Bangalore Palace, Bengaluru, Jan 2014

Bangalore Palace spreads over 450 acres of Bengaluru, with open spaces and light woodland. The palace buildings themselves are reasonably modern and recently renovated. 

The grounds are often used for concerts and have hosted such headliners as Rolling Stones, Elton John and Iron Maiden. Today, it was my opportunity to strut my stuff as a Coppersmith Barbet kept the beat and Black Kites circled in the bright sky like a mirrorball negative.

This one had found something to eat and sat very still until the others had moved off. Only then did it start to feed.

This was a very fleeting visit on the way home from Bellal Lake. I am not convinced that I should have been wandering about willy-nilly. The palace is open to visitors, but I am not sure that they are supposed to slope off into the woodland. Official sites suggest that there is an entrance fee, but the security guard at the gate barely gave us a second glance. Perhaps the fee is charged for entrance to the palace buildings and the formal gardens. 

The area close to the gate was endearingly unkempt and seemed promising for birds. The White-cheeked Barbet was common again, but still reluctant to sit for a photo. I eventually caught up with one in deep shade of a fruiting tree.

A Shikra flashed by and settled momentarily before flying off again. A couple of calls from the woodland along Palace Road stumped me, but at least I wasn’t being caught out by the squeaky Palm Squirrels any more.

Bird list for Bangalore Palace;

Black Kite 20, Shikra 1, White-cheeked Barbet 8, Coppersmith Barbet 1, House Crow 8, Large-billed Crow 1, Purple-rumped Sunbird 2.

The entrance fee is IR225 for Indian nationals, increasing to IR450 for foreigners. A hefty IR675 extra charge is levied for using a still camera. The guard at the gate on Palace Road, does not appear to issue tickets, so I assume that the fee is payable for the buildings and formal gardens. The timings are from 10.00 – 17.30. There are many negative reviews of the palace tour and the excessive price, but my walk in the non-formal parkland cost nothing and was very pleasant.

Visit the dedicated India Page to see more posts from Bengaluru, including Lalbagh Gardens and Bellal Lake.

Hebbal Lake Park, Bengaluru, Jan 2014

Which associative noun would you use to describe a resident of Bengaluru? If it were up to me I would choose “Banger”, but a reputed (sic) resident of the city informed me that they still use the pre-Anathamurthy term, “Bangalorian”.

My Bangalorian colleagues had warned me off visiting Hebbal Lake. They were concerned for my security and were worried that I might get mugged. As it happens, I enjoyed a pleasant walk along the lakeside, unmolested and found 30 birds into the bargain, including a Pale-billed Flower-pecker which I have not seen for a long time.

On the southern bank is a gated area called Hebbal Lake Park. The gate, which can be seen at Google Earth ref;13 2 38.14N 77 35 3.95E, was open and unattended at 07.15 this morning (see below) and the seductive, resonant call of the White-cheeked Barbet enticed me through. There was a lawn to the right and a neatly clipped formal garden to the left. Straight ahead was the lake, its margins trimmed with Water Hyacinth.

Barbet calls were common, but the birds were restless and wouldn’t sit out for a photo. The flower-pecker was also very evasive. One was trying to swallow a berry that was almost as large as its own head, but kept to the tangles where I couldn’t autofocus. A Blythe's Reed Warbler was far more accommodating.

In the gardens to the left, a few overgrown spots looked promising and sunbirds played chase through the treetops. They were too quick to see, but the call was Purple-rumped Sunbird. As I tried to catch one in my binoculars to confirm it, a wasp landed on my forehead and stung me. I looked up to see a nest right above me and decided to move on.

Out on the lake were a couple of very pretty islands, also surrounded by floating weed. Eurasian Coots and Indian Spot-billed Ducks floated on the open water, but most of the action was concentrated around the availability of food in, on and around the Water Hyacinth beds. 

In the distance, white herons proved to be Intermediate and Little Egrets. A dark thin ibis flew in on the far side of the lake. I thought Glossy Ibis, but this is beyond their present range. Historically, they used to be seen down this way, but their range contracted and they are more likely to be seen far to the north. It was a distant look, but I prefer the slight, fine-billed Glossy to the Black Ibis, whose range covers this area, but is a much stockier bird.

