November 2002 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.

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Sightings:

11/30/02 -- Howard St., Northboro
Here are highlights from leisurely birding on my Northboro property during the 2 days following Thanksgiving. Cooper's hawk 1 imm (modeled for 5 minutes twenty feet from the house), n. flicker (1), red-bellied woodpecker (1), Carolina wren (2), cedar waxwings (19), white-throated sparrows (2), fox sparrow (1). (report from Jim Hogan).

11/30/02 -- Seekonk River, RI
We surveyed the Seekonk River this morning , the southern end of the Blackstone National Corridor, and about 1.5 miles of very urban river: Double-crested Cormorant (7); Great Blue Heron (6); Mute Swan (2); Canada Goose (71); A. Black Duck (252); Mallard (150); Gadwall (1m); A. Wigeon (8); Greater Scaup (1); Long-tailed Duck (1); Common Goldeneye (14: only 1 drake); Bufflehead (203); Hooded Merganser (56); Common Merganser (29); Red-breasted Merganser (8); Sharp-shinned Hawk (1imm); Cooper's Hawk (1ad+1imm); Red-tailed Hawk (3); Bonaparte's Gull (21); Black-headed Gull (1adW); Red-bellied Woodpecker (1); N. Flicker (2); Carolina Wren (10); MARSH WREN (1); Red-winged Blackbird (18). (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/29/02 -- Lake Quinsigamond, Worcester
Down by the pumping station on Lake ave. there were 8 A. Coot, 1 Wood Duck in with 11 Mallards, 5 Hooded Mergs. 2 Swans and 7 Canada Geese. Also, at Institute Park there were 5 Hooded Mergs. (report from John Shea).

11/29/02 -- downtown Worcester
An adult Peregrine Falcon was perched atop the church next to the courthouse on Main Street at 11:10 AM this morning. An adult Red-tailed Hawk was atop the old phone building. (report from Mark Lynch).

11/28/02 -- Wachusett Reservoir and vicinity, Boylston/Clinton/Sterling
We visited a few stops in the Wachusett Reservoir IBA this morning:
WACHUSETT RESERVOIR (including a pretty cold short walk out to the Scar Hill cliffs overlook): Common Loon (17); Horned Grebe (4); Double-crested Cormorant (2imm); Canada Goose (86); Mallard (13); A. Black Duck (9); Bufflehead (5); Common Goldeneye (25); Hooded Merganser (34); Common Merganser (2)
COACHLACE POND, CLINTON (most birds in the small adjacent spring fed pond behind A-field); Canada Goose (111); Green-winged Teal (1); Mallard (180); A. Black Duck (42); Hooded Merganser (19);
EAST WAUSHACUM POND, STERLING:(from eastern shore) Canada Goose (25); Mallard (117); TUFTED DUCK (1m: the "Ruffy" of Worcester County waterfowl); Greater Scaup (26); Bufflehead (1f); Hooded Merganser (12); Common Merganser (134);
WEST WAUSHACUM POND: Hooded Merganser (2);
STERLING PEAT: Frozen but (1) Mute Swan was standing on the ice.
AND: while picking up pies in downtown WORCESTER: Red-tailed Hawk (3); A. Kestrel (1m); Peregrine Falcon (2: perched together on ledge of AT&T building, easily visible from Worcester Center Boulevard. They looked like they were sunning themselves). (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/28/02 -- Ramshorn Pond, Millbury
Today we had 73 Canada Geese. We have had similar groups fly in and out daily for the past 2 weeks. Today there was a pair of Wood Ducks who definitely stayed in the middle of the geese. We have never seen this behavior before but felt they were using the flock as protection. (report from Dan & Deb Berard).

11/26/02 -- Quabbin Reservoir Gate 40, Petersham
By bicycle to Dana Common and Graves Landing and on foot north to Rattlesnake Hill and on to Soapstone Hill and Womens Federated State Forest and return. Birds seen included: 3 common loons, 1 great blue heron, 2 wood ducks, 2 bufflehead, 5 common goldeneye, 45 hooded mergansers, 1 bald eagle, 2 red-tailed hawks, 2 ruffed grouse, 2 pileated woodpeckers, 2 common ravens, 20 golden-crowned kinglets, 12 horned larks, 40 dark-eyed juncos, Also seen were 4 otters, 2 on a beaver pond and 2 on the reservoir itself. Very fresh moose tracks, I'd say less than a day old, were seen about 200 yards north of the Graves Landing monument. In spite of all the rain, Quabbin Reservoir's water level has dropped another 6 inches or so since my last visit about 10 days ago, exposing vast amouts of new mud flats; I saw no shorebirds. Deer hunting opens at Quabbin in a few days, I won't retrn until January. (report from Richard Spedding).

11/26/02 -- Barre Falls Dam, Barre
> Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 26, 2002
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
> ------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
> Black Vulture                0              0              0
> Turkey Vulture               0              1            235
> Osprey                       0              0             92
> Bald Eagle                   1              5             22
> Northern Harrier             0              3             35
> Sharp-shinned Hawk           2             35            739
> Cooper's Hawk                4              6             67
> Northern Goshawk             5              7             26
> Red-shouldered Hawk          6             28             83
> Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            852
> Red-tailed Hawk             49            167            349
> Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              2
> Golden Eagle                 0              0              5
> American Kestrel             0              0            159
> Merlin                       0              1             28
> Peregrine Falcon             0              0              8
> Unknown                      0              3             26
>
> Total:                      67            257           2728
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Observation start time: 09:30:00 > Observation end time: 15:00:00 > Total observation time: 5.5 hours > > Site Coordinator: Barton D. Kamp > > Observers: Barton D. Kamp, Donna Schilling, Tom Carrolan > > Observations: Steady movement of rapors all day. Excellent views of a pair of adult Northern Goshawks, a Sharp-shinned hawk diving on a Red-shouldered Hawk and an adult Bald Eagle. > > An immature Northern Shrike spent the day in the area and a young Red-winged Blackbird dropped in for a seed or two. There were 59 crows migrating. (report from Bart Kamp).

