SSBC's Assawompsett Ponds Complex IBA Breeding Bird Survey

 The SSBC Assawompsett Ponds Complex Important Bird Area (IBA) breeding bird survey was held July 25th, 2023. For the second year in a row, we had to shift the date from initially being scheduled on a Saturday to the following day on Sunday. You can pick the day, but you can't pick the weather! As a result, we lost a few surveyors due to scheduling conflicts, but still had a good turnout with 8 participants representing 5 survey parties. The survey was split up into 7 distinct sections, and some finished their surveys early allowing for each designated survey area to be covered. The five parties surveying covered a total of 33 miles on foot and a total time of 28 hours was spent surveying (total of all hours surveying by each party).

IBA Survey Area

Our efforts resulted in the observation of 78 species and a total of 1,970 individuals. The habitat here is mostly forested and as a result woodland species were well-represented, with high numbers of Ovenbirds and Pine Warblers as one might expect. Other woodland birds which are uncommon in the area were also detected like several Broad-winged Hawks, Pileated Woodpeckers, Northern Parulas, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and an Acadian Flycatcher. Of particular interest during our survey were Common Loons of which we detected a minimum of two, and Bald Eagles which we were only able to detect a single immature bird of (a known nest was observed to be unoccupied). Results can be found in the table below as well as in this eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/141197 . Highlights presented in bold, species with asterisks have commentary on count below the table.

Canada Goose	51
Mute Swan	11
Wood Duck	1
Mallard	18
duck sp.	1
Mourning Dove	34
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	1
Chimney Swift	11
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	15
Common Loon	4*
Double-crested Cormorant	9
Great Blue Heron	15
Green Heron	1
Osprey	5
Cooper's Hawk	1
Bald Eagle	1
Red-shouldered Hawk	4
Broad-winged Hawk	4
Belted Kingfisher	8
Red-bellied Woodpecker	17
Downy Woodpecker	22
Hairy Woodpecker	10
Pileated Woodpecker	3*
Northern Flicker	12
Eastern Wood-Pewee	36
Acadian Flycatcher	1
Eastern Phoebe	14
Great Crested Flycatcher	43
Eastern Kingbird	13
Warbling Vireo	4
Red-eyed Vireo	39
Blue Jay	29
American Crow	27
Fish Crow	7
Black-capped Chickadee	84
Tufted Titmouse	100
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	2
Purple Martin	16
Tree Swallow	53
Bank Swallow	25
Barn Swallow	12
swallow sp.	5
Red-breasted Nuthatch	14
White-breasted Nuthatch	44
Brown Creeper	16
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	10
House Wren	9
Carolina Wren	50
European Starling	16
Gray Catbird	133
Eastern Bluebird	5
Veery	75
Hermit Thrush	10
Wood Thrush	11
American Robin	40
Cedar Waxwing	59
House Sparrow	17
American Goldfinch	28
Chipping Sparrow	57
Field Sparrow	1
Song Sparrow	30
Swamp Sparrow	9
Eastern Towhee	29
Orchard Oriole	2
Baltimore Oriole	3
Red-winged Blackbird	51
Brown-headed Cowbird	35
Common Grackle	28
Ovenbird	160
Northern Waterthrush	4
Black-and-white Warbler	3
Common Yellowthroat	20
American Redstart	11
Northern Parula	5
Yellow Warbler	48
Pine Warbler	112
Prairie Warbler	1
Scarlet Tanager	19
Northern Cardinal	35
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	1
Total:	1970

* Common Loon: minimum of two. Two birds were observed on Great Quittacas vocalizing frequently, while two individual detections were heard only while surveying along wooded trails which may have been the same individuals. Pileated Woodpecker: Minimum of two, one observation from Betty's Neck of a bird heard calling from the forest on the eastern shore opposite the pond, on which the party surveying the area heard a bird drumming. The previous week a surveyor heard a pileated which was on Betty's Neck, so that bird may have gone detected and there may be as many as 3 birds (or 3 pair!) in the area.