The cormorants were very obvious with three species representing the family; Great, Indian and Little Cormorants. The most common were the square-headed Little Cormorants which could be seen swimming, diving and roosting. The others appeared in much lower numbers. 

The Indian Pond Herons became more obvious when I stopped and scanned. They blend in very well and move very slowly, but once my eye became atuned, they were seen everywhere.

Eurasian Coots, White-breasted Waterhens and Purple Swamphens represented the Rallids from plates 38 and 39 of my Princeton Field Guide to the Birds of India and Pakistan, whilst a Bronze-winged Jacana was filed under “miscellaneous” on Plate 49.

The most productive viewpoint was in the furthest east corner of the park at Google Earth ref; 13 2 39.51N 77 35 7.23E. Most of the aforementioned water-associated birds could be seen from here as well as a distant Oriental Darter, a White-throated Kingfisher and a roosting Spot-billed Pelican.

My field guide denies the existence of any species of pelican in Bengaluru, so I decided that my next move should be to get a better look. On the way out, a Purple-rumped Sunbird sat out to be ticked, but the Greater Coucal, which had been teasing me all morning with its rich calls, evaded sight confirmation.

I had hoped to find some waders, but there was no sign of any. There was a roosting bar that would have made a good overnight stop for any birds that could find good feeding in the area, but there did not appear to be any shallow water or mud on Hebbal Lake ( I have just found an eBird submission for the lake which confirms that a few species of wader might be seen here and supports my thoughts on Glossy Ibis and Spot-billed Pelican).

Contrary to advice that I had received, Hebbal Lake is not free access at all times. There are fences and gates that block access to the lakeside along the southern shore and I had only been able to walk about 300m of bank. Even within the park, a barrier protected half of it from my explorations. My attempt to get a better look at the pelican was thwarted by not being able to get close to the bank further along. Spot-billed Pelican is my best guess as it is the only member of the Pelecanus family likely to be seen south of Mumbai. Great White Pelicans have been very rarely seen this far down, but this individual was a “dingy” bird and that is what I will tell eBird when they send me a quizzical email.

 Bird list for Hebbal Lake Park; 30

Indian Spot-billed Duck 35, Indian Cormorant 3, Great Cormorant 4, Little Cormorant 35, Oriental Darter 2, Spot-billed Pelican 3, Purple Heron 2, Intermediate Egret 4, Little Egret 2, Indian Pond-Heron 30, Glossy Ibis 1, Black Kite 30, Brahminy Kite 2, White-breasted Waterhen 2, Purple Swamphen 7, Eurasian Coot 12, Red-wattled Lapwing 1, Bronze-winged Jacana 1, Spotted Dove 1, Rose-ringed Parakeet 10, Asian Koel 4, Greater Coucal (heard only) White-throated Kingfisher 1, White-cheeked Barbet 3, Black Drongo 1, House Crow 15, Large-billed Crow 1, Blythe’s Reed Warbler 2, Common Myna 2, Pale-billed Flower-pecker 8, Purple-rumped Sunbird 4.

Confusion and frustration could arise at the gate to Hebbal Lake Park. A notice there advises that opening time is 09.45 and that a small charge would be applied to visitors, especially those with cameras. The gate was open and unattended at 07.15 this morning and enthusiastic Bangers were keenly applied to their morning exercises. I left at 09.30 and there was still no-one to take my money.

The park was not at all busy. Perhaps 15 people shared the area with me today. Most of those were sweeping leaves or cutting grass. The park is not close to, or easily accessible from a residential area, as it is on the wrong side of a busy dual carriageway, so casual early morning walkers were few. The side road outside the park is popular with truck drivers as an overnight pull-in and this transient population may have been the cause of my colleagues’ concerns. My experience was of a peaceful, pleasant and quiet park. There were no facilities that I noticed and I would guess that it is not an easy place from which to hail a cab. Ask your driver to wait with you and if you feel uncomfortable, ask him to walk with you. My taxi from the centre of Bengaluru today cost IR800 for 4 hours.

