Guide

Go seeBirds

Bobolinks nesting beside Wachusett Meadow's accessible trail

May to July

Bobolinks winter in central and southern South America and come back each May to nest on the ground in tall New England grass. Mass Audubon's All Persons Trail at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary runs on ADA-compliant pavement, brick, gravel and firm grass paving past a 10-acre meadow where they nest.

Why this time of year

Mass Audubon's breeding bird atlas says bobolinks arrive in May, lay eggs in June, and have fledged young from late June to mid-July, with migration starting in July. The sanctuary's trail guide says the males' bubbly song is most noticeable in spring and early summer.

How to notice it

  1. Stop at the Meadow Stop, by the split-rail fence and the garden swing near the start of the trail, and look out over the tall grass.
  2. Watch for a male rising high into the air while singing and then fluttering back down. Mass Audubon describes the song as a rolling series of clear, short notes that rise higher and higher in pitch.
  3. Look for a male in buff, black and white breeding plumage.
  4. Stay on the trail. Bobolinks nest on the ground in the tall grass.

Try this with kids: Can you hear a song that climbs higher and higher? Point to where it is coming from.

Sources

  • massaudubon.orgRead 2026-11-10 (text extracted with pdftotext). Mass Audubon Wachusett Meadow All Persons Trail Tour booklet, dated 10/25/2022 in the filename (primary, landowner): 'Trail surfacing varies and includes sections of pavement, brick path, crushed gravel, and grass paving. Grass paving remains firm and level in all conditions... not cleared of snow in winter.' Meadow Stop: 'this 10-acre meadow'; 'Bobolinks nest in the tall grasses and males are particularly conspicuous in their distinctive buff, black, and white breeding plumage, and by the burst of their bubbly, meandering song in spring and early summer.' Patio: 'adjacent space for wheelchairs, strollers, or other mobility devices.'
  • massaudubon.orgRead 2026-11-10. Mass Audubon (primary): 'The trail is four tenths of a mile long, beginning at the Visitor Center'; 'There are no stairs, and the surfacing, width, and slope are ADA-compliant.' 'Trail surfaces at Wachusett Meadow vary and are also affected by weather conditions.'
  • massaudubon.orgRead 2026-11-10. Mass Audubon Breeding Bird Atlas 1, 1975-1979 data (primary): 'They arrive in May'; egg dates 'June 1 to June 25'; 'Fledged young have been recorded in the Commonwealth from late June to mid-July'; 'Migration begins in July and continues throughout August to late September'; song 'a rolling series of clear, short notes that rise higher and higher in pitch'; males often launch 'high into the air while singing and then flutter downward'; winters in 'central and southern South America'; nests on the ground in tall grass; mowing in June can disrupt nesting.

Checked against these sources on November 10, 2026.

In the guide for May, June, July

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