July 2007 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:

• 8/5/07 -- Radio interview with LANG ELLIOTT on bird songs and other sounds of nature

Bird Sightings:

7/29/07 -- Nelson Pond, North Grafton

We watched two adult and two young ospreys at Nelson Pond off Rte 30 in North Grafton today. One of the adults flew around the marsh a number of times, calling loudly, and eventually landed on the power pole holding the nest. The other adult flew in with a fish and sat perched with it on a power pole. The two fledglings remained perched in trees at the far side. Also, a great egret continues at Rice City Pond on Hartford Avenue in Uxbridge, usually in the company of one or two great blue herons. (report from Beth Milke and Nancy Demers)

7/28/07 -- Wachusett Reservoir, Clinton

At 8:00PM on the sand bars surrounding the bushy island there were 3 GREAT EGRETS. (report from Kevin Bourinot).

7/28/07 -- Cumberland, RI/Woonsocket Reservoir

months of work on the massive Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas II (I am a Regional Coordinator and atlased 9 blocks just this year);, we finally had time this morning to bird a wee bit in the Rhode Island section of the Blackstone National Corridor , focusing mostly on ponds in Cumberland but also Woonsocket Reservoir (Lincoln/Smithfield);. Highlights:

MANVILLE CROSSING OF BLACKSTONE RIVER: Wood Duck (9); Mallard (1); Red-tailed Hawk (1); Spotted Sandpiper (1); Chimney Swift (30+); Nb: It was amazing to see how much work has been done on Blackstone Corridor bike path and path work is now running well up into Woonsocket. It looks great!

SNEETCH POND, CUMBERLAND: Great Blue Heron (1); Green Heron (1); Canada Goose (31); Wood Duck (18); Mallard (2); RUDDY DUCK (adult pair: this was a surprise to say the least); OSPREY (2 "almost fledged" young birds still in nest being fed by an adult. The nest is on the power lines structure on the back-side of pond); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1);

CARL'S POND, CUMBERLAND: Mute Swan (pair); Wood Duck (pair w/7young); Mallard (pair w/5 young);

CUMBERLAND RESERVOIRS (Diamond Hill/Arnold's Mills); Nb: water levels are still pretty high here. Double-crested Cormorant (4); Great Blue Heron (2); Canada Goose (14); Mallard (10); Osprey (1); Cooper's Hawk (1ad); Killdeer (2); N Rough-winged Swallow (1);

RESURRECTION CEMETERY, CUMBERLAND: Red-tailed Hawk (1); Killdeer (5); In the farm fields across the street: Bobolink (30+); Red-winged Blackbird (50+);

WOONSOCKET RESERVOIR: Nb: water levels just starting to drop. Double-crested Cormorant (3); Great Blue Heron (14: mostly fledged young birds from the rookery); Canada Goose (2); Mallard (2); Killdeer (3); Least Sandpiper (6); Eastern Bluebird (6);
(report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/26/07 -- Gate 40, 41 , Quabbin Reservoir

I spent some time today (0700-1400) scouting Barre2, my 2008 BBA block. This includes the Dana Common area, Pottapaug Pond and some land east of 32A. The block include a wide powerline but does not extend to the shoreline of the Quabbin Reservoir. In spite of the 90 degree temperature, I encountered an interesting list of birds: 3 Cooper's hawks (1 immature);, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk, 7 wild turkey (FL);, A. woodcock, downy woodpecker, northern flicker, eastern wood pewee, eastern kingbird, red-eyed vireo, blue jay, A. crow, black-capped chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, white-breasted nuthatch (FL);, veery, hermit thrush, A. robin, cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, magnolia warbler (CF);, black-throated green warbler, pine warbler, common yellowthroat (CF);, scarlet tanager, eastern towhee, chipping sparrow, field sparrow, song sparrow, swamp sparrow, n. cardinal, red-winged blackbird and A. goldfinch. (report from Alan Marble).