I only managed to explore a small section of the lake, but access looked difficult further along

 Visit the dedicated Indian Page for more posts from Bengaluru, including, Bannerghatta National Park and Lalbagh Gardens

Dairy Mart Road - Main Pond, San Diego, Jan 2014

The area around the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park is run through with paths and trails and I was a little concerned about getting lost. To this end, I drew from my cub scout training and left markings on the ground at junctions and along the paths to help me find my way back to the Main Pond. Half-way through the morning, I was struck by the thought that the Mexican border is less than a mile from here and a vigilant Border Patrol Officer may spend the afternoon trying to interpret the signs as a communication from human traffickers.

A couple of the paths looked as if they had been swept clean of any footprints so that new ones would show up. This gave me an interesting snapshot of what may have passed along the trail or crossed it in the last 24 hours. Rodent prints mixed with tiny beetle tracks. I couldn’t decide whether the dog prints were from Coyotes or domestic animals. Similarly, the Bobcat prints could have been a feral cat. Only one set of human footprints went ahead of me; not too surprising for an early Monday morning.

The Main Pond on Dairy Mart Road had been my main focus, but didn’t hold my attention for too long. A good number of Black-crowned Night-Heron roosted in the reeds on the far side from the screen. Mallards and Northern Shovelers were easily found. Pied-billed Grebes and a Great Egret skulked around the edges.

A pair of Downy Woodpeckers had been seen just as I entered the area and it was interesting to find a Nuttall’s Woodpecker for close comparison.

There was a map on the notice-board at the entrance (Google Earth Ref: 32 33 15.08N 117 3 46.39W), but the trails are very jumbled and the glass proved to be very reflective when I tried to take a digital image. Without an adequate direction or trail markers to follow I tried to take an obvious route through the dry scrub, leaving markings at junctions.

White-crowned Sparrows, Song Sparrows and Black Phoebe were seen along the pathways.

A Merlin sat out well in a dead tree, but flushed as I passed beneath him on the path. It allowed me to pass without flushing further on.

Beyond here, the trail closed in and side trails were closed with bright orange netting. I decided that I had gone far enough and returned, following the signs, to see a Border Patrol Officer scrutinising the ground at a side trail with his cap in one hand, scratching his head with the other.

Bird list for Dairy Mart Road – Main Pond; 30

American Wigeon 1, Mallard 25, Cinnamon Teal 1, Northern Shoveler 25, Bufflehead 1, Ruddy Duck 25, Pied-billed Grebe 15, Double-crested Cormorant 5, Great Egret 3, Black-crowned Night Heron 60, Turkey Vulture 1, Merlin 1, American Coot 6, Ring-billed Gull 15, Western Gull 25, Mourning Dove 8, Common Ground Dove 2, Anna’s Hummingbird 10, Nuttall’s Woodpecker 1, Downy Woodpecker 2, Black Phoebe 3, American Crow 8, Tree Swallow 2, Orange-crowned Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 3, Yellow-rumped Warbler 3, California Towhee 5, Song Sparrow 12, White-crowned Sparrow 15, House Finch 20.

I reached Dairy Mart Road’s Main Pond by taking the Blue Line trolley to Beyer Blvd Trolley Stop. From here, Bus no. 906 or 907 crosses Dairy Mart Rd at Burger King on San Isidro. Get out here and cross Highway 5. The pond is 400m further on the right.

Pantoja Park, San Diego, Jan 2014

I made a very quick walk-through of Pantoja Park on the way home from the San Diego River. It is a tiny park, perhaps just an acre or so, at Kettner Blvd and G St., very close to Seaport Village Station trolley stop. The main body of the park is laid to lawn and two stands of fig trees grace opposing corners.

Yellow-rumped Warblers formed a noisy flock with House Finches and Lesser Goldfinches.

A pish brought a quick reaction from An Orange-crowned Warbler and a Black Phoebe perched on a Lamp. It looked as if this was a favoured perch.

Bird list for Pantoja Park; 7

Anna’s Hummingbird 2, American Crow 3, Northern Mockingbird 2, Orange-crowned Warbler 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 20, House Finch 30, Lesser Goldfinch 20.

Visit the dedicated USA and Canada Page for more sites in San Diego.

San Diego River, San Diego, California, Jan 2014

This was my first visit to San Diego and eBird’s Hotspot Explorer had been earning its seed, though a slight limitation was shown up. It had highlighted a couple of sites that would be easily accessible, but failed to mention the fog. I was slicked up for a sunny day by the San Diego River and wishing that I had brought a warmer top. The fog persisted right through the morning and left me uncomfortably cold.

