Fresh Pond 10/29

From Sylvia Martin:

10 birders, including a gentleman from Virginia, joined me today at Fresh
Pond Reservoir, Cambridge. There were a couple of surprises in addition to
the expected waterfowl. The pied-billed grebes had enough to form a
volleyball team if they wanted. The canvasbacks were a life bird for one
lady. Some birders took an impromptu extension with me to Danehy Park
because of a lark sparrow reported to us by a couple at FP. We did not
turn up the lark sparrow between 11:20 and noon. A few stayed on after I
had to leave, so maybe there will be an update on that sparrow.

All birds seen at Fresh Pond except where there's a "D" for Danehy.

Thanks to all for an enjoyable and productive walk.


Fresh Pond--IBA, Middlesex, US-MA
Oct 29, 2011 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s) [I have no idea of actual distance walked; required field!]
Comments:     Overcast, 38-40F, wind 5-10 mph and increasing as the
morning went on.
37 species

Mute Swan  2     1 ad., 1 juvenile
Mallard  6
Canvasback  2     females, in NW area near Lusitania
Ring-necked Duck  232     may be a conservative no.
BUFFLEHEAD  1     female; dove and reappeared so constantly that a 2d bird
was possible
Hooded Merganser  5     4 males, 1 f., Black's Nook Pond
Ruddy Duck  27
PIED-BILLED GREBE  6   yup
Double-crested Cormorant  60     50 of these were migrating, high up in a
loose formation; the others were roosting in trees
Cooper's Hawk  1     Lusitania; after some debate, determined to be an adult
Red-tailed Hawk  4
MERLIN  1  at one point in brief dogfight with a redtail
American Coot  53
Ring-billed Gull  X
Herring Gull  X
Great Black-backed Gull  1     immature
Rock Pigeon  45
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  5
Eastern Phoebe  1     Lusitania Meadow
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  3
Black-capped Chickadee  6
Tufted Titmouse  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Golden-crowned Kinglet  9
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  6
American Robin  3
Northern Mockingbird  3     FP/D
European Starling  70     Danehy
Yellow-rumped Warbler  9
Song Sparrow  10     FP/D
White-throated Sparrow  2
Dark-eyed Junco  15     FP/D
House Finch  18     Danehy
American Goldfinch  50     conservative; moving about so much it was hard
to tell if some groups were the same birds; ebird is too inflexible to
allow ranges or approximations (~) in count box.  :  (
House Sparrow  8     Danehy

Boston Nature Center 10/22

From Linda Ferraresso:

13 birders joined me on a delightful walk covering the grounds of the Boston Nature Center this morning. Skies were cloudy, it was 49 to 58 degrees, little or no wind.
We had a nice variety of birds, including great looks at a Lark Sparrow and Philadelphia Vireo.

Canada Goose 14
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Accipiter sp. 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Wild Turkey 4
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 3
Mourning Dove 4
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 4
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
PHILADELPHIA VIREO 2
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 20
Fish Crow 80+
Black-capped Chickadee 7
American Robin 400
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 3
Cedar Waxwing 1
Nashville Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 9
Palm Warbler (western) 1
Blackpoll Warbler 2
LARK SPARROW (1st winter) 1 found in the large community garden
Song Sparrow 8
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal 7
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird 5
Common Grackle 19
American Goldfinch 14

Linda

Plum Island 10/22

From Bill Drummond:

Dear Friends,
We had a fine late morning, mid afternoon day today, Sat.  Oct. 22 at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge at Newburyport.   At Sandy Point there was a good look at a Parasitic Jaeger.    At the parking lot at the tower at Stage Island , also known as lot #7, we walked out to Emerson Rocks.    There were three Hudsonian Godwits and AT LEAST 50 Red Knots.   One of them had two leg bands.   There was a green band on the left leg and a yellow band on the right leg.   We did not want to get close enough to get the numbers  for fear of having the birds fly off.   Lots of people were there seeing them.    Also at Plum  there were three Redheads at Stage Island Pool.   It was a great day to be out.

Boston 10/16

From Bob Stymeist:

 

Today along with five birders I led a BBC trip to various places in Boston; we started in the Fenway Victory Gardens , Olmsted Park, the Arboretum, Franklin Parkn Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston Naturn Center and ended up in Brighton. The Fenway gardens proved to be the best, the wind did  not help most of the day- we ended up with 59 species. The highlights:

At Chestnut Hill Reservoir

Pied-billed Grebe 3

Ruddy Duck  42

American Coot  17

At Fenway Victory Gardens

Red-bellied Woodpecker  2

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3

Nashville Warbler  3

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler  19

Common Yellowthroat  3

At Forest Hills Cemetery

Blue-headed Vireo

Orange-crowned Warbler

At Boston Nature Center

Lincoln's Sparrow

Other good birds included: Turkey Vulture 2, Peregrine Falcon, and Black-throated Green Warbler

 

 

Outer Cape 10/8

From Glenn d'Entremont:

21 birders of a combined group of Brookline Bird Club and South Shore Bird Club members were on the outer cape Saturday.  107 species was tallied; though not any one individual saw all 107, but most were probably over 100.  This was a very enthusiast group and despite it's size we were able to move right along covering several habitats.  Highlights were a continuing American Avocet at Nauset marsh, a continuing Yellow-crowned Night-Heron coming out of the Hemenway Road roost at dusk, American Golden-plover at First Encounter Beach, a very cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoo and two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers at Wellfleet Bay WS, Yellow-breasted Chat at Herring Pond in Eastham, two Blue Grosbeak at the Eastham Stump Dump, a Seaside Sparrow at Fort Hill, and a couple of flyover siskin.

