Friday, September 29, 2023

The highlight of the week was a cooperative Northern Wheatear at Plymouth Beach, where there was also 2 Hudsonian Godwits and a Marbled Godwit.  Race Point in Provincetown and First Encounter Beach in Eastham also both produced some interesting seabirds last week, most notable of which was a Brown Booby at First Encounter and a Little Gull at Race Point.

Cape Cod highlights included a Brown Booby, a Long-tailed Jaeger, and 40 Forster’s Terns at First Encounter Beach in Eastham, a Baird’s Sandpiper, an early Purple Sandpiper, and a Little Gull at Race Point in Provincetown, a Black-headed Gull at Corporation Beach in Dennis, a Common Murre at Cold Storage Beach in Dennis, and 2 Black Skimmers at Chapin Beach in Dennis.  A Glossy Ibis was seen at South Monomoy, a Golden-winged Warbler at Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary, and 12 Leach’s Storm-Petrels at Sandy Neck in Barnstable.

Bristol County luminaries were a tardy Chimney Swift at Stonehill College in Easton, 2 Clay-colored Sparrows on the Egypt Lane bike path in Fairhaven, a Golden-winged Warbler on the campus of UMass in Dartmouth, and late Yellow Warblers at the Egypt Land ponds in Fairhaven, and Gooseberry Neck in Westport.

Plymouth County hosted a Northern Wheatear, 4 Caspian Terns, 2 Hudsonian Godwits, a Marbled Godwit, and 4 lingering Piping Plovers at Plymouth Beach, 5 Sandhill Cranes at Leland Farm in East Bridgewater, a concentration of 45 Barn Swallows at Smitty’s Bog Conservation Area in Hanson.

Norfolk County was visited by an American Golden-Plover and a Lapland Longspur at Passanagesset Park in Quincy, a Whimbrel at Wollaston Beach, 2 Soras at Shea Naval Air Station in Weymouth, and a Connecticut Warbler at Farnham-Connely Memorial Park in Canton.

Suffolk County notables included 4 Caspian Terns and 3 American Golden-Plovers at Fisherman’s Bend Park in Winthrop, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, a Stilt Sandpiper, and a Yellow Warbler at Lewis Lake in Winthrop, and a Philadelphia Vireo at Belle Isle Cemetery in Winthrop.  A Clay-colored Sparrow was noted at the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan, a Warbling Vireo at Forest Hills Cemetery, and 3 Forster’s Tern at Moakley Park near Carson Beach.

Middlesex County was distinguished by a Swainson’s Hawk at the Waltham Street fields in Lexington, a Red-headed Woodpecker on Davis Road in Bedford, a Connecticut Warbler at Kaveski Farm in Concord, a Yellow-breasted Chat at Gaming Ground Farm in Concord, 2 Northern Waterthrushes at the Horn Pond Recreation Area in Woburn, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Sandy Beach at the Mystic Lakes in Winchester, and 7 Common Nighthawks at Great Meadows Refuge in Concord.

Essex County was visited by a Pacific Loon, a Common Murre and an Atlantic Puffin at Andrews Point in Rockport, another Common Murre at Gully Point in Rockport, and a Gray-cheeked Thrush at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport.  There were 3 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons at Perkins Park in Newburyport, a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at the Spencer Peirce Little Farm in Newbury, a Gray-cheeked Thrush at Rough Meadows Sanctuary in Rowley, and a Blue Grosbeak at the Nahant brush dump.

Berkshire County hosted a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the Cheshire Reservoir, 2 Sandhill Cranes in New Marlborough, a Clay-colored Sparrow at the Canoe Meadows Community Garden in Pittsfield, a tardy Yellow Warbler at Parsons Marsh in Lenox, 4 White-winged Scoters at Stockbridge Bowl in Stockbridge, a Black Scoter at Clarksburg State Park in Clarksburg, and a Dickcissel at October Mountain State Park in Washington.

Franklin County notables were 3 Sandhill Cranes on Plainfield Road in Ashfield, 3 Northern Shovelers, a White-rumped Sandpiper, and a Caspian Tern at Bartons Cove in Gill, and an Olive-sided Flycatcher in New Salem.

Hampshire County luminaries were 4 continuing Sandhill Cranes at Arcadia Sanctuary in Northampton, an American Bittern, an American Golden-Plover, and 11 Barn Swallows at the East Meadows in Northampton, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a Yellow-throated Vireo at Great Pond in Hatfield, a Veery on the MA Central Rail Trail in Ware, and 6 Surf Scoters and a Bonaparte’s Gull at the Windsor Dam at Quabbin Reservoir in Belchertown.

Hampden County was visited by 6 Northern Rough-winged Swallows at the Longmeadow Flats in Longmeadow.

Worcester County registered a Yellow Warbler and a Connecticut Warbler at the Westboro Wildlife Area in Westboro, 2 Wood Thrushes at Delaney Wildlife Area in Harvard, 3 Soras at the Bolton Flats Wildlife Area in Bolton, a Dickcissel at gate 37 at Wachusett Reservoir in Clinton, 2 Black Vultures at Mt. Wachusett State Reservation in Princeton, and 5 Red Crossbills at Birch Hill Wildlife Area in Winchendon.

Martha’s Vineyard hosted a Connecticut Warbler at the Wasque Reservation on Chappaquiddick and a Lark Sparrow at Gay Head.

Nantucket highlights were 4 Willets off Pocomo Road and 2 Common Ravens at Madaket.