Central Mass Bird Census Archive, 2004

Central Mass Bird Census Archives, 2004

This is an archive of bird census data from breeding bird surveys, Christmas Counts, or other comprehensive bird surveys in central Massachusetts. To contribute, you can email to rsquimby@wpi.edu or call Rick Quimby at (508) 835-6567 for information on how to submit the census data.

12/18/04 -- Worcester CBC

The 53rd annual Worcester Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 18th. Here is what was recorded:

Common Loon (3)
Horned Grebe (13)
Red-necked Grebe (count week)
Double-crested Cormorant (2 - NEW HIGH)
Great Cormorant (1)
Great Blue Heron (5)
Canada Goose (1191)
Mute Swan (24 - NEW HIGH; its spread continues)
American Wigeon (1)
American Black Duck (68)
Mallard (1451)
Green-winged Teal (1)
Ring-necked Duck (1)
Greater Scaup (count week - the flock vanished on the day of the count)
Lesser Scaup (1)
Bufflehead (3)
Common Goldeneye (95)
Hooded Merganser (118)
Common Merganser (57)
Bald Eagle (1 subadult)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (4)
Cooper's Hawk (6)
Red-tailed Hawk (49)
Merlin (1)
Peregrine Falcon (1)
Ruffed Grouse (2)
Wild Turkey (41)
Ring-billed Gull (2074)
Herring Gull (1466)
Iceland Gull (1 adult)
Great Black-backed Gull (464)
Rock Pigeon (1168)
Mourning Dove (423)
Eastern Screech-Owl (6)
Great Horned Owl (6)
Barred Owl (1)
Northern Saw-whet Owl (2)
Belted Kingfisher (9)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (24)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2 - NEW HIGH)
Downy Woodpecker (141)
Hairy Woodpecker (26)
Northern Flicker (5)
Pileated Woodpecker (3)
Northern Shrike (1)
Blue Jay (399)
American Crwo (330)
Common Raven (5 - NEW HIGH)
Horned LArk (98 - NEW HIGH)
Black-capped Chickadee (938)
Tufted Titmouse (333)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (4)
White-breasted Nuthatch (248)
Brown Creeper (15)
Carolina Wren (15)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (23)
Eastern Bluebird (15)
Hermit Thrush (1)
American Robin (1101)
Northern Mockingbird (52)
European Starling (1911)
AMERICAN PIPIT (1 - NEW SPECIES)
Cedar Waxwing (265)
American Tree Sparrow (134)
Chipping Sparrow (1)
Field Sparrow (13)
Savannah Sparrow (1)
Fox Sparrow (1)
Song Sparrow (64)
White-throated Sparrow (47)
Dark-eyed Junco (464)
Snow Bunting (3)
Northern Cardinal (167 - NEW HIGH)
Red-winged Blackbird (1)
Common Grackle (2)
Baltimore Oriole (1 - coming to a feeder for several days)
Purple Finch (47)
House Finch (291)
Common Redpoll (1)
American Goldfinch (376)
House Sparrow (1154)

79 species + 2 count week

(report from John Liller, compiler).

12/14/04 -- 9th Sturbridge CBC

We held the ninth Sturbridge CBC Tuesday, first day of the count period. Towns that are all or (most often) partly included in the circle include: the "Brookfields", Warren, Southbridge, Spencer, Charlton, Sturbridge, Brimfield, Holland, Wales. Weather was partly cloudy and windy at times with temps from 24-36. Still, water was mostly open. The food crop was good overall (sumac, winterberry, bittersweet et) but local. Count details:

ALL CAPS=new Count High
*=uncommon, not seen every year

Horned Grebe (1*)
Great Blue Heron (6)
MUTE SWAN (4)
Canada Goose (1357)
A Black Duck (77)
Mallard (1125)
Ring-necked Duck (5)
Greater Scaup (2*)
Lesser Scaup (1*)
Bufflehead (5)
C Goldeneye (1)
HOODED MERGANSER (137)
Common Merganser (788)
Ruddy Duck (3)
OSPREY (count week)
Bald Eagle (1ad)
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (12)
Cooper's Hawk (9)
Red-shouldered Hawk (1*=single birds have been seen on only 2 other counts)
RED-TAILED HAWK (37)
Ring-necked Phaesant (2)
Ruffed Grouse (3: seems to be decresing in circle)
Wild Turkey (97)
Ring-billed Gull (440)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (1adw*: seen on only 1 other count)
Herring Gull (101)
Great Black-backed Gull (59)
Rock Pigeon (1215)
Mourning Dove (514)
E SCREECH OWL (6)
Great Horned Owl (2)
Barred Owl (5)
LONG-EARED OWL (1: new to count)
N Saw-whet Owl (3)
Nota bene: the AM hours were pretty windy just before dawn and many sectors
reported poor luck with owls.
Belted Kingfisher (3)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (53)
Downy Woodpecker (146)
Hairy Woodpecker (24)
N Flicker (6: low)
Pileated Woodpecker (1: low)
Horned Lark (44)
Blue Jay (1291)
A Crow (335)
C Raven (1:low)
Black-capped Chickadee (1539)
TUFTED TITMOUSE (687)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (8)
White-breasted Nuthatch (325)
Brown Creeper (16)
Carolina Wren (17)
WINTER WREN (4)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (77)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1*: seen on only 1 other count)
E Bluebird (56)
Hermit Thrush (1*)
A Robin (1343)
Gray Catbird (2*)
N Mockingbird (21: seems to be decreasing in circle)
Cedar Waxwing (544)
European Starling (1992: amazingly, may be decreasing in circle)
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (2)
N CARDINAL (239)
A Tree Sparrow (253)
Field Sparrow (1*)
Song Sparrow (47)
Swamp Sparrow (3)
White-throated Sparrow (100: we had a leucistic bird in our sector with an
all white head)
Dark-eyed Junco (994)
Snow Bunting (1*)
Red-winged Blackbird (50)
Rusty Blackbird (2)
C Grackle (3)
Purple Finch (12)
House Finch (393)
C Redpoll (4)
A Goldfinch (403)
House Sparrow (1051)
TOTAL : 77 species

(report from Mark Lynch, compiler).

11/20/04 -- Blackstone National Corridor waterbird survey: fall

On November 20-21, birders from Broad Meadow Brook MAS in Worcester fanned out across the Blackstone National Corridor between Worcester and Providence to count "water birds" on river, pond, lake and reservoir. This is part of a series of counts to be conducted in the Corridor for the next several years.

Here is the detailed count info:

(compiled and submitted by Mark Lynch).

6/27/04 -- Ware River Watershed

We ran a rather late in the month annual BBS of a section of the Ware River Watershed IBA: essentially the area between Rutland SP and Barre Falls Dam. This is the area and the dirt roads I have detailed in the description in the Western MA guide. This area constitutes about one third of the total IBA area. We got an early start and were in the field by 4:15AM and following our usual course with the standard stops, we finished at 12:30PM. We did dome butterflying, hiking and broke for brunch. Starting temp was: 45, it stayed quite cool for much of the morning, but eventually warming to 68. Totals are as follows: American Bittern (1); Great Blue Heron (4ad. At the rookery there were 32 nearly fledged young on 15 nests); Turkey Vulture (1); Canada Goose (2); Wood Duck (7); Broad-winged Hawk (2); Mourning Dove (11); Black-billed Cuckoo (9); Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1); Common Nighthawk (1); Whip-Poor-Will (1: if we had gotten in the field earlier, there would have been more); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1); Downy Woodpecker (12); Hairy Woodpecker (5); N. Flicker (4); Pileated Woodpecker (2); E Wood Peewee (17); Alder Flycatcher (9); Willow Flycatcher (3); Least Flycatcher (23); E Phoebe (8); Great Crested Flycatcher (4); E. Kingbird (8); Yellow-throated Vireo (1); Blue-headed Vireo (17); Warbling Vireo (5); Red-eyed Vireo (112); Blue Jay (28); A Crow (1); Tree Swallow (33); Barn Swallow (6); Black-capped Chickadee (62); Tufted Titmouse (3); Red-breasted Nuthatch (25); White-breasted Nuthatch (3); Brown Creeper (20); E. Bluebird (pair); Veery (51); Hermit Thrush (54); Wood Thrush (5); A Robin (66); Gray Catbird (26); Cedar Waxwing (28);

