July 2005 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:

• 7/27/05 -- Public meeting on Greenwood Street Landfill
• 7/1/05 -- Clay-colored Sparrow found on Martha's Vinyard by John Liller and Kim Gastner [ed note: while this is outside our geographic area, the birders involved are well-known locals. Congrats to John and Kim! Thanks to Tom Pirro for sending the web link.]

Bird Sightings:

7/31/05 -- Woonsocket Reservoir/Seekonk River, RI

We birded these two parts of the Blackstone National Corridor this morning.

WOONSOCKET RESERVOIR+ENVIRONS, SMITHFIELD/LINCOLN: Common Loon (1 1stS: has been presnt for most of the summer); Double-crested Cormorant (1imm); Great Blue Heron (11: only 1ad); Canada Goose (25); Red-tailed Hawk (1); A Kestrel (1imm: this bird was seen toying with a large flock of House Finches, who apparently thought it was "playing" or some such thing and every time it landed on a pole or powerline, they landed on either side of the bird, right next to it, but did not mob it); Killdeer (11); Spotted Sandpiper (2); Least Sandpiper (23); Semipalmated Sandpiper (1); Nota bene: water levels are still high so shorebird numbers are low. Chimney Swift (12: drinking from the surface or catching insects on the water); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1); E Wood Peewee (2); E Phoebe (5); Great Crested Flycatcher (1); Tree Swallow (3); Barn Swallow (22); E Bluebird (4); Yellow Warbler (2); Pine Warbler (4); Bobolink (1 overhead); PLUS: (2); Eastern Coyotes playing with each other, gamboling and cavorting all along the shore; (3); White Tailed Deer and a small display of Turk's Head Lily.

SEEKONK RIVER: from Bold/India Points north to Pawtucket. This is the terminus of the Corridor. We ran the standard point count. Double-crested Cormorant (54); Great Blue Heron (3); Great Egret (4); Black-crowned Night Heron (6imm+5ad); Mute Swan (46); Mallard (401); A Black Duck (3); Osprey (5ad+2imm still sitting on nest but fledged); Semipalmated Plover (7); Killdeer (12); Spotted Sandpiper (11); Least Sandpiper (26); Semipalmated Sandpiper (109); White-rumped Sandpiper (1); Ring-billed Gull (157); Herring Gull (92); Great Black-backed Gull (42+ 2 yg on the "cormorant platform" opposite Ten Mile River outflow. These birds were almost fully feathered, though still downy about the head. We had the pleasure of watching an adult regurgitate some fish for them to gobble down. These remain the only pair of breeding gulls IN the Corridor); Common Tern (12ad and now only 1 chick that we could find. We saw no immature birds. This was on the rotting wooden structure immediately off Bold Point. These chicks have such a tough and typically short life. They fall through the rotting timbers to the water often, are beset by night herons, rats, gulls, you name it. Some RI birder should get the state Fish and Wildlife or some local conservation group to erect a proper breeding platform here.These are the only terns that breed "IN" the National Corridor which runs from Worcester, MA to Providence/East Providence, RI. Some terns were seen fishing all the way up north of the Pawtucket line. ); Belted Kingfisher (2); Cockatiel (1 obviously released bird flying all around calling); E Kingbird (6); Tree Swallow (4); N Rough-winged Swallow (36); Barn Swallow (4); Baltimore Oriole (3); PLUS: Brown Rat (1);. You may scoff, but it was my "Year" Brown Rat so I was excited. On the East Providence side. We also found another dead Horseshoe Crab, this time in good condition. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/30/05 -- South Quabbin (Quabbin Park)