7/21/07 -- Quabbin Park , Quabbin Reservoir

We birded QUABBIN PARK (the southernmost section of Quabbin Reservoir off Rt.9); for a few hours this morning. By late morning, the wind really kicked in, there were white caps on the reservoir, and passerines were tough to find. We had many fledged immature birds still being fed by adults. Great Blue Heron (2); Turkey Vulture (5); Canada Goose (5imm); Wood Duck (1adF+2 non-br M+2 ducklings. The ducklings looked like they had just left the nest box in the last few days); Hooded Merganser (1adF+1imm); N Goshawk (1imm carrying prey item); Red-tailed Hawk (1ad+1imm); A Kestrel (1imm putting on a nice show hunting right along the Winsor Dam); Wild Turkey (3); Mourning Dove (5); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1); Belted Kingfisher (1); Red-bellied Woodpecker (1); Downy Woodpecker (6); Hairy Woodpecker (2); N Flicker (5); Pileated Woodpecker (2); E Wood Peewee (11); ACADIAN FLYCATCHER (1ad w/2 newly fledged yg. The adult called/sang constantly. We watched these birds for about 20 minutes. I have been so busy atlasing other areas, I didn't know this species bred here this year); Least Flycatcher (3); E Phoebe (1); Great Crested Flycatcher (2); Eastern Kingbird (8); Yellow-throated Vireo (7: including 1 fledged young); Blue-headed Vireo (1); Red-eyed Vireo (49); Blue Jay (3); A Crow (13); Tree Swallow (111: mostly immatures: some migrating, some staging for migration); Barn Swallow (10+); Black-capped Chickadee (13); Red-breasted Nuthatch (1); White-breasted Nuthatch (6); Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1); Veery (4); Hermit Thrush (1 singing); Wood Thrush (1); A Robin (28); Gray Catbird (5); E Starling (1imm); Cedar Waxwing (11);

WARBLERS: Yellow (2); Chestnut-sided (4); Black-throated Green (7); Pine (6); Prairie (7); Black and White (4); C Yellowthroat (8);

Scarlet Tanager (17); E Towhee (25); Chipping Sparrow (33); Field Sparrow (1); Song Sparrow (9); N Cardinal (5); Indigo Bunting (5); Bobolink (3); Red-winged Blackbird (14); C Grackle (4); Brown-headed Cowbird (3); Baltimore Oriole (11); A Goldfinch (11);
PLUS: Woodchuck; White-tailed Deer; E Cottontail. Despite wind, we had some butterflies: American Copper (1);; Red Admiral (1);; C Wood Nymph (8);; Great Spangled Fritillary (4);; Silver-bordered Fritillary (2);; Pearl Crescent (1);; Monarch (2);; Dun Skipper (21);. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/15/07 -- Blackstone

The town of Blackstone in the extreme SE corner of Worcester County (and the SE corner of the MA section of the Blackstone National Corridor), is not one of those places in the state that attracts lots of birders. But today, we decided to put some hours in atlasing UXBRIDGE11, a block that is mostly in Blackstone though the top fifth is in Mendon. This block is mostly "suburbia" with some substantial woodlots still extant. There are some nice large farms still remaining here, though you get the very real feeling their existence is very much hanging by a thread as hungry developers wait in the wings. Daniel's Farm, a historical site, high atop a hill, has hosted several triple digit nighthawks counts in recent late summers. Common Ravens breed in the microwave relay tower across from here. There is a well-hidden WMA in this section of Blackstone, though we could not find any easy access to it. There is a productive set of power-line "cut-throughs", giving good access to forest edge and dense brushy habitat. Probably the most note-worthy denizen of this block is not a bird at all, but a FISH of a small tributary of the Blackstone River, the AMERICAN BROOK LAMPREY (Lampetra appendix) a state-listed species with a very unusual life history (see Karsten Hartel's INLAND FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS) for the details.

Turkey Vulture (1); Wood Duck (1noisy f); Mallard (2ad w/4yg and 1f w/4yg); Cooper's Hawk (1ad); Red-tailed Hawk (2); Ruffed Grouse (1ad+3yg); Killdeer (12ad+at least 5yg); Mourning Dove (57); Black-billed Cuckoo (1); Chimney Swift (8); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (2f); Belted Kingfisher (1); Red-bellied Woodpecker (2); Downy Woodpecker (9); Hairy Woodpecker (2); N Flicker (6); E Wood Peewee (7); Eastern Phoebe (10); Eastern Kingbird (4); Yellow-throated Vireo (3); Warbling Vireo (6); Red-eyed Vireo (32); Blue Jay (9); American Crow (26); (NB: we had a raven on the nest in March this year); Barn Swallow (65); Black-capped Chickadee (83); Tufted Titmouse (41); White-breasted Nuthatch (14); Carolina Wren (13); House Wren (9); Eastern Bluebird (5); Veery (8); Wood thrush (9); A Robin (113); Gray Catbird (72); N Mockingbird (11); E Starling (69); Cedar Waxwing (11); Yellow Warbler (5); Chestnut-sided Warbler (4); Pine Warbler (9); Black and White Warbler (1); A Redstart (1); Ovenbird (2); LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (1ad w/2 just fledged young, along the Mill River); C Yellowthroat (16); Scarlet Tanager (12); E Towhee (17); Chipping Sparrow (102: ah! Suburbia!); Field Sparrow (9); Savannah Sparrow (12); Song Sparrow (34); Swamp Sparrow (3); N Cardinal (31); Rose-breasted Grosbeak (3); Indigo Bunting (11); Red-winged Blackbird (23); C Grackle (11); Brown-headed Cowbird (32); House Finch (8); A Goldfinch (38); House Sparrow (137); PLUS: Garter Snake (1);. Total: 62 species. We figure with full court press next year, we can add maybe 15 more species. Atlas1 had 47 species for this block. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/15/07 -- Leicester

At dusk, driving on the roads behind Worcester Airport, we were surprised to see two GREAT HORNED OWLS, one perched on each of the very points of the two small brick Water Department buildings by the dam on Kettlebrook#1. We watched them as they surveyed the grassy fields in front of them in the half-light of dusk. Also seen/heard: an American Woodcock flushed from the road and (8); Killdeers in the Airport parking lot c.9PM. (report from Mark Lynch).

