Friday, May 3, 2024

In addition to an increasing number of newly arrived migrants from the south, especially notable reports this week included at least two Western Cattle Egrets, a Tricolored Heron, a White-faced Ibis, a Chuck-will’s-widow, 2 Swallow-tailed Kites, a Ross’s Goose, 2 Prothonotary Warblers, a Kentucky Warbler, a Townsend’s Warbler, and a Yellow-throated Warbler, and 1-2 Summer Tanagers.

Cape Cod was visited by a Western Cattle Egret flying over the Falmouth Highway in Falmouth, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and a Kentucky Warbler at South Cape Beach State Park in Mashpee, a Caspian Tern at Scorton Harber in East Sandwich, a Pacific Loon at Race Point in Provincetown and a Great Skua in Provincetown Harbor, single Worm-eating Warblers at the Mill Pond Conservation Area in Orleans and the Falmouth Town Forest, a Blue Grosbeak in the Provincetown Beech Forest, a Clay-colored Sparrow on Harbor Street in Sandwich, and a Black Vulture at Santuit Pond in Mashpee.

Bristol County luminaries were a continuing Swallow-tailed Kite in the general vicinity of Rt. 44 and Pass Farm Road in Attleboro and the Veteran’s Memorial in Rehoboth, a Western Cattle Egret on Shaw Road in Fairhaven, a Ross’s Goose in the Slocum River Reserve in Dartmouth, a Prothonotary Warbler at Rulon Farm in Westport, 10 Short-billed Dowitchers at Allens Pond in South Dartmouth, and 2 Common Mergansers in Fall River.

Plymouth County highlights were a King Rail, an American Coot, and 3 Sandhill Cranes at Burrage Pond WMA in Hanson, and 2 more Sandhill Cranes at the 2 Brook Reserve in Plympton, a Red-headed Woodpecker in Carver, and a White-eyed Vireo at the Manomet Bird Observatory in Manomet.

Norfolk County hosted single Louisiana Waterthrushes in Sharon, Milton, and Lowell Woods in Westwood, a Blue-winged Teal and a Tricolored Heron in the Squantum Marshes off East Squantum Street, an Upland Sandpiper at the Norfolk Airport, a Hooded Warbler at the Trailside Museum in Milton, an American Bittern at Fowl Meadow in Dedham, a Black Vulture at Popes Pond in Milton, and a Harlequin Duck at Black Rock in Cohasset.

Suffolk County notables included a Ruff at the Belle Isle Marsh Reservation off Bennington Street, a Pileated Woodpecker in Allendale Woods in West Roxbury, a Dickcissel on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, single White-eyed Vireos at McLaughlin Woods off Parker Hill Avenue and Forest Hill Cemetery, a Worm-eating Warbler at Stony Brook Reservation, and a Sandhill Crane migration over Jamaica Plain.

Middlesex County highlights were a Western Cattle Egret on School Street in Acton, 9 Glossy Ibises on Lowell Road in Concord, single Yellow-crowned Night-Herons at Draw Seven State Park in Somerville and the Amelia Earhart Dam in Everett, a Sandhill Crane at Delaney WMA in Stow, a Summer Tanager at Nahanton Park in Newton, 2 Northern Shovelers at Weston Station Pond in Weston, a Common Nighthawk and a Prothonotary Warbler at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, a Willow Flycatcher at Wolbach Farm in Sudbury, a Yellow-breasted Chat at Mount Feake Cemetery in Waltham, a Blackpoll Warbler at the Minuteman National Heritage Park, and a Worm-eating Warbler at Powder House Park in Somerville.

Essex County hosted a White-faced Ibis at the Hamlin Reservation in Ipswich, 2 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons and a Hooded Warbler at Marblehead Neck Sanctuary, and another Hooded Warbler at Nahant Thicket.  Other sightings in Essex County featured 8 Harlequin Ducks at Gully Point Cove, 3 Black Guillemots and 6 Razorbills at Andrews Point in Rockport, a Horned Grebe, a Swainson’s Thrush, and a Cape May Warbler at Plum Island, and a Pileated Woodpecker on Larkin Road in Byfield.

Berkshire County luminaries featured 2 Caspian Terns at Stockbridge Bowl, a Sandhill Crane in Otis and 2 more cranes at Hop Brook WMA in Lee, 3 Eastern Wood-Pewees in Great Barrington, and another one in Clarksburg State Park.  Other reports of interest were 3 Long-tailed Ducks in Stockbridge Bowl, a Hooded Warbler at Bard College in Great Barrington, a White-eyed Vireo in Williamstown, 2 Cape May Warblers and a Veery at Parsons Marsh in Lenox, and a Horned Grebe at Lake Pontoosuc in Pittsfield.

Franklin County birders tallied a Snowy Egret and 2 Ring-necked Ducks at Turners Falls in Montague, 27 Red Crossbills at gate 35 at Quabbin Reservoir in New Salem, 2 Sandhill Cranes in Northfield, a Hooded Warbler near the Tully Pond outflow in Orange, and a Lincoln’s Sparrow in Sunderland.

Hampshire County notables were single Sandhill Cranes at the Belchertown Land Trust and the Cummington Fairgrounds, single Lincoln’s Sparrows at Orchard Hill on the UMass Campus in Amherst and the Norwottuck Rail Trail in Amherst, and 39 Red Crossbills at Quabbin Park in Ware.

Hampden County was visited by an Upland Sandpiper at the Stony Brook Conservation Area in Ludlow, a Worm-eating Warbler in Barre, and 2 Blackpoll Warblers at the Longmeadow Flats in Longmeadow.

Worcester County highlights were 14 Glossy Ibises at the Bolton Flats WMA in Bolton, a Red-headed Woodpecker at Brag Hill Road in Westminster, a Blue Grosbeak on High  Street in Upton, 4 Black Vultures at Louisa Lake in Milford, 35 Red Crossbills at the Pine Hills Grasslands in Lancaster, a Lawrence’s Warbler at the Westboro WMA in Westboro, a Bonaparte’s Gull at Quaboag Pond in Brookfield, and a Lincoln’s Sparrow at the Cass Meadow Conservation Area in Athol.

Martha’s Vineyard luminaries featured 15 Black Skimmers in Edgartown, a Townsend’s Warbler at Cape Pogue Wildlife Refuge, a Chuck-will’s-widow at the Mytoi Japanese Garden on Chappaquiddick, where a Eurasian Green-winged Teal and a Louisiana Waterthrush were also observed, 17 Harlequin Ducks at Aquinnah, and a White-eyed Vireo in Chilmark at the Great Rock Bight Preserve.

Nantucket birders were pleased to find single Blue Grosbeaks at Sankaty Head Lighthouse, and close to the second bridge on Madaket Road in Madaket.  Other sightings of note wre a Yellow-throated Warbler at Jackson Point, 2 Northern Shovelers at the Coskata Coatue Wildlife Reserve, 45 Roseate Terns at Smith Point, 2 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons at the UMass Field Station marsh, and 2 Fish Crows at Jackson Point.