Friday, September 1, 2023

Notable reports this week were seabirds recorded on a pelagic trip to the canyons at the edge of the continental shelf, as well as a Lark Bunting at Martha’s Vineyard, both Baird’s and Buff-breasted Sandpipers from several areas,and continuing small flocks of Red Crossbills in Franklin County.

Cape Cod notable sightings this week included single Baird’s Sandpipers at Old Harbor in Sandwich and South Cape Beach in Mashpee, a Pomarine Jaeger and a Long-tailed Jaeger at Race Point in Provincetown, single Yellow-bellied Flycatchers on Strong Island in Chatham and Wing Island in Brewster, an Olive-sided Flycatcher and a Cliff Swallow at Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary in South Wellfleet, and 2 continuing Blue Grosbeaks at the Crane Wildlife Area in Falmouth.

Bristol County highlights featured 2 Caspian Terns at West Beach in Westport and another Caspian Tern at Broad Cove in Somerset, and 2 Great Cormorants, 2 Great Shearwaters, and 4 Purple Martins at Gooseberry Neck in Westport.

Plymouth County showed its star power with reports of 3 continuing Sandhill Cranes off South Street in the Halifax area, 6 Marbled Godwits, 45 White-rumped Sandpipers, and 22 Red Knots at Plymouth Beach, a Royal Tern seen on Delano Road in Marion, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at the Shifting Lots Preserve at Ellisville Harbor in Plymouth, and a Tennessee Warbler and a Magnolia Warbler at Duxbury Beach.

Norfolk County luminaries were a Little Blue Heron in the Squantum Marshes in Squantum, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Squantum Point Park, and a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Orchard Beach in Squantum.

Suffolk County birders were pleased by sightings of a Pileated Woodpecker at Allendale Woods in West Roxbury, single Red-shouldered Hawks in Franklin Park and the Arnold Arboretum, a Hooded Merganser at Chandler Pond in Boston, a Ring-necked Duck at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Rumney Marsh in Revere, a Whimbrel at the Greenway in Winthrop, and a calling flyover Dickcissel in Boston.

Essex County hosted single Lark Sparrows at Plum Island and Halibut State Park in Rockport, 6 Caspian Terns at Plum Island as well as a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, at least 5 Western Sandpipers, 3 Willow Flycatchers, and an Orchard Oriole. Another Orchard Oriole was also sighted at Sally Milligan Park in Beverly.

Middlesex County species of interest included several Cape May Warblers at Watts Mound Park in Malden, a Lark Sparrow at Danehy Park in Cambridge, a Laughing Gull at the Cambridge Reservoir in Waltham, and a Philadelphia Vireo at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.

Berkshire County highlights were a Common Gallinule in the marsh on Town Beach Road in Richmond, and single sightings of a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and an Alder Flycatcher in Pittsfield.

Franklin County continued to host small numbers of Red Crossbills at the Montague Plains Wildlife Area in Montague, along Shaw Road in Warwick, and in the spruce bog on Gale Road in Warwick. Also of note were 11 White-rumped Sandpipers and a Black-bellied Plover on Caldwell Road in Northfield.

Hampshire County distinguished itself with 4 Sandhill Cranes in the Meadows Conservation area near Arcadia Sanctuary in Northampton, and Upland Sandpiper, a Whimbrel, a Baird’s Sandpiper, a Short-billed Dowitcher, a Dickcissel, and 2 Lark Sparrows in the East Meadows in Northampton, another Dickcissel and a Blue Grosbeak at the Honey Pot in Hadley, a Baird’s Sandpiper on the Hampshire County side of the Holyoke Dam, an Orchard Oriole at the Hampshire College farm in Amherst, and a Bonaparte’s Gull and a Common Tern at the Windsor Dam Park Headquarters in Belchertown.

Hampden County was graced by the appearance of a Little Blue Heron, 2 Stilt Sandpipers, a Sanderling, and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at the Longmeadow Flats in Longmeadow.

Worcester County notables included 3 Black Vultures over Mt. Wachusett in Princeton, a Semipalmated Plover at the Westboro Wildlife Area in Westboro, 4 Cape May Warblers at the Cass Meadow Conservation Area in Athol, and 8 Red Crossbills at the Birch Hill Wildlife Area in Winchendon.

Martha’s Vineyard was visited by a Lark Bunting and 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers near Wasque Point, Edgartown, on Chappaquiddick Island, a Marbled Godwit at Eel Pond in Edgartown, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Sheriff’s Meadow Pond, and a Common Raven in West Tisbury. Reports from an overnight pelagic trip to the canyons south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket included at least 25 Audubon’s Shearwaters, 3 Band-rumped Storm-Petrels, a White-faced Storm-Petrel, 3 Long-tailed Jaegers, a South Polar Skua, and a Prothonotary Warbler.

Nantucket highlights were a Northern Shoveler at Coskata, 2 Purple Martins at the Linda Loring Foundation, and Common Raven seen on Wood Hollow Road.