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.
- 12/30/08 -- Westminster
-
This morning there was about 50 Pine Siskins on my feeders and deck, by far
the most I have seen here this fall/winter. Approx. 15 American Goldfinch
and 4 House Finch. Yesterday (12/29) was a House Finch with a bad case of conjunctivist in it right eye
A few days before an Amercian Goldfinch had the disease in both eyes.
(report from Tom Pirro).
- 12/29/08 -- Burncoat Pond Sanctuary, Worcester
- This Gaggle of
Seventeen SnowGeese were Westbound across the
BurncoatPond Sanctuary at lunch time today (photo at great distance).
(report from Richard Johnson).
- 12/27/08 -- Wachusett Meadow Sanctuary, Princeton
-
For todays' Westminster CBC 3 Pine siskins here. Today a flock of 27 at
the cottage feeders. No redpolls yet however.
(report from Dick Knowlton).
- 12/26/08 -- Lunenburg
-
This morning on Whalom Lake, which is 95% ice covered, were:
Canada Goose 6;
Mallard 4;
Ring-billed Gull 110;
Herring Gull 50;
Iceland Gull 1 1st cycle;
Great Black-backed Gull 3;
Snow Bunting ~5 heard a small flock as they passed over head;
(report from Tom Pirro).
- 12/23/08 -- West Boylston
-
When I got home from work today there was a pair of Northern Pintails on my
yard pond.
(report from Kevin Bourinot).
- 12/22/08 -- downtown Worcester
-
Returning home from the radio station at 1PM today, we had an adult soaring
BALD EAGLE from behind the old courthouse. It soared over Salisbury Mansion,
the art museum and eventually we had it perched at Salisbury Pond.
(report from Mark Lynch).
- 12/21/08 -- West Millbury
-
The male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, first seen on Dec 8th, continues to
visit
my yard. It mostly comes when the weather is bad or very cold and feeds on
whole peanuts and suet. I have had sapsuckers here in the winter for many
years. (report from Alan Marble).
- 12/20/08 -- Worcester Christmas Count
- Under less than ideal conditions, we recorded 62 species,
including a new high for Canada Goose, as well as a new count species,
Barrow's Goldeneye. We missed a number of species that we often get: Greater Scaup,
Bufflehead, Ruffed Grouse, Horned Grebe, Bald Eagle, American Coot, Great
Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown
Creeper, Snow Bunting, Common Grackle.
Here is the complete list.
(report from John Liller).
Note added:
For a personal perspective on one team's experience on the count, see
Sheila Carroll's blog
- 12/20/08 -- Uxbridge
-
The young Baltimore oriole that visited our seed feeder a few days in late
November is here again this morning. Other birds eating as the snow falls:
several cardinals, a few house finches, a white-throated sparrow and a
Carolina wren take turns (not always amicably) at the feeder tray while
juncos and a pair of mourning doves peck the snow beneath. A titmouse is
hanging back in the shrubs, waiting an opportunity...
(report from Beth Milke).
- 12/19/08 -- West Boylston
-
This morning 33 pine siskins flew over my house.
(report from Kevin Bourinot).
- 12/19/08 -- Winchendon
-
I was quite surprised to see my first red-bellied
woodpecker today at my suet feeder. (report from Richard Maynard).
- 12/18/08 -- Lunenburg
- Today on Whalom Lake in Lunenburg was:
Canada Goose ~250;
Snow Goose 1 Imm.;
Mallard ~25;
Black Duck 3;
Ring-billed Gull ~50;
Herring Gull 10;
Gr. Black-backed Gull 5;
Essentially Whalom Lake water front is a "feeding station", all I had to do
was roll down the car window and "Ringers" came charging to the car. There
had been a Double-crested Cormorant there for nearly a month, I understand
it was present for the Groton CBC last Sunday.
Other sightings:
- Last Friday 12/12 was an adult Bald Eagle in Westminster.
- Sunday 12/14 in Turner's Falls, Barton Cove:
Canada Goose ~350;
Cackling Goose 1 (previously report by James Smith);
Iceland Gull 3 1st cycle (previously report by James Smith);
Bald Eagle 2.
