Wompatuck State Park, May 28, 2015

On a warm morning, nine birders set off to explore the loop beyond Picture Pond toward the Aaron River Reservoir with high hopes for finding an Acadian Flycatcher. We returned along the power line where the possiblity of an Indigo Bunting or Prairie Warbler loomed large in the shrubby habitat.  Unfortunately none of those expectations were met but other nice species were noted and enjoyed.  The most interesting critter of the day hitchhiked along on my pantlegs for about 15 minutes and which I later identified as a Nessus Sphinx Moth.  Warbler activity was decidedly reduced along that route.

Sally Avery

Wompatuck State Park, Plymouth, Massachusetts, US

May 28, 2015 6:25 AM - 9:25 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)

38 species

Canada Goose  6     2 adults and 4 goslings
Mallard  2
Mourning Dove  1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  1     audio only
Chimney Swift  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  8
Eastern Kingbird  2
Red-eyed Vireo  8
Black-capped Chickadee  3
Tufted Titmouse  3
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Brown Creeper  1     audio only
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  3
Veery  5
Wood Thrush  1
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  5
Cedar Waxwing  4
Ovenbird  14
Worm-eating Warbler  1     audio only
Blue-winged Warbler  1
Black-and-white Warbler  2
American Redstart  1
Yellow Warbler  5
Pine Warbler  1
Black-throated Green Warbler  2
Chipping Sparrow  4
Song Sparrow  2
Scarlet Tanager  3
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  1
Common Grackle  2
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
Baltimore Oriole  1
House Finch  1

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23679291

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Wompatuck State Park, May 21, 2015

Another chilly start to our Thursday morning forays into Wompatuck State Park was offset by a walk through the woods to and around Woodpecker Pond.  Birds were difficult to see in this woodland setting, but songs were easily identified for a large variety of species.  Most intriguing was the insistent drumming of a Pileated Woodpecker.  It seemed that we would encounter it just around the next bend but, alas, that never happened and we had to satisfy ourselves with knowing it was in there somewhere.  Walking the road around gate 9 afforded us more looks at birds, but the numbers of migrants had dropped off sharply since the preceding week and weekend.

Sally Avery

May 21, 2015 6:20 AM - 11:20 AM

Protocol: Traveling
4.5 mile(s)
Comments:     a South Shore Bird Club trip;  cool and partly cloudy
51 species

Double-crested Cormorant  12
Great Blue Heron  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Herring Gull  1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  4
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  1
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Eastern Phoebe  3
Great Crested Flycatcher  4
Eastern Kingbird  2
Blue-headed Vireo  1
Red-eyed Vireo  6
Blue Jay  4
American Crow  1
Tree Swallow  2
Black-capped Chickadee  5
Tufted Titmouse  8
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
House Wren  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  4

Photo by  Evan Lipton                          Veery

Veery  5

Wood Thrush  3

American Robin  6

Gray Catbird  13
Cedar Waxwing  4
Ovenbird  12
Northern Waterthrush  1
Blue-winged Warbler  3
Black-and-white Warbler  8
Common Yellowthroat  4
American Redstart  4
Magnolia Warbler  1
Yellow Warbler  3
Blackpoll Warbler  3
Pine Warbler  1
Black-throated Green Warbler  1
Canada Warbler  1
Eastern Towhee  9
Chipping Sparrow  3
White-throated Sparrow  1
Scarlet Tanager  6
Northern Cardinal  5
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  1
Red-winged Blackbird  8
Common Grackle  3
Brown-headed Cowbird  3
Baltimore Oriole  5
House Finch  1
American Goldfinch  3

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23565718

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Squantum May 20th 2015 : A day of Wilson's

“not much out here today” were the first words two of us exchanged when meeting at 05:50 am and looking into the salt pannes on East Squantum Street. How wrong we were! As soon as we put up the scope we were struck by this gorgeous looking female Wilson’s Phalarope! As the rest of the group joined us I rushed back home to get Steven and his camera! Good thing I live so close…