We spent the morning birding "Quabbin Park": the area of the vast reservoir accessible by car off Rt. 9 in Ware and Belchertown. This is a particularly challenging time to bird in the interior of the state: bird song is almost nil; breeding is almost completely over and many passerines seem to evaporate or disperse over a wide area before fall migration begins in earnest. It's the calm before the flood of fall migration begins. We did see many newly fledged birds: some still following parent birds and begging food. I have indicated where possible how many of the total were young birds. This number does not mean the rest were all adults, simply that of the total number of any species seen, we saw THAT many definite young birds. Weather was near perfect for this time of the year: dry, warm (but not hot); in the high 70s, no wind. Yg=birds fledged this season. Common Loon (1 1st yr bird); Great Blue Heron (6); Turkey Vulture (3); Canada Goose (72); Wood Duck (1f w/2 very newly hatched ducklings); American Kestrel (1m); Wild Turkey (6); Virginia Rail (5); Killdeer (24 at the State Fish and Wildlife Trout Hatchery); Ring-billed Gull (1); Herring Gull (2); Mourning Dove (13); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (9: with only 1adM and at least 3yg. At one point we stood on a small hill covered with phlox and at least 5 hummers were there simultaneously. These were interesting to watch as they were very aggressive to each other: often bombing a perched hummer, zooming in a "u" back and forth over the perched bird, or even engaging in aerial chases. ); Belted Kingfisher (4 w.1yg); Downy Woodpecker (9: 2 of those yg); Hairy Woodpecker (3); Pileated Woodpecker (3: 1 yg); Eastern Wood Peewee (11: most still calling); "Empid sp." (1 Traill's type); E Phoebe (4); Eastern Kingbird (11); Yellow-throated Vireo (6: 3yg); Red-eyed Vireo (52: of those at LEAST 20 were young birds still following parents around); Blue Jay (10); A Crow (14); C Raven (5); Tree Swallow (4 migrating); Barn Swallow (16 migrating); Black-capped Chickadee (38: many yg birds); Tufted Titmouse (13); Red-breasted Nuthatch (1); White-breasted Nuthatch (11); Carolina Wren (1); House Wren (1); Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (3); Hermit Thrush (4 still singing); Wood Thrush (1 still singing); A Robin (24); Gray Catbird (23); Cedar Waxwing (22); Chestnut-sided Warbler (9: 4yg: 1 singing a poor version of the song, the rest silent); Blackburnian Warbler (1f); Pine Warbler (3: low count for this area. I have found that post-breeding this species often stages for months in large loose flocks in select areas of Quabbin); Prairie Warbler (1f+3yg: none singing); Black and White Warbler (1m); A Redstart (6: 2adM, only 1 singing); C Yellowthroat (6: 2yg); Scarlet Tanager (10: this included a flock of 8 birds that included 2adM+3f+3imm); Eastern Towhee (28: 6yg); Chipping Sparrow (27: 6yg: only 1 still singing); Field Sparrow (2 still singing); Song Sparrow (10); Swamp Sparrow (1 still singing); N. Cardinal (3); Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1); Indigo Bunting (4: 1 singing); Red-winged Blackbird (15+); Eastern Meadowlark (1); Brown-headed Cowbird (1imm/yg all by itself); Baltimore Oriole (3: 1adM); Purple Finch (1); A Goldfinch (21); We also took a short hike (c.3/4mile); in GATE 15 off Rt. 202 and got the following that were additions to the species list: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1); Blue-headed Vireo (2); Brown Creeper (3); Yellow-rumped Warbler (1f w/3 begging but fledged young birds); Black-throated Green Warbler (4 singing); Ovenbird (2 singing); (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/30/05 -- Worcester Airport

We headed up to the Rt. 56 overlook again this evening to see if we could refind the Upland Sandpiper. We were there by 5:45PM. We had NO luck and we also did not see any KILLDEER. Odd, since there were so many the night before. Eventually we saw why: an IMMATURE, NEWLY FLEDGED PEREGRINE FALCON flew out of the edge and plopped down right in the middle of the runway. This despite the fact that small aircraft were coming and going. here it sat for 10 minutes, looking all around. Then it took off, zoomed low over the fields adjacent to the runways to the south, then back over the runway and flew over the edge of the hill and low along the chain link fence, finally perching on the fence. Here it sat for at least another 15 minutes, looking all around: at the ground, at the sky et. We left it there. While there we also had: A Black Duck (2); Wild Turkey (6); Bobolink (25+); E Meadowlark (15+); (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/29/05 -- Worcester Airport