-
Also, now that I have power at home, I posted some pictures from the recent
ice storm on my blog .
(report from Tom Pirro).
- 12/16/08 -- Sturbridge area
-
The 13th Sturbridge CBC was held TUESDAY, December 16. This circle includes
parts of the towns of Sturbridge, Warren, Brimfield, Spencer, Charlton,
Southbridge, Holland and the "Brookfields". Pre-dawn, owling, weather was a
bothersome mix of rain, sleet, snow and freezing rain with some gusty winds
(other than that, it was GREAT!), but by the last 30 minutes before dawn
things had calmed down and some owling got done. Here is the
complete list of the 69 species
recorded. (report from Mark Lynch).
- 12/14/08 -- Worcester/Shrewsbury
-
- Downtown Worcester: One Peregrine Falcon was on the Flag Shipp Bank building.
- Flint pond, Shrewsbury:
I was standing on Stringer Dam (this is where Lake Quinsigamond turns into
Flint Pond). Looking south to Flint pond I saw an adult Bald Eagle fly by and
head south, I turned around to see what was on lake Quinsigamond and another
Bald Eagle landed on the ice with a fish. Doesn't get much better than that.
Also seen on Flint Pond: 1 Great Blue Heron, 6 Canada Geese, 94 Mallard, 28
Blake Ducks, 52 Hooded Merganser, 6 Common Merganser, and 1 Belted
Kingfisher.
- On Lake Quinsigamond: 71 Canada Geese, 26 Mallard, 11 Black
duck, 1 N. Pintail, 2 Bufflehead, 48 Common Goldeneye, 11 Common Merganser
and 35 Ring-billed Gulls.
(report from John Shea).
- 12/13/08 -- Orlando's Pond, Charlton
- The Barnacle Goose
(
photo by Sheila Carroll) was STILL PRESENT at about 11AM.
We had the bird grazing on the grass w/c. 350++ Canadas and many hundreds of
Mallards. At that time flocks of geese were flying INTO the
pond from fields to the south. Immediate road conditions were NOT bad, well
compared to towns like Leicester and north Worcester and beyond which look
like an icy version of Hiroshima. The biggest problem on North Brookfield
Road, Charlton were icy patches where water that had flooded the roads was
now frozen, but even that was not so great a problem.
(report from Mark Lynch).
- 12/8/08 -- West Millbury
-
This morning at home, I had a male Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker on the suet.
(report from Alan Marble).
- 12/7/08 -- North Brookfield
-
We spent just a few hours "thicket birding" in North and West Brookfield,
along the northern/western edge of the Sturbridge CBC circle. All the areas
were north of Rt.9. Weather was overcast with almost constant snow flurries,
temps in the high 20s to low 30s. Nothing terribly unusual, but there were a
few uncommon species for well inland for this time of the year.
Canada Goose (75: single flock in a farm field);
Sharp-shinned Hawk (1: caught a Tree Sparrow and took off);
Red-tailed Hawk (1);
Wild Turkey (37);
Mourning Dove (16);
Downy Woodpecker (2);
Blue Jay (11);
A Crow (9);
Winter Wren (1);
Black-capped Chickadee (37);
Tufted Titmouse (6);
Eastern Bluebird (9);
A Robin (63);
GRAY CATBIRD (1);
N Mockingbird (1);
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (2);
A Tree Sparrow (41);
Savannah Sparrow (1);
Song Sparrow (26);
Swamp Sparrow (3);
White-throated Sparrow (23);
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (1);
Dark-eyed Junco (179);
N Cardinal (22);
A Goldfinch (47);
Red-winged Blackbird (2);
(report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).
- 12/6/08 -- Charlton
- We arrived at Orlando's Ponds at about 6:55AM this morning to find c.500
Canada Geese+ the BARNACLE in the pond with hundreds of Mallards and (3)
Ruddy Duck. One other birder from Charlton was present. Within 10 minutes,
flocks of geese beganto take off and head, per usual, S and SW. By 7:15 at
the latest, the Barnacle was gone.
