Wompatuck State Park, May 4, 2017

Fourteen eager birders showed up for our early morning Wompatuck romp. An early sighting was a most cooperative Broad-winged Hawk that perched on two different poles to afford us front and back views.  We started toward Triphammer Pond when a group of bicyclists whizzed by saying there was a large owl about 20 yards beyond the closed entry gate.  As a group, we about-faced and proceeded to search for the supposedly obvious bird.  One of the group thought she saw a large-winged bird disappear into the woods, but there was no further sighting at that point.  Another member had to leave the group before the walk ended and later sent me three photos of said owl at the entrance gate.  At least 
one person went home pleased to have seen a Barred Owl!



Since we had proceeded in the opposite direction from Triphammer, the group continued on toward Gate 9.  We stopped at N9 to listen and look for the Pronthonotary Warbler spotted there a few days ago but had no luck finding it.  At Gate 8, we did have some reasonable looks at a Worm-eating Warbler which was vocalizing at the same time.  A Baltimore Oriole put on a show at the top of a red maple and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet serenaded us from the opposite of the path.  The walk from Gate 9 looping around to the visitor's center was somewhat quiet, although we picked up lots of Black-and-white Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. It was an 11 warbler day, but most of them required a bit of searching to locate.  The hoped for Veery did not materialize and the Winter Wren sang so far in the distance that we had no chance of finding it.

After returning to our cars, we drove to the far end of the park, stopping at Boundary Pond long enough to note that the water was exceedingly high and that no shorebirds were hopping on non-existent mud flats.  As we walked toward Picture Pond, a Purple Finch was singing and we chased the sound for a while but came up with a Ruby-throated Hummingbird sitting atop a tree instead.  Lots of Yellow rumps flitted along the path, but some other warblers were heard but not seen.  A nice pair of Yellow Warblers entertained us at the pond.

We were surprised at the absence of Blue-headed Vireos.  One sang for a brief moment, but otherwise none were detected.  The park is a beautiful spot and offers so many areas to explore.  We anticipate many surprises in the next three weeks.

Sally Avery



Wompatuck SP, Plymouth, Massachusetts, US
May 4, 2017 6:29 AM - 10:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.8 mile(s)
Comments:     SSBC trip. Low 40's to start rising. To mid-50's and sunny with light wind. 
42 species

Mallard  1
Common Loon  3     Flyovers
Great Blue Heron  3
Turkey Vulture  2
Broad-winged Hawk  1
Herring Gull  2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  3
Hairy Woodpecker  3
Eastern Phoebe  3     Audio only
Great Crested Flycatcher  5     Audio only but heard in several different locations
Blue-headed Vireo  1     Audio only
Blue Jay  2
Black-capped Chickadee  8
Tufted Titmouse  4
White-breasted Nuthatch  4
Winter Wren  1     Audio only at a distance
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1     Heard and seen
American Robin  6
Gray Catbird  6
Ovenbird  12     Heard throughout park. Two seen well.
Worm-eating Warbler  1     Flirting and trilling around Gate 8
Blue-winged Warbler  3     One seen well. One singing alternate song
Black-and-white Warbler  15
Northern Parula  1     Heard but not seen
Yellow Warbler  4
Black-throated Blue Warbler  3
Palm Warbler  1
Pine Warbler  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  7
Black-throated Green Warbler  2
Chipping Sparrow  9
White-throated Sparrow  8
Song Sparrow  3
Eastern Towhee  7
Northern Cardinal  2
Brown-headed Cowbird  3
Baltimore Oriole  6     Several good looks
Purple Finch  1     Heard only by 8 sets of ears. On a search we found a RTHU instead!
American Goldfinch  5

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S36536074

Wompatuck State Park, April 27, 2017

Eight birders enjoyed an early morning walk through Wompatuck State Park, starting under very foggy skies.  Even after the fog lifted, the skies remained gray making bird ID's difficult in the absence of singing.  Fortunately many birds were vocalizing making finding them somewhat easier.  The Barred Owl called at least six times, but during our walk along the trestle toward Wildcat Pond, we never seemed to get any closer to him for a visual.

Other highlights included the audios of the Northern Waterthrush in two places (see notes) and the visual of the Louisiana Waterthrush(es)singing in the canopy and walking along the stream side on the path toward Holly Pond.