7/14/07 -- Gardner

Highlights this morning between 0930 and 1130 near Mount Wachusett Community College and Lake Wompanoag Area (Fitchburg 1 block): Common Loon 1 Crystal Lake; Great Blue Heron 1; Green Heron 1; Turkey Vulture 2; Broad-winged Hawk 1; Killdeer 1; Barred Owl 1 Calling mid day; Belted Kingfisher 1 female; Hairy Woodpecker 1; Willow Flycatcher 3; Eastern Kingbird 3; Red-eyed Vireo 3; Tree Swallow 10 feeding young "on the wing"; Barn Swallow 6; Red-breasted Nuthatch 1; House Wren 1; Hermit Thrush 1; Gray Catbird 8 CF; Cedar Waxwing 6; Yellow Warbler 1; Pine Warbler 1; Ovenbird 1; Common Yellowthroat 6 FL; Chipping Sparrow 3; Savannah Sparrow 1 first sighting in this block, but in an area were; they've been present in past years, during the breeding season.; Song Sparrow 9; Indigo Bunting 1; Bobolink 4; Brown-headed Cowbird 1;;

While this block appeared to have limited coverage during BBA 1 , only 27 species, on of those species (Eastern Meadowlark); will probably not be found in this block during BBA 2. There are a few hay fields in this block, but none appear to be large enough for Meadowlark. Where Mount Wachusett Community College (and probably the gardner golf course); is.....was once a dairy farm run by the Heywards. Aint no dairy farms left in Gardner and probably never will again!

Rather than bashing the work done during BBA1, I can point out a few blocks (in my area) that were covered nicely, I am not sure by whom, during BBA Fitch 2 had 83 species while I currently have 80 (a few of which are observed only) for BBA2. Fitchburg 5 had 76 species back in BBA1 while I have 84 species this year for BBA2 (of which a few are observed only);. Certainly there will be at least some blocks where useful anaylsis between BBA1 and BBA2 can take place (with care). Here are a few photos from todays field trip .(report from Tom Pirro).

7/14/07 -- Mt Wachusett/Grafton

An early morning hike on the "down" road at Mt Wachusett (shorter but somewhat steeper than the "up" road) connected us with singing winter wrens and indigo buntings at the start and at various points thereafter. Male and female scarlet tanagers and towhees were seen at a couple of spots, along with singing juncos and several warbler species. It was a clear, cool, gorgeous day; we enjoyed the view of Mt Monadnock and other peaks and the Boston skyline at the summit. Over a dozen turkey vultures materialized around 10:30 as we ate sandwiches surreptitiously at the Nature Center.

We stopped at Echo Lake, where a pileated woodpecker had worked a dead birch for bugs last year--neither saw nor heard one this time. A black-throated blue called consistently just above the trail. It refused to be seen, but a black-throated green and a veery obliged us with quick looks.

Next stop, the Biomed Pond for green herons--we found three, two of which chased each other around the pond several times. Other highlights: several kingbirds, great blue heron, belted kingfisher, and Mark Lynch and Sheila Carroll.

We made a few stops in Grafton, including Nelson Pond, where one adult osprey landed several times at the power pole nest with a half-eaten fish before circling around and back to the nest. Was this osprey trying to coax a youngster out of the nest?

Another Grafton stop was the back edge of St Philip's Cemetery, where about a dozen young wood ducks plied the duckweed-green water in the wake of an adult female. The water is low at Fisherville Pond, as it is elsewhere; a killdeer on the mud kept the red-winged blackbirds company. There's still a variety of songbirds singing and being seen in the field between Rte 122 and the Pond.
(report from Beth Milke and Nancy Demers).