I joined the river at Morena Blvd (Google Earth ref; 32 45 38.37N 117 11 39.49W) and walked the cycle path that runs along its southern bank. The river here is barely 5m across and surrounded by trees and bushes. This area looked quite birdy, but was strangely quiet with very little seen or heard. A small flock of Bushtits fed as they progressed through the weeds and a loose group of Yellow-rumped Warblers fed in a stand of alien eucalypts.

The river soon opens out into a wide (250m) floodplain. There were obviously plenty of birds out in the mist, but it was difficult to tell what they might be. The richer brown of the Marbled Godwits contrasted with the grey of the Willets. The Black-necked Stilts stood out and the Northern Shovelers were obvious, but there was much lost to distance and fog.

The mist thinned a little to allow me to see the river which snaked down among reeds and weeds. Ducks swept past as they rode the outgoing tidal current. Anna’s Hummingbirds scratched from bushes along the bank. One sat very prominently as a patch of clear sky passed overhead.

Once visibility was restored, a good selection of ducks could be identified, with American Wigeon being the most numerous by far. Northern Pintail, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal and Green-winged Teal were also seen.

A Clapper Rail flushed from the near bank and allowed me a good look as it swam across the channel to the safety of the reeds on the far side. A second flushed, but had a greater sense of urgency and flew straight across the water before plunging into the bank side vegetation after its mate.

A Belted Kingfisher perched on a snag in the middle of the river and surprised me by flying up to hover before plunging down to catch a fish.

Downstream from W. Mission Bay Drive, the river opens out and the reeds and grass give way to open water with a substantial mud bank further on. A large Peregrine Falcon perched on a street lamp on the bridge. It was a huge, brute of a bird, almost the size of a red-tail.

Red-breasted Merganser, Bufflehead and Eared Grebe preferred the open water. The mudflats were busy with gulls, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret and Little Blue Heron.

Plenty of waders were feeding as the tide ebbed and exposed fresh mud. Long-billed Curlews, Whimbrels, and Marbled Godwits were common with a few Western Sandpipers, Least Sandpiper and a single Dunlin also seen.

Robb Field is a complex of sports fields on the southern side of the river as it approaches the ocean. A pair of Osprey has a nest on one of the lighting poles here and was pair bonding today, bringing each other little gifts, sitting at the nest and flying together across the water.

A channel close to the path allows for some nice close views of the wading birds. A Long-billed Curlew and a Whimbrel fed in the channel and a Marbled Godwit was shot on the near bank.

Sand has blocked all but a small channel as the river reaches the ocean. This has been designated as a dog beach and it was very popular on this Sunday morning. Western Gulls, Heerman’s Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls were seen along the beach.

 It was pointed out to me that California Gulls should have made up the bulk of the gull biomass on my list today, but I didn’t actually see one. I made a cursory attempt to catalogue the gull species on the river, but each light-backed gull that I took a proper look at was a small ring-bill with light eyes. A large flock out on the mudflats were probably California Gulls, but they were too distant, I was too cold and after all, they were gulls.

As I climbed back up from the beach, a movement on the fence of a house backing onto the path caught my eye. A small warbler flicked in response to a pish. At first I thought that it must be  an Oporornis (as once was) type warbler, but there were a few anomalies that I wasn’t happy with. I took some photos and checked my field guide which suggested that a Nashville Warbler would be a much better fit. ( As it turns out, this is the Gray-headed version of the Orange-crowned Warbler. Thanks to Seagull Steve and Matt Sadowsky. See comment below).

The walk back to the trolley line was marked by one of the Ospreys fishing. It made three plunges just in front of me and on the third occasion came away with a decent-sized fish. On the first two occasions, I lost the bird from the viewfinder or lost focus.

On the third attempt, the focus held and I managed to keep the diving bird in frame. On the bank at this point there is no vegetation for 100m in each direction, except for a small bush right in front of me which decided to photo-bomb my picture of an Osprey hitting its target.

The walk westwards from Morena Blvd should have given a good angle for photographs in the morning. The return walk still has the sun from behind and well placed if walking east in the afternoon. 