F-First Encounter, Eastham, P-Provincetown (Herring Cove to Race Point parking area), W-Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, H-Fort Hill, Eastham, remainder at Eastham unless noted.

Canada Goose 25
Mute Swan 13
Black Duck 52 (2-W, 50-Nauset Marsh)
Mallard 3-W
Common Eider 300 (50-P, 250-W)
Surf Scoter 15 (10-F, 5-P)
White-winged Scoter 8 (6-F, 2-P)
Red-breasted Merganser 9-P
Wild Turkey 5-Truro
Red-throated Loon 2-P
Common Loon 1 (only 1)-F
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Great Shearwater 3-P
Northern Gannet 10-P
Double-crested Cormorant 500 (100-P, 50-W, 350-H)
Great Blue Heron 21 (3-F, 8-W, 10-H)
Green Heron 1-W
Black-crowned Night-Heron 28-Hemenway Road, Eastham
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON 1 imm (it was #26 out of 29 coming out of the roost about 6:40ish)-Hemenway Road, Eastham
Turkey Vulture 2 (1-Provincetown)
Northern Harrier 2-H
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3-H
Cooper's Hawk 6 (2-W, 3-H)
Red-tailed Hawk 2 (1-H)
Peregrine Falcon 1-H
Black-bellied Plover 72 (22-F, 50-Nauset Marsh)
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER 1 imm-F
Semipalmated Plover 12 (2-F, 10-Nauset Marsh)
AMERICAN AVOCET 1-Nauset Marsh
Greater Yellowlegs 135 (75-W, 60-H)
Solitary Sandpiper 2-W
Sanderling 60 (10-F, 50-P)
Semipalmated Sandpiper 253 (3-F, 250-Nauset Marsh)
WESTERN SANDPIPER 1 (probable female with very long bill for a peep, taller than Semis-probably many more, but poor light and lack of time)-Nauset Marsh
White-rumped Sandpiper 5 (2-W, 3-Nauset Marsh)
Pectoral Sandpiper 2-W
Dunlin 42 (17-F, 25-Nauset Marsh)
Short-billed Dowitcher 2-F
Laughing Gull 61 (1-F, 50-P, 10-W)
Ring-billed Gull ***
Herring Gull ***
Great Black-backed Gull ***
Common Tern 25-P
Forster's Tern 34 (9-F, 25-P)
sterna tern 2000-P
Mourning Dove 67 (1-W)
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 1-W
Belted Kingfisher 4 (2-W)
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 (1-W)
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 2-W
Downy Woodpecker 6 (2-W, 1-H)
Hairy Woodpecker 3 (1-W)
Northern Flicker 4 (1-W)
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 11 (6-W)
American Crow 21 (15-W)
Fish Crow 1-W
Horned Lark 2-F
Tree Swallow 590 (50-P, 35-H, 500-Truro)
Barn Swallow 1-H
Black-capped Chickadee 29 (16-W, 2-H)
Tufted Titmouse 7 (2-W)
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 (1-W)
White-breasted Nuthatch 5 (2-W)
Carolina Wren 4 (1-W)
Golden-crowned Kinglet 9 (6-W)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2-W
Eastern Bluebird 1+-W
American Robin 100
Gray Catbird 8 (2-W)
Northern Mockingbird 1
Starling ***
American Pipit 4-H
Cedar Waxwing 4
Nashville Warbler 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 male
Yellow-rumped Warbler 19 (2-W)
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 1-W
Prairie Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 4 (western)
Blackpoll Warbler 1+
warbler, sp 5
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
small bright yellow warbler-probably Wilson's
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 35
Field Sparrow 2
Savannah Sparrow 3
SEASIDE SPARROW 1-H
Song Sparrow 63 (3-F, 3-W)
Swamp Sparrow 10
White-throated Sparrow 15 (10-W)
White-crowned Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco 6
Northern Cardinal 7 (2-W)
BLUE GROSBEAK 2
Indigo Bunting 1
Bobolink 2 (flyovers)
Red-winged Blackbird 54 (50-F, 4-W)
Common Grackle 29 (25-W)
Purple Finch 1 (flyover)
House Finch 50
PINE SISKIN 2
American Goldfinch 12 (5-W)
House Sparrow ***-W

Cumberland Farms 10/9

From Linda Ferraresso:

The BBC trip to Cumberland Farms today saw many of the same birds previously reported by the Cape Cod Club, with a few additions:

SANDHILL CRANE  (heard first around 8 a.m., then seen flying in from the south west; circled the area vocalizing most of the time, finally flew off to the North).
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk   2
Least Sandpiper   1
Northern Flicker    1
Carolina Wren   1
Yellow-rumped Warbler   3
Blackpoll Warbler   1
Lincoln Sparrow    6
Dark-eyed Junco    1
Indigo Bunting    2
Red-winged Blackbird   1
Common Grackle   10
White-winged Widowbird (seen in the bushes on the left side of the road just before the manure pits)

Praying Mantis   2 (near the model plane field)

It was a lovely day, albeit a bit odd to view the Sparrow show at nearly 80 degrees!

Cheers!