Squantum Wednesday May 6th

Seven members joined me for this sunny early morning walk in the Squantum area of Quincy today.

After looking around our meeting place we headed to Squaw Rock Park, which had been productive yesterday (5 Warbler sp.). Obviously those warblers had moved on, so after some futile searching which yielded just one single Northern Parula we moved on to Commander Shea Blvd and walked the new River walk around Boston Scientific out to the former airfield. Most of us were real happy to have our first look of American Oystercatchers, which were far out at low tide. At the parking lot end we attempted a “selfie” in front of a very yucky snow mountain - my bet is that this mountain will survive to the next snowfall…

The wetland at this end of Squantum Point Park held a wonderful surprise: a Solitary Sandpiper, together with some Yellowlegs. We were also rewarded with great looks at the resident Virginia Rail and three Green-winged Teal on the Neponset river, before heading back to our cars.

The trip totaled 36 species, 3 FOY for me (Oystercatcher, Chimney Swift, Solitary Sandpiper)

Christine Whitebread

Quincy: Squantum, Squaw Rock Park, Norfolk, US-MA May 6, 2015 6:25 AM - 7:00 AM Protocol: Traveling 0.2 mile(s) 13 species

Herring Gull  2
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Chimney Swift  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
American Crow  3
Black-capped Chickadee  5
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  5
Northern Mockingbird  1     Heard.
Northern Parula  1
Northern Cardinal  2
Common Grackle  7
American Goldfinch  2

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23276263

Quincy: Squantum Point Park, Norfolk, US-MA May 6, 2015 7:15 AM - 9:20 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.5 mile(s) 27 species

Brant  22
Canada Goose  8
Mallard  2
Green-winged Teal  3
Common Loon  3
Double-crested Cormorant  2
Virginia Rail  1
American Oystercatcher  2
Killdeer  1
Solitary Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  5
Lesser Yellowlegs  1
Herring Gull  25
Mourning Dove  6
Black-capped Chickadee  2
American Robin  17
Gray Catbird  3
Common Yellowthroat  3
Yellow Warbler  14
Savannah Sparrow  3
Song Sparrow  9
Swamp Sparrow  1
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  4
Common Grackle  26
Brown-headed Cowbird  4
American Goldfinch  6

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23276226

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

Wompatuck State Park, Hingham

Eleven people set out for the first of five Thursday morning treks through Wompatuck Sate Park. Although still early in the season, we had a reasonable look at an ovenbird, one of two heard, singing in a pine tree.  As we walked along the esker toward Wildcat Pond, we saw and heard many palm and pine warblers, a brown creeper, and two winter wrens, one of which afforded us good looks on a stump. Black-and-whites were calling but not easily spotted. A northern waterthrush was calling incessantly, and finally two of the group spotted it high in the tree canopy just before it flew down and out of sight.  Our next stop at Gate 5 did not produce a Louisiana waterthrush, so we headed to Picture Pond.  The Louisiana started calling immediately, and after several fleeting glimpses of it moving around on territory, it settled high in a canopy and sang repeatedly as all the remaining group had really good looks at the bird.  An 8-warbler day to close out the month of April was indeed a highlight.

Christine Whitebread's photo of the group searching for a Pine Warbler

Common Loon  1
Double-crested Cormorant  25
Great Egret  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Herring Gull  1
Mourning Dove  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  5
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Eastern Phoebe  3
Blue-headed Vireo  2
Blue Jay  3
Fish Crow  1
Black-capped Chickadee  15
Tufted Titmouse  9
White-breasted Nuthatch  3
Brown Creeper  1
Winter Wren  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2
Hermit Thrush  2
American Robin  4
Ovenbird  2     one seen and heard in tree near visitors center; a second was heard on esker near wildcat pond.  Teacher-teacher-teacher call unmistakeable.
Louisiana Waterthrush  1
Northern Waterthrush  1
Black-and-white Warbler  5
Yellow Warbler  1
Palm Warbler  7
Pine Warbler  12
Yellow-rumped Warbler  3
Eastern Towhee  6
Chipping Sparrow  6
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  1
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Northern Cardinal  6
Brown-headed Cowbird  6
American Goldfinch  5

Bare Cove Park - Hingham 4/26/2015

The South Shore Bird Club's April 26, 2015 walk at Bare Cove Park in
Hingham was led by Kathy Rawdon with temps. starting out in the high
40's. There were 13 participants who covered approximately 3 miles
distance through swamp, pine, open field and river edge habitat.

