Friday, March 15, 2024

Species of special note this week were a continuing Townsend’s Solitaire in Truro, single Eared Grebes at East Gloucester and Marblehead, a Golden Eagle in Lenox, a continuing Say’s Phoebe in Belchertown, a similarly lingering Townsend’s Warbler in Cambridge, a flock of 14 Sandhill Cranes seen in both Athol and Shelburne Falls, and several good-sized flocks of Bohemian Waxwings in Franklin County.

Cape Cod notables included a Townsend’s Solitaire at High Head in Truro, a Bohemian Waxwing on Water Street in Yarmouth, a Pacific Loon, a Thick-billed Murre, a Glaucous Gull, and a Barn Swallow at Race Point in Provincetown, a Whimbrel and a Willet at West Dennis Beach, another Willet at the Bells Neck Conservation Area in Harwich, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Mill Creek in Chatham, a Piping Plover at Nauset Beach in Orleans, an American Oystercatcher in West Falmouth Harbor, 2 Great Egrets at Sandy Neck in Barnstable, an Osprey at Dowses Beach in Osterville and another Osprey at Forest Beach in Chatham, 2 Black-headed Gulls at Craigville Beach in Barnstable, and 10 Black Vultures at Peterson Farm in Falmouth.

Bristol County hosted single Ospreys in Somerset, Taunton, and South Dartmouth, 3 Greater Yellowlegs off Winsegansett Ave. in Fairhaven, and 2 American Oystercatchers elsewhere in Fairhaven.

Plymouth County was highlighted by a Western Kingbird at Manomet Bird Observatory, 5 Sandhill Cranes and 35 Tree Swallows at Burrage Pond WMA in Hanson, and a Great Egret at Daniel Webster Sanctuary in Marshfield.

Norfolk County luminaries included an Eastern Towhee at Stony Brook Sanctuary in Norfolk, 2 Virginia Rails at Squantum Point Marsh in Squantum, an Eastern Phoebe at Ridge Hill Reservation in Needham, 15 migrating Double-crested Cormorants in Sharon, and 3 Eastern Meadowlarks at the Norfolk Airport in Norfolk.

Suffolk County sightings of note included a continuing Western Grebe at Winthrop Beach where an American Oystercatcher was also seen, a Great Egret and an American Bittern at the Belle Isle Reservation, a Pileated Woodpecker at the Allandale Woods in West Roxbury, 2 Gadwalls, a Red-shouldered Hawk, and an Eastern Meadowlark at Franklin Park, and an Eastern Phoebe at Millennium Park in West Roxbury.

Middlesex County was visited by an Orange-crowned Warbler in Wakefield, 4 Red-throated Loons at The Cistern in West Medford, single Eastern Towhees at the Jericho Town Forest in Weston and the Minute Man Historic Park in Lincoln, 3 Northern Shovelers at the Woburn Community Gardens and 3 more at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, and a Black-crowned Night-Heron at the Horn Pond Recreation Area in Woburn. A Townsend’s Warbler continues to be seen on the Alewife Linear Park Bike Path in Cambridge, 2 Barrow’s Goldeneyes at the Delaney WMA in Stow and another one at Eldredge Pond in Boxborough, 2 Red-throated Loons on the Mystic Lakes in Medford and 3 more Red-throated Loons on the MIT Campus in Cambridge, a Cackling Goose in the School Street fields in Acton, a Red-necked Grebe o the Mystic Lakes in Medford, single Orange-crowned Warblers on the Charles River Bike Path in Watertown and Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, 2 Black Vultures in Marlborough, 5 Red Crossbills in the Desert Area in Marlborough, and an Eastern Towhee at Dunback Meadow in Lexington.

Essex County luminaries were single Eared Grebes at Niles Beach in East Gloucester and the Marblehead Neck Causeway in Marblehead, 9 Eastern Meadowlarks on Wise Lane in Essex, 5 Marsh Wrens at Little Pine Creek in Newbury, and a continuing, Yellow-breasted Chat at 53 Leonard Avenue in Bradford.

Berkshire County hosted a Horned Grebe at Stockbridge Bowl in Stockbridge, a Blue-winged Teal at Corbins Neck in Ashley Falls, a Golden Eagle at Woods Pond in Lenox, a Sandhill Crane off South Main Street in Sandisfield, and a continuing Dickcissel at a feeder on Jug End Road in South Egremont.

Franklin County was blessed by a couple big flocks of Bohemian Waxwings that included 35 on Pine Nook Road in Deerfield, and 28 on the Pocumtuck Ridge powerline in Deerfield. Also observed in the county were 14 migrating Sandhill Cranes at Banfield-Weir at West Field Road in Shelburne Falls, and 12 Red Crossbills at the Montague Sand Plains WMA in Montague.

Hampshire County continued to host a Say’s Phoebe at the Quabbin Reservoir Visitor’s Center in Belchertown, 2 Eastern Towhees at Quabbin Park in Ware, and a Blue-winged Teal and 6 Rusty Blackbirds at Great Pond in Hatfield.

Hampden County enjoyed visits from an Osprey and 18 Tree Swallows at the Longmeadow Flats in Longmeadow, 2 Northern Shovelers and a Yellow-rumped Warbler at the Stebbins Wildlife Refuge in Longmeadow, and a Red-breasted Merganser at the Congamond Lakes in Southwick.

Worcester County was visited by a large flock of 14 migrating Sandhill Cranes in Athol which was probably the same flock previously seen over Shelburne Falls in Franklin County. Other Sandhill Cranes noted in the county were 3 at the Dexter Drumlin in Lancaster and 2 at the Jordan Dairy Farm in Rutland. Forty Tree Swallows were tallied over the Nichols Reservoir in Westboro.

Martha’s Vineyard highlights featured a Redhead, a Northern Shoveler, and a Eurasian Wigeon at Crystal Lake in Oak Bluffs, an Osprey at Felix Neck Sanctuary in Edgartown, 6 Snow Buntings at South Beach State Park in Edgartown, and a Bald Eagle at Aquinnah.

Nantucket reports on note were 7 Northern Shovelers at The Gut at Long Pond, 2 Piping Plovers at Dionis Beach, a Willet at The Creeks Preserve, 2 Common Ravens in the Sconset area, a Dickcissel continuing at a Madaket feeder, and 2 Great Egrets in Upper Polpis Harbor.