Lots of breeding activity was observed from copulating to carrying nesting material, but those notes did not copy into the report below.

Sally Avery

Wompatuck SP, Plymouth, Massachusetts, US
Apr 27, 2017 6:25 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.5 mile(s)
Comments:     Extremely foggy to start with poor visibility throughout the morning. Temp in low 50's
28 species

Mallard  2
Mourning Dove  1
Barred Owl  1     Audio only, but heard a half dozen times in first hour.
Red-bellied Woodpecker  5
Downy Woodpecker  3
Eastern Phoebe  1
Blue Jay  6
American Crow  1
Fish Crow  1
Black-capped Chickadee  11
Tufted Titmouse  12
White-breasted Nuthatch  8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  9
American Robin  5
Louisiana Waterthrush  2     One followed us toward Holly Pond singing from the canopy the whole way. A second bird, or perhaps the same one, walking along the stream near the main road.
Northern Waterthrush  2     One bird heard singing continuously along the trestle toward Wildcat Pond (N13 to C7). Second bird singing from the far side of Holly Pond. Neither bird seen.
Black-and-white Warbler  4
Palm Warbler  6
Pine Warbler  13
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1     Audio only
Chipping Sparrow  11
Song Sparrow  4
Eastern Towhee  14
Northern Cardinal  7
Red-winged Blackbird  2
Common Grackle  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  13
American Goldfinch  6

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S36307306

Turkey Hill/Weir River Farm,Hingham; April 22, 2017

On a thoroughly miserable morning, five of us set out to see what Turkey Hill and Weir River Farm had in store for us.  Soon after we started, a Hermit Thrush alit in a tree giving us brief, but satisfactory, looks at what was a year bird for most of us.  An Osprey flew over our heads at the top of the hill carrying what appeared to be a very small fish in his talons.  After landing on the cell tower for a few moments, he took off to parts unknown.  And that, my friends, was the biggest excitement of the day. Oh except for seeing Vin Zollo and Jim Sweeney driving up to the top of the hill later in the morning....

After a few cooler, rainy days, there was little in the way of new migrants to brighten our outlook.  Instead of getting warmer as the morning wore on, it just got colder and rawer; we were glad we had skipped the Whitney-Thayer trail portion of the walk because it started to rain as we got to our cars. Nevertheless, it was fun company, a respectable number of species, and a nice walk through a variety of terrains. No photos were taken to my knowledge.

Sally Avery

Turkey Hill/Weir River Farm/WhitneyThayer Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Apr 22, 2017 7:53 AM - 11:23 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.5 mile(s)
Comments:     Low 40's, raw and overcast. A SSBC trip but not much bird activity. 
30 species

Canada Goose  16
Wild Turkey  8
Great Egret  1
Osprey  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Herring Gull  8
Mourning Dove  4
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  6
Blue Jay  9
American Crow  8
Fish Crow  2
Black-capped Chickadee  3
Tufted Titmouse  4
White-breasted Nuthatch  3
Carolina Wren  2
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  16
European Starling  5
Pine Warbler  2
Chipping Sparrow  6
White-throated Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  7
Eastern Towhee  4
Northern Cardinal  10
Red-winged Blackbird  2
Brown-headed Cowbird  11
House Finch  2
American Goldfinch  2
House Sparrow  60

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S36168030

Lakeville Ponds - 3/12/2017

I was joined by five club members for a trip to the Lakeville ponds complex on this unseasonably cold March day.   The temperature was only 13F when our group arrived at the meeting spot at 8:00am.  A little later in the morning, the northwest wind increased to 10-15 mph with gusts to 25 mph.  It was not the early March weather anyone had expected.  In fact, it looked and felt more like February 12th.  The conditions were challenging, but the ducks were abundant and unaffected by the wintry conditions.

 

 

    One of our first stops was at Tamarack Park at the junction of Assawompsett and Long ponds.  This early morning visit yielded a surprise American Woodcock.  The bird was inadvertently flushed and exploded from the tangles with wings whistling in hurried flight.  Despite its quick departure, everyone in the group got a glimpse of this harbinger of spring.