7/14/07 -- Petersham

This morning we birded Atlas block BARRE1. This block is almost entirely in Petersham and includes West Street, the south end of Harvard Pond, a short stretch of Gate 39 (Quabbin) and some other short sections of access paths in DCR owned land, but no shoreline of the big water itself. This block is adjacent (to the west) to Shutesbury 10, another atlas block we are covering in '08 that includes parts of Gate 35 and 37, part of the Federated Women's Club State Forest and unlike Barre1, a whole lot of the "big water" of the reservoir. Like 50% of the area of Shutesbury10 or more. But the surrounding forest has much the same species as Barre1 and there are some very interesting birds, like loons and eagles, breeding on the islands. The habitat of Barre1 consists mostly of large tracts of mixed forest, with some stands of hemlocks with some suburban settlements and even bit of the center of Petersham. The block is crossed with power lines. There are very few substantial farms. This is the kind of atlas block in which species like Rock Pigeon, N Mockingbird and Carolina Wren are going to be very hard to find, and will likely be absent. This morning at dawn there was literally a frenzy of late breeding activity. At the power lines in Gate 39 I experienced some of my best birding this year. Here at dawn, parents and young of an amazing variety of species of passerines appeared to feed and be fed along the forest edge. Interestingly, we witnessed a Common Yellowthroat still nest building, possibly a second brood for the year. Also, Robins in the block also were seen still carrying food to nests. By next weekend, many of these birds will be dispersing from their breeding territories and the breeding season will really begin to slow down.

Great Blue Heron (3); Wood Duck (1f w/4 almost fledged yg); American Black Duck (pair); Mallard (1 almost fledged bird); Hooded Merganser (1f w/2 almost fledged yg); Wild Turkey (3); SORA (pair w/ at least 1 yng seen!); Killdeer (1); Mourning Dove (10); Black-billed Cuckoo (3); Belted Kingfisher (1); Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (8); Downy Woodpecker (12); Hairy Woodpecker (4); Pileated Woodpecker (3); E Wood Peewee (18); Least Flycatcher (6); Eastern Phoebe (7); Eastern Kingbird (9); Blue-headed Vireo (7); Warbling Vireo (2); Red-eyed Vireo (95); Blue Jay (14); A Crow (7); Tree Swallow (40+: post breeders MOSTLY); Barn Swallow (35: still attending nests); Black-capped Chickadee (42); Tufted Titmouse (22); Red-breasted Nuthatch (12); White-breasted Nuthatch (16); Brown Creeper (2); House Wren (3); Winter Wren (1 still singing); Eastern Bluebird (6); Veery (27); Hermit Thrush (6); Wood Thrush (7); A Robin (29); Gray Catbird (21); Cedar Waxwing (21);

WARBLERS: Chestnut-sided (28); Black-throated Blue (13); Yellow-rumped (8); Black-throated Green (23); Blackburnian (2: very low); Pine (36); Prairie (8); Black and White (11); A Redstart (7); Ovenbird (14); C Yellowthroat (15);

Scarlet Tanager (19); E Towhee (14); Chipping Sparrow (23: 1ad feeding young cowbird); Field Sparrow (5); Song Sparrow (11); N Cardinal (20); Rose-breasted Grosbeak (6); Indigo Bunting (2); Red-winged Blackbird (52); C Grackle (8); Brown-headed Cowbird (7); Baltimore Oriole (9); Purple Finch (4); A Goldfinch (6); House Sparrow (9);

PLUS: Red Efts all over interior forest trails; lots of Indian Pipe. Total species: 66. We figure to add at least another 20 species next year, Atlas 1 recorded 48 species for Barre1. That's better than what Atlas 1 recorded for our other neighboring block, SHUTESBURY10 (see description above);: Atlas1 recorded ONE MEASLY SPECIES, a Belted Kingfisher. At that point, why not just leave it blank? Was it covered in January? Did Tommy (see The Who); cover that block? Someone from the Bizarro world? (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/13/07 -- Institute Park, Worcester

Highlights at noon were 7 Mute Swans (2 ad, 5 imm), 1 Killdeer, 2 Least Sandpiper, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 2 N. Flicker, and 2+ E. Kingbird (young being tended in nest). The cygnets are good size now (photo). To see what swans can do to the environment, check out this video (large file size, 5 Mb). (report and photos from Rick Quimby).

7/11/07 -- Rice City Pond, Uxbridge

A great egret was seen at Rice City Pond 6:30-7:15 tonight, along with a great blue heron. (report from Beth Milke).

7/10/07 -- Leominster

Since 7/1/07, a male yellow warbler has appeared several times a day at our feeder. Also, on the afternoon of 6/30/07, a male evening grosbeak appeared. Earlier in June, we had an indigo bunting as well. (report from Kelly Collins).

7/10/07 -- Lake Wompanoag, Gardner

This morning, I checked lake Wompanoag. I observed 2 adult loons for about 20 minutes, but the chick (present and photographed on 6/27) was not with them as best I could tell. Of course i will recheck, but perhaps this youngster did not make it.

Yesterday (7/9) I checked Paradise Pond in Princeton where C. Loons have nested for several years now. I did not see any loons at all, which could have been hidden behind an island etc. I spoke with a women from Westminster who checks the pond about once per week. She said she has not seen any loons on the pond in several weeks. (report from Tom Pirro).

