Nahanton Park 10/12

From Jane Zanichkowsky:

Birders,

A total of six sparrow species, plus other birds, braved the chill, frosty weather this morning at Nahanton Park in Newton. Eight hardy birders did likewise. The sparrows:

song sparrow
swamp sparrow
chipping sparrow
white-throated sparrow, singing
Lincoln's sparrow, at least two, lower gardens
Savannah sparrow


other highlights:
double-crested cormorant
osprey
eastern phoebe
blue-headed vireo, lower gardens
red-eyed vireo, ditto
ruby-crowned kinglet
pine warbler
yellow-rumped warblers

Thanks to all participants.

Jane Zanichkowsky, Newton

Ipswich 10/4

From Tom Young:

This morning I led my annual BBC field trip to Town Farm Road in Ipswich, as well as a couple of other spots (N.E. BioLabs on Rte. 1A in Ipswich and Island Road in Essex). Probably due to the inauspicious early morning weather, I had only 1 participant: Marge Watson of Georgetown. I would decline to entertain the notion that the leader's personal characteristics were material to the low participation on this field trip. Anyhow, the undisputed Bird of the Day for us was a brightly-colored White-eyed Vireo that was in some small trees at the edge of the parking area near the gate at the end of Town Farm Road. The big disappointment of the day, in my opinion, was failing to find Lincoln's Sparrow (one of my target species). But we amassed 57 total species in 4 hours of birding. Here is the complete list:


Double-crested Cormorant 61
Great Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 2
Canada Goose 73
Mute Swan 2
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 1
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Peregrine Falcon 1 (Island Road, Essex)
Greater Yellowlegs 47
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Herring Gull 6 (yes, only 6)
Rock Dove 18
Mourning Dove 4
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 7
Hairy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Phoebe 6
White-eyed Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 10
American Crow 27
Black-capped Chickadee 3 (yes, only 3)
Tufted Titmouse 11
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Carolina Wren 1
House Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4
Eastern Bluebird 2
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin >250
Gray Catbird 16
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling Yes, we saw some.
Cedar Waxwing 30
Yellow-rumped Warbler 28
Palm Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 6
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 17
Song Sparrow 41
Swamp Sparrow 36
White-throated Sparrow 22
Northern Cardinal 7
Bobolink 2
Red-winged Blackbird 112
Purple Finch 1
House Finch 4
American Goldfinch 21
House Sparrow 15

Tom Young
Merrimack, NH