February 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:

2/24/03 -- River Road, West Boylston
At 1:30 this afternoon on Thomas Street in West Boylston, between River Road and Route 140 there were a PAIR of Peregrine Falcons perched on the telephone poles. Could this be the Worcester pair? They were unconcerned with the heavy traffic and Rail Trail hikers passing beneath them. In the river there were 3 Mallards, 1 male Common Merganser and 6 female Common Goldeneyes. When I returned from my walk an hour later the Peregrines were gone. (report from Bart Kamp).

2/24/03 -- Asnebumskit Hill, Paxton
From the lookout near the summit we had an adult Northern Goshawk rise from the trees below and circle and rise over us up and away. There was 1 adult Red-tailed Hawk. We also saw 2 Ravens flying together off in the distance. 2 Days ago we had a Raven fly over us here at tree top level.(report from Brian Mulhearn)

2/24/03 -- Institute Park, Worcester
At noon an imm Red-tailed Hawk flew low over the pond (perhaps the same one dining earlier on a squirrel?), but didn't upset the 9 Common Mergansers and approx 60 Mallards on the water. (report from Rick Quimby).

2/24/03 -- Institute Park, Worcester
In the mid-morning, the local Red-tailed Hawk was chowing down on a squirrel outside the windows of Fuller Labs on the WPI campus, across the street from Institute Park. (report from Stan Selkow).

2/23/03 -- Howard St., Northboro
Today a Turkey Vulture perched on the top of a high oak about 100 yrds from my house. For ten minutes it spread its wings just like a cormorant does when drying the wings. It stayed another 10 minutes or so before flying off. (report from Jim Hogan).

2/23/03 -- Paxton
After spending 30 or 40 minutes chopping at ice on my driveway with a garden edger, to open up water channels for the melting snow and ice, a pileated woodpecker showed up, and stared at me from behind a few trees. Maybe he thought the hacking and chopping noises were someone moving into his territory, which includes most of my back woods. (report from Michael Voorhis).

2/22/03 -- South Meadow Pond, Clinton
Recently a pair of Wood Ducks joined the usual assortment of ducks, geese and gulls found at South Meadow Pond in Clinton. (report and photo from Bob Ricci).

2/22/03 -- Blackstone River, Millbury
We did a quick look at only a few stops along the Blackstone River in Millbury this morning. Access to many areas was blocked by the still very deep snow. Still, there were waterbirds around. Great Blue Heron (1); Mallard (386); A. Black Duck (13); N. Shoveler (1f); Common Merganser (3); Red-tailed Hawk (pair);
Later, at NOTRE DAME CEMETERY, WORCESTER in a narrow area of open water: Mallard (163); A. Black Duck (24); Common Merganser (1m overhead); Cooper's Hawk (1ad);
At nearby LEESVILLE POND: Hooded Merganser (1f in a tiny strip of open water along the dam, most of the rest of the pond was frozen). (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

2/22/03 -- downtown Worcester / Bolton Flats, Bolton
At 6:50 this morning I had 2 Peregrine Falcons downtown. One on St.Pauls and one on the antenna for the performing arts building.
From there I went to Bolton Flats and saw 1 Wood duck, 6 Black Ducks, 64 mallards 4 Hooded Merganser, (all fly over) 1 Ring-neck Pheasant (I flushed it on the way in and on the way out) 7 Downy Woodpeckers, 3 Flickers, 27 Blue Jays, 6 Robin and 7 Morning Doves. (report from John Shea).

2/21/03 -- Gate 40, Quabbin Reservoir, Petersham
From Gate 40 to Dana Common, a complete list of birds seen follows: 1 ruffed grouse, 1 downy woodpecker, 1 pileated woodpecker, 6 blue jays, 10 crows, 12 black capped chickadees, 2 red-breasted nuthatch, 2 brown creepers. The only open water I saw was a small pool where the East Branch enters Pottapoag Pond. I saw an otter here playing on the snow; he slid down a snow slide into the water. The road is plowed to Dana Common, but not to Graves Landing. (report from Richard Spedding).

2/21/03 -- Greenwood St., Millbury
The Dark phase Rough-legged Hawk was seen today on Greenwood St in Millbury a short distance from the intersection of Route 20. It was perched above the Blackstone overflow canal near the abandoned historic large white house. This is the same area it had flown to after being found by Mark Lynch's class trip. (report from Dan & Deb Berard).

