Apponagansett Beach & Bay inc. Knowles Beach & Marsh, Bristol, MA, USA, 31-Mar-2013

12:00 PM - 1:45 PM

Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Easter visit to the in-laws & the usual walk with Kim & father-in-law.
Weather: bright & sunny, cool.
13 species

Bufflehead 3 distant from Apponagansett on the water.
Great Northern Diver 1 flew in to the water as we sat at Apponagansett.
Turkey Vulture 1 at Apponogansett.
Osprey 1 on nest platform in creek, seen from a road off W Smith Neck Rd.
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Blue Jay X
Black-capped Chickadee X
European Starling X
Savannah Sparrow 6 approx. foraging over the short grass in the carpark at Apponagansett, occasionally perching on fences & picnic tables. Hint of yellow lores and lightly streaked underparts without conspicuous chest dot of song sparrow.
Dark-eyed Junco X
Northern Cardinal X
American Goldfinch 1 sticking close to feeders in one of the gardens on Smith Neck Road. It moved between a tree next to the feeders & the feeders.

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13634074

Apponagansett Beach & Bay inc. Knowles Beach & Marsh, Bristol, MA, USA, 2-Mar-2013

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Usual walk with Kim when visiting the in-laws.
Weather: bright, cool, breezy.
13 species

Bufflehead X
Red-breasted Merganser X
Great Northern Diver X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Downy Woodpecker 1 on a garden feeder right next to the road.
American Crow X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
European Starling X - with the blackbirds & grackle.
Dark-eyed Junco X - several flying low in the same garden as the woodpecker.
Red-winged Blackbird 2 singing from high trees off the road on the way back. It took me a while to remember the song as winter has felt so long! They were with a grackle & a starling; first of year.
Common Grackle 1 with the blackbirds; first of year.

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13632370

Apponagansett Beach & Bay inc. Knowles Beach & Marsh, Bristol, MA, USA, 9-Dec-2012

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Usual walk with Kim around the area during a visit to the in-laws.
Weather: bright, sunny, cold.
15 species

American Black Duck X - at Knowles.
Mallard X
Bufflehead X
Red-breasted Merganser X
Great Blue Heron X
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 perched in a tree in the farm/garden on the corner of W Smith Neck, it flew off towards the bay. Barred tail & smaller size identified.
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 amongst the ring-billed & herring gulls in the parking area at Apponagansett. Yellow legs & slaty back, similar size to herring gull all helped with the id, plus a familiar bird from Europe.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 on the trees at Apponogansett.
Black-capped Chickadee X
Carolina Wren 1 in the same garden as white-throated sparrows on the way back.
American Robin X
Song Sparrow X
White-throated Sparrow X - in a garden on the way back.

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13623600

Apponagansett Beach & Bay inc. Knowles Beach & Marsh, Bristol, MA, USA, 11-Nov-2012

11:15 AM - 12:30 PM

Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments: Second part of a walk with Kim.
Weather: bright, sunny, mild, cooler wind.
11 species

American Black Duck 6 on the small saltwater inlet adjacent to Knowles Marsh.
Long-tailed Duck 9 in total; 2 females, 7 males on the water in Apponagansett Bay.
Bufflehead 20 +
Red-throated Diver 1 on the water in Apponagansett Bay.
Turkey Vulture 1 soaring over the far-side of the water from Apponagansett.
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Northern Flicker 1 flew out over the water at Apponagansett from Knowles Marsh.
Carolina Wren 1 heard from a garden on the way back.
American Robin X
Northern Mockingbird 1

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13389773

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)

Smith Neck Road & Area, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA, 24-Nov-2011

2:50 PM - 4:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)

Comments: Post-Thanksgiving walk around local area, including later walk down to the shore at Apponagansett Bay.
Weather: Bright, sunny, cold, no breeze.
21 species

Canada Goose  100, all day in the field opposite the house.
Wild Turkey  12, earlier in the day, through the yard then back again into the woods.

Bufflehead  X
Great Northern Diver  X
Turkey Vulture  X
Red-tailed Hawk  X

Mourning Dove 30, feeding in the fields amongst the geese & in the trees next to the field.
Belted Kingfisher, 1 on small jetty on the bay. It sat for quite a while.
Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1 in trees in other next door yard.

Downy Woodpecker  X
Blue Jay  X
American Crow  2
Carolina Wren  X - heard.
American Robin  6

Northern Mockingbird, 1 in bush on roadside as I walked to the shore.
Dark-eyed Junco, 4 in the low side bushes adjoining the other next door yard.
White-throated Sparrow, 4 in the low side bushes adjoining the other next door yard.

Starling  X
Northern Cardinal  X
Common Grackle  6
House Sparrow  X

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

Apponagansett Beach & Bay inc. Knowles Beach & Marsh, Bristol, MA, USA, 20-Mar-2011

11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: A walk around the bay with Kim including a walk through the salt-marsh.
Weather: bright, sunny; chilly, cold wind.
15 species

Canada Goose 6 approx., couple of flocks.
American Black Duck 6
Greater Scaup 2
Common Eider 2
Bufflehead 20 + in small groups.
Red-breasted Merganser 20 small groups.
Red-throated Diver 1
Great Northern Diver 1
Slavonian Grebe 1
Turkey Vulture 1 distantly.
Ring-billed Gull 7 around & about, on Apponagansett beach & Smith Neck Road.
Herring Gull 6
Great Black-backed Gull 1 off Apponagansett beach.
American Crow 2 over the water.
American Robin 1 in trees along the trail.