 

   Subsequently, our group drove to the causeway between Great Quittacas and Pocksha ponds.  We were happy to discover that the high numbers of Greater and Lesser scaup were present on Pocksha Pond again.  We speculated about the possibility that the drake Tufted Duck, observed at this location in late February, might be embedded in the rafts of scaup.  We diligently scanned the ducks with our scopes, but concluded that the Tufted Duck was not visible from the causeway.  However, we were pleased to have excellent looks at Common Goldeneyes, Hooded and Common mergansers, and Buffleheads before continuing to the western shore of Pocksha Pond.

    Within minutes of arriving at our next stop, a participant reported that the Tufted Duck was present.  The bird was very active and at times difficult to locate, but eventually everyone had satisfactory looks at this charismatic duck.  Although the bird was not too far from shore, it was associating with the Greater and Lesser scaup and was never conspicuous.  We estimated that there were over 170 scaup at the lakes today with Greater Scaup being the most numerous species observed.

 

 

    Our next stop was Little Quittacas Pond where we were pleased to find continuing high numbers of Ring-necked Ducks.  More than 250 birds spent the winter at Little Quittacas Pond this season.   In recent years, counts of 200 birds during the fall migration have been recorded, but numbers this high in winter are particularly noteworthy.  While watching the ducks at this location, we were fortunate to observe two immature Bald Eagles flying about the north end of the pond.  The excitement of the sighting distracted us from the fact that we had been facing the brisk northwest wind and had lost all feeling in our extremities.  At this point in the trip, nobody needed to be cajoled into patronizing a local coffee shop.  After warming up and regaining sensation in our faces, we decided to check out some areas on the north and east sides of Assawompsett and Pocksha ponds.   As we exited the coffee shop, we were greeted by the nasal caws of a Fish Crow while several small flocks of Common Grackles flew overhead and reminded us that it was actually early March.

 

    A brief stop at the Nemasket River (near Assawompsett Pond) produced a nice assortment of birds.  Several Northern Flickers and a Red-bellied Woodpecker made an appearance at this location.  We also observed another immature Bald Eagle soaring above the river.  At other locations on the perimeter of the ponds, we heard the peter-peter calls of a Tufted Titmouse and the faint vocalizations of White-breasted Nuthatches when the wind subsided.

 

  We also checked Snipatuit Pond in the town of Rochester.  Here we observed one Red-tailed Hawk, four Lesser Scaup, eight Hooded Mergansers, and five Common Mergansers. 

   Our last activity of the day was a leisurely stroll on Crooked Lane, a productive birding site north of Assawompsett Pond.  This mid day walk produced many of the expected species like Red-winged Blackbirds, American Crows, Song and Swamp sparrows, and American Goldfinches.  A highlight of this stop was a cooperative Winter Wren that gave us decent views as it was working the edge of the cattail marsh. We followed the bird as it called dit dit repeatedly and occasionally disappeared amongst the cattails and shrubby growth.  It was strange to see the bird in such unusual habitat since the more likely species would be a Marsh Wren (a species that has occasionally wintered at this location). 

 

   It was a fun, albeit bitterly cold, day to be afield.  The duck show was rewarding and we had great looks at ten species.  The trip description in the club bulletin had a caveat about bringing waterproof boots.   This suggestion was completely unwarranted since crampons would have been a more appropriate recommendation. Thanks to all who participated today and braved winter’s icy return. 

Jim Sweeney

Plum Island & vicinity

On a somewhat breezy, but sunny day, eight birders join me for my annual January trip to Plum Island. As always, you never know what you might find, somewhere between feast and famine.

We started the trip by scanning the ocean from parking lot #1 for sea duck and alcids. Unfortunately, the recent alcid influx had subsided, at least from here. The ocean was flat calm, with only a few species and individuals. Three species of Scoters were seen along several loons of both the Common and Red-Throated variety. Single individuals of other species were seen. But not a single Common Eider was found.

We turned our backs to the ocean to scan down the island for snowy owl. A steady West/North Westerly wind made the eyes water and the cheeks rosy. No white blobs on a brown landscape were found. We did see the first of a handful of Northern Harriers encountered during the day.

Traveling down the island, we stopped occasionally, scanning the marsh for owls (without success) viewing only Mallads, Black Ducks and several Gadwall.