7/8/07 -- northeast section, Worcester

This morning we did some Breeding Bird Atlas censusing of WORCESTER NORTH11, a city block that includes the NE section of the city and a tiny bit of Boylston and Shrewsbury. The environment is mostly that of a large city, but with some interesting features. The north end of Lake Quinsigamond has some emergent vegetation and has breeding Wood Ducks among other species. The area around the County Jail and County Hospital has some nice fields and power line edge habitats. A new Greater Worcester Land Trust property, now only known as "The Bovenzi property", is a 120+ acre area of upland (mostly deciduous) forest right next to Rt. I-190 in the city. On [the previous breeding bird] Atlas1, FIVE (!!!); species were tallied here: Canada Goose, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, American Robin, House Finch. I cannot even begin to explain this number and variety of species. Maybe in 1978 precocious 4th Grader at Burncoat School, Suzy Creamcheese, looked out her window the day school ended and filed a report to MAS. I just do not know and cannot figure it out.

Today, with much much less open space, we tallied the following in an easy morning's birding, CONFIRMING quite a number as breeders too: Great Blue Heron (3); Green Heron (2); Turkey Vulture (1: does not breed in this block per se, but may breed nearby); Canada Goose (12: adults and young); Mute Swan (pr w/2yg); Wood Duck (f w/8yg+2 moulting adultM); Mallard (25); Cooper's Hawk (1ad: we watched this bird nail some mid-sized passerine and fly off across our field of view with it); Red-tailed Hawk (4: at least 3 known nests in this block this year); Killdeer (pair w/3 very tiny downy young+ another adult: 1 adult crossed a very busy road and began to call to the young to also cross. One bird hesitatingly just made it across. The other two would start to cross, pause and head back. We quickly pulled over and gradually I was able to get the other two across the road and not become roadkill myself. It was like herding the proverbial cats); Ring-billed Gull (6: non-breeding 1st Summer birds); Rock Pigeon (54); Mourning Dove (50); Chimney Swift (18); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1m on territory); Red-bellied Woodpecker (2); Downy Woodpecker (11); Hairy Woodpecker (1); N Flicker (11); E Wood Peewee (9); E Phoebe (2); Great Crested Flycatcher (2); E Kingbird (16); Blue-headed Vireo (1); Warbling Vireo (18); Red-eyed Vireo (14); Blue Jay (21); A Crow (7); Tree Swallow (1 migrating fast and high directly south); Black-capped Chickadee (39); Tufted Titmouse (9); Red-breasted Nuthatch (6); White-breasted Nuthatch (15); Carolina Wren (3); House Wren (6); Wood Thrush (20); American Robin (160+); Gray Catbird (38); N Mockingbird (12); Brown Thrasher (1); E Starling (140+); Blue-winged Warbler (1m singing the "Type B" song); Yellow Warbler (6); Pine Warbler (9); Prairie Warbler (7); Black and White Warbler (2); C Yellowthroat (7); Scarlet Tanager (6); Eastern Towhee (9); Chipping Sparrow (59); Field Sparrow (6); Song Sparrow (28); N Cardinal (25); Rose-breasted Grosbeak (7); Indigo Bunting (3); Bobolink (30+: just fledged and just able to fly a bit young birds in fields with molting adults); Red-winged Blackbird (27); C Grackle (46); Brown-headed Cowbird (19); Baltimore Oriole (6); House Finch (21); A Goldfinch (16); House Sparrow (195+); TOTAL: 63 SPECIES. We figure we can add about another 15+ species next year. Now, take away Mute Swan, Red-bellied Woodpecker and Carolina Wren, species that were not in Worcester County in the mid-late 1970s (time of Atlas1), and I won't even go into species that were there then (like Ring-necked Pheasant and Bank Swallow) and not here today, and the difference between Atlas1 and Atlas2 is a gain of SIXTY SPECIES. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/7/07 -- North Brookfield/Spencer

We spent the morning birding a new Atlas2 block: NORTH BROOKFIELD12 in the towns of North Brookfield and Spencer. This interesting block is just south of St. Joseph's Abbey. Route 31 runs down the blocks eastern edge, and the block is north of Lake Lashaway (on Rt.9). The block contains a number of wonderful large farms; some nice marshland along two small rivers, a surprising number of gravel and sandpits (this area must lie on some major glacial outwash) and in its center is a State Wildlife SANCTUARY. Not a Wildlife Management Area, but a posted sanctuary, meaning "No Hunting". Unfortunately, the whole area is under siege, slowly but surely, by sprawl and development that is spreading in from all sides. But for the moment, it's a beautiful and productive area to bird. When this choice block was surveyed for Atlas1 in the mid-1970s, all of (drum roll please) SEVEN species were tallied: Belted Kingfisher; Willow Flycatcher; Yellow-throated Vireo; Rough-winged, Bank and Barn Swallows and Yellow Warbler. That was it. We cannot even imagine how one gets a species list that odd and that extremely low in this block. A one-way drove up Rt. 31 would have produced 3 times that if you had your windows down. Today, not at the peak of the breeding season by any means, we managed SEVENTY-THREE species with not much effort and were able to CONFIRM quite a number as breeders. And we MISSED two of the species on the Atlas1 list!!! My guess is that next year we will be able to add 15+ more species with better coverage and exploration.

