December 2003 Central Mass Bird Sightings

Sightings are listed in reverse chronological order. The email address of birders submitting reports, as well as other Central Massachusetts birding info can be found via the Central Mass Bird Update homepage.

Bird News:

Bird Sightings:

12/31/03 -- Worcester, Shrewsbury and Wachusett Reservoir
Fran McMenemy and I did some scouting today to check on the ice conditions in the ponds and at lake Quinsig. We ended the day at Wachusett Reservoir. Highlights were: 2 drake Green-winged Teal and 32 Hooded Mergansers at All Faith's Cemetery; the Peregrine Falcon on the higher phone company tower; 27 Hooded Mergansers at Salisbury Pond (Institute Park) and 26 more at Lake Quinsigamond and Flint Pond; 52 Common Goldeneye with 1 Lesser Scaup, 3 Ring-necked Duck and 5 Common Mergansers at the Lake; 4 Mute Swan (2 at Notre Dame Cemetery and 2 in the north end of Lake Quinsig. opposite Worcester Sand and Gravel; thousands of gulls at the reservoir near Scarhill (Wachusett Reservoir in Boylston -- too far to identify, but a spectacular sight when they rose into the air and flew around for about 5 minutes); 1 adult Bald Eagle seen from Mile Hill and 2 winter-plumaged adult Common Loon near gate 35. (report from Joan Zumpfe).

12/31/03 -- High Ridge WMA, Gardner
There was a light morph. Northern Rough-legged Hawk along Rte 140 in Gardner this morning. It was perch near the top of a small Poplar tree at the edge of High Ridge WMA between the juntion of Rte 140/Rte101 and Smith street. It was chased off by two Am. Crows. (report from Tom Pirro).

12/29/03 -- Leesville Pond, Worcester
A noon survey of Leesville Pond (Old Swedish Cemetary) today turned up the following highlights: hooded mergansers (35), gt. blue heron (1), belted kingfisher (1). The pond is largely open on the northeast side and largely frozen on the southwest side. The heron was on the shore below 290. (report from Jim Hogan).

12/29/03 -- Mount Pisgah, Northboro/Berlin
After noon we hiked the Mount Pisgah conservation land in Northboro/Berlin, where we were rewarded with magnificent views of a great horned owl in flight and perched. Other than that we had brown creepers (2) and red-bellied woodpeckers (2), white-breasted nuthatches (3). (report from Jim Hogan).

12/29/03 -- Lackey Dam Road, Uxbridge/Douglas
A mature bald eagle flew over my car while I was getting coffee at the Dunkin' Donuts/Shell station on the Uxbridge/Douglas line today (this is right off the Lackey Dam Road exit on Route 146). I, my daughter, and her friend all got great looks at it, especially when it flew over us again! (report from Mary Sughrue-Yacino).

12/29/03 -- Mt. Wachusett, Princeton
While hiking up Mt. Wachusett this afternoon I saw a Pileated Woodpecker. (report from Laura Lane).

12/29/03 -- Lake Quinsigamond, Worcester/Shrewsbury
A quick check of Lake Quinsigamond found: 1 Wood duck, 41 Common Goldeneye, 2 Common Merganser, 6 Hooded Merganser, 1m.& 1f. N. Pintail at the M.C.L. Club on Lake ave. and 3 A. Coot at Maironis Park. (report from John Shea).

12/28/03 -- High Ridge WMA, Gardner/Westminster
Hilites from birding High Ridge WMA area, mostly on the Westminster side this morning: Northern goshawk 1 adult; American Robin 7; Eastern Bluebird 10; Cedar Waxwing ~40; Bohemian Waxwing 2; Brown Creeper 2; Pine Grosbeak 1 female/imm. type; Common Redpoll 17; Junco ~20; Am. Tree Sparrow 8; Song Sparrow 1; Snow Bunting a few heard calling over head. (report from Tom Pirro).

12/23/03 -- Soap Hill Rd., Grafton
My father had a N. Shrike in the Christmas tree field along Soap Hill Road in Grafton Today. (report from Nick Paulson).

12/22/03 -- Cascade Park area, Worcester
I've been hearing a Barred Owl near the site of the former AMC headquarters for years now, and today I finally saw it; it was a beautiful sight! (report from Brian Mulhearn).

12/21/03 -- Wachusett Reservoir, Clinton
This afternoon I spotted a drake Red-breasted Merganser as well as 17+ Scaup, 2 Bufflehead, 3 C. Goldeneye and an Imm. Harrier at Gate 36. Earlier I saw a Fox Sparrow at the Temple St. gate and an Imm. Bald Eagle at Kendall Cove. At Gate 14 there were 60+ Juncos cruising thru the woods with 3 Brown Creepers tagging along with them. (report from Peter Morlock).

