February 2012 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:

• ONGOING -- Asian Longhorned Beetle Information
• 2/11/12 -- Due to the projected and uncertain weather for Cape Ann, the Forbush Bird Club field trip for Cape Ann is canceled.

Bird Sightings:

2/29/12 -- Sterling/Clinton

Highlights today:

Sterling Peat: 74 Ring-necked Ducks, plus Common Goldeneye, Hooded Mergansers, and Green-winged Teal.

Gate 36 Wachusett Reservoir: 4 Common Loon

Gate 40 Wachusett Reservoir: 1 Common Loon, 2 Common Goldeneye

Coachlace Pond, Clinton: same group of ~60 Scaup, plus on north end, 2 Chipping Sparrows and a Song Sparrow.
(phone report from Dave Grant).

2/29/12 -- Asnebumskit Hill, Paxton

We hiked up the hill from the east. At the summit, at the tower where Common Ravens have nested for many years, a pair of Ravens flew out. I saw a partially constructed nest on the tower. (report from Brian Mulhearn)

2/28/12 -- Whalom Lake, Lunenburg

A sizable group of gulls was present on the lake (now essentially ice free) this evening at dusk, including:   Herring Gull  ~750; Ring-billed Gull  5; Iceland Gull (Kumlein's) 3 (1 first winter, 2 2nd winter types); Great Black-backed Gull ~40.   Birds stayed toward the middle of the "lake" and were tightly packed. (report from Tom Pirro).

2/28/12 --Sterling/Clinton/Worcester

Highlights this morning:

Sterling Peat: 64 Ring-necked Ducks and 2 Green-winged Teal on Muddy Pond

Coachlace Pond, Clinton: 60+ Scaup in a tight group sleeping

N. Quinsigamond Lake, Worcester: 1 Green-winged Teal
(phone report from Dave Grant).

2/28/12 -- Worcester Landfill

At 11:00 a.m. there was an Iceland Gull loafing on the capped Worcester landfill with about 40 Ring-billed Gulls. There were about 150 American Crows there, 3 Wild Turkeys and 1 Turkey Vulture. They were scoped from the highest point of the Millbury/Worcester bike path abutting Rt. 20. (report from Alan Marble).

2/27/12 -- Sturbridge

At 7:30 a.m. I spotted a red wing blackbird at Westville Recreation Area in Sturbridge, the earliest I have seen one. Is Spring really here? Also kingfisher and finches. (report from Bob Barnes).

2/27/12 -- Chandler St./ June St. Intersection, Worcester

This morning, shortly after 9am, there were 10 low flying Turkey Vultures attempting to gain altitude from thermals on a cloudless morning. (report from Brian Mulhearn)

2/26/12 -- Sterling Peat, Sterling

High water, 20-30 ring-necked ducks, 3 common golden-eye, 2+ buffleheads, one pair hooded mergs. 15-20 very small (migratory?) Canada geese in the little pond across the way by the playground. (report from Garry Kessler).

2/23/12 -- Lake Whalom, Lunenburg

This noon's Iceland Gull on Round Meadow Pond emplored me to check Lake Whalom, in Lunenburg (and Leominster) this evening to see what might be coming into the roost. Good numbers of the larger species were present, although at roost time the Ring-billeds seem to move on. The number of Great Black-back Gulls has declined since January.

Herring Gull ~550; Iceland Gull (Kumlien's) 2 (1 adult and one lightish 1st W....looked a lot like the bird I saw at noon on Round Meadow Pond, in Westminster); Great Black-backed Gull ~30. Whalom Lake is now 80+% ice-free. (report from Tom Pirro).

2/23/12 -- Sterling Peat, Sterling

At Muddy Pond there were 2 Hooded Mergansers, 2 Scaup (likely Greater), 5 Am. Coots, and several Ring-necked ducks. Also ~100 Canada Geese flying north. (report from Dave Grant).

2/23/12 -- Westminster

A few hilights from a neighborhood walk this noon:   Red-tailed Hawk 2 (1 ad. + 1 imm.); Iceland Gull (1st winter on Round Meadow Pond); Red-winged Blackbird  3; Brown-headed Cowbird 6. (report from Tom Pirro).

2/22/12 -- Douglas

This afternoon, my dog and I were hiking near the overlook at Castle Caves in Douglas. Suddenly, I heard a loud woodpecker call. A pileated woodpecker was apparently curious about who was visiting this secluded area and flew right over our heads, calling all the while. (report from Mary Sughrue-Yacino).

2/20/12 -- Worcester

The Turkey Vultures that have been roosting on Lovell ST. did not come back tonight. They flew over circling around then left heading west. Turkey Vultures may not be my first choice of large birds to have flying around my house in large numbers but I hope they come back; it has been great fun watching them. (report from John Shea).