2/19/03 -- Moose Hill, Spencer
I saw a flock of about a dozen Robins on the south side of the hill where there are many berry producing trees. There is a flock of robins that pass the winter here every year. There were also dozens of BC Chickadees about. (report from Brian Mulhearn)

2/19/03 -- Fitchburg
This Sharp-shinned Hawk continues intermittent, but regular visits to check out the neighborhood feeders. He shows little apprehension so close to the house! This picture was taken through the kitchen window seconds before he flew. He has been in the area since last October. (report from Cheryl and Jean-Pierre Boissy).

2/16/03 -- Quabbin Park and vicinity
We spent a very cold morning birding first around the north end of Quabbin. Temps ranged from -4 to +4F with a constant breeze bringing wind chills far down. We hit many areas where we have found birds in winter in decades past. But this winter we found extremely few birds at many different stops at Hardwick and Petersham. Though Blue Jay and chickadee numbers are very good and even high, there were very few other species and we had NO raptors or turkeys all day. Probably the single greatest concentration of birds was at the numerous feeders at the end of West St., Petersham. Indeed, most birds were found near houses with feeders. Not surprising since the wild food crop is very poor, spotty and local by now with just a few areas of bittersweet, sumac and crab-apples. Not surprisingly, there were NO winter finches of any sort including Purple Finch and even very few goldfinches. The highlights were a Red-bellied Woodpecker on Chagnon Road, Hardwick and a raven feeding in the middle of Rt. 122 in New Salem. We even stopped at the Pelham Overlook (Rt. 202) for awhile and had NO raptors. We then went to Quabbin Park off Rt. 9 ("South Quabbin"). We had been forewarned by Tom Gagnon who had led a trip to here on Saturday that we would find little and he was (of course) all too right. The main body of Quabbin is completely frozen. We also drove a short distance along the Ware River south of Rt. 9 and went to the trout farm.
Here is the TOTAL list just for Quabbin Park: Common Merganser (3: Ware River); Ring-billed Gull (1 1stW: trout farm); Red-bellied Woodpecker (1); Hairy Woodpecker (1); Pileated Woodpecker (1); Black-capped Chickadee (11); Tufted Titmouse (8); Blue Jay (15); A. Crow (11); Common Raven (3: nice show of calling birds at Enfield Lookout); Dark-eyed Junco (6); AND: (4) very tame or starving White-tailed Deer. THAT is IT!! (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

2/16/03 -- Quabog River, West Brookfield
There were a just a few open areas of the Quabog River this morning and some waterfowl in those spots: Mute Swan (4); Canada Goose (96); A. Black Duck (3); Common Goldeneye (1m); Hooded Merganser (7); Common Merganser (8). (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

2/16/03 -- West Millbury
At my home in West Millbury, a female yellow-bellied sapsucker has become a regular visitor to the suet cage. I also see every day a male red-bellied woodpecker and at least two Carolina wrens. In the summer, these wrens successfully nest in the decorative basket hanging on the front door. Recently, all the birds at the feeder scattered and I was treated to the sight of a beautiful sharp-shinned hawk that sat (empty talonned) on top of the feeder for about five minutes. It was only about ten feet away. (report from Alan Marble).

2/15/03 -- Gate 40, Quabbin Reservoir
I took a late day walk into Gate 40 on Saturday afternoon from 3PM to about 6PM. Temp. were cold and the wind strong in places (when not under shelter). Hilites of birds seen and heard: 6 Black Capped Chickadees and (as Mark and Sheila said) THATS IT! I did see a few Robins in Petersham center. (report from Tom Pirro).