Bird list for San Diego River; 66

Brant 1, Gadwall 36, American Wigeon 450, Mallard 12, Blue-winged Teal 50, Cinnamon Teal 7, Northern Shoveler 20, Northern Pintail 180, Green-winged Teal 85, Redhead 20, Lesser Scaup 15, Bufflehead 25, Red-breasted Merganser 9, Ruddy Duck 155, Pied-billed Grebe 17, Eared Grebe 6, Western Grebe 11, Double-crested Cormorant 19, Brown Pelican 8, Great Blue Heron 10, Great Egret 12, Snowy Egret 17, Little Blue Heron 8, Osprey 3, Northern Harrier 3, Red-tailed Hawk 2, American Kestrel 1, Peregrine Falcon 1. Clapper Rail 2, American Coot 55, Black-bellied Plover 80, Semi-palmated Plover 10, Killdeer 1, Black-necked Stilt 35, American Avocet 320, Spotted Sandpiper 9, Greater Yellowlegs 10, Willet 160, Whimbrel 18, Long-billed Curlew 16, Marbled Godwit 140, Western Sandpiper 3, Least Sandpiper 8, Dunlin 1, Short-billed Dowitcher 60, Heerman’s Gull 20, Ring-billed Gull 30, Western Gull 100, Royal Tern 3, Mourning Dove 3, Anna’s Hummingbird 5, Belted Kingfisher 3, Black Phoebe 4, Say’s Phoebe 2, American Crow 7, Common Raven 1, Bushtit 10, European Starling 2, Nashville Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 2, Yellow-rumped Warbler 18, California Towhee 1, Savannah Sparrow 8, White-crowned Sparrow 15, Western Meadowlark 5, Housefinch 14.

The Green Line Trolley runs from San Diego city and crosses the river. It stops at Morena/Linda Vista Station on the northern bank of the river. The bridge here for Morena Blvd has a sidewalk and a ramp that will give access to the cycle path on the south side of the river. A day pass for San Diego bus/trolley/train transport system costs $5. Trolleys run every 20 minutes or so on the Green Line.

Visit the dedicated USA and Canada Page for more sites in San Diego.

Snowy Owls at Floyd Bennett Field, New York, Jan 2014

The weather had improved somewhat by the time we reached New York. The Arctic vortex was threatening still, but the Big Apple had some respite with a couple of relatively mild days. I made a quick change and set straight out for Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. Snowy Owls had been regularly reported here during the latest irruption, but I was on foot and there is quite a bit of ground to cover. White plastic bags were common and attracted the eye out on the rough grass of the airfield. 

One white mass particularly caught my attention. It was slightly assymetrical and not flapping around like the plastic carriers. There were still a few little mounds of snow, but I had a good feeling about this one. From the first edge of the grass, the bird was about 300 meters away and I couldn’t be certain that it was my intended quarry, but as I got closer, it became plain that this was a Snowy Owl. From where I was, I could see that cars were passing on a tarmac surface just beyond it and a small mound would offer some cover, allowing me to approach to a reasonable distance.

The owl was alert and constantly turning its head as vehicles passed by, but appeared to be ignoring me. I took this to mean that the owl was tolerant of my presence, but on a couple of occasions, it opened its eyes a little and I began to worry that it was getting tired of me. 

At that moment the sun came out. Until then I had not had to worry about contrast, but the low sun made me think that I could move further from the owl to allow it room to relax and get a better angle.

Sadly, my movement stressed the owl and it opened its yellow eyes wide. As I moved even further back, the owl took off and flew a couple of hundred yards across the grass. I felt ashamed that I had disturbed the bird, but puzzled that it had tolerated me at about 30 meters distance, but had been disturbed when I began to move away from it. I was joined shortly after by John and soon after that, by the park guards who told us that a second owl could be found down at “Raptor Point”.

We could see this owl from a distance of about 1km from the moment we turned onto the north-running taxiway. It was in a large dead tree and bathed in glorious late afternoon light from a sun close to setting. The dark clouds behind really made it stand out and John “hollered” all along the taxiway, obviously thrilled with the sight.

