Date: 11/22/24 3:43 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Orange-crowned Warbler and Gadwall at Wards Pond in J.P., etc.
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2024 20:43:17 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson<petersonpaul63...> Subject: Orange-crowned Warbler and Gadwall at Wards Pond in J.P., etc.
I birded from 11:25-2:25 today, hitting Leverett Pond, Willow Pond, Wards, and Jamaica Pond:
GADWALL 1 eroded area of shoreline Wards Pond WOOD DUCK 24 L.P. viewed from Boston side; most huddled up against the "island" edge Ring-necked Duck 11 Ruddy Duck 9 Hooded Merganser 4 YELLOW-BELLIED-SAPSUCKER 1 area between Willow Pond and Wards P. Golden-crowned Kinglet 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Wards P. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER 1 WARDS P.. near stairway and also boardwalk on hillside
A Spotted Towhee has been hanging around Provincetown Airport for the past few days, found by Valerie Burdette on Sunday 11-16, still present as of yesterday according to eBird reports. MARC and eBird both show this as the 6th state record; almost 4 years since the last one. I only found out because I finally bit the bullet and joined the MA RBA GroupMe yesterday….
A few reports, including Ted’s, are visible on eBird’s map for this species, but Val’s and numerous others have yet to be released from the automated rarity filter, you have to dig a little deeper to see those.
Also, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is apparently still being seen at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, at least through yesterday, according to a commenter in the MA RBA FaceBook group. I should go visit my parents, they live right down Route 1 from IRWS….
Observation start time: 09:45:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 5.25 hours
Official Counter: Bill Rasku, Eric Mueller
Observers: Bill Rasku, Eric Mueller, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Thanks to Tom and Bill for hiking up today. The Rasku magic is back!
There were quite a few hikers at the summit today - close to 100. That included 25-30 students and adults from the Gifford School in Weston.
Weather: A nearly cloudless sky, temps from 47-51 F, and gentle easterly winds. There was a noticable haze line in the sky that faded in the west as the day progressed but became pronounced to the east (likely from all of the brush fires.) Despite the haze, we could make out all of the regular landmarks and most of the mid-NH mountains, although Boston faded from naked eye view after a few hours.
Raptor Observations: A pretty good total for a late November day, including our 7th Golden Eagle of the season (just 1 short of last year's record.) Eric and Tom observed from the summit, while Bill watched from the North Rd overlook. We saw just 3 migrating raptors (TV, RT & UB) from the summit, and only the TV was noted at both locations. Both local and migrating Bald Eagles were very active today, and despite the gentle winds, several of them got good lift. 3 local adult Bald Eagles flew around together, soaring and mock fighting. The adult Golden Eagle flew around for almost 10 minutes in the shadows, and Bill said that it took him almost that long to lock down the ID.
Non-migrating raptors: Bald Eagle - 5 (minimum number. At least 3 Ad, 2 Imm) Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 Red-tailed Hawk - 4 (minimum number. At least 2 Ad, 2 Juv)
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Summit: Comm Raven - 2 BC Chickadee - 1 WB Nuthatch - 1 DE Junco - 1
North Rd overlook: Canada Goose - 5 Blue Jay - 3 Amer Crow - 18 (mostly headed east) T Titmouse - 1 Downy WP - 1 Hairy WP - 1
Bill also saw an all white (possibly albino) Gray Squirrel near the road along the western foot of the mountain.
