Winter Bird-watching at Newton’s Ponds, Lakes, and Rivers

Many waterbirds that breed in Canada or northern New England fly south for the winter.  Until they freeze, Newton’s ponds and lakes, and the Charles River, provide attractive habitats for

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Winter Birding near Newton

There are many opportunities for birding locally in the winter.  Visit this Globe article featuring Newton Conservator’s Board Member Pete Gilmore’s picks for great birding sites.

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Sign Up for Our Fall Webinars

Newton Conservators is pleased to present its first ever online webinar series. In past years, we welcomed you to fall walks in Newton’s open spaces. With continuing concerns for social

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Places to go . . .

Are you looking for something to do with your kids? Being out in nature, sharing open space with all the plants and animals that live there, can help to entertain

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A Eurasian Teal in Cold Spring Park

In the spring of 2009, a Eurasian teal made a rare visit to Cold Spring park.  Read about the visit in our Summer 2009 newsletter. Click on a photo to

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Birding at Nahanton Park

No doubt that Newton is a wonderful place for people to live. But as a heavily built up suburb, it is limited to how much suitable habitat is available for

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A Visitor from the Woods

  The Barred Owl is an occasional visitor to Newton parks and conservation areas. In March 2017, this fine specimen spent an entire day perched in a tree above a

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Common Nighthawk

Nighthawk Migration

As evenings become cooler in late August and early September, the southward migration of the Common Nighthawk begins. It’s a process you can miss entirely unless you know a bit

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Saving the Woodcock Meadow at Nahanton Park

A Conservation Partnership The rare Woodcock Meadow in Nahanton Park is threatened by the growth of invasives and woody vegetation. The Friends of Nahanton Park and the Newton Conservators have

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Great Blue Heron

Protect Our Herons: Leash Your Dog

Herons live along the shore of many ponds, lakes, and rivers in Newton and nearby communities. This Great Blue Heron was photographed in early August 2015 in a marshy pond

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Great Horned Owl

GREAT HORNED OWL, Bubo virginianus

December In some years during early morning hours of the Christmas Bird Count, the owl team has located as many as three or four great horned owls within the city

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Hooded Merganser

HOODED MERGANSER, Lophodytes cucullatus

March This handsome diving-duck appears in small groups soon after the ice has cleared on bodies of fresh water such as Bullough’s Pond or Crystal Lake. Both the male and

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