A group of us including Sheila Carroll, Fran McMenemy, Barton Kamp and Howard Shainheit put in some time trying to refind the Upland Sandpiper that Fran had found the night before. Sheila and I were there from 5:30-7:30 pm. Though we did not refind the Upland, I want to encourage birders to keep looking: this is a huge property, good views are tough to come by and there are lots of birds that are present in the grasses that are surprisingly tough to spot. At one point a young EASTERN COYOTE was spotted walking through the mown grass and even a creature that big was only visible some of the time. Birders are also encoraged to try different vantage points. From Rt. 56, you are at a much greater distance, BUT you can see a much wider part of the runways, though still only the western end of the runway system. A good scope is a necessity from this spot. From Mulberry Street (standing on a small rise among the grasses on the opposite side of the street from the end of the runway); you are much, much closer, but you can see only a very tiny part of the runway fields. Late afternoon/early evening light is best here. Sheila and I did tally: Great Blue Heron (4: putting down between Mullberry Street and Rt. 56); Hooded Merganser (1f/imm: flew into same area as Great Blues); Wild Turkey (6); Killdeer (16 minimum. When we first arrived and for some time we saw NO Killdeer and then they suddenly "emerged" in small groups from the grasses onto the runway); E. Kingbird (1); Tree Swallow (1 migrating); Barn Swallow (25+ migrating); Wood Thrush (1 still singing); Scarlet Tanager (1); Savannah Sparrow (4); Bobolink (18 at least flew in and landed in the fields); E. Meadowlark (13 at least);
ALSO: earlier, in late afternoon, while driving through downtown Worcester, we again had an adult PEREGRINE sitting at the nest box placed by Fish and Wildlife on the Fallon building on Chestnut Street. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/28/05 -- Worcester Airport

This evening at 6:30 pm there was an Upland Sandpiper at the West end of the Worcester Airport. It was located between the end of the runway and Mulberry St. in Leicester. There is a short orange poll at the end of the runway that has five lights mounted on its crossbar. The bare ground under these light seems to be the favorite area for this bird. I first saw this bird from the Rt. 56 overlook. The hay in the fields along Rt. 56 is presently being cut. (report from Fran McMenemy).

7/27/05 -- Forbush Bird Club Trip to Institute Park/Salisbury Pond, Worcester

The Forbush Bird Club held a trip at dusk for the purpose of observing Black-crowned Night Herons. In spite of stormy weather, 2 adult BCNH were found. complete trip list here (report from Joan Jumpfe).

7/27/05 -- Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary, Worcester

There was a juv. Peregrine Falcon at Broad Meadow Brook . It was flying around the Troiano Trail, at first chasing a Great Blue Heron( it must be very hungry) then trying to land and miss several times before finally grabbing a branch. I watched this bird from 10 feet it just sat there. There is a is a gray band on one leg and a green one on the other. (report from John Shea).

Note added from Bill Davis:
If anyone can get a read on the alphanumeric band we'd be interested. Look for a color combination, such as black on the upper half of the band and green on the lower half, and a letter or number stamped conspicuously in each of the colors. For example, you might be able to see the band is black over green and the alphanumeric is P over 6. If the bird becomes grounded or injured as young raptors often do, throw a heavy towel over it, gather the bundle up carefully and place it in a cardboard box. Provide holes for ventilation and tape the box shut. Take the bird to Tufts if you have staff or a volunteer available. Otherwise give me a call or email (Bill.Davis@state.ma.us) and I'll send someone over.

7/25/05 -- Sterling Peat, Sterling

I birded Sterling Peat late Sunday from around 5:00 pm. until 8:00 pm. after not going there since May, and having not heard any recent reports from there. Per Dave Grant who was also there, the water level has declined by 6" or more during the past few days although it is still quite high. There were a few shorebirds and I suspect more will be arriving as the levels continue to decline. Highlights: Tree Swallow (36) ; Bank Swallow (6) ;Northern Rough-winged Swallow (3) ; Barn Swallow (25) ;Song Sparrow (3) ;Yellow Warbler (5) ;Belted Kingfisher (2) ; Double-crested Cormorant (1) ; Cedar Waxwing (5) ; Red-winged Blackbird (150+) ; Willow Flycatcher (3) ; Eastern Kingbird (3) ; Killdeer (2) ; Spotted Sandpiper (2) ; Solitary Sandpiper (1) ; Least Sandpiper (5) ;Scarlet Tanager (2) ; Purple Finch (2) ;Brown-headed Cowbird (2)
(report from Bruce deGraaf).