Predictions: Rain (blessed rain!) is predicted to fall all day Thursday, so we won't conduct a watch. More rain is due on Friday afternoon, so we'll have to see how early that starts before attempting a watch. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
FLINT POND - CREEPER HILL ROAD - GRAFTON (joined by John Shea) Canada Goose 2 Northern Shoveler 3 (2 males and 1 female) Gadwall 4 (2 males and 2 females) Mallard 34 American Black Duck 6 Northern Pintail 3 (2 males and 1 female) Hooded Merganser 4 Ring-billed Gull 26 Bald Eagle 1 Adult Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 Blue Jay 2 American Crow 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 2 Dark-eyed Junco 2 Song Sparrow 3
SUDBURY RESERVOIR - SOUTHBOROUGH Mute Swan 5 Greater/Lesser Scaup 2 (could not distinguish species because they were distant and in poor lighting) Bufflehead 8 Ruddy Duck 37 Blue Jay 1 Common Raven 1 Calling Black-capped Chickadee 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 White-throated Sparrow 3 Song Sparrow 1
CHAUNCY LAKE - WESTBOROUGH Ruddy Duck 2 Ring-billed Gull 14 Blue Jay 1
LITTLE CHAUNCY LAKE - NORTHBOROUGH Mute Swan 6 Mallard 2 Ring-necked Duck 35 (actual count) Pied-billed Grebe 1 Blue Jay 1
NICHOLS RESERVOIR - MILL ROAD - WESTBOROUGH Mute Swan 5 (2 adults and 3 young; no "Trumpeter") Pied-billed Grebe 1 Song Sparrow 1
Observation start time: 09:45:00 Observation end time: 13:15:00 Total observation time: 3.5 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: Gary Adamson, John Weeks, Steve Tysz
Visitors: Steve's dog Luna.
Weather: Sunny but moderately hazy at the horizon; variable cloud-cover shrank from 25% to 5%. Wind NW 14 mph declining to 8 mph, with frequent lulls in the afternoon. Temperature 48-54 F.
Raptor Observations: Five migrants; several Red-tails and two Bald Eagles lingered in the area today.
Non-raptor Observations: BIRD OF THE DAY: Blue Jay. Why, you ask? This bird flew across the hilltop with a strangely bifurcated object hanging from its bill. It landed in a small birch, where I could observe it through the telescope. The object was a frog! I've never seen a jay take a frog before. Perhaps this was a Quebecois migrant, un geai bleu peut-être? Other birds: Downy Woodpecker, American Crows 5, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Cedar Waxwings 10, Eastern Bluebirds 8, American Robins 2, American Goldfinches 2, Snow Buntings 3, Dark-eyed Juncos 3.
Predictions: Light and variable winds predicted; no watch planned. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=107
Date: 11/19/24 5:53 pm From: Matt S. <accipiter22...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] November 19, 2024 North Shore Waterfowl Expedition
Hi All,
I joined the BBC North Shore Waterfowl Expedition this morning, hitting the
Topsfield Fairground, Putnamville Reservoir, Cherry Hill Reservoir,
Artichoke Reservoir, the northern part of Plum Island and Parker River.
Putnamville produced a couple bald eagles, one of which took a dive at a
merganser, missing when it dove. There were a lot of eagles out today
actually, that was probably what will stick out the most in my mind for
this trip. The other was the rafts of Scaup at Cherry Hill. I like a good
scaup, and both were well represented, although Greater more so. Artichoke
(and Cherry Hill) are fairly close to my house; I did not even know
Artichoke existed before today, so that was good. Plum Island coughed up a
very close flotilla of long-tailed ducks, and Parker River Lot 1 had a
red-necked grebe, and at the blind we had several elegant looking pintail,
another favorite of mine. There was also a barred owl near the road at
one point, with a few people (not in our group) crowding it, playing owl
proctologist.
By my tally we got to 25 species of waterfowl, 26 if you include cormorants
in your definition. The only thing we did not see, by my recollection, was
a red-breasted merganser. This trip is one of my favorites of the year,
it’s nice to see all the local waterfowl in one trip and roll the dice on
something rare showing up, or even the half dozen or so eagles we had
today.
Date: 11/19/24 5:45 am From: Chuck Carney <chuckcarney...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Peter Alden talk this Sunday at Cutter Gallery in Arlington
Hi everyone,
The closing reception for the chatgeo.photos exhibition at the Cutter Gallery in Arlington is this Sunday from 12-4. From 2 to 3:30 Peter Alden, whom many of you may know, will be speaking about South American Birds.