Great Blue Heron (2); Green Heron (2); Broad-winged Hawk (2); Red-tailed Hawk (2); Ring-necked Pheasant (1m strolling down the road); Wild Turkey (A pair w/12 poults and an additional 8 birds. Several of these were seen perched and sunning themselves on corral fences!); Killdeer (1ad+1newly fledged yg); Rock Dove (8); Mourning Dove (62); Black-billed Cuckoo (6); Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1); Chimney Swift (9); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (2); Red-bellied Woodpecker (an adult w/2yg and another 5 birds); Downy Woodpecker (18); Hairy Woodpecker (1); N Flicker (1); E Wood Peewee (8); Willow Flycatcher (2); Least Flycatcher (4); E Phoebe (2); Great Crested Flycatcher (2); Eastern Kingbird (7); Yellow-throated Vireo (5); Warbling Vireo (16); Red-eyed Vireo (40); Blue Jay (24); A Crow (21); Bank Swallow (24: colonies still active); Barn Swallow (50+: though many birds were seen still attending young in nests, some newly fledged birds, perched on phone lines, were being fed by adults); Black-capped Chickadee (66); Tufted Titmouse (28); Red-breasted Nuthatch (3); White-breasted Nuthatch (12); Brown Creeper (3); Carolina Wren (1: this seems very low for this habitat); House Wren (10); Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (7); Eastern Bluebird (pair with 3 newly fledged yg+4); Veery (27); Wood Thrush (7); American Robin (84); Gray Catbird (69);: NB: how the above two species were missed on Atlas1 leaves me flabbergasted. N Mockingbird (7: all singing birds on territory); Brown Thrasher (1 bird carrying food to at least two young in a bush+4); E Starling (98); Cedar Waxwing (17);

WARBLERS: Blue-winged (1m); Yellow (22); Chestnut-sided (6); Black-throated Green (4); Pine (11); Prairie (12 singing birds: thanks to all the gravel/sand pits); Black and White (9); A Redstart (9); Ovenbird (17); C Yellowthroat (45);

Scarlet Tanager (10); E Towhee (3); Chipping Sparrow (79: 1ad feeding fledged cowbird); Field Sparrow (6); Song Sparrow (54); Swamp Sparrow (16); N Cardinal (22); Rose-breasted Grosbeak (9); Indigo Bunting (13: another gravel/sand pit denizen); NB: I am sure Bobolinks breed here among the extensive fields, but most of the fields had been hayed by now); Red-winged Blackbird (93: some very young birds still in cattail marshes); C Grackle (14); Brown-headed Cowbird (11); Baltimore Oriole (6); House Finch (6); A Goldfinch (26); House Sparrow (146: a better name would be "Barn" Sparrow); (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/7/07 -- Ashburnham

Highlights seen and or heard in the Ashburnham 3 block today from 7:30AM to 2PM. Primarily from old cart and skidder paths off Depot Road an d from Old COunty Road. Ruffed Grouse 1; Turkey Vulture 1; Cooper's Hawk 1; Broad-winged Hawk 1; Chimney Swift 1; Hairy Woodpecker 3 FL; Northern Flicker 2; Eastern Phoebe 3; Eastern Kingbird 2 ON; Blue-headed Vireo 4; Red-eyed Vireo 4; Tree Swallow 10 Feeding fledgings in flight; Red-breasted Nuthatch 6; Brown Creeper 3; Veery 2; Hermit Thrush 15; Northern Mockingbird 1 biggest surprise of the day!; Cedar Waxwing 9; Nashville Warbler 3 FL; Magnolia Warbler 5 (I stayed with some of these terr males to see if they were carrying food, while they fed themselves the ones I watched didn't seem to be tending young yet);. Black-throated Blue Warbler 6 CF; Yellow-rumped Warbler 6; Black-throated Green Warbler 12; Blackburnian Warbler 2 CF; Pine Warbler 1; Black-and-white Warbler 5; Ovenbird 7; Common Yellowthroat 21 CF; Canada Warbler 1; Scarlet Tanager 1; Eastern Towhee 7; Swamp Sparrow 13 CF + FL; White-throated Sparrow 7 FL; Purple Finch 2;

I now have 28 hours in this block, 94 species and I'm still missing Rose-breasted Grosbeak! Two nice buck white tails, few mosquitoes but the deer flies are taking over. I saw my first Kestrel in my 4 BBA blocks today, flying over my house (Fitchburg 1); as I started to pull in the drive way. I then "tailed" it in the car for 1/2 mile of city streets...before it "shook" me. ~ 6 or 7 years back there was a pair that nested in the neighborhood, I recall hearing them calling during food exchanges etc....but haven't this year. (report from Tom Pirro).

