Mayday @ Squantum

Wednesday May 1, 2013 06:30 to 09:30 Squantum

4 Members met on a beautifully sunny morning to explore Squantum Point Park. We first walked the bayside trail, where some of us heard a Yellow Warbler amongst the Cardinals, Grackles and Robins. The tide was receding, so we hoped for the resident Oystercatchers. They were not in those mudflats however. Along the Neponset we spotted several Brant and a single Greater Yellowlegs as well as one Great Egret.

We then followed the "hidden" path towards Boston Scientific. This thicket can often be very productive. Today it yielded more Yellow Warblers and a Kinglet. On the return we hit the Jackpot: TWO VIRGINIA RAILS and a BROWN THRASHER!

3 of us then moved on to Squaw Rock Park where we found two Yellow-Rumped Warblers and watched two Oystercatchers while enjoying great views over the bay towards Boston.

View from Squaw Rock towards Boston

 

 

American Oystercatcher, Chickadee and Blue Jay; Photos by Josh Fecteau

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way home 2 of us stopped behind the Kennedy Center for great looks at Killdeer and Osprey

Below is the complete list of all 43 species we saw today.

Quincy: Squantum Point Park, Norfolk, US-MA
May 1, 2013 6:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Brant  21
Canada Goose  3
American Black Duck  1
Mallard  2
Green-winged Teal  3
Bufflehead  3
Great Egret  1
Virginia Rail  2
Greater Yellowlegs  1
Ring-billed Gull  1
Herring Gull  13
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Mourning Dove  8
Downy Woodpecker  X
Blue Jay  3
Black-capped Chickadee  3
House Wren  1     Heard.
Carolina Wren  2     Heard.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
American Robin  32
Northern Mockingbird  2
Brown Thrasher  1
Yellow Warbler  5
Song Sparrow  6
White-throated Sparrow  4
Northern Cardinal  8
Red-winged Blackbird  7
Common Grackle  45
Brown-headed Cowbird  4
Baltimore Oriole  1     Heard.
American Goldfinch  7

Quincy: Squantum, Squaw Rock Park, Norfolk, US-MA
May 1, 2013 8:45 AM - 9:30 AM
Brant  5
Mallard  6
Red-breasted Merganser  40
Double-crested Cormorant  54
American Oystercatcher  2
Herring Gull  35
American Crow  2
Black-capped Chickadee  6
White-breasted Nuthatch  1     Heard.
American Robin  3
Gray Catbird  1
Northern Mockingbird  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Song Sparrow  5
Northern Cardinal  3
Red-winged Blackbird  7
Common Grackle  3
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
American Goldfinch  2
House Sparrow  5

Quincy: Squantum Salt Pannes, Norfolk, US-MA
May 1, 2013 9:40 AM - 9:50 AM

Great Egret  1
Osprey  1
Killdeer  2
Tree Swallow  1
American Robin  2
Northern Mockingbird  1
Red-winged Blackbird  4
House Finch  2     On gutter at Kennedy Center: Male dancing in front of female - cocking his tail!.

That dance was the highlight of my day!
Christine Whitebread