Saturday 21 April 2012

Olmsted Park, Suffolk, MA, USA, 21-Apr-2012

4:40 PM - 6:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)

Comments: Escaped the house with another walk on the local patch.
Weather: warm & sunny; t-shirt weather.

13 species

Canada Goose X
Red-tailed Hawk 1 without a red-tail, a juvenile.
Blue Jay 3
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse X
White-breasted Nuthatch X
American Robin X
European Starling X
Song Sparrow X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X

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

Olmsted Park, Suffolk, MA, USA, 15-Apr-2012

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)

Comments: First visit to a nearby part of Boston's Emerald Necklace, a potential new local patch. Predictably lots of people, & people with dogs about, but a couple decent birds as well.


Weather: warm, hazy sunshine, slight breeze (E).

23 species

Canada Goose X
Mallard 2 , a pair.
Ruddy Duck 6 all apparently females on Jamaica Pond..
Double-crested Cormorant 3 in the water around the small island in the middle of Jamaica Pond, they then came out of the water & sunned themselves.
American Coot X - up to 30 on Jamaica Pond.
Herring Gull 12 in middle of Jamaica Pond.
Mourning Dove 1 heard.
Downy Woodpecker 1 female on big tree on top of hill near Wards.
Blue Jay X
Tufted Titmouse 1
White-breasted Nuthatch X - heard between the ponds, then seen by Leveritt.
Winter Wren 1 between the ponds, flew low across the wooded path. It crept about but I got a good view of a familiar bird from home, though a distinct N American species & therefore a life-tick.
Hermit Thrush 1 near Wards Pond on the way back. Flew across the path then stayed at the bottom of a bush until furtively moving away.
American Robin X
European Starling X
Pine Warbler 2 together moving through the low shrubs between Wards & Leveritt. They were flitting in & out to grab insects or were gleaning them from the leaves. During flight they showed white outer tail feathers & when perched occasionally flicked their tail, which confused me with palm warbler. However, they lacked a chestnut head & I later read that this species does occasionally flick its tail, therefore definitely pine warbler. Life-tick.
Song Sparrow X
White-throated Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal X - heard.
Red-winged Blackbird X - several males singing & also 1 or 2 females with yellow-tinged throats, one was chased by a grackle.
Common Grackle X - lots around, most squawking.
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X

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

Saturday 7 April 2012

Gooseberry Neck, Bristol, MA, USA, 7-Apr-2012


5:15 PM - 5:30 PM
Protocol: Stationary

Comments: A quick stop at the car-park. I contemplated a walk but it was getting late, dark & cold.
Weather: overcast, grey, cold wind.

8 species

Common Eider 8
White-winged Scoter 2 males.
Common Goldeneye 5 females.
Slavonian Grebe 6 at sea looking handsome in dark breeding plumage.
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Mourning Dove 2 flew in & hung about next to a low bush - maybe where they roost?
Brown-headed Cowbird 1 perched atop a car-park fence-post, very close to the cars.

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

Allen's Pond--Beach Loop, Bristol, MA, USA, 7-Apr-2012

2:40 PM - 5:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Comments: Out hoping for early migrants.
Weather: bright, cold, windy (S).
22 species

Canada Goose X
American Black Duck 2 , a pair mating on the Pond, just after the northern harrier had attempted to snatch one!
Common Eider 5 at sea.
Surf Scoter 3 initially at sea, then more flying further out.
Bufflehead 7
Red-breasted Merganser X
Northern Gannet 4 at sea, near a boat. I followed one through the scope as it got more distant.
Double-crested Cormorant 8 approx.
Great Cormorant 1 with the double-crested cormorants, White cheek patch but no white thigh patch.
Great Egret 4 total. 1 seen initially as I walked the beach & looked over at the pond. 3 more added to the total when I walked along the pond; all foraging in the reedbeds & often quite close together.
Osprey 4 on distant nesting (Lloyd Centre) platforms. FOY for me, later I saw one fly up from Allens pond with a large fish in its claws.
Northern Harrier 1 ringtail, distant over marshes off the reserve on private property.
Peregrine Falcon 1 possible; on distant rocks near the osprey platforms. Seemed to have the size, colour & profile but it sat without moving & the heat-haze didn't allow a good view, & I didn't see it take flight which would have helped. It was semi-mobbed by the killdeer but didn't seem disturbed in the slightest.
Piping Plover 4 total. As I walked the beach I could heard faint 'peeping' but couldn't see anything. After looking at the cormorants I looked down & finally saw what was making the noise - a couple of piping plovers. I watched them walk away from me up the shore where they were met by another two plovers. They all then proceeded to strut around & face off against each other, walking low & fanning out their tails, all the time making their piping calls. Eventually the two pairs split & went about their business like nothing had happened. A great bit of behaviour to observe & I even managed to video-scope a few clips of it.
Killdeer 2 just off the beach as I headed to the pond-side trail.
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
American Robin X
European Starling X - in a large-ish mixed flock of RW blackbirds on private fields adjacent to the reserve.
Savannah Sparrow 1 singing from beach-side bush with yellow lores.
Red-winged Blackbird X - a few around the car-park, more later in a large-ish mixed flock of starlings on private fields adjacent to the reserve.
House Sparrow X

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