7/24/05 -- Leesville Pond/Notre Dame Cemetery, Worcester

Late this afternoon, we checked LEESVILLE POND/ALL FAITH'S CEMETERY: Great Blue Heron (1); Black-crowned Night Heron (2ad); Mute Swan (2ad); Wood Duck (9ad+5yg birds still not able to fly); Canada Goose (44); Mallard (47);

Across the road at NOTRE DAME: Great Blue Heron (1); Wood Duck (3); Mallard (44); Virginia Rail (3);
At both places: Muskrats and far, far, far too much Purple Loosestrife. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/24/05 -- Grafton/Northbridge/Uxbridge

We started this morning at the SUMMER BROOK MARSH in GRAFTON. This is accessable from a dirt road that runs north of Rt.30, just east of a Truck Leasing place/opposite pole #37/next to house #97. Drive across the RXR tracks and when the dirt road descends, drive left and park. There is a SHOCKING amount of trash and garbage here. It is also obvious that folks have been setting fires here. This is criminal because this should be made into a park/conservation area. There are great overlooks of the marsh and lots of birdlife. Great Blue Heron (1); Green Heron (1); Canada Goose (14); Wood Duck (3); OSPREY (2young on nest really ready to leave. This nest is on the cross beam of a power line brace and is near a cul-de-sac of the swamp, best visible from Westboro Road. Park where the Railroad tracks cross the road and walk a bit down the tracks to the south/east and you will clearly see the nest. So far, this may be the only successful Osprey nesting this year in the County as the SuAsCo nest seems to have failed as well as the New Braintree one.); Virginia Rail (3); Spotted Sandpiper (1); E Kingbird (4); Warbling Vireo (4); Tree Swallow (6); Gray Catbird (12: including one still carrying a fecal sac); Yellow Warbler (5); Red-winged Blackbird (40+); Baltimore Oriole (6);

LAKE RIPPLE, GRAFTON: Great Blue Heron (1); MUTE SWAN (pair w/3yg); Canada Goose (18);

FISHERVILLE POND, GRAFTON: Double-crested Cormorant (1); Great Blue Heron (3); Canada Goose (5); Red-tailed Hawk (1); Killdeer (3); Spotted Sandpiper (3); Solitary Sandpiper (2); Least Sandpiper (43); Semipalmated Sandpiper (1); Belted Kingfisher (2); NOTA BENE: right next to the dirt road turn in to the overlook of the river oxbow is a stake labeled "property boundary". This MAY indicate future development of this immediate area and restriction of access to this overlook.

NORTHBRIDGE; a few stops: Double-crested Cormorant (2); Great Blue Heron (2); Green Heron (1); Canada Goose (38); MALLARD (1f: where do all the Mallards in these parts go to moult?); Wild Turkey (1); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1); Red-bellied Woodpecker (1); Eastern Kingbird (17); Yellow-throated Vireo (1); Warbling Vireo (9); Carolina Wren (1); Scarlet tanager (3);

UXBRIDGE: a few stops including River Bend Farm: Double-crested Cormorant (2); Great Blue Heron (1); Green Heron (1); Mute Swan (pair w/3 young at Whitin Pond); Ruby-throated Hummingbird );1 E. Kingbird (8); Red-eyed Vireo (3); E. Bluebird (2); Yellow Warbler (4); C Yellowthroat (2); Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1); Indigo Bunting (2m); ORCHARD ORIOLE (1adF); ALSO: at Riverbend: odes included Halloween Pennant; C. Whitetail and Ebony Jewelwing. Butterflies were few but included Cabbage White, Pearl Crescent, C Wood Nymph, Viceroy. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/23/05 -- downtown Worcetser

The Peregrines continue to put on a nice show downtown. yesterday morning (7/22) we had 2 immature Peregrines perched on the Main Street side of City Hall and another flying around. Then today we had an adult perched at the entrance of the nestbox erected by Fish and Wildlife on the Fallon Building on Chestnut Street. They continue to hang around the Bank North building, often perching on the Commons side on the "letters". (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/21/05 -- Fisherville Pond, Grafton

The water at Fisherville Pond is about as low as it gets. There were 4 solitary and 15-20 least sandpipers there today. (report from Bart Kamp).