11/26/02 -- Off Salisbury Street (near Assumption College), Worcester
Since November 18th we have had a Fox Sparrow at our feeder. A second Fox Sparrow appeared on November 24th. Along with the Fox Sparrows we have a flock(!) of 20 Juncoes plus 4 or 5 White-throated Sparrows. (report from Lisa Hennin).

11/26/02 -- Institute Park, Worcester
At noon there were approx. 150 Hooded Mergansers on Salisbury Pond. Other birds of note included 1 Belted Kingfisher (m), 1 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, 1 Carolina Wren, and 2 Am. Tree Sparrow. (report from Rick Quimby).

11/25/02 -- Leesville Pond, Worcester
A lunch-time visit to Leesville Pond today turned up the following; Am wigeon (8), with the males in beautiful plumage, Canada geese (14+), mallards (dozens), green -winged teal (2), hooded mergansers (8), these are also in stunning plumage and are quite close to shore, gadwall (1). Land birds were absent except for crows (7) and blue jays (3).
Yesterday with my wife Kathie and John Shea we counted over 140 hooded mergansers at Salisbury Pond. (report from Jim Hogan).

11/25/02 -- Institute Park, Worcester
The pond continues to be a "Hoodie Hotspot", with approx. 175 Hooded Mergansers present today at noon. Also of note were 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 Carolina Wren, 1 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and 2 Am. Robin. (report from Rick Quimby).

11/25/02 -- Maple St., West Boylston
A Fox Sparrow continues at our feeder, and provided a good opportunity for photos. Pointing a digital camera through a Kowa scope yielded these photos: photo 1| photo 2. (report and photos by Rick Quimby).

11/24/02 -- Blackstone Corridor waterbird census
On Sunday, determined teams from Broad Meadow Brook MAS fanned out through the MA and RI areas in the Blackstone National Corridor counting waterbirds at almost all ponds, lakes, reservoirs et. This is part of a wide series of monitoring schemes organized by the sanctuary of the Corridor. We conduct a spring and fall standardized count of waterbirds in the Corridor and it offers a "snapshot" of waterbird movements in a small area of interior (non-coastal) southern New England. Many teams reported much lower numbers of waterfowl than is typical for this time of the year, underscoring Tom Gagnon's earlier post from East Quabbin about low waterfowl numbers there. That said, the CITY of Worcester had some of the best variety and numbers of waterfowl in the MA section as did the very small section of Providence/East Providence that is in the Corridor!
Complete report here

11/24/02 -- Wachusett Reservoir, Boylston
In the morning, I found two mature bald eagles at Wachusett Resevoir on the east side. One perched in a white pine along the shore, the other sailed over the treetops. Before I left, they were both airborne and soaring upward. (report from Andrea Burke).

11/24/02 -- Wompanoag MAS, Gardner
Hilites from a little Hawkwatching at the Wompanoag MAS in Gardner from 10am to noon and then again from 1PM to 2:30PM (Strong west winds seemed to keep these birds "pinned down low"): Sharp-shinned Hawk 1; Bald Eagle 1 juv.; Red-tailed Hawk 14 all adults; total raptors 16; also Horned Lark 6.
Later at Crystal Lake: Long-tailed Duck 1 (the 3rd of the year!); Common Goldeneye 5; Common Merganser 4 males; Hooded Merganser 14; D.E. Junco ~100 feeding inbetween the grave stones in the cemetery.; Just the 3 common species of gulls present (Herring, Ring-billed and Grt. Blk-Backed).
Also this morning, a handsome Ermine (all white with a black tipped tail) crossed in front of my car on Rte 101 in Ashburnham. (report from Tom Pirro).

11/24/02 -- South Quabbin Park, Quabbin Reservoir
After going to New Haven CT to see the Cave Swallows (good looks) we stopped at Quabbin Park -- just the areas around Winsor Dam and Goodnough Dike -- and had some nice birds: Common Loon 4; Horned Grebe 2; Long-tailed Duck 9; Bald Eagle 2; Wild Turkey ~10; Eastern Bluebird 7; Common Raven 2-3. (report from Glen Tepke & Carol Chetkovich -- birding with Martijn "Eagle-Eye" Verdoes)

11/24/02 -- Barre Falls Dam, Barre
> Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 24, 2002
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
> ------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
> Black Vulture                0              0              0
> Turkey Vulture               0              1            235
> Osprey                       0              0             92
> Bald Eagle                   0              4             21
> Northern Harrier             1              3             35
> Sharp-shinned Hawk           0             33            737
> Cooper's Hawk                1              2             63
> Northern Goshawk             0              2             21
> Red-shouldered Hawk          0             22             77
> Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            852
> Red-tailed Hawk             17            118            300
> Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              2
> Golden Eagle                 0              0              5
> American Kestrel             0              0            159
> Merlin                       0              1             28
> Peregrine Falcon             0              0              8
> Unknown                      0              3             26
>
> Total:                      19            190           2661
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 10:00:00 > Observation end time: 14:00:00 > Total observation time: 4 hours > > Site Coordinator: Donna Schilling > > Observers: Barton D. Kamp, David Grant, Donna Schilling, Tom Carrolan > Observations: > > > 100's of gulls were migrating. A flock of 10-15 Horned Larks flew over the site. (report from Bart Kamp).