WARBLERS: Blue-winged (2); Chestnut-sided (39); Magnolia (5); Black-throated Blue (4); Yellow-rumped (18); Black-throated Green (48); Blackburnian (8); Pine (54); Prairie (2); Black and White (7); A Redstart (11); Ovenbird (91); N Waterthrush (1); C Yellowthroat (67); Canada (7); Scarlet Tanager (16); E Towhee (26); Chipping Sparrow (52); Field Sparrow (4); Song Sparrow (22); Swamp Sparrow (14); White-throated Sparrow (7); N Cardinal (3); Rose-breasted Grosbeak (13); Indigo Bunting (7); Bobolink (4); Red-winged Blackbird (58); C Grackle (18); Brown-headed Cowbird (16); Baltimore Oriole (2); Purple Finch (4); A Goldfinch (18); PLUS: E Cottontail, Beaver (cursing our presence with a hard thwocking tail); , Porcupine and just before dawn: a huge MOOSE ran across one of the dirt roads right in front of our car. There was an excellent showing of butterflies once it warmed which included three Buckeyes. One of the odder finds was a huge crayfish scuttling across one of the roads, high and dry. A nice showing of ROSE POGONIAS was under the spillway bridge. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

6/19/04 -- Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Worcester

Although somewhat shorthanded, we conducted the 14th annual Breeding Bird Survey at the Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary (Worcester) today, with the following species recorded:

Green Heron (1 - flyover)
Canada Goose (2 adults + 3 young)
Wood Duck (1 female calling)
Mallard (2 males)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Ruffed Grouse (1)
Virginia Rail (1)
Spotted Sandpiper (1 - NEW SURVEY SPECIES)
Mourning Dove (4)
Chimney Swift (8)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (1)
Downy Woodpecker (8)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (8)
Willow Flycatcher (2)
Great Crested Flycatcher (4)
Eastern Kingbird (3)
Warbling Vireo (2)
Red-eyed Vireo (2)
Blue Jay (16)
American Crow (8)
Tree Swallow (6)
Black-capped Chickadee (22)
Tufted Titmouse (30)
White-breasted Nuthatch (1 - noticeably absent)
Carolina Wren (2)
Eastern Bluebird (5)
Wood Thrush (13)
American Robin (27)
Gray Catbird (34)
Northern Mockingbird (2)
Brown Thrasher (2)
European Starling (3)
Cedar Waxwing (4)
Blue-winged Warbler (1)
Yellow Warbler (3)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (1)
Prairie Warbler (3)
Ovenbird (1)
Common Yellowthroat (21)
Scarlet Tanager (3)
Eastern Towhee (26)
Chipping Sparrow (2)
Field Sparrow (3)
Song Sparrow (23)
Northern Cardinal (7)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (6)
Red-winged Blackbird (45 - NEW HIGH)
Common Grackle (49)
Brown-headed Cowbird (10)
Baltimore Oriole (4)
House Finch (4)
American Goldfinch (11)
House Sparrow (16)

Also, we missed Rock Pigeon, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, and Eastern Phoebe for the first time. (report from John Liller).

4/3/04 -- Blackstone National Corridor waterbird survey: spring

On April 3-4, birders from Broad Meadow Brook MAS in Worcester fanned out across the Blackstone National Corridor between Worcester and Providence to count "water birds" on river, pond, lake and reservoir. This is part of a series of counts to be conducted in the Corridor for the next several years.

Here is the detailed count info:

(compiled and submitted by Mark Lynch).

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