Walk for Wildlife and Family Day, May 20 2017

In collaboration with South Shore Sanctuaries the SSBC hosted an early morning walk and a day filled with birdy activities at Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary.
The rather cool morningheld no promise for warbler activity at DWWS, so we moved over for some birding at Ferry hill Thicket and just like the previous 2 days we were not disappointed with the activity there:
Ferry Hill Thicket, Plymouth, Massachusetts, US
May 20, 2017 6:20 AM - 7:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling, )
Comments:     SSBC Trip, moved from DWWS to Ferry Hill in hopes of more warblers and prev. reported Gray-cheeked Thrush
29 species

Double-crested Cormorant  2
Broad-winged Hawk  1
Mourning Dove  1
Chimney Swift  4
Northern Flicker  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  2
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  3
Black-capped Chickadee  1
Carolina Wren  1
Gray-cheeked Thrush  1     continuing, overall darker and no buffy throat compared to nearby SWTH, VEER size but no warm/rusty back.
Swainson's Thrush  1
Gray Catbird  4
Ovenbird  1
Northern Waterthrush  1
Common Yellowthroat  6
American Redstart  1
Northern Parula  4
Magnolia Warbler  6
Bay-breasted Warbler  1
Blackburnian Warbler  1
Yellow Warbler  3
Chestnut-sided Warbler  1
Blackpoll Warbler  5
Black-throated Blue Warbler  4
Black-throated Green Warbler  1
Canada Warbler  2
Northern Cardinal  2
Baltimore Oriole  1

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37131407

The rest of the day the 13 SSBC members and their families who helped (THANK YOU AGAIN) were kept moderately busy by the 110 visitors to the sanctuary on the walk for wildlife day.
We staffed a station named WINGS, where we talked about migration - Bobolinks, Tree- and Barn Swallows. We had scopes set up on Fox Hill and looked at the Osprey nest and the boxes with Starlings and Kestrels. Lastly we talked about feathers and colors at a table with watercolors, crayons and lots of drawing paper. We all enjoyed this beautiful day and the interactions with a good number of visitor. The entrance held a lot of our materials - we hope to grow through activities such as these.

The date in peak migration time was great, we were able to "bird" a bit all through the day. Here is the SSBC combined checklist, highlights were looks at copulating BBCU and a Lincoln's Sparrow found after cleanup.

Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Plymouth, Massachusetts, US
May 20, 2017 11:14 AM - 5:14 PM
Protocol: Traveling, 3.2 mile(s)
Comments:     Walk for wildlife - birds seen while interacting with trail walkers.
57 species

Canada Goose  40
Mute Swan  2
Mallard  2
Wild Turkey  4
Great Blue Heron  1
Green Heron  1
Turkey Vulture  1
Osprey  2
Northern Harrier  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Killdeer  1
Least Sandpiper  1
Spotted Sandpiper  4
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Mourning Dove  2
Black-billed Cuckoo  5     seen copulating 2x, by seperate observers. 2 pairs and a single bird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Northern Flicker  1
American Kestrel  2
Willow Flycatcher  1
Least Flycatcher  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Eastern Kingbird  1
Warbling Vireo  1
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  2
Purple Martin  10
Tree Swallow  103
Barn Swallow  6
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Eastern Bluebird  1
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  6
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  6
Common Yellowthroat  5
American Redstart  4
Northern Parula  1
Magnolia Warbler  3
Blackburnian Warbler  1
Yellow Warbler  8
Blackpoll Warbler  2
Black-throated Green Warbler  1
Song Sparrow  6
Lincoln's Sparrow  1     Seen well at 3.30pm next to boardwalk through red maple swamp between back meadow and loop trail
Eastern Towhee  1
Northern Cardinal  4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  1
Bobolink  100     A modest count for all the birds breeding on property. number is 99 percent male.
Red-winged Blackbird  30
Common Grackle  4
Baltimore Oriole  10
House Finch  1
American Goldfinch  4
House Sparrow  10

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37072414

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

Christine Whitebread