11/23/02 -- Crystal Lake, Gardner
Hilites from a little afternoon birding in North Worc. County: Templeton: Canada Goose ~125; Wild Turkey 133; Horned Lark 2; Dark-eyed Junco ~200;
Crystal Lake Gardner: Common Goldeneye 5; Hooded Merganser 10+; Iceland Gull 1 first winter. (report from Tom Pirro).

11/23/02 -- Barre Falls Dam, Barre

Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 23, 2002
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
> ------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
> Black Vulture                0              0              0
> Turkey Vulture               0              1            235
> Osprey                       0              0             92
> Bald Eagle                   0              4             21
> Northern Harrier             0              2             34
> Sharp-shinned Hawk           0             33            737
> Cooper's Hawk                0              1             62
> Northern Goshawk             1              2             21
> Red-shouldered Hawk          0             22             77
> Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            852
> Red-tailed Hawk             20            101            283
> Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              2
> Golden Eagle                 0              0              5
> American Kestrel             0              0            159
> Merlin                       0              1             28
> Peregrine Falcon             0              0              8
 > Unknown                      0              3             26
>
> Total:                      21            171           2642
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 11:00:00 > Observation end time: 14:00:00 > Total observation time: 3 hours > > Site Coordinator: Barton D. Kamp > > Observers: Barton D. Kamp > Observations: > Hawks were moving at or below tree top level. > > A flock of over 100 Juncos and a few Tree Sparrows were feeding around the > edge of the parking lot. (report from Bart Kamp).

11/23/02 -- Kettlebrook Reservoir #4, Paxton
A cold and blustery walk monitoring the City of Worcester Kettlebrook Reservoir#4 (entrance with PERMIT ONLY) today had only a few birds. This is not surprising as there was a lot of tree damage during the last ice storm. Water levels here are still low: Hooded Merganser (4); Red-tailed Hawk (2); Downy Woodpecker (1); Hairy Woodpecker (1); Horned Lark (1 calling overhead); Blue Jay (7); A. Crow (3); Black-capped Chickadee (12); Tufted Titmouse (2); White-breasted Nuthatch (1); Golden-crowned Kinglet (7); A. Robin (3); NASHVILLE WARBLER (1: this bird was spotted by Sheila as it literaly dove into a dense clump of weeds in the small field on the right just as you walk in. It took some manoevering before we got great looks at the bird finally feeding atop some weeds); Yellow-rumped Warbler (1 in some hemlocks); Song Sparrow (2); A. Goldfinch (1);
Later at Kettlebrook#2: 4 Common Mergansers;
at Holden Reservoir#1, also part of the Blackstone Watershed:(2) Hooded Mergansers, (20) Common Merganser and (1) Hermit Thrush.
When we returned home there were (2) Fox Sparrows at our feeder. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/23/02 -- Asnebumskit Hill, Paxton/Holden
Hilights of a windy walk on ice storm ravaged Asnebumskit Hill were: 1 Common Raven, 1 Hermit Thrush, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, and a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers both working a tree together. (report from Brian Mulhearn)

11/22/02 -- Hidden Meadow Lane, Southboro
A Red-bellied Woodpecker showed up at our feeder for the past two days. (report from Pat Mountain).

11/22/02 -- Quabbin, Gate 40
Highlights from an evening walk include a calling Barred Owl, a Winter Wren and 2 Fox Sparrows. (report from Chris Buelow)

11/22/02 -- Institute Park, Worcester
In the drizzle at noon there were 2 Am. Wigeon (m&f), and approx. 70 Hooded Mergansers. (report from Rick Quimby).

11/22/02 -- Maple St., West Boylston
There was a Fox Sparrow under our feeder this morning, and also yesterday morning. (report from Rick Quimby).

11/20/02 -- Barre Falls Dam, Barre
> Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 20, 2002
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
> ------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
> Black Vulture                0              0              0
> Turkey Vulture               0              1            235
> Osprey                       0              0             92
> Bald Eagle                   0              4             21
> Northern Harrier             0              2             34
> Sharp-shinned Hawk           0             33            737
> Cooper's Hawk                0              1             62
> Northern Goshawk             0              1             20
> Red-shouldered Hawk          0             22             77
> Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            852
> Red-tailed Hawk              2             81            263
> Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              2
> Golden Eagle                 0              0              5
> American Kestrel             0              0            159
> Merlin                       0              1             28
> Peregrine Falcon             0              0              8
> Unknown                      0              3             26
>
> Total:                       2            150           2621

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Observation start time: 09:45:00 > Observation end time: 14:00:00 > Total observation time: 4.25 hours > > Site Coordinator: Barton D. Kamp > > Observers: Barton D. Kamp, Tom Carrolan > > 45 Crows were migrating. An Eastern Phoebe was catching insects at the edge of the field and 2 Snow Buntings flew by. (report from Bart Kamp).

11/20/02 -- Institute Park, Worcester
At noon highlights included approx. 130 Hooded Mergansers and 1 Belted Kingfisher. (report from Rick Quimby).

11/20/02 -- Maple St., West Boylston
There were 2 Fox Sparrows scratching about under the feeder this morning. (report from Rick Quimby).

11/19/02 -- Bartlett Pond, Northboro
In addition to the regular assortment of Mallards and Black Ducks normally seen at Bartlett Pond there were three Gadwalls along the Ridge Road area of the pond. I was able to obtain a photo of one of the Gadwalls. A Black Duck also appears in the photo though somewhat out of focus. (report and photo by Bob Ricci).

11/19/02 -- Hadwen Park, Worcester
Today at 1:30 PM cloudy and cold, 2 Roughed-legged Hawks flew by heading in a southerly direction over the river from Curtis Pond towards Leesville Pond. They were a couple hundred yards apart from each other, and both stopped and hovered on beating wings several times. They were both light phase. Also 1 Belted Kingfisher, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Black Ducks, and many Mallards flying around. (report from Brian Mulhearn)

11/19/02 -- off Salisbury St., Worcester
A FOX SPARROW has spent this morning at our feeder in the company of White-throats and juncos. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/17/02 -- Maple St., West Boylston
A Fox Sparrow has been frequenting our feeder the past two days. (report from Rick Quimby).