12/20/03 -- Worcester Christmas Count
Here are the results for the Worcester Christmas Count held on Saturday, December 20th. (report from John Liller).

12/20/03 -- Baldwinville/Lake Dennison
Joan and Larry Duprey, Jonathan Center and I birded the Baldwinville/ Lake Dennison area for the Athol Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, here are the results from this area only: Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 imm; Red-tailed Hawk 2 adults; Ruffed Grouse 1; Great-horned Owl 2; Rock Pigeon 21; Mourning Dove 59; Downy Woodpecker 1; Hairy Woodpecker 4; Pileated Woodpecker 2; Blue Jay 47; Am. Crow 12; B.C. Chickadee 79; Tufted Titmouse 11; Red-breasted Nuthatch 27; White-breasted Nuthatch 9; Brown Creeper 1; N. Mockingbird 1; Golden-crowned Kinglet 1; Am. Robin 3; Northern Shrike 1 imm.; E. Starling 11; Northern Cardinal 11; House Sparrow 11; House Finch 7; Common Redpoll 2; Am. Goldfinch 23; Dark-eyed Junco 69; Am. tree Sparrow 15; Song Sparrow 2; White-thr. Sparrow 10; Snow Bunting 11. Total species of 31 is average for the area, while 457 individuals is the lowest in the 10 years since I've done this section of the count. The total number of exotics (Rock (Dove) Pigeon, Starling, House finch and Hosue Sparrow only totaled 50 combined!) was way down. The Birch Hill WMA was snowed in, reducing our territory by perhaps 50%, mostly effecting Chickadee and Nuthatch and G.C. Kinglet numbers .... we MAY have doubled the Red-breasted Nuthatch number with full access to this area rich in Hemlock, Spuce and Pine. (report from Tom Pirro).

12/17/03 -- Marlborough
I have had 4 common Redpolls hanging around under my feeders for a couple of days. (report from Laura Lane).

12/17/03 -- Hadwen Park/Curtis Pond, Worcester
There was a flock of 30+ American Tree Sparrows, 6 Song Sparrows, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 40+ Juncos,1 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, good looks at a Hermit Thrush, 12 Hooded Mergansers, 11 American Black Ducks, 46 Mallards, 9 Canadian Geese, 1 Cooper's Hawk, and fresh Otter signs. (report from Brian Mulhearn)

12/16/03 -- Sturbridge CBC
The Sturbridge CBC was held Tuesday, happily in between two weather "events". The area, like most of central MA, had been hammered by snow, ice and bitter cold in the previous weeks. This meant there was 6+inches of snow on the ground with a nice thick ice crust making hiking very unpleasant and pulling off to the side of the road sometimes impossible. Most ponds and even some of the rivers, were frozen. With these conditions, as you can imagine, duck and gull numbers and variety were very low. Food crop was very poor and spotty. Only very small numbers of winter finches were noted. Towns included in the circle include parts of the Brookfields, Sturbridge, Brimfield, Spencer, Holland, Wales, Southbridge, Charlton. Complete totals here. (report from Mark Lynch).

12/16/03 -- Holden
A light adult Barred Owl has been seen twice since Saturday, 12/13/03 resting in a Silver Maple tree in our backyard woods. We were first alerted to the bird's presence by two pairs of screaming Blue Jays late Saturday morning. He remained in the same spot through the late afternoon. On Sunday, there was no sign of him and we did not check on Monday. Today at 11:10 a.m., the bird had returned and was pretty much in the same spot as on Saturday. As well, the Cooper's Hawk remains active in the vicinity as reported 0n 12/1/03. (Report from Steve Olson).

12/15/03 -- Northboro
Yesterday as the storm was ending we had a mob at our feeders. Flocks of over 20 of both goldfinches and juncos, 9 common redpolls, 2 tree sparrows, 5 white-throated sparrows, and 1 red-bellied woodpecker. (report from Jim Hogan).

12/15/03 -- Sterling
Redpolls, pine siskins and goldfinches visited my feeder this morning.  The pine siskins and goldfinches have been regular visitors for the past 3 weeks, but this is the first time redpolls have come to the feeder this season.  There were about 30 common redpolls, 12 pine siskins and 30 goldfinches.   (report from Richard Spedding).