7/17/05 -- SuAsCo, Westboro/downtown Worcester

Returning from Great Meadows NWR in Concord, we swung by SuAsCo in Westboro to check on the Ospreys as we had not read anyhting about how the nesting was going. What we found were two adult Ospreys perched on 2 different trees and the nest they had been occupying was empty and now growing some green plants. This made it look like the nest had not been occupied for some time. We also watched some fishermen pulling right up to th base of the nest. If anyone has any further information on whether the Osprey's nested or not, can they please post it here?

Downtown we found three PEREGRINE FALCONS: 2 definite immatures perched on the Bank North Building on the side facing the commons and another on the other side that we could not determine the age of. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/16/05 -- Bolton Flats, Bolton

We birded few areas around Bolton Flats this morning. Water levels are still high on the rivers, but there is little water left in the fields and it is easy to walk in the main entrance on Rt. 117. BUT: The entrance bridge to the north fields off Rt. 110 by the barn/farm parking lot is now flooded (actually just beyond the bridge has been washed out and water is flowing rapidly over the area) because of beaver activity and is not easily accessable without wellies. Double-crested Cormorant (2imm); Great Blue Heron (3); Green Heron (2); Canada Goose (18); Wood Duck (2); Mallard (3); Virginia Rail (2); Sora (2); Killdeer (46); Solitary Sandpiper (6); Spotted Sandpiper (2); Lesser Yellowlegs (2); Least Sandpiper (32); Belted Kingfisher (3); Downy Woodpecker (5); N Flicker (3); Alder Flycatcher (2); Willow Flycatcher (11); Great Crested Flycatcher (1); E Kingbird (17); Yellow-throated Vireo (4); Warbling Vireo (12); Red-eyed Vireo (3); Tree Swallow (25+); Bank Swallow (60+: Mostly newly fledged birds, many alighting in the cornfields and just sitting there);. Barn Swallow (15+); Blue Jay (6); Carolina Wren (1); House Wren (4); Marsh Wren (1); Veery (2); Wood Thrush (1); A Robin (129); Gray Catbird (21); Brown Thrasher (1); Yellow Warbler (11); Black and White Warbler (2); C Yellowthroat (26); Song Sparrow (56); Swamp Sparrow (17); Rose-breasted Grosbeak (2); Indigo Bunting (6); Bobolink (5); Red-winged Blackbird (145+: many young birds); C. Grackle (65+: many young birds); Baltimore Oriole (1); A Goldfinch (15); PLUS: Meadow Vole; Woodchuck; Green Frogs, Bullfrog, Pickerel Frog; E Painted Turtle; E. Garter Snake. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/13/05 -- Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary, Worcester

The City of Worcester DPW is continuing to work on improvements to Broad Meadow Brook. Yesterday in advance of installing a trash rack and placing footings for the new bridge, they breached the beaver dams in three places to drawdown the water level. I think birders will be interested to watch what birds are attracted to the new albeit temporary mud flats that have been created. Here is a note about what we found.

Rick and I spent 2 hours Wednesday night on the stretch watching all the activity at the beaver dam. First of all, it was just fantastic too see the effects of the drawdown. Where the day before the water level had been at record high, it now looked like mudflats everywhere. The bird activity was amazing including E. Kingbirds, E. Phoebes, Chimney Swifts and a Kingfisher. A Mallard and her 4 babies were out on the shore eating the exposed plants and there were even a few shorebirds (Spotted Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper) along the edges. Only the Great Blue Heron sitting up in a tree looked unhappy with the lack of water. But the real show were the beavers. At 6:45pm when we arrived, they had already placed a number of large tree branches over the breach and were in the process of weaving in smaller sticks and armfuls of mud. I knew beavers made dams, but to actually watch them use their paws and teeth to carefully place sticks was something to see. I really wish we had thought to get a video recording. They were working right next to the path and were totally tolerant of Rick and I standing quietly watching them. It was only when I hit a mosquito biting my arm did the beavers object to our presence by slapping their tails on the water. We left at that point so as not to disturb them any further. The activity level had picked by the end with 3 beavers working on the new dam and a 4th collecting food (green plant material) and bringing it into the lodge (to babies?)
(report from Barbara and Rick Walker).