It was not until we hit the Wardens did we find our first good bird of the day (but aren't they all!), a Rough-legged Hawk . Watching it for 5-15 minutes, while scanning the area, this bird hovered in place, seemingly not moving more than a foot or two in any direction. Moving down to the overlook stop, the bird was still hovering in the wind.

The next stop, Hellcat/Bill Forward Pool complex was our best and most productive of the day! Heading out on the dike separating the two bodies of water, we were greeted by a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a signpost, only 20 feet way. We watched it for a minute or two, when it took flight to fly up to the top of the tower, startling a family already there.

Turning to the ducks, we found a large group of Northern Pintails, probably the largest group I've seen of the island. Along with them were Hoodies, Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead. We would get better looks at these birds later from the "New" bird blind.

Steven Whitebread then let the group know he had found one of our target birds, a Snowy Owl. It was out in the marsh to the far right end of the dike. We walked out as far as we could to get the best looks. It was a large, very white bird with little coloration noticed.

With all satisfied with their looks at the owl, we headed back to the car to drop off scopes. We headed to the board walk to search for another reported owl. We walk to the road without nearly a bird seen or heard. Land birds were near nonexistent.

We crossed the road heading up toward the top of the dunes. We stopped at the Ludlow Griscom memorial. I asked Bob Fox if he had any stories about the renown ornithologist. He regaled us with several anecdotes which left the group with a laugh and a smile.
The only good bird on this side of the road, was a brief view by some, of a male Northern Harrier. That aside, it was more of the same, not much. We backtracked the boardwalk, retracing our steps toward the parking lot. We then headed out towards the Marsh trail boardwalk. We came up upon a group of photographers which had found a roosting Barred Owl. Although it was somewhat hidden, all managed to set satisfying looks.

After viewing the previously mentioned ducks from the blind, we headed off island to view the harbor. The best bird was a Bonaparte's Gull found by Bob Fox. This bird was nearly in Salisbury when first spotted. Next we went to Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm to chase and watch a flock of +/-200 Horned Lark. The flock split up several times, leaving us looks at 20 or so birds.

Next we headed to Scotland road to search for and found, three Greater White-fronted Goose. The last stop for the day was Cherry Hill Reservoir. We found a flock of Common Mergansers. For the last bird of the day, Dotty spotted a bird on the top of a tree. It was identified as a Northern Shrike. It only stayed for a minute, but all got a look.

All in all it was a good day!! Below is a list of what I loosely tallied, the location is where the bulk of a species was seen.

Mike

Greater White-fronted Goose  3        Scotland Road                
Canada Goose                 40       Plum Island                             
Mute Swan                    7        Plum Island                             
Gadwall                      10       Plum Island                             
American Black Duck          230      Plum Island                             
Mallard                      25       Plum Island                             
Northern Pintail             72       Plum Island                             
Green-winged Teal            20       Plum Island                             
Surf Scoter                  1        Plum Island                             
White-winged Scoter          25       Plum Island                             
Black Scoter                 5        Plum Island                             
Long-tailed Duck             5        Plum Island                             
Bufflehead                   15       Plum Island                             
Common Goldeneye             12       Plum Island                             
Hooded Merganser             7        Plum Island                             
Common Merganser             93       Cherry Hill Reservoir        
Red-breasted Merganser       30       Newburyport Harbor           
Red-throated Loon            2        Plum Island                             
Common Loon                  8        Plum Island                             
Horned Grebe                 1        Plum Island                             
Red-necked Grebe             1        Plum Island  
Northern Harrier             5        Plum Island                           
Red-tailed Hawk              2        Plum Island                             
Rough-legged Hawk            1        Plum Island                             
Bonaparte's Gull             1        Newburyport Harbor           
Ring-billed Gull             30       Newburyport Harbor                              
Herring Gull                 5        Newburyport Harbor                            
Great Black-backed Gull      3        Newburyport Harbor                             
Rock Pigeon                  5        Plum Island                             
Mourning Dove                2        Plum Island                             
Snowy Owl                    1        Plum Island                             
Barred Owl                   1        Plum Island                             
Downy Woodpecker             1        Plum Island                             
Northern Shrike              1        Cherry Hill Reservoir        
Blue Jay                     2        Plum Island                             
American Crow                5        Plum Island                             
Horned Lark                  200      Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm   
Black-capped Chickadee       2        Plum Island                             
Northern Mockingbird         1        Plum Island                             
European Starling            5        Plum Island                             
Snow Bunting                 25       Plum Island                             
Song Sparrow                 2        Plum Island                             
Northern Cardinal            1        Plum Island                             
American Goldfinch           1        Plum Island   