11/17/02 -- Cumberland Reservoirs, RI
We finally got out to do some birding Sunday early afternoon and went to the Diamond Hill/Arnold's MIll Reservoirs in Cumberland RI, part of the Blackstone National Corridor. These two small reservoirs are separated by a driveable causeway. Great Blue (1); Mute Swan (2); Canada Goose (251); Mallard (22); A. Black Duck (5); Bufflehead (1f); C. Goldeneye (1m+2f); Hooded Merganser (78); Common Merganser (353); Killdeer (9); Greater Yellowlegs (1); DUNLIN (2); Snow Bunting (3);
Later, at WOONSOCKET RESERVOIR in Smithfield RI: Canada Goose (44); Mallard (3); A. Black Duck (2); C. Goldeneye (2f); Hooded Merganser (7); Common Merganser (18). (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/16/02 -- Leesville Pond, Worcester
The section of Leesville pond along the south side of the entrance road to the Swedish Cemetery is one of the most consistent and convenient locations in Worcester to find puddle ducks. The stockade fence and the grave stones along the waters edge serve as effective blinds. Recently, I was able to get close enough to an American Widgeon to take the accompanying photograph. (report and photo from Bob Ricci).

11/16/02 -- Indian Lake, Worcester
A morning check in cold and wet of Indian Lake this morning revealed a large number of waterfowl still. As has been typical the last few years, the water level has been lowered in the late fall. This concentrates the fish, gets the boats off the lake and therefore attracts the mergs. Double-crested Cormorant (2); Great Blue Heron (2); Canada Goose (101); A. Wigeon (2); Mallard (310); A. Black Duck (27); Hooded Merganser (132); Common Merganser (282); Ring-billed Gull (170+); Great Black-backed Gull (2 adW). We then quickly checked Cook's Pond. The Yellowlegs had left and there were some ducks still there: Great Blue Heron (1); Mallard (79); A Black Duck (2); Hooded Merganser (3); Belted Kingfisher (1). (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/15/02 -- Wachusett Reservoir, Boylston
This morning Joan Zumpfe and I checked the Wachusett Reservoir for the Western Grebes that were reported yesterday. We made stops at South Bay, Scar Hill, Mile Hill, and Gate 36. We did not find the grebes, but did see the following species: Common Loon 8, Horned Grebe 12, Red-necked Grebe 1, Double-crested Cormorant 3, Common Goldeneye 15, and Common Merganser 15. At East Waushacum Lake we saw, Common Loon 1, Tufted Duck 1, Greater Scaup 50, Lesser Scaup 12, Bufflehead 5, Common Goldeneye 3, Hooded Merganser 17, and Common Merganser 15. On the way home, just before dark, we stopped at Leesville Pond an saw the following species, Great Blue Heron 1, Gadwall 1 male, American Wigeon 24, Pintail 2 females, and Green-winged Teal 2 males. (report from Fran McMenemy).

11/15/02 -- Westboro Wildlife Management Area, Westboro
While we were pheasant hunting this morning, a Carolina wren was singing throughout the morning. We also observed a flock of 10-15 bluebirds and 30-40 cedar waxwings. These birds were all seen and heard around the fruit trees to the west of the model airplane flying field near the junction of 2 roads--one of which leades down from the MassWildlife Field Headquarters building. Woodcocks are reported regularly by MassWildlife staff including 5 birds seen during the lunch hour today. (report from Marion Larson, MassWildlife Outreach Coordinator).

11/15/02 -- Institute Park, Worcester
Highlights at noon included approximately 50 Hooded Mergansers, and 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler. (report from Rick Quimby).

11/15/02 -- Wachusett Reservoir, Boylston
A "before work" check of South Bay, the area where the Western Grebes were reported yesterday found NO grebes of any kind. I even walked in Gate 17 to get a complete view of the southeastern inlet. We then checked the northeasten end of Wachuset from Rt. 70 and Prescott Cove from Rt. 110. We had (7) Common Loons, (1) drake Common Goldeneye and (4) Rusty Blackbirds. We did not have time to check from Scar Hill Cliffs, which birders should definitely check today. To get to Scar Hill Cliffs: Take Scar Hill Road off. Rt. 70 in Boylston center (runs wnw). Follow this road till it dead ends, a cemetery will be on your right. Park under the white pines, being sure to not block the driveway or gate. Do not walk through the gate to the water. Instead: Walk to the far northwestern corner of the cemetery and you will find an entrance to a wide and obvious path. Some logging was done here last year. Follow the path to the right (north). In a about 500 yards or so, you will see an obvious trail to the left. DON'T TAKE THIS TRAIL, instead continue a pretty short distance on, and look for a narrow, rough and barely visible trail to the left. This will lead to a commanding view of the water from above Scar Hill Bluffs. Though South Bay will not be visible, you will see a huge area of the reservoir including all the way to the causeway on Rt. 110, Davenport Point, Sholan Point et. This is one of the more important overlooks of the reservoir, well-known to long-time County birders. If the birds are still here, they should be in this area. Morning light is by far the best. Just a reminder that Western Grebes are EXTREMELY rare inland, and the report of 2 is very extraordinary, SO PLEASE send complete documentation to the MARC (Massachusetts Avian Records Committee). (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/14/02 -- High Ridge WMA, Gardner
Hilites from a short walk into the Smith St. gate to High Ridge WMA late yesterday: Great Blue Heron 1; Canada Goose 24; Rusty Blackbird 2 "fly-bys"; Song Sparrow 3; Am. Tree Sparrow ~15; White-throated Sparrow 2;
From Crystal Lake: Mallard ~75-100; Common Goldeneye 6; Hooded Merganser 18; Ring-billed Gull ~40; Herring Gull ~20; Iceland gull 1 (1st winter); Great Black-backed Gull 5; Very few gulls for the evening, but sometimes more come in after dark, as do many of the puddle ducks.
Also, an early morning Pileated Woodpecker woke me. (report from Tom Pirro).

