Allen's Pond--Quansett Trail, Bristol, MA, USA, 29-Sep-2012

12:35 PM - 1:55 PM

Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: After Gooseberry I made a quick visit to Allens Pond & walked part of the trail to the first viewpoint on the Quansett Trail.
Weather: cold, overcast, drizzle on & off.
19 species

American Black Duck 8 in total; 2 initially then a group of 6 later.
Mallard 3
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Double-crested Cormorant X

AMERICAN BITTERN 2 in total, but one seen at first as it flew up above the reeds. Then two rose up from the same area the first went down & flapped around for a several seconds before disappearing again in the reeds; they then did it again. Very distinctive flight & appearance, very similar to bitterns in the UK I had seen, & it really couldn't have been anything else. Life-tick.

Great Egret 6 minimum on the pond.
Snowy Egret 2 on the pond amongst the great egrets.
Osprey 1 over, from carpark.
Northern Harrier 1 ringtail, perched then flew off, on the far-side of the pond, near to the sea.
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Herring Gull X
Northern Flicker 2 flew off towards the house that adjoins the path; the first one had a white rump.

Merlin 1 flew across rapidly across the side of the pond on which I was standing. Small size & falcon-like flight identified it even though, as usual, I only saw it for a few seconds.

Carolina Wren 1 seen briefly near the swamp sparrows.
American Robin X - several into the tree behind where I was observing the swamp sparrows.
Grey Catbird 4 + including a noisy few that scolded me as I stood on the boardwalk.
Northern Mockingbird X
Song Sparrow X

SWAMP SPARROW 3 to 6; dark brown, double crown, grey back neck/mantle, pale bib, light-streaked chest, scatty tail, dark eye stripe, two malar stripes/mustache. All these field marks allowed me to identify this species of sparrow from song sparrow. They moved around low to the ground & at one point one came very close allowing excellent view of its markings. Also plumper & greyer in general than song sparrow. A life-tick.

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13380635

Gooseberry Neck, Bristol, MA, USA, 29-Sep-2012

8:53 AM - 11:53 AM

Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Looking for migrants at a well-reported site which I had been keeping tabs on via Massbird.
Weather: bright but cloudy, windy (W), chilly.
21 species (+1 other taxa)

Common Eider 20 + on rocks off the end of the neck.
Great Northern Diver 2 over.
Double-crested Cormorant X
Osprey 1 over.
Northern Harrier 1 ringtail quartering the bottom of the neck.
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Mourning Dove X

Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 seen from a distance in poor light on the small marsh at the bottom of the neck. It was large-ish with elevated forehead, 2 wingbars, the lateral one heavier.

Tree Swallow 100 at least. A few trickled through then 3 big flocks of 50-100+ came through, apparently heading north-east along the coastline.

HOUSE WREN 1 or 2 scolded me as I returned from the small marsh at the bottom of the neck. A brief view of one revealed it to be buff all over, no eyestripe, & larger than winter wren with a churring alarm call. Life-tick.

Carolina Wren 1 heard in the same area as the house wrens & then seen.
Grey Catbird X

BLUE-WINGED WARBLER 1 male seen just after the house finches. It popped up just behind the finches on a similar shrub & flitted about briefly. It lingered long enough for photos allowing a fairly straightforward id, with long stout bill, dark eye-line, yellow chest, greyish wings with two pale wing-bars. An excellent & unexpected life-tick.

Common Yellowthroat X - several around in the low shrub by the path. It took a while for any to show though with a 'seep' call at first causing me to stop on the path for several minutes before one finally showed. They were very elusive but from the number of calls there were several if not dozens around.

Palm Warbler 1 halfway along the path.
Eastern Towhee 2 males.
Song Sparrow X

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW 2 total; the first bird was the second bird of the day in the carpark. Two stripes down its head, yellowish & a light stripe down the middle. Pale pinkish bill, long & slimmer than song sparrow. Easy to identify from field marks & photos. I saw at least another one when I was heading back, so there were at least two around. Life-tick.

sparrow sp. 1 with flecked chest, song flatter than usual song sparrow's; but could have been a variant song rather than something other than song sparrow. Lincoln's?

House Finch 10 on buses in two noisy & active flocks. They flew in from the west, settled briefly then headed off east.