2/15/03 -- Southern end of Blackstone National Corridor
We censused what little open water there was at the southern end of the Corridor in bitter and uncomfortable cold.
SEEKONK RIVER (from Bold Point/India Point to Pawtucket. Just small patches and stretches of open water): Red-throated Loon (1: very rare in the Corridor: Bold Point Pk); Pied-billed Grebe (1); Great Cormorant (1ad: these move out of the river as soon as freeze-up begins); Mute Swan (13); Canada Goose (363); A. Wigeon (28); Mallard (289); A. Black Duck (292); Gadwall (12); Greater Scaup (82); Lesser Scaup (75); TUFTED DUCK (1 drake w/mixed scaup flock in narrow stretch of water between Bold and India Points, best seen from the Bold Point boat launch. Great views); Canvasback (69); Bufflehead (58); Hooded Merganser (110); Red-breasted Merganser (20); Common Merganser (27); Ruddy Duck (37); BALD EAGLE (1ad: off Swan Point); Cooper's Hawk (1ad); E. Screech Owl (1 red ph); Red-bellied Woodpecker (3); N. Flicker (1);
JAMES TURNER RESERVOIR, E. PROVIDENCE (the only open water was a patch smaller than my living room. The fact that there were this many ducks et crammed in there cheek to bill attests to unbridled duck feeding luring these ducks to their potential doom): Canada Goose (379 on the ice with another 120+ flying overhead); Mute Swan (6); Mallard (152); A. Black Duck (5); Ring-necked Duck (1m: sick?); A. Coot (21);
TEN MILE RIVER BRIDGE (this is a very small river): Wood Duck (2m); Mallard (115+); A. Black Duck (2);
Much further up the Blackstone River at a small open patch near the Ashton-Albion bridge, Lincoln: Great Comorant (1imm); Hooded Merganser (3); Common Merganser (4); Red-tailed Hawk (2); Yellow-rumped Warbler (1). (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

2/14/03 -- Hadwen Park, Worcester
The highlights were 2 Tree Sparrows, 1 Carolina Wren, 1 Adult Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, and fresh Otter slides in the snow. (report from Brian Mulhearn)

2/14/03 -- Institute Park, Worcester
Under frigid, windswept conditions, there were 12 Common Mergansers at noon in the (almost always open) water in the back part of Salisbury Pond. (report from Rick Quimby).

2/11/03 -- Howard St., Northboro
Yesterday we had a pileated on a tree at the corner of our yard with excellent views. This morning I again had the bird in a tree close to the road for good views. And I could hear (but did not see) another pileated calling from 30 or 40 yards away. This is on Howard St., on the Berlin side of Northboro. (report from Jim Hogan).

2/10/03 -- Blackstone River, Millbury
In an unsuccessful attempt to see the Rough-legged Hawk reported in Millbury yesterday, I walked the new bike/hiking trail along the Blackstone River. There is only about a mile of this trail that has been completed so far. The trail is black topped and has two bridges over the river. The entrance to the trail is from a paved parking lot at the start of Rt.122A, and from there it goes North to Rt.20. About three quarters of a mile from the parking lot, where the second bridge crosses over the river, there was a female SHOVELER in the river, along with about 100 Mallards, 50 Black Ducks, 4 Hooded Mergansers, and 12 Common Mergansers. (report from Fran McMenemy).

2/9/03 -- Rt. 146/Mass Pike "park and ride", Millbury
While meeting for a MAS trip to Westport at the Rt.146/Rt20/Mass Pike "Park and Ride" lot in Millbury, we watched an unusual buteo fly in and perch near the entrance road to Rt. 146 and the Pike. It was entirely uniformly dark blackish brown, fore and aft, with very worn (lighter) edges to the primaries and wing coverts. The bill was rather small (yellow, bluish with a black tip) and the wings very long: longer at rest than the tail. We ended up studying this mysterious bird for more than an HOUR. What was most frustrating is that there was no convienant place to get REALLY close views. Species we considered included a dark morph Swainson's Hawk, the dark, west coast from of a Red-tailed Hawk, a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk and even a dark morph Ferruginous Hawk. After close study, we eliminated Swainson's and Ferruginous. Eventually the bird flew and we concluded that it was a juvenile dark phase (morph) ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, though I am still thinking a dark morph subspecies of Red-tailed Hawk is also something to consider. Dan Berard, risking life and life, jumped off on one the exit ramps and shot some digital film, from which the following images were taken (image 1 | image 2 ). If others see this bird, post details here. Other birds noted while standing in a very cold parking lot studying the raptor included Northern Flicker, Song Sparrow, (1)Sharp-shinned Hawk, (2) Red-tailed Hawks, and (2) Common Mergansers. (report from Mark Lynch).

2/8/03 -- Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary, Worcester
Snowshoeing at Broad Meadow Brook this morning I saw, 1 Carolina Wren, 2 A .Robin, 3 Downy, 1 Red Belly Woodpecker, 1 N. Flicker, 1 H. Finch and 1 Gold Finch. I also saw the Pileated Woodpecker At Boynton Park. (report from John Shea).