2/20/12 -- Westminster

I took an early morning walk in the neighbordood this morning and was fortunate to have a Northern Saw-whet Owl return my calls from a hemlock grove adjacent to Bathrick Road and the Mid-state trail.  (report from Tom Pirro).

2/19/12 -- Worcester area

Here are some highlights from the Worcester area over the past week.

Worcester: The Iceland Gull that has been visiting the Price Chopper shopping center on Greenwood Street in Worcester was still there on 2/13 at 12:30pm. I haven't been able to check the area since, so I'm not sure if it's still around.
A Sharp-shinned Hawk (1 adult) was 'visiting' a feeder off of Greenwood Street in Worcester on 2/13. Is Sharp-shinned Hawk really a highlight now? I think this is the first one I've seen since Fall.
Two Common Ravens were seen Flying together very low over Route 9, near the Shrewsbury line, on 2/18.

Holden:
A Bald Eagle (2nd year) was circling over Malden Street, near 190, on 2/15 .
Barred Owl - 1 on 2/15 in DCR woods off of Malden Street.

Millbury: Hooded Merganser - 2 currently on Ramshorn Pond directly behind the house. Didn't take them long to notice that the lake is almost completely open.
Ring-necked Pheasant - 1 continues to visit the feeders in the yard on a daily basis. Haven't seen the second one for a while..
American Woodcock - 1 calling this morning, 2/19, from a field near the house.
Blackbirds continue to visit the feeders in small numbers, competing with the Mallards.
(report from Dan Berard).

2/19/12 -- Sterling

Today I had 3 bluebirds in my yard, 2 males and a female. (report from Fred Paine).

2/19/12 -- Uxbridge

We stopped at River Bend Farm (Oak Street, Uxbridge) at 5:30 tonight, shortly after sunset. Within ten minutes, we began to hear peents. They're back. It was still light enough to see a few woodcock take flight. At 5:45, a Great Horned Owl flew to the top of the large oak tree in the middle of the field area. (report from Beth & Paul Milke)

2/19/12 -- Worcester

The Turkey Vulture show continues around my house. Yesterday (2/18), 39 came in to roost in the trees behind 269 Lovell ST. Today 50 or more came in. It's hard to count them the way they circle around to the front of the house then fly of to the north or head south then come back. Some came in a group of 29 circling high, then dropping down onto an Oak Tree, then they fly into two big Pine Trees behind it for the night. I also had 2 Pied billed Grebes at Notre Dame Cemetery. (report from John Shea).

2/18/12 -- Northbridge

At the February Forbush Bird Club meeting, Alan Marble reported bald eagles in Northbridge, so Bruce deGraaf and I decided to take a look. We found what appears to be a family unit of one male, one female and one 3rd year juvenile frequenting the Blackstone at the end of Riverdale St. While there we watched as it seemed that one adult called in the juvenile who landed near by for a while. When the birds left all three left together. Here are a few record photos: photo 1| photo 2| photo 3| photo 4.
(report from Garry Kessler)

2/16/12 -- Chandler St., Worcester

I Live off of Chandler Street. This afternoon when I got home from work, 65 Turkey Vultures flew over my house. It was the strangest thing, a bunch were circling then would fly off toward Fairlawn Hospital then more would show up and add to the group then fly off in a long line. They were everywhere. 41 landed in the trees on Lovell Street and were still there when it got dark. Last Saturday I had 6 of them flying low threw my yard. They were flying in between the houses then landed in the same trees as the ones today. (report from John Shea).

2/16/12 -- Coachlace Pond

Among the 50+ Canada Geese that were swimming around were 2 American Wigeons M&F. (report from Peter Morlock).

2/14/12 -- Uxbridge

Today there were two drake Wood Ducks in fine breeding color on JWhitin Pond in Uxbridge. This is the pond off Rte 122 between Hartford and Linwood Ave. (report from Beth Milke)

2/14/12 -- Royalston/Templeton

A few highlights from some brief birding stops later in the afternoon today:  

Turnpike Rd. Royalston:   Hairy Woodpecker 1; Red-breasted Nuthatch 2; Brown Creeper 1; American Robin  8; American Tree Sparrow 1; Pine Siskin  3  

Templeton (village of Baldwinville):   American Robin 75+; American tree Sparrow 12; Chipping Sparrow 1 [same spot as I had one (same bird) in December both before and during the Athol CBC]; Dark-eyed Junco 60; Red-winged Blackbird 1 (some in Westminster yesterday, with the mild winter their return is a week+ early for this area).
 (report from Tom Pirro).

