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Jamaica Pond

By adamg - 3/16/24 - 5:24 pm
Pair of turtles that had climbed into the sun at Jamaica Pond

This afternoon, there were at least five turtles that climbed out of the water for some sun at the traditional turtle sunning spot on the northernish side of Jamaica Pond, including these two, which got a bit more vertical than the three lazing about on a more horizontal tree branch.

By adamg - 3/10/24 - 6:50 pm
Word rocks at Jamaica Pond

Somebody left a bunch of small word rocks on top of one large rock near the Jamaica Pond boathouse.

By adamg - 1/23/24 - 4:56 pm
Two Boston Park rangers get horses ready for a ride around Jamaica Pond

A couple of Boston park rangers used the hitching post in front of the Jamaica Pond gazebo to get their steeds ready for some hoofing around the pond this afternoon.

By adamg - 11/18/23 - 12:21 pm
Hooded mergansers

The hooded mergansers are back at Jamaica Pond for their annual fall visit.

By adamg - 10/27/23 - 5:39 pm
Sunset starts over Jamaica Pond

From the north side of Jamaica Pond this afternoon.

By adamg - 10/25/23 - 12:00 pm

The Boston Public Health Commission has lifted its advisory against fishing - mostly ignored - boating and letting your dog splash in Jamaica Pond, because the now annual toxic algal bloom has subsided.

By adamg - 10/20/23 - 11:58 am

Spontaneous Celebrations announced today it's postponed the annual lantern festival from this weekend to next, in the hopes we won't get more rain then.

However, lantern making - indoors - is still on for this weekend at the group's offices at 45 Danforth St.

Via Jamaica Plain News.

By adamg - 10/19/23 - 11:10 pm
Seagull at Jamaica Pond

When you think of birds at Jamaica Pond, what normally comes to mind are ducks, geese, maybe cormorants and swans. There's usually a flock of seagulls, too, it's just they rarely get near the shore - let alone come up and stand on it, like this gull did late this afternoon.

By adamg - 10/7/23 - 5:06 pm
Sign at Jamaica Pond warning people not to drink or go in the water

One of the signs that went up around Jamaica Pond yesterday after the Boston Public Health Commission confirmed a toxic bloom of blue-green algae that can make people sick and kill dogs.

By adamg - 10/6/23 - 3:42 pm

The Boston Public Health Commission said today it's put Jamaica Pond off limits to people and pets due to what has become an annual explosion of toxic blue-green algae. Read more.

By adamg - 6/25/23 - 11:41 am
Baby wood ducks growing up fast

This time of year, the mallards are usually the main duck species at Jamaica Pond, but this June the wood ducks are giving them a run for their money - instead of the normal one mother wood duck and her brood, there are two, maybe three other families paddling around the pond.

By adamg - 6/10/23 - 11:35 am
Turtle atop grate covering the Muddy River supply pipe in Jamaica Pond

The other day a turtle lazed atop the grate that covers the start of the Muddy River: The siphon pipe at the northern end of Jamaica Pond that sends water under Perkins Street to Wards Pond.

By adamg - 6/3/23 - 10:10 pm
Great Blue Heron with just one wing extended

This great blue heron in Jamaica Pond was just hanging out, looking for fish to spear, when it suddenly unfurled one of its wings (and then promptly furled it again).

By adamg - 5/9/23 - 10:21 am
Turtles at Jamaica Pond, most with smooth shells

As you can see, most of the turtles at Jamaica Pond have relatively smooth shells. But look at Chunker in the lower right.

A close up: Read more.

By adamg - 4/29/23 - 11:51 am
Pink flowers at Jamaica Pond

There are some flowering trees at Jamaica Pond right now (OK, this is a closeup shot, these flowers are much smaller in real life).

By adamg - 4/23/23 - 5:47 pm
Dying, but also sprouting, tree

The fatal trunk split on a prominent, unusually shaped tree on the parkway side of Jamaica Pond continues to spread, but the tree is trying so hard to hold on - its branches, seemingly rising from the pond itself, are now sprouting in green.

Meanwhile, written battles have broken out in the pages of the small notebooks somebody keeping tying to the tree - along with a pen - to let its fans say their goodbyes. Read more.

By adamg - 4/9/23 - 9:32 am
Turtle in Jamaica Pond

A turtle basked in the afternoon sun at Jamaica Pond yesterday.

By adamg - 3/25/23 - 4:24 pm
Koi in Jamaica Pond

Yesterday afternoon, a bright orange koi lazily did circles in the water off the northern shore of Jamaica Pond, tailed by a couple of drabber koi that more closely matched the color of the water. Read more.

By adamg - 2/17/23 - 3:42 pm
Firefighter in Jamaica Pond

Every winter, the Boston Fire Department cuts a hole or two in the frozen surface of Jamaica Pond so its divers can practice some cold-weather rescuing. The pond never really froze up this winter, except thinly during that brief weekend freeze, but divers were out in the cold water today anyway.

Despite the lack of ice it is important to maintain efficiency .

By adamg - 2/9/23 - 12:24 pm
A couple of ring-necked ducks at Jamaica Pond

There are always mallards at Jamaica Pond, sometimes supplemented in the spring and summer by a family or two of wood ducks (and one black Muscovy duck in love with a mallard), but the pond now is home, even if temporarily, to all sorts of other ducks. Read more.

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