The year in Boston wildlife: 2021

In 2021, as Boston continued to turn into a wildlife refuge, coyotes, turkeys and raccoons continued their conquest of the city - turkeys strutted around downtown and the North End; a coyote took up residence at Moakley Park in South Boston; raccoons lounged on JP decks. Down along the city's southern parkways, deer continued to pay us no mind, while bald eagles perched and flew along the Charles River, from Millennium Park in West Roxbury to the Esplanade in the Back Bay. Here's some of the urban wildlife we spotted in 2021. As always, special thanks to Mary Ellen for taking us along on her wildlife excursions.

Who, who, who goes there? 1/1/21 Adam Balsam reports he and the kids spotted this owl up on a wall at Castle Island on Thursday morning - a few weekends after...

Feathered faceoff at Leverett Pond 1/6/21 Mary Ellen got a twofer on a visit to Leverett Pond on the Brookline/Boston line yesterday: A belted kingfisher and a great...

Back Bay bald eagle bops along the Charles 1/10/21 Noah Jakimo spotted our national symbol cruising along the river between Mass. Ave. and the BU Bridge this morning.

You think he has a pair of spats on under the water? 1/13/21 Mary Ellen spotted this pair of hooded mergansers (the male is the one using the bold splash of white) on Jamaica Pond...

Citizen complaint of the day: Giant turkey menaces Hyde Park street 1/30/21 A worried citizen files a 311 complaint about a turkey of unusual size ruling the roost on Bradlee Street in Hyde Park:...

When dominance displays get fluffy 1/31/21 Mary Ellen watched a couple of swans try to show each other who was King of Jamaica Pond today.

A question Bostonians once wouldn't have had to ask 2/10/21 Grace Holley posed a question yesterday: You’re on a snow walk in the Arboretum w your pup and you turn the corner and see...

Looking for a bite to eat or maybe just some lovin' at Millennium Park 2/17/21 Mary Ellen reports the coyotes at Millennium Park were howling this morning, as they looked for love, although one coyote at...

Swan River 2/26/21 Mark McDonald reports that an apparently lonely swan in Mill Pond - the part of the Mother Brook that River Street crosses in...

OMG: When you're standing under a tree and an eagle comes in for a landing in that tree 3/4/21 Mary Ellen reports she was standing under a tree by the Charles River in West Roxbury this morning when an eagle landed in...

Eider down by Castle Island 3/14/21 Mary Ellen spotted a king eider, usually seen farther north, in the water off Castle Island this morning.

Bun of steel 3/22/21 Tim Murphy reports spotting this rabbit on the Green Line tracks at Copley Square last night.

The frogs are out 3/25/21 This frog was sitting on a branch in a pool along the Muddy River between Wards Pond and Willow Pond this afternoon.

King Tom decided nothing less than a lobster dinner would do for his queens 3/27/21 Mary Ellen reports that the other day, King Tom here was strutting around with his six hens by the side of the Home Depot in...

Nice day to eat some lunch outside 3/27/21 John.C/C spotted this squirrel eating lunch in Piers Park in East Boston today.

Enjoying a roof deck in West Roxbury 3/30/21 Mary Ellen spotted a sparrow sitting atop one of the rustic birdhouses along the upper soccer fields at Millennium Park in...

An afternoon made for snoozing 4/4/21 Andrea Pakula snapped the raccoon taking a nap on her Jamaica Plain deck this afternoon.

Boston housing battle really heating up 4/14/21 Mary Ellen watched tree swallows duke it out for a prime nesting box at Millennium Park in West Roxbury.

The two-tone squirrel on Boston Common 4/17/21 Hugmajesty wonders what the deal is with the half-gray, half red squirrel she saw on the Common today. Did a grey squirrel...

All the best spots were taken today 4/19/21 It was turtles, turtles everywhere at Jamaica Pond today, at least on the one downed tree limb that is the premier turtle...

Not your average duck 4/23/21 The photographer, who doesn't know from ducks, except the ones that come up to you with the geese if they think you have...

Newton firefighters rescue raccoon from top of turnpike light tower 4/26/21 Ari Herzog could only watch in amazement this evening as Newton firefighters used a ladder truck, a thin lasso and a box to...

Esplanade eagle 4/29/21 Who would have thought an eagle would land right on the Esplanade? Paul Kafasis spotted the bird there this morning....