2/14/12 -- Southbridge

This afternoon from 4:50 pm till 5:05 pm, Pauline Metras and I watched a Field Sparrow feeding on millet, on the ground below a feeder at her home in Southbridge. It was interesting to watch it twirl the seed around in its bill in order to separate the hull from the seed inside.  Pauline first noticed it on Sunday, February 12th. (report from Joan Zumpfe).

2/14/12 -- Windle Marsh, Grafton

There was only one open spot in the entire pond, in the back. There were 22 Black Ducks, 4 Mallards, 8 Canada geese, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Hooded Mergs and 1 Northern Pintail enjoying it. (report from Peter Morlock).

2/13/12 -- Durant Way, Worcester

Based on the time that I saw the Black Vultures and the report of a vulture roost on Durant Way I took my walk at 3:30 PM today. Durant Way is only a block from my house on Zenith Drive. I cross it every day that I walk. Durant Way begins on Chandler Street and ends on Hadwen Road. When I reached Chandler Street I could see 40-50 Turkey Vultures soaring over the area of Durant Way. They eventually headed towards Tatnuck Square and out of sight. A short time later 20-30 vultures flushed from the Durant Way roost; they too headed towards Tatnuck Square. I checked the roost and could not see any more vultures in it . For the next hour vultures continued to arrive in small numbers from the south and east but did not stop at the Durant Way roost site. At 4:45 I walked up to the Durant Way roost and saw only 2-3 vultures perched while 7-8 circled the area. They eventually landed in the roost. No vultures were seen after 4:45. From my vantage point, I counted 120-125 Turkey Vultures. (no Black Vultures). Only about a dozen were roosting on Durant Way when I left. Somewhere in the Tatnuck Square area there is big vulture roost or multiple small roosts. (report from Bart Kamp).

2/12/12 -- Gate 27 Wachusett Reservoir, West Boylston

In the afternoon, a tight flock of scaup (~55) was observed just off the SW shore of the reservoir (not far from where Rt. 110 splits off from Rt. 12). There was also 1 Common Goldeneye in the group. (report from Rick Quimby).

2/12/12 -- Worcester/Northborough

Worcester: At Salisbury Pond a pair of green-winged teal, one drake gadwall, a pair of hooded mergansers, 6 common mergansers (4m, 2f), mallards, mute swans and Canada geese.

Northborough: at a private home, a vesper sparrow has been visiting on cold days. While we were there we also saw a red-winged blackbird, an early sighting for us this year.
(report from Garry Kessler)

2/11/12 -- Worcester and vicinity

The past week has been pretty interesting bird wise in the Worcester area.

An Iceland Gull has been frequenting the parking lot of the Burlington Coat Factory, Price Chopper shopping center on Route 20/Greenwood St in Worcester since 2/8 with "another/same" in the parking lot of the nearby Walmart on 2/6. Here are some pictures today and on Feb 8. The Route 20 bird seems to show up around 12,12:30 and tends to spend a bit of time on top of the buildings which isn't very helpful because if the gulls are not at the edge of the roof, they become nearly invisible. This parking lot is actually an excellent quick birding stop if you're in the area and if you hit it at the right time. It's surrounded by several fast food restaurants, a capped landfill, and a waste water treatment plant, so it is pretty much a gull magnet. In the morning, it also serves as a stop over point for the local crow roost and some seasons is a reliable spot for Fish Crow. It's also a good area to look for any early/late Turkey Vultures.

Worcester: Turkey Vulture - Generally 2 - 3 each day with a high count of a flock of 16 over the intersection of Chandler St and Park Ave in Worcester on 2/10

Worcester: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - On a side street off of Greenweed St on 2/10

Millbury Highlights: Red-winged Blackbird (2 on 2/9 and 1 today in my yard); Common Grackle (1 in the yard today); Brown-headed Cowbird (2 in the yard today); Ring-necked Pheasant (1 to 2 males have been visting the feeders since November 2011, with one at the feeders this morning). Game birds are released nearby, so not the most countable of birds, but still pretty neat. Also of note in the yard are several Mallards that still frequent the feeders even though the lake behind my house is 98% frozen.
(report from Dan Berard).

2/10/12 -- Lake Chauncey, Westboro

I observed flocks of Red Winged Blackbirds and Robins at Lake Chauncey today. The Mute Swans are still on the lake; there is very little ice on the lake this year. (report from Henry Squillante).