Light refreshments will be served. I hope you can join us!
Observation start time: 10:00:00 Observation end time: 14:30:00 Total observation time: 4.5 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks, Steve Tysz
Visitors: Steve's son's dog Luna.
Weather: Mostly sunny, with scattered and diminishing (40% > 2%) cumuli scudding fast and low with the wind. Wind NW 9-14 mph. Temperature 50-56 F.
Raptor Observations: Five migrants. A squad of six adult Bald Eagles offered an unusual sight as they circled above Cobble Mountain Reservoir to the north at 11:42. At least two of them eventually headed south. Not counted: 2 Black Vultures, 4 of the Bald Eagles, 2-3 Red-tails.
Non-raptor Observations: Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Ravens 2, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robins 5 (eating winterberries), American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Juncos 2.
Predictions: A carbon-copy (showing my age here) of today? ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Observation start time: 08:45:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 6.75 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers: Carol Powers, Soheil Zendeh
Visitors: Dawning Fu, a bird watcher from New Jersey, and the rest of the Northeastern Outing Club were interested in finding out more about the types of hawks seen on the Rock and our past records
Weather: Moderate (3) NNW-NW winds throughout watch, with occasional gusts of 12-20 km/hr; Temperature went from 6° C to 11 ° C before dropping to 10° C at the end of the watch; Cloud cover began at 0% and never got higher than 7% until the last hour when clouds started moving in from the west covering 15% of the sky
Raptor Observations: Migrating -- a small movement of raptors Non-migrating -- one TV and several RT
Non-raptor Observations: birds - one DE Junco
Predictions: As I previously reported slightly stronger NW winds on Monday and Tuesday may bring migrants. However, due to a prior commitment and doctor's appointments I will not be able to be on site those days. NW winds will continue for at least part of the day on Wednesday, when I expect to again be on site. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=239
Observation start time: 10:30:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 3.5 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Christine Restell, Cindy Rost, Lisa Burwell, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: A very nice turnout of observers today - my thanks to Tom Gottschang, Cindy Rost, Christine Restell and Lisa Burwell for coming out today! We enjoyed talking to Christine's husband Alan.
Many more hikers going by today than Friday (it is the weekend after all) - probably 40 to 50. We also had two women on horseback stop to take in the view. Christine took their pictures for them, and we got to pet the horses. The next largest visiting animal was a Great Dane/St Bernard cross - one dang big dog!
Weather: Sunny, temps from 48-53 F, NW winds at 4-7 mph with gusts to 12 mph. Mild haze, very good visbility although Tom said that when he went up to the summit on his hike, he couldn't see any of the 2nd tier NH mountains like Passaconaway or Whiteface. VT mountains and Mt Greylock were easily visible.
Raptor Observations: We observed from the North Rd overlook. Only 4 migrating raptors today. The local Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks were active most of the session.
Non-migrating raptors: Bald Eagle - 4 (minimum number. 2 adults and one non-aged bird were seen flying together) Red-tailed Hawk - 4 (at least 3 adults, probably 4)
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Snow Bunting - 3 (seen by Tom at the summit) Red-bellied WP - 1 Blue Jay - 1 Amer Crow - 9 (two groups headed East around 1 pm) Comm Raven - 2 T Titmouse - 1 WB Nuthatch - 1
Predictions: I don't expect to conduct another watch until Wednesday. The wind speeds for the next 2 days will be in the teens, and our sightings in those conditions haven't been high enough lately to entice us to continue hiking up just to endure the wind and cold. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 5.5 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: Gary Adamson, John Weeks, Steve Tysz
Visitors: Granville residents Svetlana and John with their dog Oscar; Cody (also a Granville resident) and his dog Moxie; Kay and Terri from Granby, CT.