A little early for July Fourth 5/3/21 With few people left, the turkeys, including these red, white and blue-faced behemoths, have colonized Harvard Square, Ron...

It's true: The early bird gets the worm 5/6/21 Mary Ellen went out for an early morning walk at Millennium Park in West Roxbury and, spotted, among other things, a young...

Citizen complaint of the day: Gazebo birb in Lower Mills 5/8/21 A concerned citizen files a 311 complaint asking the city to do, well, something, about this bird, which has been hanging out...

Mother's Day at Millennium Park 5/9/21 Mary Ellen found herself way down upon the Swan-y River today, at Millennium Park in West Roxbury.

You bring snacks? 5/20/21 Mary Ellen spotted this deer in Cutler Park along the Charles at the Needham/Dedham line this morning.

Eagerly awaiting a package from the Acme Co. 5/28/21 Mary Ellen spotted this coyote at Millennium Park in West Roxbury yesterday morning. But Wile E. was not the only creature...

Logging a heron at Jamaica Pond 6/1/21 This heron would spend a few minutes today at one spot at Jamaica Pond (spotted here along the Perkins Street side), then...

Sometimes you just need to jump 6/2/21 Mary Ellen spotted this deer bounding up the hill at Millennium Park yesterday, sign be damned. The reason for the...

Pretty comfy in Roslindale 6/4/21 Rob Bellinger looked out the window on Alpheus Road in Roslindale this morning to see a coyote enjoying the morning coolness.

Allston gets deer, Brookline gets turkeys and the South End gets: Bugs with googly eyes 6/4/21 John Hanzl spotted Googly McGoogleeyes here skittering across a sidewalk in the South End and wondered what exactly it is...

Some meals are just worth the extra effort 6/14/21 Mary Ellen was down by the Charles River at Millennium Park this morning and watched a great blue heron enjoy a fresh catfish...

The Pond: A drama in three acts 6/17/21 The mama duck and her seven ducklings had settled in for a snooze late yesterday afternoon among the mud and rocks along the...

Out for a Father's Day swim 6/20/21 A roving UHub photographer snapped this family portrait of Atticus the Swan - whose partner died not long after their babies...

The quiet satisfaction of a job well done 6/20/21 Mary Ellen took today's most ribbitting photo this morning at Cutler Park on the Needham/Dedham line. See it larger.

Damselflies reflect on the Charles River 6/23/21 Mary Ellen captured a couple of damselflies on a stalk in the placid water of the Charles River's Cow Island Pond stretch off...

For South End residents who really want a dalmatian but their condos are just too small 6/26/21 John Hanzl, who earlier introduced us to the South End's googly-eyed bugs, yesterday spotted this unusual insect on East...

An expectant gaze on Revere Beach 6/26/21 Adam Balsam reports that on a trip to Revere Beach today, he got lucky and was able to spot a nesting pair of piping plovers...

Bellying up to the milkweed bar 6/29/21 Mary Ellen spotted this monarch butterfly in Millennium Park in West Roxbury this morning, bulking up on some milkweed.

If Waldo were a deer 7/7/21 Mary Ellen spotted this deer along Sawmill Brook, which flows into the Charles at Millennium Park.

Citizen complaint of the day: Cutest menace ever in North End community garden 7/9/21 A concerned citizen files a 311 complaint about a havoc-wreaking gopher at DeFilippo Park in the North End: There is a...

Après le deluge, le papillon 7/9/21 Mary Ellen reports that after the rain stopped, she headed over to Millennium Park in West Roxbury - and found this eastern...

Bandits caught in the act in Jamaica Plain 7/14/21 Patrick Roath reports a pair of junior trash pandas found themselves some good eatin' sometime overnight in JP's Pondside...

As night falls along the Charles, a heron surveys its domain 7/14/21 Although night was approaching, that wasn't a night heron Mary Ellen spotted at Millennium Park yesterday - it was a great...

Can two divorced animals share a log without driving each other crazy? 7/18/21 Mary Ellen spotted this odd couple - a turtle and a green heron - at Millennium Park in West Roxbury today.

Coiled nope rope by the Charles 7/19/21 This snake was hanging out this afternoon in Millennium Park in West Roxbury, near where Sawmill Brook enters the Charles.

Raccoons take up residence in Kendall Square 7/23/21 Ama Wild has been getting up early to video the raccoons of Kendall Square, including this one, who seems to have taken up...