12/14/03 -- Gardner
Paul Pinault and I birded the north side of Gardner yesterday for the Westminster Christmas Bird Count. The weather was cold, low teens and fairly calm for most of the day, with light E wind. The snow moved in about 3PM. The following result are for our area only : Mallard 1; American Kestrel 1 adult male; Wild Turkey 12; Ring-billed Gull 4; Herring Gull 58; Grt. Blk-backed gull 18; Rock Pigeon 164; Mourning Dove 18; Downy Woodpecker 11; Hairy Woodpecker 3; Pileated Woodpecker 1; Northern Shrike 1 imm.; Blue Jay 84; American Crow 46; Black-capped Chichadee 106; Tufted Titmouse 9; Red-breasted Nuthatch 6; White-breasted Nuthatch 12; Brown Creeper 1; Golden-crowned Kinglet 6; Hermit Thrush 1; Northern Mockingbird 2; European Starling 203; Cedar Waxwing 32; American Tree Sparrow 17; Fox Sparrow 1; Song Sparrow 3; White-throated Sparrow 3; Dark-eyed Junco 32; Snow Bunting 3; Northern Cardinal 10; Purple Finch 1; House Finch 3; Common Redpoll 4 all "fly overs"; American Goldfinch 35; House Sparrow 25.
An additional Count week bird from saturday 12/13/03 was a dark morph Northern Rough-legged Hawk passing the Wompanoag MAS while I was hawkwatching...the bird was gitten out of town.
**The winter finch report was very modest at best from the count circle....a few groups had Evening Grosbeaks totaling 25 as well as Common Redpolls totaling 40 and one group had 5 Pine Siskins (one group had not yet reported in when John compiled the count). (report from Tom Pirro).

12/14/03 -- Lake Quinsigamond, Shrewsbury
A fair amount of the south end of the lake now has ice, but the north end is open. Some hilites: 42 Common Goldeneye (only 2 male),1 m. Bufflehead, 1 f. Rudy Duck ( at the pumping station), 1 Wood Duck, 22 Common Merganser, 29 Hooded Merganser and 9 Mute Swans.
From there I went out to Wachusett Reservoir: not much around. 5 Common Loons, 2 Horned Grebes, 19 Common Goldeneye, 8 Common Merganser and 35 Hooded Merganser. (report from John Shea).

12/14/03 -- Quabbin Park/Quabog River
We took a very quick pre-snow tour of Quabbin Park this morning. Land birds were in short supply and there were amazingly few birds on the still open water: Common Loon (1); Horned Grebe (1); C. Goldeneye (4f); Hooded Merganser (4); Common Merganser (8); BALD EAGLE (1ad); SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (while at the Winsor memorial, I was watching a jay fly right across my field of view, close, when in mid-air a Sharpie nailed it, brought it to the ground not 10 feet from me, mantled the still screaming and struggling jay, and eventually, with the jay still alive, flew off with it. The hawk was really not much bigger than the jay); Ring-billed Gull (2); Hairy Woodpecker (2); Downy Woodpecker (1); Pileated Woodpecker (2); Back-capped Chickadee (19); Tufted Titmouse (4); White-breasted Nuthatch (6); Brown Creeper (2); BLUE JAY (76: birds were all over. At one point we counted 28 moving by one spot in just a few minutes); A. Crow (22); Golden-crowned Kinglet (6); N. Mockingbird (1); A. Tree Sparrow (16); Dark-eyed Junco (26); Snow Bunting (19); Pine Siskin (1 overhead); A. Goldfinch (2);
QUABOG RIVER, WEST BROOKFIELD: A. Black Duck (3); Hooded Merganser (14); N. HARRIER (1imm); RUSTY BLACKBIRD (1);
RT. 9, BROOKFIELD: in the onion fields: A flock of 294 Canada Geese. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

12/13/03 -- Lake Quinsigamond, Shewsbusy
I checked out Lake Quinsigamond from Springer Dam to the 290 bridge . The water is all open with a lot of birds. I saw 58 C. Goldeneye, 27 Ring bill ducks, 2 Wood Ducks, 3 f. N. Shovelers (off Bridle Path very close to shore), 73 C.Geese, 6 Mute Swans, 24 Common Merganser, 49 Hooded Merganser, 145 Ring bill Gulls, 2 Greater Black back Gulls and 1 Red Tail Hawk. Also 1 f. in a kayak? (report from John Shea).

12/13/03 -- Barre Falls Dam, Barre
Raptor migrants today: > Northern Goshawk 1 ; > Red-tailed Hawk 1 . > Raptors not migrating: 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, a pair of adult Northern > Goshawks and 2 Red-tailed Hawks. > > Also, 6 Pine Siskins and 25 Redpolls flew past the area. (report from Bart Kamp).