7/11/05 -- Bolton Flats, Bolton

Hilights from Bolton Flats, with Barton Kamp and Fran McMenemy (briefly), last night from 7PM to 8:20PM: Great Blue Heron 4; Killdeer ~10; Semipalmated Plover 1; Solitary Sandpiper 3; Least Sandpiper 4 minimum; Virginia Rail 1 calling; Sora 1 calling; Trails type Flycatcher 1; Eastern Kingbird 3; Scarlet Tanager 1 male;
Also Sunday night (7/10) there was a Common Nighthawk over rte 2 in Leominster. (report from Tom Pirro).

7/10/05 -- Bolton Flats, Bolton

I had an adult Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Bolton Flats. I first saw it as a fly-by with 4 Killdeer then relocated it off at the edge of the gardens 0.2 miles up Rt. 117. The bird apparently moves around a bit since I first saw it over the flooded pools at Bolton proper. When the Killdeer get agitated it joins them in flight. If it is still at the big pool at the edge of the gardens closest to the Bolton Flats' planted grain (?) field (long pipes laying on ground), it might be best be viewed from there (0.2 miles west of Bolton Flats entrance). Note that the entrance is marked Private Property. Also note that you might bring boots to get by the flooded dip in the road beyond the parking lot at Bolton. Also seen: Solitary Sandpiper (1), Least Sandpiper (2). (report from Karsten Hartel, fide Mark Lynch via Massbird)

7/10/05 -- Quabog IBA/Winimusset Meadows NWR, Brookfields/New Braintree

We started the day birding a few areas of the Quabog IBA including along Elm Hill Road (MAS sanctuary) along the railroad tracks; Lake Quabog; South Pond and Coys Brook. Water levels were VERY high, higher than they were in spring. Then, much later in the AM, we birded some of Winimusset Meadows WMA in New Braintree. Birdsong has dropped off drmatically, and most species of warblers are tough to turn up. The exception was Yellowthroats, which seem to be in second nestings and are singing away.
key: qi=QUABOG IBA
wm=WINIMUSSET MEADOWS WMA

American Bittern (qi: 1); Great Blue Heron (qi: 7/ wm: 2); Turkey Vulture (qi: 2/wm:4); Wood Duck (qi: 6f+1 group of 5yg); Mallard (qi: 8/wm: 11); Hooded Merganser (qi: 1f+1imm/wm: 1imm); Osprey (qi: 1/ wm: 2: nota bene: We watched this pair of birds for some time (c.45 minutes). They perched near each other, sometimes on the same branch. One bird had a streaked upper breast, the other a clear breast. At one point the bird with the clear breast mounted the other, and fluttered there some time, but it did not look like an actual mating took place. Then, the streaked braested bird (assumed male); began to tear off SMALL branches and would bring them to an area behind a pine. The female continued to perch with a partially eaten fish in one talon. My guess is that this is an immature couple potentially setting up a territory for next year); Bald Eagle (qi: 3imm in nest at Quabog. We watched them for some time and I am "pretty sure" there are three, definitely two. One bird was fluttering from one side of the nest to the other looking very much like it was about to take off); Sharp-shinned Hawk (wm: 1ad carrying a small bird off); Broad-winged Hawk (qi: 2); Red-tailed Hawk (qi: 3/ wm: 3); A Woodcock (qi: 1 flushed twice from a trail); Yellow-billed Cuckoo (qi: 1); Belted Kingfisher (qi: 2/wm:1); Red-bellied Woodpecker (qi:3); Downy Woodpecker (qi: 16/wm: 2); Hairy Woodpecker (qi: 1); N Flicker (qi: 6/wm: 3); Pileated Woodpecker (wm: 1); E Wood Peewee (qi: 2); Willow Flycatcher (wm: 1); Least Flycatcher (wm: 1); E. Phoebe (qi: 10); Eastern Kingbird (qi: 16/wm: 3); Warbling Vireo (qi: 8); Red-eyed Vireo (qi: 29/wm: 7); Tree Swallow (qi: 40+/ wm: 20+); Bank Swallow (qi: 15+/wm: 2); Barn Swallow (qi: 10+/wm: 5+); Carolina Wren (qi: 1); House Wren (qi: 6); MARSH WREN (qi: 8 singing birds. We worked hard on determining this, as the birds were not calling often. This took a lot of bushwhacking); Veery (qi: 36/wm: 2); Wood Thrush (qi: 8); Gray Catbird (qi: 63/wm: 9); Cedar Waxwing (qi: 4/wm: 3);