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13371718

Great Meadows NWR--Concord Unit, Middlesex, MA, USA, 16-Sep-2012

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Quick visit after Dunback Meadows to a location I had read lots about. It was hot & I was tired & hungry so I didn't stay long.
Weather: warm, bright & sunny.
5 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose X
Mallard 3
Great Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 3
peep sp. X - small flying flock up & down from the water foliage.
Grey Catbird 1 at the restrooms.

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13333998

Dunback Meadows, Middlesex, MA, USA, 16-Sep-2012

10:40 AM - 2:00 PM

Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Comments: Out to a nearby migration hotspot that I had been reading about on Massbird.
Weather: bright, sunny & cool.
17 species (+2 other taxa)

Red-tailed Hawk 2 birds soaring together; a juvenile & a worn adult above the houses that abut the far meadow.
Mourning Dove X

Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 seen from the intersection of paths after returning from the far meadow. When I got back a couple other birders were lingering looking for warblers, so I joined them. After a while nothing showed so I moved off down the path to the east when a medium-sized bird rapidly flew straight into the top of a tree. I got my binoculars on it & could tell straight-away what it was from it long shape, white-spotted tail and yellow bill. It stayed put long enough for me to get a couple of photos before edging into the foliage & flying off. No-one else saw it but I was able to show them the photos. Life-tick.

Downy Woodpecker X - heard first then one seen on the back to the intersection.
Empidonax sp. 1 in the low shrubs alongside the path leading out to the houses on the far meadow. Didn't get long enough looks or good enough photos for a positive id.
Eastern Kingbird 2 seen in the trees alongside the Bowman Elementary school field. Distinctive & easy to identify.
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Black-capped Chickadee X - heard.
White-breasted Nuthatch X - heard.
Veery 1 light spotted on high chest, white all under, brown-grey, 'narrow' head, longish tail. It was high in a tall tree but flitted around quite a lot; took me a while to narrow it down to a thrush species, & the lack of any strong spots on its chest took me to veery.
American Robin X
Grey Catbird X
Pine Warbler 1 from path intersection on the way back. White vent, bright yellow.

warbler sp. 1 in the shrubs along the side of the east path. It had yellow underparts & chest, with a faint eye-ring (not a clear eye-ring), a cocked tail & a 'good' size. I thought it may have been the reported Connecticut warbler or a yellowthroat, but because it was so active I was unable to get a good long view or photos, before it flew off into deeper foliage & didn't return.

Song Sparrow 2 in low bushes near from the east intersection path.
Northern Cardinal 4 in total, the first was with the goldfinches.
House Finch 1 female or juvenile flew onto the top of a bush along the east path.
American Goldfinch 6 in the same shrubs as the flycatcher sp.

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13333863

Stellwagen Bank--SW Corner, Barnstable, MA, USA, 9-Sep-2012

9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
30.0 mile(s)
Comments: Kim & I joined the NEWCA boat trip out of Plymouth for an all-day jaunt around Stelwagen Bank off Provincetown. As well as the birds we saw humpback whales, white-sided dolphins and 4 sun fish, a first for me.
Weather: light rain, but got out bright & sunny.
19 species

Great Northern Diver X
Cory's Shearwater 4 initially, then more throughout the day. Another called out over the tannoy & also easy to identify - large & paler than other shearwaters. Life-tick.
Great Shearwater X
Manx Shearwater 2 total, including one that came close-by the boat. Called out over the tannoy but easy for me to pick out by its smaller & darker shape. Life-tick.
Northern Gannet X
Double-crested Cormorant X - Plymouth harbour.
Osprey 1
Grey Plover 3 approx. on Long beach out of Plymouth.
Semipalmated Plover 10 approx. on Long beach out of Plymouth.
Sanderling X - several on Long beach out of Plymouth.
Red-necked Phalarope 8 total; 1 or 2 initially, then a flock of 6 later.
Laughing Gull X - Plymouth harbour.
Ring-billed Gull X - Plymouth harbour.
Herring Gull X - Plymouth harbour.
Great Black-backed Gull 6 approx. on Long beach out of Plymouth.
Common Tern X - Plymouth harbour.
Forster's Tern 1 flying along Long beach out of Plymouth. Distinctive bandit's mask called out by the group leader. I had a nice view as it went up the beach. Life-tick.
Mourning Dove 1 over on returning to the harbour.
Peregrine Falcon 1 over boat off Race Point.

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13333471