2/8/03 -- southern end of the Blackstone National Corridor, Providence, RI
We censused waterbirds at the southern end of the Corridor including the Seekonk River and the James Turner Reservoir. BTW:Swan Point Cemetery was still closed for plowing by 11AM. Much of the water was frozen, but patches were open and had waterfowl.
SEEKONK RIVER (from Bold and India Points north to Pawtucket): Common Loon (1: a very uncommon bird here); Pied-billed Grebe (1); Great Cormorant (7: adults moulting into breeding plumage); Mute Swan (18); Canada Goose (550); American Wigeon (46); Eurasian Wigeon (1m looking south from the bike path lot that overlooks Bold and India Points); Mallard (152); A. Black Duck (173); Gadwall (2); N. Pintail (flock of 19 near the 10 Mile River falls); Greater Scaup (130); Lesser Scaup (52); Ring-necked Duck (4); Canvasback (458); Bufflehead (112); C. Goldeneye (9); Hooded Merganser (146); Red-breasted Merganser (57); Comon Merganser (42); Ruddy Duck (47); Red-tailed Hawk (1);
JAMES TURNER RESERVOIR (only a very small patch of open water, but because it is where folks feed the ducks, this spot was crammed with waterfowl and a few doemstic breeds as well): Mute Swan (9); Canada Goose (199); Mallard (102); A. Black Duck (1); Ring-necked Duck (15); Canvasback (4); Ruddy Duck (2); A. Coot (16);
TEN MILE RIVER (1 crossing): Wood Duck (2); Mallard (200+); Common Merganser (2); (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

2/6/03 -- downtown Worcester
While I was waiting for a cab in front of 6 Chatham Street (WICN) this morning at 10:00AM, the two adult Peregrines were in full display flight: swooping, diving, soaring and calling loudly together. It was quite spectacular. Further down Main Street was a soaring Red-tailed Hawk. (report from Mark Lynch).

2/5//03 -- Highland Street, Worcester
At dusk we had a Perigrine Falcon fly over the exchange of Route 9 and route 290. A few moments later there were better than 1,000 Crows swirling over the Elm Park area, as if flushed from a roost. The two events were most likely unrelated as the Peregrine was last seen flying east, opposite Elm Park. (report from Chris Buelow)

2/5/03 -- downtown Fitchburg
This morning there was a Merlin harrassing the Rock Doves in downtown Fitchburg. (report from Chuck Caron).

2/4//03 -- Quabbin Reservoir, Gate 43
A day spent around the Pottapaug Hill area had Barred Owl(3 calling at noon over each other), Pileated Woodpecker(1), Hairy Woodpecker(3), Northern Raven(1), and Black-capped Chickadee(~150, mostly all in one huge flock). (report from Chris Buelow)

2/4/03 -- Rowley Hill, Sterling
A snowshoe to the top of Rowley Hill produced : 1 flicker, 1 pileated woodpecker, and 20 robins. A single wild turkey, I was watching in my yard, suddenly disappeared, so I went upstairs to see if I could still see him out a window that faces a different direction, and there he was about 3 feet away walking up and over my roof. (report from Richard Spedding).

2/1/03 -- Bolton Flats, Bolton
Snowshoeing at Bolton Flats this morning I saw (2) Red Tails, (5)N. Flickers, (3) Downy Woodpeckers, (3) Hairy Woodpeckers, (22) Blue Jays, (1) Winter Wren, (2) Bluebirds, (9) A. Robin, (2) N. Shrike, (3) Cardinals, and (2) Tree Sparrows. (report from John Shea).

2/1/03 -- Pratt Pond, Upton
Had a chance to take a look at the Barnacle Goose reported by Marsha Paine and Rich Brill [on massbird]. The bird was standing in the middle of the pond vocalizing. Looks like a classic Barnacle...........white face, small bill, black cap, black breast and pale gray with barring on the back. Underneath was very light gray with white flanks. No notice of leg or neck bands. Thanks Marsha and Rich..........awesome bird!!!!!!1
[note added: the origin of this bird is uncertain -- it may be an ecaped or injured bird]
(report from Paul Meleski).

For previous sightings, see January 2003 Archives or Archive Index