WARBLERS: Blue-winged (qi: 1); Yellow (qi: 15/wm: 6); Chestnut-sided (qi: 2); Black and White (qi: 1); A Redstart (qi: 1); C Yellowthroat (qi: 79 / wm: 18);

Scarlet Tanager (qi: 4 / wm: 2); Savannah Sparrow (wm: 7); GRASSHOPPER SPARROW wm: 1: I flushed this bird 3 times from the edge of the short field and the tall, rank grasses. It perched three times in small bushes then flew waaay back into the marsh area. It never sang. I don't think this bird bred here, the habitat seems all wrong, but is possibly a post breeding wanderer); Song Sparrow (qi: 42 / wm: 31); Swamp Sparrow ( qi: 29 / wm: 9); Indigo Bunting (qi: 1 / wm: 2); Bobolink (qi: 8 / wm: 6 : in both cases these birds were "plinking" from rank fields, not breeding areas); Red-winged Blackbird (qi: 155+ / wm: 60+: many, many groups of young birds in cattails and grasses); E Meadowlark (wm: 5); Baltimore Oriole (qi: 1); A Goldfinch (qi: 29/ wm: 5);

PLUS: Tall Meadow Rue everywhere. We also had Beaver, Coyote, New England Cottontail. On the way home, on SLAISBURY STREET, near the Jewish Community Center, an adult RIVER OTTER crossed the road, almost getting killed by the car in front of us. Two other young otters were also about to cross the road, but scared of the stopped car, went back into the woodlot. We waited for awhile to see if they would cross, but decided our presence was not helping the situation and left. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/9/05 -- Rhodes Rd, Princeton

Evening grosbeak(m) seen again today in the am. It was in the dirt driveway of the red farmhouse which is the last house on the road. (report from Dick Knowlton).

7/9/05 -- Lake Wampanoag, Ashburnham/Gardner

This morning there was a single adult Common Loon and a newly hatched chick on Lake Wompanoag (which is on the Ashburnham/Gardner line). The adult dove a few times and brought an unidentfied food item to the chick. (report from Tom Pirro).

7/9/05 -- Brookfields/Worcester

A check of COYS BROOK, WEST BROOKFIELD today revealed a much changed brook with high, swiftly flowing water, no mudflats and even a kayaker out on the brook. Still we found: Mallard (11) Belted Kingfisher (2) Swamp Sparrow (6) Red-winged Blackbird (60+)

THEN: a check of LAKE QUABOG in Brookfield revealed: BALD EAGLE: what appeared to be 3 (definitely two, but it looked like a third bird also in the nest) young still in the nest and 1 ADULT. The young birds were perched on the edge and flapping thier wings, obviously about to leave. It's interesting, we checked with fishermen who said the nest was NOT visible from the water: too far back (of at least that is what they said). BTW: several HUGE (and stocked) Northern Pike were being caught.