7/5/07 -- downtown Worcester

Here is an update on the downtown Peregrine Falcons, from Emily Eaton who works at Fallon:

I am sorry I havent been in touch before now.  I don't know if you are aware
or not but we have a new male falcon from Maine and the pair had 3 babies
which were banded on June 5th.  2 boys and 1 girl.  Unfortunately one boy
flew into the big glass building and had some major head trauma.  He was at
Tufts, but they had to put him down.  The second boy fell into the cooling
tower on the building and drowned.  A very bad year for the falcons.

Last years Dad was injured last July (broken shoulder bone) and could not
fly.  He was sent up to a wildlife place in Maine.  Apparently he started to
fly again and was very unhappy being in captivity, so they brought him back
to Tufts for re-evaluation and rehab.  He was indeed flying and was released
on May 24th!  So that is very good news!

(report from Emily Eaton fide Deb Cary and Mark Lynch).

7/4/07 -- SE Quabbin Reservoir

From dawn till afternoon today we atlased our two Quabbin blocks, Winsor Dam4 and Winsor Dam5, along the extreme SE shoreline of the reservoir in the towns on Hardwick and Ware. We entered Gate 45 and exited Gate 49. This will likely be the last time we cover these blocks for the atlas as we are well into the 20+ hour cards for both blocks and it's time to move on to other blocks (we are atlasing 2 other Quabbin blocks next year). Today it was mostly about "upgrading" the status of species for the Atlas, from Possible to Probable, from Probable to Confirmed. We did find 2 new species for Winsor Dam5. It's interesting to note what we did NOT find in this area during this year's atlasing. For instance, despite several choice large beaver marshes that looked perfect, we had NO Green Herons, though I have seen them in here in migration. Despite numbers of breeding Canada Geese, Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergs, we never turned up a breeding Mallard! Apparently they are all in the more suburban and urban areas. One species that was counted in many blocks in Atlas1 in the interior of the state, but seems to be missing in most areas on Atlas2 is American Black Duck. This once common breeder, has now vanished from many of it's former haunts. We thought for sure we would be able to confirm them breeding in this section of Quabbin, but we dipped. Today we found at least a few fledged birds of most species, though others of the same species were still on the nest. The complete list is below: Great Blue Heron (2); Canada Goose (4ad+8yg); Wood Duck (5ad+15yg in various combos); Hooded Merganser (1f and in a separate area, 3yg); Common Merganser (2adF in the same spot where we had them weeks ago. This species does breed in Quabbin); Bald Eagle (1 imm); Broad-winged Hawk (2); Ruffed Grouse (2); Virginia Rail (1ad+2+yg); Mourning Dove (9); Black-billed Cuckoo (1); Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1); Ruby-throated Hummingbird (2); Belted Kingfisher (1); Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (15: sev. fledged yg); Downy Woodpecker (27: ditto); Hairy Woodpecker (5); N Flicker (7); Pileated Woodpecker (7); E Wood Peewee (18); Least Flycatcher (11); Great Crested Flycatcher (4); E Kingbird (7); Yellow-throated Vireo (3); Blue-headed Vireo (2); Warbling Vireo (2); Red-eyed Vireo (103); Blue Jay (23); American Crow (1); Tree Swallow (55+); Black-capped Chickadee (84); Tufted Titmouse (4); Red-breasted Nuthatch (25); White-breasted Nuthatch (30); Brown Creeper (5); Winter Wren (1); Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (2); Veery (45); Hermit Thrush (7); Wood Thrush (36); A Robin (37); Gray Catbird (48); Cedar Waxwing (27);

WARBLERS: Blue-winged (1ad w/3 fledged yg+1adM singing alternate song); Chestnut-sided (57); Black-throated Blue (14); Yellow-rumped (11); Black-throated Green (7); Blackburnian (2: extremely low); Pine (45); Black and White (15); A Redstart (57); Ovenbird (40); LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (1ad+2fledged young)
We watched and enjoyed the fledged Waterthrush young for some time. It was fortunate they were with an adult, because their head was still so downy and therefore fuzzy-looking, I would never have been sure which Waterthrush species they were. The young bobbed their rears constantly, but seemed to have real trouble negotiating the complex streamside terrain, and often just sat on a branch loudly chipping for the adult to feed them. We watched 1 young bird try to join the adult stream-side actually slide down the face of a boulder.
C Yellowthroat (61: unfortunately, we had two different fledged Cowbirds being tended by Yellowthroats)

Scarlet Tanager (33); E Towhee (41); Chipping Sparrow (16); Song Sparrow (15); Swamp Sparrow (8); N Cardinal (2); Rose-breasted Grosbeak (13); Red-winged Blackbird (65+); C Grackle (24+); Brown-headed Cowbird (9); Baltimore Oriole (8); American Goldfinch (4); (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

