UNOFFICIAL GLOBAL BIG DAY BIRDER THROWDOWN
We challenge you to a Global Big Day Throwdown. Do you dare to take us
DATE – Sunday. April. 27, 2025
TIME – 8:00-10:00 AM ET
PROGRAM PARTNERS – Brookline Bird Club and Walking City Trail
This event is free, but you must register in advance. Spaces are limited.
We also request a signed release, which you can complete online, or print, sign, and bring or complete onsite.
Please look for the email we send in advance for updates.
Stony Brook Reservation
1 E Boundary Road,
Boston MA 02136
The address for your GPS is Connell Field, 1 E Boundary Road, Boston, MA 02136 at the intersection of Smithfield and Enneking Parkway.
See map. We will meet at the Connell Field parking lot.
Public transit is available with a 5-minute walk from Connell Field from the #33 and #40/50 bus stop at 272 Reservation Road.
Other options include:
• Hyde Park commuter rail stop (requires a 10-15 minutes walk)
• The 32 bus also drops off nearby on Hyde Park Avenue.
If you are driving, consider carpooling. Parking is available in the lots near the Connell Athletic fields. The address for your GPS is Connell Field, 1 E Boundary Road, Boston, MA 02136 at the intersection of Smithfield and Enneking.Parkway.
There are few lots in this general area — the largest is near the ball field. A small one is NW on Enneking about 50 feet or so from the intersection on your right. We will meet at the largest lot and walk up. See map.
Established in 1894 as a city greenspace, Boston’s Stony Brook Reservation is managed by the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston and the DCR. This urban gem deserves and has special value to people who live nearby.
The wilder sections of this property are known for their dramatic rocky cliffs and outcroppings and include woodlands, brooks, a beautiful pond, floodplain and marshes, shallow wetlands, and certified vernal pools. At the north, Bellevue Hill, at 338 feet, is the highest point in the city of Boston and can be good for hawk-watching.
For this walk, we’ll explore the eastern side of Stony Brook Reservation and see what new migrants and resident birds we can find. We’ll keep a careful count and add the data to the evolving checklist for the Walking City Trail survey project (more on that here—LINK). A collaborative effort that includes hikers, local conservation leaders, birders, and nature lovers, the survey walks along the Walking City Trail celebrate urban wilds and greenspace and invite participants to engage in some much-needed community science.
The more data we have about the biodiversity of city parks, the better these areas can be protected.
New birders are welcome, and we have some binoculars to lend.
Spaces are limited. Free.
PHOTO: Bird Walk with the BBC, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Common Yellowthroat, Warbling Vireo, Ovenbird @MFB, @Getty Images.
TRAILS
This walk is easy-moderate—about 2 miles over uneven surfaces. Expect rocks and roots.
CHALLENGES
Please note: We may encounter leashed and off-leash dogs at this property. There are sometimes porta-potties at Connell Field, but a more reliable bet is Hyde Park Center, near the train station. Small businesses or the BPL branch may be options.
JOIN YOUR LOCAL BIRD CLUB
There are a million reasons to join your local bird club! Here’s our take… [LINK]
USEFUL LINKS
The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) is America’s most active bird club and one of the oldest in the nation. Membership is open to all who are interested in birds and nature.
The BBC offers an extensive program of year-round field trips, covering the entire state of Massachusetts from the Berkshires to Stellwagen Bank, New England, and beyond. Guests are welcome on Club walks and at talks and Club meetings.
Connecting 17 Boston neighborhoods from the Neponset River Reservation to Bunker Hill Monument, the Walking City Trail is a 27-mile urban hiking path through some of Boston’s most scenically immersive parks, urban wilds, gardens, and residential neighborhoods.
It was created in 2022 by a hearty crew of Boston ramblers.
As cities expand their multi-use trails, it’s time to expand our idea of where hiking can happen. The city is a rustling, fragrant, and historically loaded ecosystem in which pathways and street walks can be connected to create long-distance hiking routes. What better way to discover urban hiking than by hiking Boston, where visionaries like Frederick Law Olmsted brought the natural world to the city with the Emerald Necklace linear parks? Or where thousands of people walk the Freedom Trail each year?
Visit our website and bring your hiking shoes.
MAILING ADDRESS
Registered Agent
The Boston Birding Festival
82 Wendell Ave. Suite 100
Pittsfield, MA 01201 USA
hello@bostonbirdingfestival.org
(617) 329-9518 messages only
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