Trader Joe's has two-buck chuck, but West Roxbury has eight-point buck 8/2/21 Hopeful Emily reports this antlered-up deer visited a VFW Parkway back yard - just across from Allandale Woods - last evening...

The Fens attract all sorts of visitors 8/9/21 Mary Ellen spotted this juvenile yellow-crowned night heron in the Back Bay Fens, amazingly serene given what's going on...

It's 2021, of course we have to worry about carnivorous squirrels 8/28/21 Chris Possinger reports: Watching my kid at the playground at Boynton and Hall St. in JP and heard a munching sound....

The hills are alive with the comfy coyotes 9/3/21 Yesterday, roving UHub photographer Dan Peters spied this comfy coyote up a hill at the part of the Arnold Arboretum in...

A little murmuration in Saugus 9/4/21 Greg Cook kayaked through Rumney Marsh in Saugus yesterday and watched thousands of swallows murmurating. He also spotted...

Sometimes you just can't get any privacy when you're preening 9/4/21 A great blue heron preened itself while a couple of turtles watched its every move on Jamaica Pond this afternoon (even more...

She wants to get really thin by November 9/10/21 The Albino Wineo spotted this turkey just outside the Equinox health club on Franklin Street downtown today.

A fowl question 9/17/21 Bostonscigirl wonders: What is the etiquette? Can I just start driving?

Fueling up 9/20/21 Mary Ellen spotted a hummingbird topping off today in Newton's Nahantan Park before the long migration south for the winter.

Who let the birds out? 9/20/21 Robert Orthman of Roslindale was about to let his two dogs go out for some air when he looked outside this afternoon.

Glowering in the rain 10/4/21 Mary Ellen spotted a pair of bald eagles over Rivermoor Street in West Roxbury today. This one was much larger, so was...

Oh for the love of, is that really a turkey, here, right in Downtown Crossing? 10/17/21 You can tell that's what Sara Mak's dog was thinking this morning on a walk on Washington Street. Andrew spotted the bird...

Coots back at Jamaica Pond 10/17/21 There were a couple of coots (no clue if they were old coots) at Jamaica Pond today, with their pigeon-like way of moving...

Come into my lair, said the spider to the bee 10/25/21 Eileen Murphy decorated a mum plant for Halloween with "spider web fluff" and a fake spider. But then a poor bee got tangled...

Turkey fra diavolo or piccata? 11/1/21 Jon Latino reports turkeys have made their way to Hanover Street - in this case barely a block from Commercial.

Man, you move to Southie and you still can't escape the paparazzi, amirite? 11/5/21 BostonTimelapse was out for a run in Moakley Park this morning when he - and others - spotted a coyote obviously already sick...

Protesting or gloating? 11/8/21 WriteHandMan spotted these turkeys outside the KFC on Washington Street in Codman Square.

That doesn't look at all like an Eagle 11/18/21 K spotted a rough looking coyote on the Commonwealth Avenue side of the Boston College campus today.

A bit late to try to seek a pardon 11/24/21 Adam Castiglioni spotted this turkey inside the Government Center T station this afternoon. H/t Ruth Zakarin.

Brookline turkeys don't care 11/25/21 Tori Bedford witnessed some serious poultry pulchritude in Brookline at the Brighton line this morning, of all mornings....

In South Boston, somebody's thinking goose for Thanksgiving dinner 11/25/21 The herd warily watched as the predator circled them in Moakey Park this morning. Bacon Doughnuts watched nature at work from...

Today's duck lesson: Redhead ducks are not ruddy ducks 11/29/21 Mary Ellen journeyed up to Jamaica Pond today, where, amongst the fresh crop of hooded mergansers, which usually show up...

Busy Boston beaver 12/4/21 Mike B. spotted this eager beaver in Sawmill Brook at Millennium Park in West Roxbury this morning - and some of its...

A real head scratcher 12/18/21 Mary Ellen reports this eagle, spotted at Millennium Park in West Roxbury, was using that big ol' talon for some vigorous...

Citizen complaint of the day: I think I saw Tippi Hedren running down Maverick Street 12/25/21 An alarmed citizen filed a 311 complaint about the herds of birds now congregating along Jeffries Street in East Boston:...

Boston brick bun 12/27/21 Glenn Whidden spotted this rabbit on City Hall Plaza this evening.

The year in Boston wildlife: 2020.
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