And because the bird is so handsome in the early morning sun

Thanks to Steven Whitebread for these wonderful photos

 

Once we all had looked our fill, we carried on to Squaw Rock Park. This place had been hopping with warblers over the weekend, but was again quiet today – until we heard a Black-billed Cuckoo which we finally located sitting quietly. Everyone had great looks at the bird to observe the field marks including the red iris. Another highlight at Squaw Rock was a hard to locate Wilson’s Warbler. The third location today was the “wilderness” off of Seaport Drive. Here we heard our first of the season Willow Flycatcher.

Full lists of all three locations visited are below.

Quincy: Squantum Salt Pannes, Norfolk, US-MA May 20, 2015 5:50 AM - 6:30 AM

16 species

Canada Goose  2
American Black Duck  6
Mallard  4
Great Egret  1
Snowy Egret  2
Osprey  1
Killdeer  1
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Wilson's Phalarope  1     Female in full breeding plumage, A couple of photos can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60295555@N06/
Herring Gull  2
Chimney Swift  4
Northern Mockingbird  1
Chipping Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  1     carrying nesting material.
Red-winged Blackbird  6
House Sparrow  4

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23546457

Quincy: Squantum, Squaw Rock Park, Norfolk, US-MA May 20, 2015 6:40 AM - 8:40 AM

30 species

Mallard  2
Wild Turkey  1
Double-crested Cormorant  4
American Oystercatcher  1
Herring Gull  4
Mourning Dove  1
Black-billed Cuckoo  1     seen and heard well, down to red in eye!.
Chimney Swift  1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  1
Eastern Phoebe  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  2
Blue Jay  2
Black-capped Chickadee  2
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  9
Cedar Waxwing  2
Common Yellowthroat  2
American Redstart  2
Yellow Warbler  3
Black-throated Green Warbler  2
Wilson's Warbler  1
White-throated Sparrow  1
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  4
Common Grackle  5
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
Baltimore Oriole  1
American Goldfinch  2
House Sparrow  6

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23546533

Quincy: Seaport Drive / Commander Shea Boulevard, Norfolk, US-MA May 20, 2015 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM
15 species

American Black Duck  5
Killdeer  1
Herring Gull  2
Mourning Dove  3
Willow Flycatcher  1     very brief looks, but heard well.
Barn Swallow  2
American Robin  5
Gray Catbird  4
Common Yellowthroat  2
Yellow Warbler  10
Song Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  3
Red-winged Blackbird  4
Common Grackle  5
Brown-headed Cowbird  7

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23546531
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Christine Whitebread

Wompatuck State Park, May 14, 2015

Seventeen birders, upon climbing out of their cars, remarked about how cold it was: 41 degrees seemed insulting after the warm week we have just experienced.  In spite of the chill, we drove to the back gate to see if there was any activity in Boundary Pond (none) before returning to the Gate leading to Holly Pond.  We walked a four-mile loop out to South Field and back with some nice sightings, including a Veery gathering nesting material and flying to a potential nest sight; Scarlet Tanagers flying across Holly Pond; a pair of Hermit Thrushes posing along the side of the road; a pair of Wood Thrushes whizzing past our heads and stopping briefly in a tree; a difficult-to-spot singing male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers chasing each other.  On our way out we made a stop at South Pleasant Street to catch a few more lustily singing birds.  A second stop at Gate nine was particularly gratifying when American Redstarts and Worm-eating Warblers made cameo appearances. Even at 11:30 the birds were singing heartily.

