warbler. You’ll also find that many other birds use Fowl Meadow as a stopover as they migrate northward.
Follow the Skyline for Birds in the Fall
In the fall, you won’t see the brightly colored birds or hear as many songs as you would during the spring, but you can still find plenty of birds. Walk any portion of the Skyline trail, and when you reach the top of a hill, listen for the strikingly marked Eastern Towhees and Prairie Warblers, which are known for wagging their tails.
Follow the Skyline for Birds in the Fall
In the fall, you want to see the brightly colored birds or hear as many songs as you would during the spring, but you can still find plenty of birds. Walk any portion of the Skyline trail, and when you reach the top of a hill, listen for the strikingly marked Eastern Towhees and Prairie Warblers, which are known for wagging their tails.
Learn more about birds in the Blue Hills and why the Blue Hills is one of the best spots for birding.
Photo: David Forsyth (West Roxbury) “Indigo Bunting on Buck Hill”