Pine Warblers (male & female)

  The highlights for migratory birds were the Hermit Thrush, Pine, Palm,
Yellow-rump Warblers and Blue gray Gnatcatchers. We had four species of
woodpeckers and ospreys on their nest. A Greater Yellowlegs flew along
the river. There were still some lingering Red-breasted Mergansers.

Old Red-eyed Vireo nest

*Thanks to Steven Whitebread for providing these fine pictures.

45 species

Canada Goose  6

American Black Duck  2

Mallard  2

Bufflehead  3

Red-breasted Merganser  3

Double-crested Cormorant  45

Great Egret  1

Snowy Egret  3

Osprey  2

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Greater Yellowlegs  1

Herring Gull (American)  12

Great Black-backed Gull  1

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  1

Mourning Dove  6

Red-bellied Woodpecker  2

Downy Woodpecker  5

Hairy Woodpecker  1

Blue Jay  5

American Crow  8

Fish Crow  1

Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1

Tree Swallow  2

Barn Swallow  1

Black-capped Chickadee  13

Tufted Titmouse  8

White-breasted Nuthatch  2

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  3

Hermit Thrush  1

American Robin  15

European Starling  2

Palm Warbler  3

Pine Warbler  3

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  1

Eastern Towhee  6

Chipping Sparrow  14

Song Sparrow  7

White-throated Sparrow  1

Northern Cardinal  9

Red-winged Blackbird  3

Common Grackle  5

Brown-headed Cowbird  8

House Finch  2

American Goldfinch  6

House Sparrow  11
 

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

Kathy Rawdon

Scusset and Canal area, January 18^th 2015

 

Just 4 of us met on this remarkably warm morning for January – what a contrast to last year on this same trip! We explored the Canal near the Sagamore bridge first and soon spotted a large flock of Eiders. We had heard about two King Eiders among these and decided to walk up the bike path in order to scan the raft of about 400 birds. We finally found one King Eider, who presented a great photo op a little later.

In between we also spotted a Red shouldered Hawk taking off and flying across the canal. As the drizzle turned to rain we returned to the car and drove to the beach area. There we sat through the few minutes of rain while admiring the Horned Larks in their usual spot.

The walk out to the icy Jetty offered another wonderful photo opportunity of a cute and remarkably cooperative Long-tailed Duck. On the way back we had Savannah and Tree Sparrow in the same bush as Yellow-rumped Warblers. The woodlands produced the usual Catbirds, White-throated Sparrows, Cardinals, Titmice, Chickadees and Goldfinches.

After a quick Rest stop, three of us continued to Ellisville SP and were rewarded with great looks at Green-winged Teal and a murder of Crows, 130 Fish and American Crows, were active over the marsh and in and out of trees. Most surprisingly we found one lonely Black-bellied Plover among a group of 46 Dunlin!

Thanks to Joe Scott for keeping and submitting the lists, which can be found by following the links below.

Cape Cod Canal, Barnstable, US-MA
Jan 18, 2015 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
20 species

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S21412830

Scusset Beach State Reservation, Barnstable, US-MA
Jan 18, 2015 9:25 AM - 11:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
25 species

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S21412827

Plymouth: Ellisville Harbor State Park, Plymouth, US-MA
Jan 18, 2015 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 mile(s)
Comments: South Shore Bird Club trip
11 species

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S21424681

 

Photos and text by Steven and Christine Whitebread.