Finally, on the way home we had an adult PEREGRINE FALCON perched on a building on Main Street and a Red-atiled Hawk nearby. Then, near Elm Park, we had a pair of Red-tails being harassed by a nothe PEREGRINE, though we did not get good enough looks to determine age. Peregines are very much in evidence downtown and almost everytime I have been downtown, I have seen at least one. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/4/05 -- Muddy Pond Conservation Area, Westminster

The following are the combined totals from 10 point counts and observations made between the points: Mourning Dove 4, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4, Downy Woodpecker 3, Hairy Woodpecker 4, Flicker 2, Wood-pewee 10, Phoebe 1, Great Crested Flycatcher 1, Kingbird 1, Blue-headed Vireo 2, Red-eyed Vireo 21, Blue Jay 8, Crow 1, Chickadee 5, Tufted Titmouse 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 2, Winter Wren 2, Veery 17, Hermit Thrush 5, Wood Thrush 2, Robin 1, Catbird 1, Yellow Warbler 1, Chestnut-sided Warbler 1, Black-throated Blue Warbler 21, Yellow-rumped Warbler 1, Black-throated Green Warbler 1, Pine Warbler 1, Black-and-White Warbler 3, Ovenbird 15, Northern Waterthrush 1, Common Yellowthroat 3, Canada Warbler 4, Scarlet Tanager 16, Towhee 16, Song Sparrow 4, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1, Red-winged Blackbird 6, Grackle 2 and Baltimore Oriole 3. (report from Chuck Caron).

7/4/05 -- Ramshorn Pond Millbury/Sutton

Today I watched an osprey soaring over a very busy Ramshorn Pond. After about 30 minutes, it drifted out of sight to the south. (report from Alan Marble).

7/4/05 -- Coys Brook, West Brookfield

Returning home from the Berkshires, we briefly stopped by the small Coys Brook (off Rt. 9) in mid-afternoon and had: Canada Goose (10); Wood Duck (1f w/8yg); Mallard (1f w/9yg); Killdeer (4); The Warbling Vireo nest we had been watching two weeks ago is now empty, the young birds likely fledged. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/3/05 -- Forbush Bird Club Trip, Wachusett Reservoir

The Forbush Bird Club held a trip on Sunday, July 3, 2005 from Gate 35 in Sterling to Tahonto Point. The goal was to view the breeding Common Loon pair that had nested on Wood Island and their chicks that hatched on July 1st and 2nd. Francis X. McMenemy led 16 members on a perfectly beautiful cloudless and calm day. The temperatures ranged from the high 60's to the low 80's. Complete trip list of the 42 species observed
(report from Joan Zumpfe).

7/3/05 -- Seekonk River, RI

We conducted a standard point count of the Seekonk River this morning. This is the southern end of the Blackstone National Corridor and runs between Providence and East Providence. Double-crested Cormorant (32); Great Blue Heron (1); Great Egret (1); Green Heron (1); Black-crowned Night Heron (2imm+1ad); Mute Swan (101: most, if not all: sub-ad); Canada Goose (2); Wood Duck (1f: flew north and over the Henderson Bridge); Mallard (365); A Black Duck (5); COMMON MERGANSER (1 non-brM. We watched this bird for some time. Though we have had mid-summer Red-breasted Mergs on the Seekonk on a number of occasions, this is our first mid-summer Common Merg here, where they are common in winter. The record is not unprecidented for this location at this time, but care of course must be taken to seperate this species from Red-breasted Merganser); Osprey (pair tending at least 2 yng in nest at wastewater facility+ another 4 ad); Peregrine Falcon (1 imm was seen being chased off the wooden structure just off Bold Pt. by the nesting terns); Spotted Sandpiper (1); Ring-billed Gull (61); Herring Gull (44); Great Black-backed Gull (46+ ad w/at least 3 yng on cormorant platform just opposite Ten Mile River outflow); Common Tern (10: 5 pair nesting on the wooden structure off Bold Pt. We were able to see at least 5 yng. These birds have a tough time, what with the Night Herons, the Peregrines, the rats and the rickety, porous structure they are nesting on.); NOTA BENE: as the tide begins to fall, Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls can be seen at this time of the year, flying up river to feed in the shallows and rest and bathe on the Pawtucket line. But Ring-billed Gulls in MID-SUMMER, will suddenly drop in from all directions, indicating thier preference for hanging out at fast food places in cities. Belted Kingfisher (2); PLUS: (3); White-tailed Deer at Bold Point and a Gray Fox just south of Swan Point. We also talked to some of our fishermen contacts on the river. Stripers were running as were Blues. Severla large American Eels were caught recently which is a good indication that the river is getting cleaner. Folks were even putting out eel traps. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

For previous sightings, see June 2005 Archives or Archive Index