Weather: Sunny; cloud-cover close to zero until noon; gossamer-thin high clouds gathered (to 40% cover) in the afternoon without blocking the sunshine. Wind NW 7-10 mph with many lulls. Unseasonably warm, 50-60 F.
Raptor Observations: Three migrants in the morning, then nothing until after 2 PM, when Gary observed two Red-tails going south. Not counted as migrants: 2 Black Vultures, 2 Bald Eagles (adult and white-bellied immature bird), 3-4 Red-tails.
Non-raptor Observations: Barred Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Ravens 2, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Juncos 7.
Predictions: More brisk NW winds, likely resulting in a low count similar to today's. We may be scraping the bottom of the barrel. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=107
Date: 11/17/24 7:43 am From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Brookline Bird Club Scholarships to Hog Island in Maine -repost
There were technical issues with this post, so I'm reposting...
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2024 11/16/2024, 4:31 PM
From: John Nelson <jnelson...>
Subject: [MASSBIRD] Brookline Bird Club Scholarships to Hog Island in Maine
The Brookline Bird Club will again offer two Bill Drummond Young Birder’s Scholarships to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young birders. The 2025 scholarships will cover the full cost ($1725) of the Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens program at National Audubon’s Hog Island camp on JUNE 15-20, 2025. **The cost includes housing, boat travel, and all meals. Scholarship recipients will be responsible for transportation costs to and from the camp.
Applicants must be New England residents, ages 14-17 as of June 1, 2025, and must submit a written application and two letters of reference. Preference will be given to applicants with individual or family BBC memberships. To be considered a member, an applicant may join the club at the time of application. A youth membership for one year is $10.
All completed applications and references must be received by the BBC scholarship committee by FEBRUARY 17, 2025. Selection and notification of recipients will be completed by MARCH 12, 2025. For instructions and an application form, check the BBC website at
Observation start time: 08:45:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 6.75 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers: Carol Powers
Visitors: Hilary Aroke stopped to find out more information about the Pinnacle Rock Hawkwatch
Weather: Strong (4) NW and NNW winds throughout watch with gusts reaching as high as 27 km/hr; Temperature started at 5° C, rose to 12° and ended at 11° C; Cloud cover -- During first half of the watch until 12 noon, cirri-cumulus clouds were constantly moving in from the northwest, going from 10-50%; after noon the cumulus clouds were more patchy and irregular with cloud cover going from 25-65-30%
Raptor Observations: Migrating -- In the first hour and a half three migrants were seen -- a PG that flew in from behind me; a CH that flew in from behind and passed below me; and a SS that popped up out-of-nowhere and flew around the pines to my right. Both the PG and CH flew by me less than 10 feet away! It was not until 1:45 PM that the next migrant was seen and several more flew past the Rock before 3 PM. Non-migrating -- an adult BE flew northeast and numerous RT were seen flying back-and-forth
Non-raptor Observations: Birds -- one DE Junco was seen on the Rock
Predictions: Tomorrow's winds should again be from the NW but lighter, with slightly stronger NW winds predicted for both Monday and Tuesday. As noted before NW winds are the best winds for this site. Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment and doctor's appointments, I will not be on site Monday and may only arrive late on Tuesday afternoon , if at all. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=239
For better or worse I’ve started to see snowy owl pictures hitting the Facebook birding pages, which leads me to ask if anyone has seen any research about successful nests this past year?
I know 2022-2023 were low-lemming, tough nesting years for the owls. I saw one report from the Owl Research Institute that said they had no nests in their 100 square mile research area in Utqiagvik, Alaska.
Would love any other info on how this year went otherwise. Thanks!
Date: 11/16/24 1:37 pm From: John Nelson <jnelson...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Brookline Bird Club Scholarships to Hog Island in Maine
The Brookline Bird Club will again offer two Bill Drummond Young Birder’s
Scholarships to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young
birders. The 2025 scholarships will cover the full cost ($1725) of the
Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens program at National Audubon’s Hog
Island camp on *June 15-20, 2025.* The cost includes housing, boat travel,
and all meals. Scholarship recipients will be responsible for
transportation costs to and from the camp.