11/14/02 -- Elm Park Area, Worcester
This may be old news, but last evening at dusk I witnessed at least 1,000 crows coming into roost just a bit east of Elm Park on Highland Street. About a week ago I also noticed a large roost just a bit east of last night's spot. Looks like the immediate area might be regularly used. (report from Chris Buelow)

11/14/02 -- Wallis Pond, Dudley
This afternoon, around 4 p.m. there was a beautiful drake Long-tailed Duck. He wasn't feeding but was doing something with his foot to cause a spray of water behind him. Also, there were 138 Ring-necked Duck, 1 Ruddy Duck, 2 Northern Pintail and several Greater Scaup. Mosquito Pond had 8 Wood Duck and 70 Canada Goose. (report from Joan Zumpfe).

11/14/02 -- Barre Falls Dam, Barre
> Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 14, 2002
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
> ------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
> Black Vulture                0              0              0
> Turkey Vulture               0              1            235
> Osprey                       0              0             92
> Bald Eagle                   1              4             21
> Northern Harrier             0              2             34
> Sharp-shinned Hawk           4             32            736
> Cooper's Hawk                0              1             62
> Northern Goshawk             0              1             20
> Red-shouldered Hawk          6             22             77
> Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            852
> Red-tailed Hawk              5             77            259
> Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              2
> Golden Eagle                 0              0              5
> American Kestrel             0              0            159
> Merlin                       0              1             28
> Peregrine Falcon             0              0              8
> Unknown                      0              3             26
>
> Total:                      16            145           2616
> Observation start time: 08:30:00 > Observation end time: 15:00:00 > Total observation time: 6.5 hours > > Site Coordinator: Donna Schilling > > Observers: Barton D. Kamp, David Grant, Donna Schilling, Tom Carrolan > > Observations: > A young Northern Shrike appeared about 2 and was still hunting around the field when we left. A lone Orange Sulphur Butterfly was feeding on dandilion pollen. (report from Bart Kamp).

11/14/02 -- Quabbin Reservoir Gate 40, Petersham
From 9:00 AM to 4:15 PM I birded this area by bike (6 miles ) and by foot (8 mile). Birds seen included: common loon 4 (one had his feathers badly damaged on his back, some were facing the wrong way, perhaps a raptor struck his back), 1 turkey vulture, 15 hooded mergansers, 1 bald eagle, 1 sharp-shinned hawk, 2 red-tailed hawks, 5 ruffed grouse, 8 black-bellied plovers, 1 American golden plover, 5 greater yellowlegs, 6 dunlin, 3 pileated woodpeckers, 2 common ravens, 12 golden-crowned kinglets, 30 American Pipits; 6 tree sparrows. Also seen was a very large deer with antler rack; animal tracks seen were deer, coyote, otter and moose . The moose tracks were quite fresh, I'd say one or two days old. The moose tracks were about as far away from civilization as you can get in Eastern Quabbin and to my disappointment ATV 4 wheeler tracks were in the same area. I was luck with the dunlin; they were several hundred yards away and unidentifiable when I first spotted them; I was able to walk to within 100 yards of them, and to my good luck they flew to some flats only 25 yards away, and then came to within 12 feet of where I was sitting ( I guess they thought I was another stump of which there were many). (report from Richard Spedding).

11/14/02 -- Wachusett Reservoir, Boylston
I just got home from school and my father told me he found two Western Grebes in the southeasternmost corner of wachusett reservoir along Rt-140 near the intersection of rt-140 and rt-70 at around 1-2 pm today 11/14/02. The birds were back in the corner away from the road, so my father went down the path to get a better view to make sure of what he was seeing. He also saw one Red-breasted merganser female. (report from Nickilas Paulson).

11/14/02 -- Asnebumskit Hill, Paxton/Holden
On the Red Trail we had a Pileated Woodpecker fly past. Later, at the beaver swamp which is about 30 months old and has lots of bushes with red berries that the Robins, Hermit Thrushes, and Cedar Waxwings love to feed on, about 20 Cedar Waxwings flew out of the swamp in a big hurry right by us, and we saw why right away, an adult Northern Goshawk landed in a tree reasonably close to us and we had excellent views for a minute before it flew off. We also had a few Red-breasted Nuthatches. Later at Hadwen Park, Worcester, we had 4 Hooded Mergansers, 4 Black Ducks, 6 Mallards, and 2 Mute Swans.(report from Brian Mulhearn)

11/13/02 -- Leesville Pond, Worcester
At mid-day in the rain, there were 26 A. Wigeon, 1 N. Pintail, 2 Mute Swans, 30+ Mallards, 8 Canadian Geese,2 Song Sparrows, 1 Tree Sparrow, and 30+ Juncos. I did not see the 6 Green-winged Teals that have been here all week. (report from Brian Mulhearn)

11/12/02 -- Crystal Lake, Gardner
Hilites from a quick stop by Crystal lake yesterday morning: Common Golden-eye 5; Oldsquaw 1; Common Merganser 6; Hooded Merg. 10; The Oldsquaw (or Long-tailed Duck) appeared to be feeding (diving), which is unusual as typically the sea ducks I've seen up here are just resting with a few exceptions. I checked this morning but the Oldsquaw was gone. (report from Tom Pirro).

