Friday, January 12, 2024

Notably unusual birds reported this week were the continued presence of a Say’s Phoebe in Belchertown, an Ash-throated Flycatcher in Halifax, a Western Grebes in Mashpee and Winthrop, Western Tanagers in Sandwich, Truro, and Framingham, a Yellow-throated Warbler in Eastham, and a MacGillivray’s Warbler in Raynham.

Cape Cod highlights featured 2 Western Tanagers at the Sandwich Marina area in Sandwich, 2 more Western Tanagers at the Scusset Beach Reservation in Sandwich, and a third Western Tanager in the vicinity of Highland Light in Truro. Other notable species were a Western Kingbird, a Lark Sparrow, and a Yellow-throated Warbler in the vicinity of the Cape Cod Seashore Visitor’s Center in Eastham. At least 2 Rufous Hummingbirds were seen in the thickets at the head of Town Cove in Orleans, 5 Pomarine Jaegers, 3 Thick-billed Murres, and an Atlantic Puffin were observed at First Encounter Beach in Eastham after the storm this week, and a very late Great Shearwater was seen off Nauset Light Beach in Wellfleet. A Western Grebe was found off Attaquin Park at Mashpee Pond in Mashpee, a Willet and a Glaucous Gull were tallied at West Dennis Beach, and a Black-headed Gull was spotted at Eugnia Fortes Beach in Hyannis Port. An American Bittern appeared at Forest Beach in Chatham, a Dickcissel continued to be observed at a private address in Wellfleet, a Lincoln’s Sparrow showed up at Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary in Wellfleet, and a Northern Shrike was spotted at the Crane WMA in Falmouth.

Bristol County luminaries were a continuing MacGillivray’s Warbler in the thickets behind the Town Fair Tire shop on Rt. 44 in Raynham, 11 Northern Shovelers were seen at Interchange Park in Fall River, and 5 more shovelers were found at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford. A Barrow’s Goldeneye was sighted from the New Bedford Harbor Walk off Gifford Street in New Bedford.

Plymouth County continued to host an Ash-throated Flycatcher and an Orange-crowned Warbler on the power line adjacent to Laurel Street in Halifax, a Greater White-fronted Goose was seen with Canada Geese at Monponsett Pond in Halifax, 30 Red Knots were counted at Duxbury Beach, a Black-headed Gull was spotted at Plymouth Beach, and 8 American Oystercatchers were counted feeding on the beach at Hull. A male King Eider was sighted off Scituate Lighthouse, 84 Dovekies were tallied during the storm at Manomet Point, and a Yellow-breasted Chat was found at Russell Sawmill Pond in Plymouth.

Norfolk County highlights included a Yellow-throated Warbler at a private address in Milton, a Snow Goose at Moose Hill Sanctuary in Sharon, a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Lake Massapoag in Sharon, 2 continuing Great Egrets at the Sailor’s Home Pond in Quincy, a King Eider at Scituate Lighthouse in Scituate Harbor, and 12 Eastern Meadowlarks at Shea Naval Air Station in Weymouth.

Suffolk County species of note were a Western Grebe off Winthrop Beach, a Virginia Rail and a Clay-colored Sparrow at Millennium Park in West Roxbury, a Barrow’s Goldeneye at Castle Island in Boston Harbor, and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and an Orange-crowned Warbler the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Boston.

Middlesex County featured a Western Tanager observed on the Bay Circuit Trail in Framingham, a Snow Goose at Hager Pond in Marlboro, a Clay-colored Sparrow near Weston Station Pond in Weston, 10 Northern Pintails at Nine Acre Corner in Concord, 11 Greater Scaup at the Mystic Lakes in Medford, and single Orange-crowned Warblers were seen in Wakefield, and at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge where 3 Fox Sparrows were also tallied. Ten Red Crossbills were counted at the Assabet River NWR in Stow, and another 12 crossbills were sighted in Littleton.

Essex County sightings of interest included a Thick-billed Murre off the Jodrey Fish Pier in Gloucester, a continuing Lark Sparrow at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation Campground in Salisbury, a Cackling Goose at Cherry Hill Reservoir in West Newbury, a Yellow-breasted Chat in the vicinity of Niles Pond in Gloucester, a Dickcissel and 5 Pine Warblers at a private feeder in Georgetown, a Greater Yellowlegs and an Orange-crowned Warbler at Plum Island, and an Eastern Phoebe at the Appleton Farm Grass Rides in Hamilton.

Berkshire County birders were pleased to see 350 Common Mergansers, 100 Hooded Mergansers, and 2 White-winged Scoters at Stockbridge Bowl in Stockbridge, a Re-breasted Merganser, 10 Green-winged Teal, and a Lesser Scaup on Lake Onota in Pittsfield, 5 American Wigeon on Richmond Pond in Richmond, and a Lapland Longspur at the Great Barrington Airport.

Franklin County luminaries included 2 Iceland Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull at the Turners Falls Power Canal, a Redhead at Barton Cove in Gill, and 5 Great Blue Herons in Sunderland. At the Quabbin gate 35 in New Salem 16 Red Crossbills and a Black Scoter were tallied, and 9 Red Crossbills were seen at the entrance to the Erving State Forest in Erving.

Hampshire County highlights were the continued presence of a Say’s Phoebe near the Quabbin Reservoir Visitor’s Center in Belchertown, a Northern Shrike at the Honey Pot in Hadley, and 6 Lapland Longspurs in the East Meadows in Northampton.

Hampden County hosted 6 Ring-necked Ducks and 2 Gadwalls at the Longmeadow Flats in Longmeadow, a Ruddy Duck on the Congamond Lakes in Southwick, and a Hermit Thrush at Pynchon Point in Agawam.

Worcester County was visited by several large flocks of wintering Common Grackles including a group of at least 1200 at the Bolton Flats WMA in Bolton. Other observations of note were 16 Black Vultures over the Blackstone River Greenway in Blackstone, 2 Lapland Longspurs at the Fitchburg Airport, an Iceland Gull at the Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg and another one at the Westminster Power Plant in Westminster, a Red-throated Loon and 2 Long-tailed Ducks at gate 40 at the Wachusett Reservoir in Clinton, 50 Greater Scaup at South Meadow Pond in Clinton, and a Black-crowned Night-Heron on Castle Hill Road in Northbridge.

Martha’s Vineyard highlights were a Yellow-breasted Chat at Thumb Cove in Chilmark, a continuing Eurasian Wigeon at Crystal Lake in Oak Bluffs, a wintering Black-throated Blue Warbler on Indian Hill Road in West Tisbury, a Snow Goose and 40 American Pipits at Katama Farm, a Redhead at Upper Chilmark Pond in Chilmark, 13 Killdeer in the area of Deep Bottom Pond in West Tisbury, 28 Tree Swallows at Wilfred’s Pond in Tisbury, and 4 Lapland Longspurs the North Field Preserve in Edgartown.

Nantucket was graced by the presence of a continuing Dickcissel at a Madaket feeder, a Willet in Nantucket Harbor, and a Great Egret at Stump Pond.