Friday, September 22, 2023

Connecticut Warblers and Clay-colored Sparrows seemed to be moving in better than average numbers this season based upon the scattering of reports statewide, Broad-winged Hawks enjoyed a couple decent flight days in mid-month, and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers seemed to be more numerous this year than in some seasons. Otherwise, the overall numbers of bird migrants have not been particularly spectacular this year.

Cape Cod highlights this week featured a nice variety of migrant species including a Sabine’s Gull, a Little Gull, and 3 Caspian Terns at Race Point in Provincetown, a Common Murre in Wellfleet Harbor, 2 Black Skimmers at Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary, a Little Blue Heron at Hyannis Harbor, single Great Crested Flycatchers at Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary and the Harwich Community Gardens, single Orange-crowned Warblers at Hemenway Landing in Eastham and the Herring River area in Wellfleet, 6 Red-necked Grebes at Depot Pond in Eastham, single Lark Sparrows at the Marconi Site in Wellfleet and North Truro, a Common Gallinule a Gray-cheeked Thrush, and a Hooded Warbler near Monomoy Lighthouse at South Monomoy, and another Hooded Warbler at Woods Cove Trail in Orleans.

Bristol County luminaries featured a Least Bittern and a Clay-colored Sparrow at the Egypt Lane ponds in Fairhaven, 3 Parasitic Jaegers, a Black Tern, and a Baird’s Sandpiper at Gooseberry Neck in Westport, a Glossy Ibis at Demarest Lloyd State Park in Dartmouth, 2 Black Terns at Allens Pond Sanctuary in South Dartmouth, and an Olive-sided Flycatcher at the Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk.

Plymouth County notables were 3 Piping Plovers and a Hudsonian Godwit at Brown’s Bank off Plymouth, 2 Marbled Godwits and 2 Black Skimmers at Plymouth Beach, 2 Caspian Terns in flight over Plymouth, a Red-headed Woodpecker at World’s End in Hingham, a Little Blue Heron and 8 Sandhill Cranes at Burrage Pond Wildlife Area in Hanson, a Black Vulture over Little Quittacas Pond in Lakeville, and a Golden-winged Warbler and a Lawrence’s Warbler on Scotland Road in West Bridgewater.

Norfolk County hosted a Red-headed Woodpecker, a Connecticut Warbler, and a Clay-colored Sparrow at Squantum Point Park in Squantum, a Baird’s Sandpiper at Passanageset Park in Quincy, and a Hooded Warbler at Great Hill Park in Weymouth.

Suffolk County was visited by a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Lewis Lake in Winthrop, a Lark Sparrow at the Winthrop Greenway, and 2 American Golden-Plovers at Winthrop Beach. There was also a Clay-colored Sparrow at Millennium Park in West Roxbury, a Lark Sparrow the Belle Isle Reservation, a Philadelphia Vireo at McLaughlin Woods near Mission Hill, 7 Roseate Terns at Rainsford Island in Boston Harbor, and remarkable flock of American Golden-Plovers over Burr Street in Boston.

Middlesex County luminaries included a Yellow-throated Warbler at Great Meadows Refuge in Concord, a Gray-cheeked Thrush and a Veery in the Middlesex Fells in Medford, a Connecticut Warbler and a Blue Grosbeak at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, 5 Common Nighthawks migrating in Natick, a Clay-colored Sparrow at the Woburn Community Gardens, a Connecticut Warbler at Sunny Meadow Farm in Chelmsford, a Blue-winged Warbler at Dunback Meadow in Lexington, and an early Common Goldeneye at Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield.

Essex County featured a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and a Hooded Warbler at Plum Island, and single Blue Grosbeaks at the Nahant stump dump and the Martin Burns Wildlife Area in Newbury.

Berkshire County hosted a late gathering of Barn Swallows that included 47 at Baldwin Hill in Egremont and 16 at the Great Barrington Airport. Other reports of note were a Whimbrel at the Sheffield sod farms, a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, a Connecticut Warbler, and a Gray-cheeked Thrush at the Jug End Reservation in Egremont, 3 Least Flycatchers at Springside Park in Pittsfield, and an Orange-crowned Warbler at the Taft Farm in Great Barrington.

Franklin County notables were a White-rumped Sandpiper in Northfield, 2 Ovenbirds at High Ledges Sanctuary in Shelburne Falls, and a tardy Yellow Warbler at Greenfield Community College campus.

Hampshire County highlights were 4 continuing Sandhill Cranes in the vicinity of Arcadia Sanctuary in Easthampton, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at the Smith College campus in Northampton, a Least Flycatcher, 3 American Golden-Plovers, and 2 Yellow Warblers at the Honey Pot in Hadley, 5 American Golden-Plovers in the fields along Shattuck Road in Hadley, and 5 more Golden-Plovers, 2 White-rumped Sandpipers, a Yellow Warbler, and a Dickcissel in the East Meadows in Northampton.

Hampden County’s Longmeadow flats in Longmeadow were visited by a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a Northern Rough-winged Swallow, a Cliff Swallow, a Yellow Warbler, a Connecticut Warbler, a Dickcissel, and a Clay-colored Sparrow.

Worcester County was visited by a Red-headed Woodpecker at the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge in Harvard, a Connecticut Warbler, a Canada Warbler, a Dickcissel, and a Blue Grosbeak at the Westboro Wildlife Area in Westboro, 2 Black Vultures and a Northern Goshawk at Wachusett Mountain State Reservation, 4 continuing Sandhill Cranes in Hardwick.

Martha’s Vineyard birders were pleased with 13 lingering Piping Plovers at Little Beach, a Bald Eagle and a Common Raven in West Tisbury, a White-eyed Vireo at Aquinnah, and a Marbled Godwit at Eel Pond in Edgartown.

Nantucket hosted 2 Marbled Godwits at Esther’s Island and possibly a different individual at Smith Point, 4 Fish Crows at the Head of the Plains Wildlife Area, 2 Common Ravens at Low Beach and another at Tuckernuck Island, and a Mourning Warbler at Codfish Park.