11/12/02 -- Groton
I have seen a possible Great Egret in the swamp across the street from my house twice in the last week. I am not sure that it is really a Great Egret, it might be an albino Great Heron. From what I remember, it had a smooth head and neck, dark legs and a yellow beak, and was all white. The bird is large, the size of the adult [Great Blue] Herons we see there. It showed up Saturday (Nov. 9), it flew over me today (Nov. 12) at about 7am. The area is on the Gibbet Hill farm, below Angus hill. The roads that boarder the swamp are Lowell road (RT 40), School House Rd, Martin Ponds Rd. and Shattuck St. Found about a mile out of Groton center heading East on RT40 (towards Lowell). (report from Matt Novak).

11/11/02 -- Downtown Worcester
This afternoon at about 3:45 we saw (without binocs) 2 peregrine falcons flying around just outside the office windows here at the Worcester Office Tower (formerly Mechanics Tower) - on the side facing the Medical Center. (report from Jo-Ann Ferrie).

11/11/02 -- Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner
There was a first year Iceland Gull on the front lawn of Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner this morning , patroling for worms with mixed flock of the 3 common gull species. (report from Tom Pirro).

11/10/02 -- Glocester, RI
I recorded the following in Glocester, RI this morning (11/10/02) while doing some scouting in preparation for a waterfowl survey being done in the entire Blackstone Corridor in a couple of weeks. Glocester is located in the northwestern part of the state.
Bowdish Reservoir - Canada Goose (23), American Black Duck (1), Herring Gull (1), Cooper's Hawk (1)
Lake Washington - Mallard (30), American Black Duck (45), Hooded Merganser (27)
Burlingame Reservoir - Hooded Merganser (21)
Cherry Valley Pond - Bufflehead (3)
Keach Pond - Ring-billed Gull (3)
Smith + Sayle's Reservoir - Ring-billed Gull (1)
Waterman Reservoir - Canada Goose (42), Mallard (2), Ring-billed Gull (2)
small pond on Anan Wade Road - Canada Goose (21)
other species - Rock Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (1), Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow NOTA BENE: Hunting is allowed in Rhode Island EVEN on Sundays. It is a state law that in areas where hunting is allowed that you must be wearing a minimum of 200 square inches of orange blaze. (report from John Liller).

11/10/02 -- Worcester City Pond Survey
We conducted one of our standard surveys of all ponds in and contiguous with the city of Worcester. Nothing too strange. It is still a bit early for some species of diving ducks to appear in any numbers. Also, because of the mild weather, boats were out in numbers on some of the larger lakes, keeping waterfowl numbers low. In fact, on Lake Quinsigamond, we watched two idiots racing small ultra-fast cigarette-type speed boats back and forth. Burncoat Pond and "Biotech" Pond had NO waterfowl on them, though the cattails at Biotech certainly look like they could hide a rail or even a migrating bittern. It was amazing to see that they are building yet another mega-house on the shores of Indian Lake. The trail into Patch Reservoir off Mill Street, a city park and a nice green area, was badly overgrown and very much in need of maintainance and a clean-up. Flint Pond had an amazing amount of trash along the trail at the north end. . No Ruddy Ducks was a disappointment.
Totals: Pied-billed Grebe (4); Double-crested Cormorant (4); Great Blue Heron (10); Mute Swan (12); Canada Goose (448); Wood Duck (4); Green-winged Teal (10); A. Black Duck (61); Mallard (783); N. Pintail (2f+1m at Leesville); A. Wigeon (9); Ring-necked Duck (1f at Cook's dabbling with the Mallards); Hooded Merganser (302: huge numbers at Indian at dawn); Common Merganser (242: all at Indian at dawn. We watched part of this huge flock apparently "herd" fish into a small bay and go into a feeding frenzy with Ring-billed Gulls); A. Coot (2); Greater Yellowlegs (2 juv at Cook's); Ring-billed Gull (512); Herring Gull (22); Great Black-backed Gull (2); Belted Kingfisher (4);
ALSO seen at the ponds only: Sharp-shinned Hawk (1); Cooper's Hawk (1); Red-tailed Hawk (3); Peregrine Falcon (1 or 2: just after dawn, we had great views of one atop the spire of City Hall; later at 1:30PM we had one soaring over the art museum); Red-bellied Woodpecker (3); Carolina Wren (7); Winter Wren (1); Golden-crowned Kinglet (7); Ruby-crowned Kinglet (4); Yellow-rumped Warbler (8); Fox Sparrow (1); SNOW BUNTING (1 calling and seen overhead); LAPLAND LONGSPUR (1 calling and seen overhead); Red-winged Blackbird (17); Brown-headed Cowbird (38); ALSO: several Spring Peepers calling; many E. Painted Turtles and a pair of Yellow-legged Meadowflies mating. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/9/02 -- Wachusett Reservoir, Sterling
Today at the Wachusett Reservoir I had 36 Common Goldeneyes from Scar Hill Bluffs. At gate 36 in Sterling there was a Red-necked Grebe, just off the roadway. The Tufted Duck was at West Waushacum today, along with 30 Greater Scaup, 12 Lesser Scaup, and 1 female Canvasback. (report from Fran McMenemy).

11/8/02 -- Barre Falls Dam, Barre
> Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 08, 2002
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
> ------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
> Black Vulture                0              0              0
> Turkey Vulture               0              1            235
> Osprey                       0              0             92
> Bald Eagle                   2              3             20
> Northern Harrier             0              2             34
> Sharp-shinned Hawk           3             28            732
> Cooper's Hawk                0              1             62
> Northern Goshawk             0              1             20
> Red-shouldered Hawk          0             16             71
> Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            852
> Red-tailed Hawk              6             72            254
> Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              2
> Golden Eagle                 0              0              5
> American Kestrel             0              0            159
> Merlin                       0              1             28
> Peregrine Falcon             0              0              8
> Unknown                      0              3             26
>
> Total:                      11            129           2600
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Observation start time: 09:00:00 > Observation end time: 14:00:00 > Total observation time: 5 hours > > Site Coordinator: Barton D. Kamp > > Observers: Barton D. Kamp, David Grant, Donna Schilling > (report from Bart Kamp).