We spent the next 3 hours trying to find where more than 500 geese were
feeding for the day, checking many areas in Charlton; Southbridge,
Sturbridge, Brimfield and Warren including conservation araes, many farm
fields and even Country Clubs and Old Sturbridge Village. The only geese we
found were 13 at West Hill Dam ACE. When the geese do leave Orlandos, they
do not fly high, and it is entirely possibly they are in an inaccessible
spot close by. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT FOLKS LIKE BART KAMP have gotten the
bird in the afternoon by showing up at Orlando's by 3PM and watching the
geese fly in. So if you get this message in time, try this afternoon. If you
try in the AM, you have to be here before 7AM.
DIRECTIONS: Drive north on BROOKFIELD ROAD in CHARLTON from Rt.20. You will
pass OSGOOD ROAD on the right (note Orlando's on left). This first (upper
pond) is completely frozen, but occassionally geese feed in the farm fields
around the area (visible from Osgood). BUT BEST BET: continue north on
Brookfield Road, as the road descends the hill, note large farm pond on
left. Hundreds of MALLARDS should be present. This is the "lower" pond where
the geese overnight. To scope this pond PULL COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD (this
is a very busy road at times) and DO NOT TRESSPASS, but scope descreetely
from beside your car, being careful to not flush the geese. Good luck!
(report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).
- 12/6/08 -- Sterling/West Boylston
- There were 2 Cooper's Hawks at Sterling Peat this afternoon.
The open water is dwindling at Coachlace Pond in Clinton,
and it looks like the scaup
(52) have moved to the Wachusett Reservoir. They were seen from gate 25 in
West Boylston. Other highlights were: Common Loon (1), Horned Grebe (4),
American Black Duck (16), Common Goldeneye (5). A flock of about 10
White-winged Cossbills also flew over my house (near gate 28) in West
Boylston on my way in.
(report from Kevin Bourinot).
- 12/5/08 -- Charlton
-
When I arrived at the lower pond at Orlando's in Charlton at 1:15, Richard
Johnson was already there and had found the Barnacle Goose. While watching
the
Barnacle Goose grazing on the hillside above the pond with a flock of
Canadas, we were joined by Joan Zumpfe and later by Warren Jewell. It was
still
there when we all left at about 2:30
(report from Alan Marble).
- 12/4/08 -- Charlton
-
I arrived in Charlton at the lower pond at 1:30 this afternoon.
At first glance I saw only one Canada Goose. Before I had a chance to get
out of the car I heard honking geese. The southern sky was filled with
Canada Geese all headed for the pond. Once they had all landed, I got out of
the car, set up my scope and easily found the Barnacle Goose. There were
also 6 Ruddy Ducks and many Mallards.
(report from Bart Kamp).
- 12/4/08 -- Charlton
-
We headed out early this AM to try for the Barnacle Goose at "Orlando's
Ponds" in Charlton. (see post yesterday on MassBird) We arrived by 7:15AM to
witness HUNDREDS of geese already in the air and away to the SW and S. As we
poured though the hundreds of geese still remaining (as well as the hundreds
of Mallards and other ducks like Ruddys), we did not see the Barnacle, and
most of those geese soon took off and headed in the same direction, which
may be to fields in the Quinnebaug watershed. One group of geese (c. 75
birds) circled back and landed on the fields overlooking the upper pond.
This flock did NOT contain the Barnacle. The upper pond is almost completely
frozen.
My guess is that the geese are overnighting here, so try in the late
afternoon or VERY early in the AM. It is likely we just missed the bird by
minutes. We are both heading out to work and could not linger to do a wide
search of the area. Good luck!
(report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).
- 12/3/08 -- Charlton
- Tom French reports by cell phone that he is watching
a Barnacle Goose near the Orlando Construction
Company ponds, which he said are about 2 miles west (?) of Rt. 20 on
Brookfield Road in Charlton.
(report from Wayne Petersen fide Mark Lynch)
For previous sightings, see
November 2008 Archives or
Archive Index