Applicants must be New England residents, ages 14-17 as of June 1, 2025,
and must submit a written application and two letters of reference.
Preference will be given to applicants with individual or family BBC
memberships. To be considered a member, an applicant may join the club at
the time of application. A youth membership for one year is $10.
All completed applications and references must be received by the BBC
scholarship committee by *February 17, 2025*. Selection and notification of
recipients will be completed by *March 12, 2025*. For instructions and an
application form, check the BBC website at
Date: 11/16/24 12:13 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Amazing waterfowl show
Thanks to Carolyn Haines for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
*
From: caroline haines<chaines49...> Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2024 14:41:25 -0500 Subject: Amazing waterfowl show
Amazing waterfowl show at Niles pond in Gloucester this afternoon: 75 ruddy ducks 12 hooded mergansers 4 red breasted mergansers 1 pied billed grebe 38 ring necked ducks 95 Canada geese 38 black ducks 12 mallards 20 buffleheads 5 American coots 1d c cormorant 1 late black bellied plover on the beach
Caroline Haines Gloucester <Songbirder...>
Sent from my iPhone-please excuse brevity, typos, or insults.
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks, Steve Tysz
Visitors: Local residents Svetlana and John with their dog Oscar.
Weather: Abundant sunshine; cloud-cover decreased from 35% to 5%. Wind NW 9-14 mph. With NW wind this strong, I usually see few raptors migrating here, while good flights are reported at Lighthouse Point and Quaker Ridge along the Sound. Temperature 47-51 F.
Raptor Observations: Just one migrant, but a good one: a sub-adult Golden Eagle that passed by to the east 10 minutes before the end of the watch. The eagle sported tawny wing-coverts and a white tail with a broad, dark terminal band (the boundary between the white and the dark was not as crisp as in a juvenile GOEA's tail). Not counted as migrants: 3 Bald Eagles (2 adults, 1 immature), 2-3 Red-tails.
Non-raptor Observations: Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Ravens 3, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmice 2, American Robins 4, Dark-eyed Juncos 2. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=107
Observation start time: 11:45:00 Observation end time: 15:15:00 Total observation time: 3.5 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Lisa Burwell, Marty McNamara
Visitors: Barely more hikers than raptors today - about 10 overall.
Thanks to Marty McNamara and Lisa Burwell for helping out in the last hour.
Weather: Clear skies, very good visibility with just a touch of haze in the air, temps in the high 40s, and moderate NW winds with some higher gusts. Once the sun moved behind the trees, it felt mighty cold at the overlook.
Raptor Observations: We observed from the North Rd overlook again today. Today's weather should have been a recipe for a good flight, but I had a late start today (11:45 am) and we only counted 5 migrating birds. We might have doubled that if I had been able to start an hour or two earlier.
The most interesting bird of the day was a heavily mottled immature Bald Eagle that held it left leg down the entire time that I watched it. Nothing was in its balled up talons, so I fear that it was injured. It never soared while it was in sight - just flapped its wings like a Harrier from time to time, and glided the rest of the time.
Non-migrating raptors: Bald Eagle - 1 (Adult) Red-tailed Hawk - 3 (minimum number. All 3 were seen flying near each other. 1 Ad, 1 Juv, 1 not aged)
Non-raptor Observations: A very slow day for non-raptors, again with the acknowledgement that we missed the first 2 hours of our ususal coverage. We didn't see any groups of crows or skeins of geese.
Blue Jay - 1 Amer Crow - 3 Comm Raven - 2 BC Chickadee - 2 WB Nuthatch - 1 Amer Robin - 1
Predictions: Saturday's temps should be about 5 to 10 degrees warmer with highs in the mid 50s, but the NW winds are expected to be 10 to 20 mph, which is going to be uncomfortable both at the summit and lower down at the NOrth Rd overlook. Call me a wimp, but with the low counts recently, it's not worth the hike up just to get windburned.