2/10/12 -- Uxbridge

The first grackle of the season is at the feeder. (report from Beth Milke)

2/9/12 -- Rt. 20, Worcester

Today and yesterday (2/8), there was an Iceland Gull with the Ring-billed Gulls in the Burlington Coat Factory/Price Chopper parking lot on route 20 in Worcester. Each day the gull was seen between 12:30 and 1pm. It spent a bit of time on the roofs of the Rite Aid and Burlington Coat Factory, which does an excellent job of making the gulls near invisible unless they take flight. So, if you try for the gull be sure to check the roofs and give it some time as there is a lot of gull traffic between the parking lot and the landfill and waste water treatment plant. Also on 2/6 there was an Iceland Gull in the parking lot of the Worcester Walmart at ~7:15am. (report from Dan Berard).

2/8/12 -- Woonsocket, RI

Vulture roost near Rte 122, Woonsocket:

A sense of impending doom hangs over a neighborhood in the northwest corner of Woonsocket as thick as the shroud of vultures that drapes the trees and rooftops late in the afternoon.

Today there were approximately a hundred Turkey Vultures in the roost, with a relatively small number of Black Vultures among them. Aside from the difference in head color, the glossy black plumage of the Black Vultures set them apart from the brownish Turkey Vultures. (report from Beth Milke)

2/8/12 -- Chandler Street, Worcester

There were 8 Turkey Vultures soaring over Chandler Street near Worcester State University at 3:15 this afternoon. Yesterday (2/7) at Asnebumskit Hill, 1 Common Raven was calling and soaring overhead. (report from Brian Mulhearn)

2/7/12 -- Hadwen Rd & Durant Way, Worcester

There were about 2 dozen Turkey Vultures in a pine grove near this intersection, which is close to Worcester State University. (report from Lynn Bromley).

2/7/12 -- River Bend Farm, Uxbridge

Peg and I returning from RI stopped by River Bend Farm briefly today late PM. Not much to see but were treated to a Northern shrike in the wooded islands amongst the meadows between the canal and the and the river. (report from Dick Knowlton).

2/7/12 -- Shrewsbury

Today at 1:03 pm I had a Black Vulture fly over the parking lot where I work at UPS in Shrewsbury, which is at the intersection of Rt-20 and Rt-140. The bird flew over heading from east to west towards Worcester. Considering Bart had two later in Worcester, maybe one was the same. Also, in the past week my father or I have had one Turkey Vulture in three different towns Milford, Upton and Sutton. (report from Nickilas Paulson).

2/7/12 -- Zenith Drive, Worcester

While walking up my hill (Zenith Drive) at 4 PM this afternoon I observed two very large black birds fly over. They came from the southeast. When I reached the top of the hill soaring overhead were two BLACK VULTURES !! They slowly headed back towards the southeast; possibly to the Millbury vulture roost. (report from Bart Kamp).

2/5/12 -- Uxbridge/Northbridge

In Uxbridge, a dozen female Red-winged Blackbirds just flew into the yard to pick at seeds under the feeder. Also, two adult Bald Eagles continue to draw attention at ponds in Uxbridge and Northbridge. (report from Beth Milke)

2/5/12 -- Sutton/Worcester

Today at 2.45 at my feeders in Sutton I had both a male and female Yellow Bellied Sapsucker .Both were gone by the time I got a lens on my camera.

Yesterday (2/4) at 9.15 near Kelly Square Worcester I had one lone TurkeyVulture. Also 2/4 at Atlas Box and Crate on the North bound side of Rt. 146 about 2 miles South of Tony's Pizza, around 7.40 I had around 100 CederWaxwings . 
(report from Michael Joubert).

2/4/12 -- North Lake Quinsigamond at Holden Rd., Shrewsbury

There were 5 Gadwalls (2M, 3F) at this site this morning along with Mallards, Black Ducks and Hooded Mergansers. (report from Peter Morlock).

2/3/12 -- Institute Park, Worcester

HIghlights at noon were 1 GB Heron, 2 Mute Swan, 150+ Canada Geese, 1 Green-winged Teal (m), 1 Gadwall (m), 9 Hooded Merganser, 12 Common Merganser, and 1 Turkey Vulture. (report from Rick Quimby).

2/2/12 -- Leesville Pond, Worcester/Auburn

This morning at Leesville Pond there were 8 Common Mergansers, 25+ Hooded Mergansers, 1 Northern Pintail, 5 Green-wing Teal, 14 American Black Ducks, 140+ Mallards, 1 Black Duck x Mallard hybrid, 2 Mute Swans, 1 Coopers Hawk, 1Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 Gold-crowned Kinglet and 12 Juncos.

At Notre Dame Cemetery, Worcester, there was a Great Blue Heron, 2 Hooded Merganser (pair), 2 American Black Ducks, 8 Mallards, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 Carolina Wren, and about a dozen Juncos.
(report from Brian Mulhearn)

For previous sightings, see January 2012 Archives or Archive Index