Saturday 31 December 2011

Niles Pond, Gloucester, Essex, MA, USA, 31-Dec-2011

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: With Kim for a North Shore drive, stopping off a hotspot for a specific species.
Weather: overcast, misty, cold.
8 species

Mallard X
Bufflehead X
Red-breasted Merganser X
Ruddy Duck X
American Coot X - several on the pond amongst the duck. An easy life-tick.
Herring Gull 30 +
Iceland Gull 1 first winter bird, picked out after searching through the other gulls. It had been reported for several days & it was a great gull to pick up. It floated on the water preening then eventually took off. A life-tick.
Great Black-backed Gull 10 +

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Thursday 29 December 2011

Duxbury Beach, Plymouth, MA, USA, 29-Dec-2011

9:25 AM - 3:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
6.0 mile(s)
Comments: A first visit to a promising site lured by steady reports of snowy owls. It ended up being a very long but worthwhile walk at a beautiful location.
Weather: bright & sunny; very cold.
25 species

Brent Goose 12 +
Canada Goose 5
Common Eider 11 initially from Powder Point Bridge, 10 females, 1 male. More at sea later.
Surf Scoter 3 initially 2 males, 1 female. More at sea throughout the day.
White-winged Scoter X
Black Scoter 2
Long-tailed Duck 14 or more; after spotting one I then saw several, & kept on seeing them.
Bufflehead X
Red-breasted Merganser X
Red-throated Diver X
Great Northern Diver X
Slavonian Grebe 2
Red-necked Grebe 2 close to each, close enough to shore to pick out size & larger yellow bill. A life-tick.
Northern Gannet 2 briefly over the 'horizon' of the bank between the beach & the road. Distinctively large, white pointed wings with black tips.
Sanderling 15 + in flock along shoreline.
Dunlin 2 in with the sanderlings.
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Black Guillemot 1 at sea; a pale bird with bright red legs as it rolled round.
Rock Dove 8 feral pigeons on the bridge.
Snowy Owl 1 picked up on the grass next to Duxbury Bay. I had looked at every decent-sized white bird all day which had all been gulls. But the persistence paid off as this one turned out to be the day's target species. I had good fews as it sat serenely, dipping it's head down every so often, maybe eating something. It then apparently finished, flapped once & settled again. I was able to point it out to another passing birder before I headed off after 30 minutes, leaving it where it was.
American Crow 1
Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich) 6 approx. on the roadside scrub. Confirmed as 'Ipswich Sparrows' from Massbird emails as being in the area. Paler than the generic species.
Northern Cardinal 1 female on some seaside scrub.

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Monday 26 December 2011

Apponagansett Beach & Bay inc. Knowles Beach & Marsh, Bristol, MA, USA, 26-Dec-2011


8:25 AM - 9:25 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: A quick look over the bay with the telescope.
Weather: bright & sunny, cold & windy (E).
14 species

Brent Goose 3 in harbour.
Canada Goose 6
American Black Duck 10 on Knowles marsh.
Mallard 4 on Knowles marsh.
Common Eider 7
Bufflehead 6 +
Hooded Merganser 8 on Knowles marsh amongst black duck. 1 male, 7 female.
Red-breasted Merganser 20 +
Red-throated Diver 20 total, with 17 in a tight raft just off the corner marsh. The most I've seen in one go.
Northern Harrier 1 ring-tail, across water & into backyards.
Bonaparte's Gull 20 approx., fishing/dive-bombing with red-breasted mergansers.
Ring-billed Gull X - carpark.
Herring Gull X - carpark.
Great Black-backed Gull X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Sunday 11 December 2011

Pleasure Bay, South Boston, Suffolk, MA, USA, 11-Dec-2011


11:30 AM - 1:05 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments: With Kim for a nice walk along the 'pier' to Castle Island & back.
Weather: bright, sunny, cold.
16 species

Common Eider X
White-winged Scoter X
Bufflehead X
Common Goldeneye X
Red-breasted Merganser X
Red-throated Diver X
Slavonian Grebe X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Ruddy Turnstone 12 on rocks along the path.
Purple Sandpiper 4 on rocks just after the turnstone.
Dunlin 8 also on the rocks.
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
European Starling X
House Sparrow X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)