Sally Avery

Wompatuck State Park, Plymouth, US-MA
May 14, 2015 6:20 AM - 11:20 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.5 mile(s)
Comments:     A SSBC trip; 41 degrees at start warming to 60's, sunny; walked to South Field around WMA; stopped at S.Pleasant ST. and Gate 9 at end
46 species

Osprey  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  3
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Least Flycatcher  1
Eastern Phoebe  5
Great Crested Flycatcher  4
Red-eyed Vireo  5
Blue Jay  2
Black-capped Chickadee  6
Tufted Titmouse  6
White-breasted Nuthatch  3
Brown Creeper  2
House Wren  2
Winter Wren  1
Veery  12     one bird was gathering nesting material and was seen flying to another spot with it; no evidence of nest was found
Hermit Thrush  2
Wood Thrush  5
American Robin  4
Gray Catbird  14
Ovenbird  20     several birds were seen well
Worm-eating Warbler  2
Northern Waterthrush  3
Blue-winged Warbler  2
Black-and-white Warbler  8
Common Yellowthroat  3
American Redstart  3
Northern Parula  1
Magnolia Warbler  1
Yellow Warbler  3
Pine Warbler  8
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Black-throated Green Warbler  1
Eastern Towhee  5
Chipping Sparrow  10
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  1
Scarlet Tanager  6     three birds seen well; male song and female calling heard at another location; at least one and more likely four more birds  heard singing at different places along the trail
Northern Cardinal  8
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  2
Indigo Bunting  1
Red-winged Blackbird  2
Common Grackle  4
Brown-headed Cowbird  12
Baltimore Oriole  9
House Finch  2
American Goldfinch  8

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23439397

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Squantum Wednesday May 13th 2015

As no bird photographer was part of our very small group (just 4 members present) here a picture of a flowering apple tree in the wilderness off Seaport Drive

Highlights were the Little Blue Heron mixed in with a few Snowy Egrets in the salt marshes right at our meeting point, we also had great looks at a dozen Glossy Ibis which flew in and stopped for a few minutes to let us enjoy their spectacular iridescent plumage. Squaw Rock Park was remarkably quiet again. The Seaport Drive wilderness had loads of very vocal Yellow Warblers and we scared up an American Woodcock

Below are the e-bird lists from all 3 locations. The total number for this trip was 36 species

Christine Whitebread

 

Quincy: Squantum Salt Pannes, Norfolk, US-MA
May 13, 2015 5:55 AM - 6:25 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: sunny, 54 F. South Shore Bird Club Trip
19 species

Brant  12
American Black Duck  4
Mallard  2
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Egret  2
Snowy Egret  4
Little Blue Heron  1     Adult, with Snowy Egrets. Seen well by all in our party.
Glossy Ibis  12
Osprey  1
Killdeer  8
Greater Yellowlegs  13
Least Sandpiper  13
Semipalmated Sandpiper  1
Chimney Swift  2
American Crow  2
Barn Swallow  1
Song Sparrow  2
Red-winged Blackbird  8
Common Grackle  2

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23428734
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Quincy: Squantum, Squaw Rock Park, Norfolk, US-MA
May 13, 2015 6:30 AM - 7:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling 0.8 mile(s)
Comments:  South Shore Bird Club Trip
22 species

Brant  40
Wild Turkey  1
Herring Gull  3
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Mourning Dove  1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  1
Black-capped Chickadee  1
House Wren  1
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  11
European Starling  4
Black-and-white Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  1
Yellow Warbler  8
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1
Song Sparrow  2
Scarlet Tanager  1
Northern Cardinal  4
American Goldfinch  1
House Sparrow  2

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23428733
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Quincy: Seaport Drive / Commander Shea Boulevard, Norfolk, US-MA
May 13, 2015 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling 0.2 mile(s)
Comments: sunny. South Shore Bird Club Trip
19 species

American Black Duck  3
Double-crested Cormorant  1     flyover
Great Egret  1
Snowy Egret  3
Greater Yellowlegs  3
American Woodcock  1
Herring Gull  2
Mourning Dove  1
Chimney Swift  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Warbling Vireo  1
American Crow  2
American Robin  4
Gray Catbird  3
Yellow Warbler  11
Song Sparrow  3
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  9
Common Grackle  2

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23428732
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)