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

Apponagansett Bay & Smith Neck Road, South Dartmouth, MA, USA, 06/09/2009

5:45pm. Weather: bright & sunny, cool; dusky.

The start of a two week holiday/vacation in New England where I hope to see some late summer migrants in the locations I'm set to visit. A nice walk to Apponagansett helped with the jetlag & as always there were a few nice species about.

Quayside:
American Herring Gull, Mallard, Great Black-Backed Gull, Ring-Billed Gull.

Knowles Reserve Saltmarsh:
Mourning Dove - perched on overhead wires at the edge of the marsh.
Green Heron - seen from afar it rose above the vegetation & quickly disappeared into it, but it had a distinctive small heron look & wing-shape so that I was later able to narrow down the species, which was also a life-tick.

Apponagansett Beach:
Osprey - at fist I thought it was a gull but soon realised it was one of those late summer migrants I was hoping to see. It soared across the bay & then flew low over the water apparently dragging its feet in the water, before it later perched atop a boat's mast for a while. It was the first of many I saw on the holiday.

Path to Smith Neck Road:
Black-Capped Chickadee, Bluejay - as usual amongst the trees.
Savannah Sparrow - a small feeding party was picked up in some of the lower vegetation that ran alongside the path as it adjoined a horse's field. They were quite lively & afforded some decent views in the fading light especially as a couple perched on some cables overhead. However it took me a while to nail the ID from photos I had taken which showed a streaked breast & forked tail, rather bunting-like, but another life-tick at the start of the trip.

Smith Neck Road:
Northern Cardinal, American Robin - amongst the gardens along the road.

12 species, 2 new.

Apponagansett Bay & Smith Neck Road, South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA, 03/01/2009

Weather: bright, still, very cold, snow on the ground. From 7:30am.

Another early start for a morning walk around the vicinity of Smith Neck Road. Firstly an unseen & unidentified mystery bird calling from the trees: 'chiiuu, chiiuu, chiiuu, chiiuu'.

Heading to the bay from Smith Neck Road: American Crow, Bluejay, American Robin, Starling, House Sparrow.

Turning off Smith Neck Road a male Northern Flicker was conveniently perched on a house's chimney in bright sunlight allowing excellent views, it would have been a first had I not seen it roadside a couple of days previously. Whilst I watched a Downy Woodpecker also appeared in nearby trees.

Breaking from the flicker & heading to the shore I glimpsed a distinctive bird quartering trees near to the shore, heading towards the saltmarsh area around Apponagansett, another Northern Harrier. Unfortunately I couldn't see it when I did reach the shore but the usual, Ring-Billed Gull, Canada Goose & Goldeneye (a male flew towards the Padanaram bridge) were present.

Finally, on heading back another loud, two-tone song was heard similar in tone to the first mystery bird call but again the songster was not seen or identified.
Update: a likely Carolina Wren, identified after September 2009 holiday.

11 species, none new.

South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA, 24-27/10/2008

A Stateside non-birding trip but with the occasional diversion & walk along the lovely beaches around South Dartmouth as always yielding a few interesting sightings.

Smith Neck Road & Apponagansett Bay (24/10/2008).
Great White Egret on the roadside marsh; a few waders on the small bay next to the main bay were eventually identified as Greater Yellowlegs with a longer bill than their head being the diagnostic attribute; also Double-Crested Cormorant & Great Black-Backed Gull.

Apponagansett Beach (26/10/2008).
Weather: bright & sunny, from 1:30pm.
Main flocks of Ring-Billed Gull, but a much smaller, drak-legged & dark-billed bird I eventually identified a (probable) Bonaparte's Gull before it was disturbed & flew away; distant Mute Swan & overflying then nearby, wing-drying Double-Crested Cormorant; a group of distant raptors built up to seven individuals which drifted over the bay area & as they came closer identified Turkey Vulture; sitting on the bench a curious voice alerted us to a Tufted Titmouse in a nearby pine tree; watching the bay another gull different from the others I eventually identified as a Laughing Gull apparently a late-staying one as they migrate south for the winter; a lone Red-Tailed Hawk soared over & a Herring Gull around the bay.
West Smith Neck Road: Great Blue Heron across the creek.
Smith Neck Road: Greater Yellowlegs on the other side of the road to where it was previously seen.

Smith Neck Road & around (27/10/2008).
Weather: bright & sunny, crisp & still, from 7am.
Backwoods: large numbers of Canada Goose amongst the reeds before moving onto the agricultural field to feed for the rest of the morning; Double-Crested Cormorant, American Crow, Mourning Dove, Black-Capped Chickadee all in the woods or on the extensive creek.
Smith Neck Road & Bay: walking around the suburban area, good numbers of American Robin, Starling, House Sparrow, Bluejay on feeders, a couple of Dark-Eyed Junco on a doorstep, mystery bird (longish bill, upright stance, loud two-toned song); Tufted Titmouse, White-Breasted Nuthatch on feeders & a Common Grackle atop a tree buzzing & whirring to itself.

3 (confirmed) new species.

Apponagansett Bay, South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA, 31/12/2007

Weather: cold, blustery & cloudy with occasional sunny spell. From 1pm.

Walking across the bridge: Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Eider, Mallard.

Apponagansett beach: Ring-Billed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull, Dark-Eyed Junco, Red-Breasted Merganser (female only), American Crow.

Back woods, Smith Neck Road: White-Breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Mourning Dove.

14 species, 5 new.