7/3/07 -- Gardner

Highlights seen and or heard from the Fitch 2 block, most of which is in Gardner: Wood Duck 1; Hooded Merganser 1; Ruffed Grouse 3 PY; Common Loon 1; Broad-winged Hawk 1; Killdeer 1; Black-billed Cuckoo 1 CF; Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1; Hairy Woodpecker 1; Eastern Wood-Pewee 2; Alder Flycatcher 1; Great Crested Flycatcher 1; Eastern Kingbird 2; Warbling Vireo 1; Red-eyed Vireo 8 2 mobbing a Blue Jay; Bank Swallow 2; Barn Swallow 10 nesting in Jandris Block Company; Red-breasted Nuthatch 2; House Wren 5 FY in my back yard; Veery 5; Hermit Thrush 7; Cedar Waxwing 5; Yellow Warbler 2; Black-throated Blue Warbler 1; Yellow-rumped Warbler 2; Black-throated Green Warbler 5; Pine Warbler 4; Black-and-white Warbler 3; Ovenbird 13 CF FL; Common Yellowthroat 7 FY (BH Cowbird); Scarlet Tanager 2; Eastern Towhee 1; Swamp Sparrow 3; White-throated Sparrow 1; Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1; Brown-headed Cowbird 1 FL; Baltimore Oriole 6 FY; Purple Finch 1; ;; Also a few Deer and a family of Red Foxes. I have now compeleted the 20 hr prelim work on my 4 blocks Here are a few photos
(report from Tom Pirro).

7/2/07 -- northern section, Worcester

One of our Atlas blocks that we are planning on covering in '08, is WORCESTER NORTH11. This block contains the northern section of the city, and includes the Country Club, the north end of Lake Quinsigamond, a new Greater Worcester Land Trust parcel, the prison area as well as several nice wooded parks and scrubby lots. On the USGS website, you can access the species list from Atlas1 (mid-1970s) for each block. We were shocked to find that only 5 species (yes F-I-V-E) were atlased for this block for Atlas1. I have no idea how you get only 5 species for any block. There are more than 5 species in my teeny backyard at the feeder at any one time. You would see more than 5 species zooming down I-190 (in the block) at 60 mph one way! With this in mind, we set off this morning to see if we could "break" the species total for that block. We spent an hour and a half, got more than 10 times that number with almost no effort, covered only very superficially just a few areas in the block, and actually CONFIRMED breeding for many of the species. Next year, we will likely add at least another 15-20+ species.

Complete list: Green Heron (1); Canada Goose (5ad+4yg); Wood Duck (4yg); Mallard (10ad+7yg); Cooper's Hawk (1ad)(this bird was perched on the guard rail of a busy road. In between cars, it kept flying across the road and kept picking up, rolling and then putting down the carcass of a fledged grackle that looked it had been there for awhile: ie: pretty stiff) Red-tailed Hawk (2: we have actually confirmed 3 nests with young this year in this block. 1 newly fledged bird unfortunately died this Sunday on the back porch of a person who works with Sheila. They brought the body to Tufts for necropsy); Rock Pigeon (19); Mourning Dove (11); Chimney Swift (6); Belted Kingfisher (1); Downy Woodpecker (3); Hairy Woodpecker (1); N Flicker (5); E Wood Peewee (1); Eastern Kingbird (16: fledged birds showing up); BLUE-HEADED VIREO (1 singing in great habitat); Warbling Vireo (14); Red-eyed Vireo (9); Blue Jay (16); Tree Swallow (40+); N Rough-winged Swallow (15+: still on their nests); Barn Swallow (40+: ditto); Black-capped Chickadee (19); Tufted Titmouse (11); White-breasted Nuthatch (2); Wood Thrush (3); American Robin (94); Gray Catbird (32); N Mockingbird (8); E Starling (59); Cedar Waxwing (9); Blue-winged Warbler (1singing); Yellow Warbler (9); Pine Warbler (6); Prairie Warbler (2); Ovenbird (3); C Yellowthroat (6); Scarlet Tanager (1); E Towhee (13); Chipping Sparrow (31); Field Sparrow (2); Song Sparrow (31); N cardinal (14); Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1); Bobolink (40+: many almost/newly fledged birds); Red-winged Blackbird (70+); C Grackle (60+); Brown-headed Cowbird (2); Baltimore Oriole (6); House Finch (8); A Goldfinch (17); House Sparrow (173);

And lest you think 5 species in a block is an anomaly, another block we are doing next year is a choice North Brookfield block that contains a lot of farmland, old gravel pits, marshes and a State Wildlife REFUGE (not Wildlife Management Area). The total species counted in this promising block on Atlas1? EIGHT. This emphasizes why the efforts for THIS Atlas II are so important and critical. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

For previous sightings, see June 2007 Archives or Archive Index