I was upset about disturbing the first owl. I felt that I had given it enough room, but must have mis-judged the bird's tolerance. 30m is a bit longer than a tennis court and appeared to be a reasonable distance. I didn't have enough experience of Snowy Owls and didn't know if the bird had been harrassed earlier in the day, making it stressed and sensitive to my approach. on this occasion 30m was too close. Irruptive owls are often juveniles, pushed further south than the experienced adults. They are fending for themselves for their first winter and don't need thoughtless clots disturbing them and making them burn unnecessary calories. If you are heading out to see the owls, or encounter any species of owl for that matter, please take a look at Bird Chick's post and learn to recognise if you are too close and causing stress. Leave them plenty of room.

The Subway services 2 and 5 run to Flatbush AV - Brooklyn College, the last stop on the line. Bus Q35 runs from outside the Target store at Ave H and Flatbush Ave. The express 5 from 59^th and Lex takes approx 40 minutes and the bus a further 15 – 20.

Visit the dedicated USA and Canada page for more posts from New York, including; Central Park and Jamaica Bay.

Pleasure Bay, Boston, January 2014

Be careful what you wish for….

The irruption of Snowy Owls along the eastern seaboard of the USA had me wishing for a Boston trip so that I could join the thousands of birders who have been enjoying the spectacle. Corey found 6 birds over a New York weekend and reports had been logged of owls being seen in the centre of cities!

The east coast of the USA has been hit by snow and bitter temperatures this week with an arctic vortex bringing silly low temperatures. Credit must go to the snow ploughing guys who even managed to clear the pathways out to the castle at Pleasure Bay and made the walk so much easier and comfortable. Oh my goodness it was cold, but joggers, dog walkers and even a limey birdwatcher made it out to the point this morning.

Even the salt water had frozen and the tide had left interesting patterns as it ebbed. As it came back in, little slushy wavelets rode gently up the beach. A few ducks inside the lagoon included Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser and Red-breasted Merganser.

Beyond the walkway separating the lagoon and the bay, Horned Grebe skirted the edge of the ice that was piling up against the shore and Common Eiders kept a tight formation in their flock just off the viewpoint at Google Earth Ref;42 19 49.69N 71 0 55.23W

Back on the lagoon side, a Ruddy Turnstone hunkered down behind a rock to gain a little shelter from the cutting wind.

I had come out here to cast a scoped eye across the bay towards Logan International Airport. Hopefully, a Snowy Owl would be teed up on a runway sign, or perhaps one might be seen roosting on the lighting pier. I had forgotten however that the distance from the boardwalk at Google Earth ref; 42 20 21.43N 71 0 35.82W to the airfield was at least 1km and even with a scope, it would be difficult to pick out a snowy Owl against a snowy background.

A Northern Harrier passed through the scoped view and I hoped that it might lead me to an owl. Predators are famously intolerant of other predators and the harrier, cruising over the taxiways had a far better view than I did. Perhaps it would suddenly dive-bomb a slightly patchy clump of snow and give me something to concentrate on. This was a bit of a hit-and-miss method of looking for Snowy Owls and brought no luck on this occasion.

My only suspicion of a Snowy Owl came from a small snowman shape on the top of a small hut. The hut formed part of a cluster of buildings and radar, but at such a distance it was difficult to be sure that the little shape was alive. I took a series of pictures and when played back, the shape appeared to move slightly with each frame, but there was enough atmospheric turbulence that could account for that.

 

I had wrapped up well, but there is only so much that a body can take and I had to call it a day after a short while, the wind and the temperature drove me back to the bus stop, but on the way a Cooper’s Hawk sat just long enough for a quick snap.

Birds seen; 17

Brant 20, American Black Duck 18, Common Eider 200, Surf Scoter 15, Bufflehead 12, Common Goldeneye 35, Hooded Merganser 1, Red-breasted Merganser 20, Common Loon 1, Horned Grebe 3, Northern Harrier 1, Cooper’s Hawk 1, Ruddy Turnstone 1, Ring-billed Gull 15, Herring Gull 8, Great Black-backed Gull 2, House Sparrow 20.

Bus number 9 runs every 15 minutes or so from outside the library on Boylston St to Pleasure bay, taking about 20 minutes. It stops opposite the water at Broadway and Farragut Rd. For the return journey the bus stop is one block back from Farragut Rd at Broadway and P St.

For a previous Snowy Owl hunt from Pleasure Bay, follow the link below;

http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/pleasure-bay-boston-dec-2012.html

Visit the dedicated USA and CanadaPage for more posts from Boston, including; Mount Auburn Cemetery and Back BayFens.