11/8/02 -- Institute Park, Worcester
Highlights at 1:00 pm included 18 Hooded Mergansers, a Sharp-shinned Hawk (chasing a Monarch, unsuccessfully), 2 Carolina Wrens, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and 2 Am. Robins. (report from Rick Quimby).

11/8/02 -- Indian Lake, Worcester
A quick "before work" count of Indian Lake had the following: Double-crested Cormorant (2); Great Blue Heron (6); Canada Goose (75); Mallard (225); A. Black Duck (36); Hooded Merganser (153); Common Merganser (144); Ring-billed Gull (180+); Herring Gull (6); Great Black-backed Gull (1adW); (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/6/02 -- Devens, Harvard
The following were on the soccer fields at Devens this AM: Canada Goose 140; Brant (pale-bellied) 2 adults; Herring Gull 1; Killdeer 1. I checked Crystal Lake in Gardner, but except for 4 Hooded Mergs it was vancant. (report from Tom Pirro).

11/5/02 -- Fitchburg and Westminster
During the afternoon I observed 2 large flocks of horned larks. One flock of 22 was on a recently plowed field in Fitchburg. The second was about 1/2 mile away on a recently mowed hayfield in Westminster and contained about 35 birds. I had seen the flock in Fitchburg on the previous day as well. I am curious if there has been a widespread movement/invasion of horned larks in the area. I have been checking these field for species such as horned larks for many years and have never seen any in these locations before.
I had my first fox sparrow at my feeder today, which has also been invaded by a flock of about 200 grackles. In addition, I have had a palm warbler skulking in the shrubs around the house for about a week and was still present on the 5th. It is getting very late for one to still be hanging out in this area of northern Worcester County. I have not seen in this morning and wonder if it survived the snow (about 4"). (report from Chuck Caron).

11/5/02 -- Unitarian Church, Indian Lake, Worcester
As we were entering the church (on the north shore of Indian Lake) this morning at 6:58AM to vote, an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk (possibly a female) sped out from the building low overhead in hot pursuit of a crow. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/5/02 -- Louisa Lake, Milford
Richard Hildreth reports that Lyn Lovell has found a winter plumaged Black-headed Gull at Louisa Lake in Milford. This is probable the same bird that spent the winter in this location last year. Louisa Lake is located on Dilla St., which is off Rt. 85 just South of the Rt. 495 interchange and runs to Purchase St. From Purchase St., turn on to Dilla St. at the Purchase St. Market. Louisa Lake is one quarter of a mile on the left. The bird is often in the parking lot associating with Ring-billed Gulls. (report fide Fran McMenemy).

11/4/02 -- Mosquito Pond, Dudley
At 10 this morning, I spotted a Greater White-fronted Goose in Mosquito Pond in Dudley. It was accompanied by several hundred Canada Geese. Fran McMenemy also saw it this afternoon. He then checked Wallis Pond across the street and had several more hundred Canada Geese. He estimates about 600 in all. In Wallis Pond he had 15 Wood Duck and 2 Greater Scaup and 3 Northern Pintail in Mosquito Pond.
> To get to Mosquito Pond(on Dudley-Oxford Road), take Rte. 395 to Oxford Center (Sutton Ave. exit). Cross Rte. 12 at the lights. This will bring you to Charlton Street. About 1 mile down, take a left onto Dudley Road, opposite a vegetable stand. Stay on this road, which becomes Dudley-Oxford Road(in Dudley), for about 3 1/2 miles. The pond is after the second right after the Audubon sign(Pierpont Meadow Sanctuary) at Marsh Road. (Go past Marsh Road, don't turn onto it). You can park across the street from the pond which is somewhat hidden from this direction till you're almost past it. Dudley-Oxford Road curves right just past Mosquito Pond. Part of Wallis Pond is along the side where you can park. Wallis Pond extends up past the triangle on your left which is Charlton Road. (report from Joan Zumpfe).

11/3/02 -- Louisa Lake, Milford
Bev and I found a dark immature snow goose, a.k.a., a blue goose, at Louisa Lake in Milford. Dick Hildrith tells me that a blue goose was first reported there in early September among a large flock of Canada Geese, but none have been reported as being seen since then. I was able to get a photo of the goose while it was hanging out with the big guys at the Lake parking lot on Dilla Street. (report and photo by Bob Ricci).

11/3/02 -- Barre Falls, Barre
> Barre, MA, USA
> Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 03, 2002
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
> ------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
> Black Vulture                0              0              0
> Turkey Vulture               0              0            234
> Osprey                       0              0             92
> Bald Eagle                   0              1             18
> Northern Harrier             0              0             32
> Sharp-shinned Hawk          10             15            719
> Cooper's Hawk                1              1             62
> Northern Goshawk             0              1             20
> Red-shouldered Hawk         10             13             68
> Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            852
> Red-tailed Hawk             42             48            230
> Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              2
> Golden Eagle                 0              0              5
> American Kestrel             0              0            159
> Merlin                       0              0             27
> Peregrine Falcon             0              0              8
> Unknown                      1              1             24
>
> Total:                      64             81           2552
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:00:00 > Observation end time: 16:00:00 > Total observation time: 7 hours > > Site Coordinator: Barton D. Kamp > > Observers: Barton D. Kamp, David Grant, Donna Schilling, Paul Pinault, > Tom Carrolan > Observations: > 75% of the birds were counted between 10 and 12. > > 230 Crows and 34 Canada Geese were migrating. (report from Bart Kamp).

