Wompatuck State Park, May 3, 2018

The migration prediction maps from Cornell showed the evening of May 2 - 3 being a busy night for northbound breeders and it didn't disappoint! As I drove into the parking lot at the visitor's center, the most prominent vocalization was a lustily singing wood thrush which eventually the entire group of 15 was able to see. Ovenbirds were loudly proclaiming as well as we prepared to walk toward Triphammer Pond until the main gate opened. When we discovered that the gate had been opened early, we quickly changed tactics to bird at Gate 9 and that was a terrific boost for us.

Every few feet we seemed to encounter a new species eventually tallying 11 warbler types, several Baltimore orioles, a pair of scarlet tanagers, and an indigo bunting. Blue-gray gnatcatchers were whining from several areas and a female was found sitting on a lichen-covered nest built atop a branch high in a tree. Great-crested flycatchers were heard vocalizing in a few places but always distant enough that no-one was able to spot them. Two lucky members of our group spotted a pileated woodpecker flying through the trees. We saw several of the ovenbirds and black-and-whites were pretty easy to find. The black-throated blue was a serendipitous find because it did not vocalize at all. Blue-wingeds, the American redstarts, and northern parula took some searching but eventually most, if not all of us, got decent looks at them.

Wompatuck SP-Gate 9, Plymouth, Massachusetts, US
May 3, 2018 6:23 AM - 9:05 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.3 mile(s)
Comments: Sunny starting at 60 and rising to high 80's. No winds. started birding in visitor center parking lot, drove .5 mile then walked a loop at gate 9.
39 species

Mallard 2
Mourning Dove 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 2
Fish Crow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 7
Tufted Titmouse 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Brown Creeper 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5


Wood Thrush 2

American Robin 3
Gray Catbird 2

Ovenbird 11


Blue-winged Warbler 5

Black-and-white Warbler 9


Common Yellowthroat 1

American Redstart 2

Northern Parula 2
Yellow Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 4
Pine Warbler 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Chipping Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 6
Scarlet Tanager 2
Northern Cardinal 4
Indigo Bunting 1
Baltimore Oriole 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
American Goldfinch 4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S45208722

After leaving Gate 9, we headed to the end of the park with the intention of finding a Louisiana Waterthrush that had been seen the day before on the far side of Picture Pond.  With the heat rising steadily over the morning, the birds seemed to quiet down and nothing new was seen or heard along the way.  A pair of Canada geese at Boundary Pond was the only new addition to our list.  With the lessening bird activity, our over-heated group decided to call it a day, albeit a very fine one indeed!

Wompatuck SP--Picture Pond, Plymouth, Massachusetts, US
May 3, 2018 9:13 AM - 9:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments: As it got hotter, bird activity and vocalizations dropped off.
14 species

Canada Goose 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 4


Black-capped Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Ovenbird 4
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Yellow Warbler 1
Chipping Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 3
Eastern Towhee 1
Northern Cardinal 3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S45210247