Clad in full winter outerwear, I showed up at the Wompatuck Visitors center with very low expectations. I had warned potential bird clubbers that temperatures around 40 degrees, wind gusts up to 40 mph, and low migration forecasts promised little in the way of bird sightings that morning. Seven hardy members joined Dick and me anyway for the first of the spring walks around the park. Thanks to new rules, the gate into the park is now open 24/7 as are the restrooms greatly expanding our opportunities for exploring its many great trails.
Unbeknownst to me, the group saw a red shoulder fly over my head as I was coming out of the visitor's center. I did see the American crow that was chasing it, but it was only at the end of the morning that I learned that the RSHA had been part of the chase.
We began the walk at the end of the park for a quick jaunt to Picture Pond in case there was a LOWA (there wasn't); from that parking area we walked some back trails over to the "lollipop" path and South Park where early warblers can often be found. We weren't disappointed. Palms, yellow-rumps, Black and white, ovenbird, pines, and northern waterthrushes were all singing and four species were seen.
At a wetland stop along the lollipop where many of our species were found, Trevor Lloyd Evans told us about the black eyebrow found on a male BGGN only during the breeding season, a fact new to the rest of
the group. Since then, I have been looking and have found this field mark which is often easier to see on photos. As it turns out, Clark Johnson (who provided all of these photos) got a photo in which it is somewhat visible.
Several winter wrens were singing but not seen along our 4-mile route; I assured everyone that we were bound to see one along the lollipop stick on the way back from Holly Pond toward the main road. And, as predicted, one obliging wren sang lustily from an upended tree stump so that Clark could get his life view of the bird as well as a photo.
My pessimistic outlook about the productiveness of the walk was unfounded as we counted up our list at the end of the morning. The 40 species we saw under less than ideal conditions made for a very satisfying morning indeed!
Sally Avery
Wompatuck State Park, Hingham US-MA 42.19685, -70.85005, Plymouth, Massachusetts, US
Apr 28, 2022 6:26 AM - 10:13 AM
Protocol: Traveling
6.766 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: A SSBC walk. Mileage reflects driving from visitor center to far end of park birding with windows open as well as a 4- mile walking loop. Sunny but Below 40 degrees with with wind gusts well over 20mph. BirdCast showed low migration but we still saw 40 species.
40 species
Canada Goose 1
Wood Duck 1 Heard flying away from Holly pond
Mallard 1
Wild Turkey 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 6
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 16
American Crow 3
Black-capped Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 7
Barn Swallow 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 Lots of singing birds with only one seen well. Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Vocalizing only
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Brown Creeper 1 Vocalizing only
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Winter Wren 5 We saw 3 of these birds, two of which were actively singing and the third was poking around probable nesting sites. Two others were heard singing near streams along the four mile loop our group walked. Small dark brown wren-shaped bird with short cocked tail.
Carolina Wren 1
Hermit Thrush 4
American Robin 1
American Goldfinch 4
Chipping Sparrow 8
White-throated Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 1 Audio only
Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Audio only
Common Grackle 3
Ovenbird 1 Audio only
Northern Waterthrush 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 3
Pine Warbler 13
Yellow-rumped Warbler 14
Northern Cardinal 2
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