11/3/02 -- Seekonk River, RI
We surveyed the southern end of the Blackstone National Corridor and had the following: Double-crested Cormorant (54); Great Blue Heron (7); Mute Swan (5); Mallard (58); A. Black Duck (202); Bufflehead (25); Red-breasted Merganser (2); Ruddy Duck (5); Greater Yellowlegs (11); There was a massive concentration of gulls at low "tide": Ring-billed (1558); Herring (430); Great Black-backed (166).
At nearby TURNER RESERVOIR, also part of the Corridor: Double-crested Cormorant (3); Mute Swan (107); Canada Goose (72); Green-winged Teal (8); A. Wigeon (11); Mallard (75); Lesser Scaup (2); Ring-necked Duck (5); Ruddy Duck (40); A. Coot (11); Fish Crow (2). (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/3/02 -- Northbridge
We surveyed the ponds of Northbridge this morning, including the sewer beds (see below). We had the following totals: Pied-biled Grebe (1); Great Blue Heron (2); Mute Swan (2); Canada Goose (325); Wood Duck (18); Green-winged Teal (8); A. Wigeon (5); Gadwall (1m); Mallard (111); A. Black Duck (22); Greater Scaup (6); Ring-necked Duck (13); Hooded Merganser (22); Wilson's Snipe (12); ALSO: Sharp-shinned Hawk (1); Red-tailed Hawk (3); American Pipit (2); Yellow-rumped Warbler (3); Palm Warbler (2). Nota bene: the Northbridge sewer beds is in the midst of some changes and is still under construction. The big weed mound in the back near the outflow building is now capped with sand and now looks like a capped landfill. Still, several of the back beds were still in use. (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/2/02 -- Barre Falls Dam, Barre
> Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 02, 2002
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
> ------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
> Black Vulture                0              0              0
> Turkey Vulture               0              0            234
> Osprey                       0              0             92
> Bald Eagle                   1              1             18
> Northern Harrier             0              0             32
> Sharp-shinned Hawk           4              5            709
> Cooper's Hawk                0              0             61
> Northern Goshawk             1              1             20
> Red-shouldered Hawk          3              3             58
> Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            852
> Red-tailed Hawk              5              6            188
> Rough-legged Hawk            1              1              2
> Golden Eagle                 0              0              5
> American Kestrel             0              0            159
> Merlin                       0              0             27
> Peregrine Falcon             0              0              8
> Unknown                      0              0             23
>> Total:                      15             17           2488
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Observation start time: 09:00:00 > Observation end time: 14:00:00 > Total observation time: 5 hours > > Site Coordinator: Barton D. Kamp > > Observers: Barton D. Kamp, David Grant, Donna Schilling, Tom Carrolan > > Visitors: > Denis Mahoney > Observations: The Bald Eagle was a juvenile. The Rough-legged Hawk was a light phase bird. It paused to hunt several times before leaving the area. > > 52 crows, 2 Common Loons and 11 Common Mergansers were migrating. In spite of the cold the daily flock of Bluebirds was finding plenty of insects in the field. 1 Belted Kingfisher and 12 Common Ravens passed the site. (report from Bart Kamp).

11/2/02 -- Quabbin Park, Quabbin Reservoir
Apres le Cassin's [see below] (which was first seen by us 7:15AM), we headed to Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke, where we could NOT turn up the Lark Sparrow . We did have an Osprey, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets, a Palm Warbler and the usual sparrow suspects We then birded Quabbin Park, south Quabbin. There weren't many birds there, but it was a very nice selection: Red-throated Loon (1); Common Loon (4); Horned Grebe (3); Wood Duck (4); Mallard (3); A. Black Duck (2); Long-tailed Duck (20); Surf Scoter (1imm); Black Scoter (1f); Bufflehead (20); Common Merganser (21); Bald Eagle (2ad); Red-tailed Hawk (5); Golden Eagle (1 imm: nice views); Greater Yellowlegs (1); Pileated Woodpecker (2); Common Raven (3); Eastern Bluebird (12); Hermit Thrush (4); Yellow-rumped Warbler (1); Tree Sparrow (3); White-throated Sparrow (5); Dark-eyed Junco (73); Snow Bunting (flock of 60 flying across the water); (report from Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll).

11/2/02 -- Whately/Deerfield
The CASSIN'S KINGBIRD (3rd state record) found Friday (11/1) by Bob Packard, was still on the Whately-Greenfield Road this morning all morning allowing amazing views. I first found the bird this morning at 7:15AM in an area of fields across from the White Birch Campground. Many times it was right next to the road, sometime perching on the orange barrels along the road. At first Sheila Carroll, Denny Abbott and I were the only folks there and only eventually did other folks start to show up. This bird is about an hour and 15 minute drive from Worcester at the most.
From WORCESTER: Rt. 2 west to Rts 5&10 south; turn right at Rt. 116 (Deerfield), cross Rt. 91 and take your next left. This is the Whately Road. Follow this south, it will bend to the right, continue on till you get to the Whately/Deerfield line, an area of open fields across from the White Birch Campground. The bird perches low and often very close on both sides of the road offering stunning views. (report from Mark Lynch).

11/2/02 -- Ramshorn Pond, Millbury
Today we found a Snow Goose in with a group of Canada Geese. We usually get 1-3 per fall migration. (report from Dan & Deb Berard).

11/2/02 -- Great Blue Heron photos
I caught this Great Blue Heron by surprise. The GB was so angry he stuck his tongue out at me. (photo by Bob Ricci).

For previous sightings, see October 2002 Archives or Archive Index