FREE! For an interactive low key workshop on a diverse approaches to bird ID
DATE – THURS. SEPT. !&
TIME – 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
WHERE – Idle Hands Craft Ales, 89 Commercial Street, Malden. MA
FREE! For a chance to put your new skills to the test in the beautiful woodlands of Middlesex Fells
DATE – SAT. SEPT 19
TIME – 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
WHERE – Middlesex Fells DCR Gate 55
QUESTIONS? hello@bostonbirdingfestival.org
FREE! Loaner binoculars are available—please email us in advance. Beginners welcome. Spaces limited. Please register in advance. See you out there!
In partnership with Great Malden Outdoors, we’re back for another evening of birding and learning at Idle Hands Craft Ales in Malden. A few days later, we’ll meet for a bird walk in the Middlesex Fells—and a chance to put your new ID skills to the test.
Bird identification can feel complicated. When you’re a beginner, you simply want to know what you’re looking at. Why does it seem so hard?
And yet, most of us can recognize hundreds—if not thousands—of people, not only by sight but also by voice. Sometimes we recognize someone after just one encounter.
No one studies a guidebook to identify their friends.
We’ll explore some unconventional paths to faster, easier bird identification—and learn how to use skills you already have in a birding context.
A few days later, we’ll lead a walk in the Middlesex Fells to look for woodland birds, lingering migrants and raptors overhead. You’ll have a chance to see whether what you learned actually works.
TRAILS IN MIDDLESEX FELLS
This is about a 2.5 mile walk on wide, packed dirt paths. Expect some rocks and roots. Wet leaves can pose a hazard. Elevation gain of about 300 feet.
FACILITIES
There are no restrooms on site. We recommended bringing water and bug spray/protection.
GPS ADDRESS
IDLE HANDS CRAFT ALES
Malden Center T station and parking lot is very close to 89 Commercial Street, roughly a 3–5 minute walk.
DIRECTIONS AND PARKING
You can also park at the Idle Hands lot or Callahan Park, next to Pisa Pizza near Charles and Pearl streets, about one block away.
MIDDLESEX FELLS
Meet at DCR Gate 55, which is clearly marked. This gate is near the intersection of Fellsway East and East Border Road.
LINKS
The Great Malden Outdoors is a public & private partnership aimed at getting all Malden residents outdoors. We are an outdoor enablement campaign created by First Seed Sown Sales & Marketing, but owned by the city of Malden. Our goal is building and maintaining equitable access to outdoor recreation for Maldonians, reducing the “Adventure Gap”, while fostering recreational pursuits in the city.
The Great Malden Outdoors creates awareness of outdoor recreation, provides outdoor rec programs for residents, discovers and reduces barriers to entry, and provides sustainable resources to keep Maldonians recreating outside for years to come. From learning to bird or bike, to paddling, running, and rock climbing, The Great Outdoors Malden has something for every adventurer. [LINK]