7th Annual Plymouth County Waterfowl Survey

22 birders turned out for the 7th annual Waterfowl Survey in Plymouth County. Birders spread out in 4 teams to check on every freshwater lake or pond that could be found. At sundown, the tally was held at Finna's Tavern in Kingston, where both the food and the fellowship was at a high standard. 

Total number of Ducks, and total number of Waterfowl are both at record numbers this year. This is partly due to healthy duck populations but also due to the great effort that was made this year to check out new ponds and lakes in addition to the usual haunts. Start times were earlier, teams split up to cover more bodies of water, and the effort showed in the results. 

• Record high - Canada Geese in the water
• Record high - American Wigeon
• Record high - Mallards
• Record high - Green Wing Teal
• Record high - Greater Scaup
• Record high - Bufflehead
• 2nd highest on record - American Black Duck
• 50% lower than average - Lesser Scaup
• 50% lower than average - Common Merganser
• Coot are a boom or bust species, and this year was one of the bust years.
• Notable waterfowl - 11 Pintail, 1 Long-tailed duck, 1 Barrow's Goldeneye, 1 Red-necked Grebe

Other Notable Birds always shows the benefit of "just getting out there", and this year was no exception. The 25 Ceremonial Doves (22 white) seen by the SW team certainly topped the list, and others included a White-winged Crossbill, Red-shouldered Hawk, a late Osprey, Bald Eagle, Fox Sparrows, Common Raven, Marsh Wren and five species of shorebirds. 

Next year's Duck Count will be on Saturday November 18 2017 - join the fun!

Joe Scott

A male Pintail on Triphammer Pond in Hingham and a Red-shouldered Hawk posing at the entrance of Wompatuck State Park were pleasant surprises.

Photos by Steven Whitebread

Passanegest Park at Broad Meadows in Quincy

This recently restored habitat has proven to be very attractive as a coastal stopover place for many migrating birds. Especially numerous are sparrows; Savannah, Song and Swamp Sparrows can be observed in good numbers. The ebird list for the hotspot now lists 133 species (in just only about 1.5 years of entries)

The easy walking on wide paths helps to make this a favorite place to go birding with a group. We saw a total of 54 species on this gorgeous fall morning.

Below is the list from our morning at this suburban oasis.
Christine Whitebread

Passanageset Park at Broad Meadows Marsh, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Oct 12, 2016 8:03 AM - 11:23 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments:     SSBC walk.
54 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  8
American Black Duck  12
Mallard  5
Northern Pintail  1     Female-type flew over at least three times with black ducks and Mallards.
Wild Turkey  7
Double-crested Cormorant  150
Great Blue Heron  3
Great Egret  4
Snowy Egret  2     *In saltmarsh with GREG and GBHE where they have been.
Cooper's Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Herring Gull  11
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Mourning Dove  19
Belted Kingfisher  2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1     Nice immature working a tree on the edge of the parking lot.
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  3
American Kestrel  2
Merlin (Taiga)  1
Blue Jay  7
American Crow  220
Fish Crow  7
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  8
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Marsh Wren  1     **Not an easy bird in the county; in shrub-line out in the saltmarsh.
Carolina Wren  1
Golden-crowned Kinglet  2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
American Robin  15
Northern Mockingbird  4
European Starling  13
American Pipit  1
Nashville Warbler  5
Common Yellowthroat  1
Blackpoll Warbler  10
Palm Warbler (Western)  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  2
Field Sparrow  1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  2
White-crowned Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  8
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah)  70     *Not unusual numbers for here.
Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich)  1     Dead phragmites berm in the saltmarsh. Looked like the one with the yellowish malar.
Song Sparrow  48
Swamp Sparrow  25
Northern Cardinal  1
Red-winged Blackbird  4
Common Grackle  1
House Finch  8
American Goldfinch  6
House Sparrow  10

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32011442