12/13/03 -- Asnebumskit Hill, Worcester
Highlight today was a pair of Ravens. (report from Brian Mulhearn).

12/13/03 -- Blackstone National Corridor
Among the areas we checked today, were: (I have left off the gull totals);
  • CUMBERLAND: DIAMOND HILL/ARNOLD'S MILL RESERVOIRS. Nota bene: c.60% of Arnold's Mills Reservoir was now frozen. Canada Goose (14); Mallard (302: most in the feeder stream); A. Black Duck (62: ditto); N. Pintail (1f); Greater Scaup (7); Buffelhead (3); Common Goldeneye (5); Hooded Merganser (6); Common Merganser (9); Red-tailed Hawk (1);
  • SEEKONK RIVER (from India/Bold Pts-Pawtucket: amazingly: no SWANS): Great Cormorant (8); Double-crested Cormorant (2); Great Blue Heron (1); Canada Goose (14); Gadwall (2); A. Wigeon (10); Mallard (129); A. Black Duck (150); Lesser Scaup (2); Greater Scaup (2); Bufflehead (92); Common Goldeneye (17); BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (1f); Hooded Merganser (12); Common Merganser (15); Ruddy Duck (61); Red-tailed Hawk (2); E. Screech Owl (1 red ph); Red-bellied Woodpecker (1); N. Flicker (1); Hermit Thrush (2); A. Robin (126);
  • CENTRAL POND/TURNER RESERVOIR: (Central Pond was c.80%+ frozen, Turner Res: c.20%): Great Blue Heron (1); Mute Swan (2); Canada Goose (93); Mallard (32: very low); Ring-necked Duck (4); Lesser Scaup (21); Greater Scaup (1); Hooded Merganser (16); Common Merganser (23); Ruddy Duck (17); A. Coot (13);
  • TEN MILE RIVER (1 STOP): Mallard (86); A. Black Duck (7);
  • NORTH BURIAL GROUND: Merlin (1: we watched this bird as it perched atop a tree in the middle of the cemetery for quite abit, then it took off with a vengence after starlings in some neighbors back yard). (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

    • 12/8/03 -- Gate 40, Quabbin Reservoir
    A late afternoon walk to Dana Common was highlighted by a Ruffed Grouse, 15 Cedar Waxwings, 6 Northern Cardinals, 19 White-throated Sparrows, 2 Fox Sparrows and 3 Purple Finches. (report from Chris Buelow)

    12/8/03 -- Barre Falls Dam, Barre
    Raptor highlights today: Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 ; Red-tailed Hawk 6 . > Observations: The few birds seen soared high into the bright blue sky and disappeared. Also, 1 Great Blue Heron. (report from Bart Kamp).

    12/7/03 -- Northboro
    An active two days at the feeders. We had 22 species in and about the yard. The hilites were; a very late flock of 13 grackles, a flock of 16 juncos, red-bellied, downy and hairy woodpeckers (1 ea), white-throated sparrows (5), bluebirds (2), Carolina wren (1), cedar waxwings (7), purple finch (1) and 1 low flying red-tailed hawk. (report from Jim Hogan).

    12/6/03 -- off Salisbury St, near Park Ave., Worcester
    We woke up this morning to find a tiny adult Sharp-shinned Hawk (male?) at the feeder, perched in the ornamental maple right over the feeder. He stayed there for well over an hour, at which time we left to get the paper, when we returned he had been replaced by a huge Cooper's Hawk (traditional female) , sitting in almost the exact spot. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

    12/1/03 -- Stoneleigh Rd., Holden
    It would appear that an adult male Cooper's Hawk has become a permanent resident in the Stoneleigh Rd., Parker Ave, Cook St., and Shrewsbury St. area of Holden. I have been recovering from surgery for the past three weeks and the hawk has come close to making daily appearances. His nest may be close to my house because he is flying/soaring extremely low over the neighborhood trees. In the past two weeks, he has landed on my deck railing, the Silver Maple in my backyard, and on the backyard stonewall. I have also observed him flying out of the surrounding neighbors' pine trees. Another hint of his presence is the lack of small bird activity in my backyard even though there are seven birdfeeders located there. (report from Steve Olson).

    12/01/03--Asnebumskit Hill, Holden
    Highlights at the beaver pond were: 1 Eastern Phoebe (imm, much yellow on underparts), on the hunt without any obvious luck, 1 Brown Creeper, 12 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 1 Red-shouldered Hawk, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 2 Hairy Woodpeckers, 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 8 Cedar Waxwings, and 1 Red-tailed Hawk. (report from Brian Mulhearn)

    For previous sightings, see November 2003 Archives or Archive Index