Central Mass Bird Census Archive, 2006

Central Mass Bird Census Archives, 2006

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.

8/26/05 -- Coordinated Highthawk watch, Blackstone Corridor

Summary of results: |Totals| Narratives| Comments and Analysis|
(compiled by Mark Lynch).

6/25/06 -- Ware River IBA

We conducted our yearly BBS of the Ware River IBA. The area we cover is actually a bit less than half of the entire IBA and consists of the dirt roads and surrounding environs between Rutland SP and Barre Falls Dam (A.C.E.). The habitat is mixed managed forest, some field and marsh, crossed by Army Corps of Engineers dirt roads all surrounding the Ware Rivers. The area around this parcel is rapidly being developed. Weather was overcast, but despite dire predictions of flooding rains, we had just a damp gloom. Water levels on all the streams are very high, more typically like what one would see in early spring. Usually, this area is great for butterflies, but because of the dark cloud cover, we only managed a Pearl Crescent and a European Skipper. Mosquitoes were abyssmal as you would expect. Great Blue Heron (4ad: all young have by now left thier rookeries here)

 
Green Heron (1); 
Turkey Vuture (1: not a great day for soaring birds); 
Canada Goose (13ad+5yg); 
Wood Duck (1m); 
Mallard (1f+5yg); 
Red-shouldered Hawk (1); 
Virginia Rail (2); 
Black-billed Cuckoo (2); 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1); 
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1); 
Downy Woodpecker (2); 
Hairy Woodpecker (4); 
N Flicker (3); 
Eastern Wood Peewee (23); 
Alder Flycatcher (1: very low); 
Least Flycatcher (24); 
Eastern Phoebe (5); 
Great Crested Flycatcher (1); 
Eastern Kingbird (7); 
Yellow-throated Vireo (2); 
Blue-headed Vireo (20); 
Warbling Vireo (4); 
Red-eyed Vireo (71); 
Blue Jay (11); 
A Crow (1); 
Tree Swallow (23); 
N Rough-winged Swallow (2); 
Bank Swallow (1); 
Barn Swallow (2); 
Black-capped Chickadee (32); 
Tufted Titmouse (24); 
Red-breasted Nuthatch (3); 
NB: though we recorded no White-breasteds, they do breed here in numbers.
Brown Creeper (8); 
Winter Wren (2); 
Golden-crowned Kinglet (9); 
Veery (48); 
Hermit Thrush (52); 
Wood Thrush (3); 
A Robin (38); 
Gray Catbird (25); 
Cedar Waxwing (35); 

WARBLERS:
Blue-winged (2); 
Nashville (1); 
Yellow (12); 
Chestnut-sided (38); 
Magnolia (8); 
Black-throated Blue (7); 
Yellow-rumped (16); 
Black-throated Green (35); 
Blackburnian (12); 
Pine (41); 
Prairie (4); 
Black and White (8); 
A Redstart (15); 
Ovenbird (127); 
Northern Waterthrush (1); 
C Yellowthroat (77); 
Canada (12); 

Scarlet Tanager (34); 
Eastern Towhee (39); 
Chipping Sparrow (42); 
Field Sparrow (1); 
Song Sparrow (29); 
Swamp Sparrow (19); 
White-throated Sparrow (9); 
N Cardinal (3); 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (13); 
Indigo Bunting (8); 
Bobolink (5m on territory); 
Red-winged Blackbird (118); 
Common Grackle (19); 
Brown-headed Cowbird (4); 
Baltimore Oriole (4); 
Purple Finch (4); 
A Goldfinch (14);

PLUS: several huge female Snapping Turtles laying eggs; E Painted Turtles doing same; Red-spotted Newts (many); and their land stage: Red Efts (also many); Green Frogs, Bull Frogs and Bridled Shiner (state listed). Blooms included Columbine (still in some areas); Wild Cranberry, Ros Pogonia, Cotton Grass, Wild Sarsparilla, Pitcher Plants, varioys daisy sp. and even a large area of Wood Nettle (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

6/17/06 -- Broad Meadow Brook Breeding Bird Survey, Worcester

We recorded the following this morning during the 16th Annual Breeding Bird Survey at the Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Worcester:

Mallard (13, including a female with 8 nearly full-grown young)
Wild Turkey (1)
Great Blue Heron (1)
Green Heron (1)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Virginia Rail (2)
Spotted Sandpiper (1 - 2nd record for count)
Rock Pigeon (9)
Mourning Dove (6)
Chimney Swift (2)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (4)
Downy Woodpecker (9)
Hairy Woodpecker (4)
Northern Flicker (4)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (17)
Willow Flycatcher (2)
Eastern Phoebe (3)
Great Crested Flycatcher (4)
Eastern Kingbird (2)
Yellow-throated Vireo (1 - 2nd record for count)
Warbling Vireo (5)
Red-eyed Vireo (12)
Blue Jay (15)
American Crow (6)
Tree Swallow (8)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (1)
Black-capped Chickadee (11 - they were very quiet yesterday)
Tufted Titmouse (29)
White-brested Nuthatch (8)
Carolina Wren (3)
House Wren (3)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (2 - 2nd record for count)
Eastern Bluebird (3)
Veery (3)
Wood Thrush (17 - tied high count)
American Robin (32)
Gray Catbird (25 - numbers declined probably due to loss of habitat due to
beaver)
European Starling (178)
Cedar Waxwing (7)
Blue-winged Warbler (1)
Yellow Warbler (6 - numbers declined probably due to loss of habitat due
to beaver)
Prairie Warbler (5)
American Redstart (1)
Ovenbird (4)
Common Yellowthroat (21 - numbers declined probably due to loss of habitat
due to beaver)
Scarlet Tanager (6)
Eastern Towhee (15)
Chipping Sparrow (4)
Field Sparrow (6)
Song Sparrow (15)
Swamp Sparrow (4 - NEW HIGH; a beaver plus)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (8)
Red-winged Blackbird (42)
Common Grackle (29)
Brown-headed Cowbird (5)
Baltimore Oriole (17)
House Finch (7)
American Goldfinch (20)
House Sparrow (16)

TOTAL SPECIES = 60

Interesting misses: Northern Mockingbird (1st time), Brown Thrasher
(species in decline as follows over the years:
10-13-9-14-11-12-8-4-6-2-4-1-0-1-0-0)