Sunday might be a tiny bit warmer with a litle less wind, so we'll see how that goes. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 6.5 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers:
Visitors: Thomas Monaco stopped by to discuss the hawk watch and what birds pass through my site.
Weather: Moderate to strong (3-4)NNW-NW winds with gusts up to 21 km/hr in the morning and increasing to 28 km/hr in the last hour of the watch; Temperature went from 2-8° C; Cloud cover -- for most of the watch the only clouds were on the southern and western horizons going from 20-25%; around noon the eastern sky started getting some clouds, but at no time was more than 10% of the eastern sky cloudy
Raptor Observations: Only one migrating raptor, a probable adult Golden Eagle, but a bird which will have to be left as an unidentified eagle. I first saw what seemed to be a brown buteo on the western horizon flying southwest toward the tower. As it passed the tower (a kilometer away) the bird was clearly farther than the tower and flying away. I assumed it was a large buteo since the head was considerably shorter than the tail (eliminating in my mind the possibility it was an immature Bald Eagle). However, although I initially thought it was a Red-tailed Hawk the ID did not seem right. Since the tail was not reddish, it should have shown "wing windows," but in fact the wing pattern was very different. As the bird banked while soaring the dorsal view of the bird was very different. From 1/3-1/2 of each outer wing was dark, while the inner half of each wing and the mantle was a much paler brown. As the bird was flying away and in a glide, the wings were slightly curved downward. The bird hardly flapped at all, and when it did the wing beats were not very deep. Finally, I did not note any whitish markings on the wings or on the tail.
As I watched the bird fly away I went through the characteristics of various raptors. Although the wings were curved downward, the wing pattern and lack of crescents eliminated Red-shouldered Hawk. My only views of Golden Eagle in over 20 years have been of immatures, and those have always flown with noticeable dihedrals. Since this bird had no wing patches and its wings were curved downward, and definitely not in a dihedral, I also eliminated Golden Eagle in my mind. Thus, as the bird flew away I was still in a quandary.
Looking at my copy of Dunne and Sutton's Hawks in Flight, I noted that first year birds showed a somewhat similar dorsal pattern on their wings with very dark outer wings contrasting with the lighter inner wings. Thus, despite not noting a large head projection, I initially thought it must be an immature Bald Eagle that doesn't show any white markings. Still, not completely satisfied, despite the bird's wings not being a dihedral, I decided to check the pictures of Golden Eagle in the same book. When I did so, I saw that the dorsal view of the adult Golden Eagle's wings was even more similar to what I had seen. On the following page I then noted Dunne's statement "Curiously, the dihedral is rarely seen on the East Coast .... Most Golden Eagles seen at coastal watch points fly flat-winged." I was now pretty much convinced that the bird I had see was probably a Golden Eagle.
Since I also had Liquori's Hawks at a Distance, I also checked that reference as well. Although several of his photos of juvenile Bald Eagles were similar to my bird, his photos of adult Golden Eagles were more so. He also noted that "Golden Eagles typically show dropped wings ..."
Given all the above, I am pretty sure that the bird I saw had been an adult Golden Eagle, but will record it as an unidentified eagle, since it is not a certain ID.
Non-migrating raptors -- One adult Bald Eagle and an immature Red-tailed Hawk
Non-raptor Observations:
Predictions: Tomorrow's winds will again be from the NW, getting stronger around noontime before moderating slightly. Sunday's winds will also be from the NW but less strong. As NW winds are the best winds for this site, notwithstanding the scarcity of raptors today, both day's hold the promise of migrants. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=239
Observation start time: 10:15:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 2.75 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: Jim Reid, John Weeks
Visitors: Woman with her dog in training Moxie (spring spaniel?).
Weather: Mostly sunny (cloud-cover 40% dropping to 30%; high, thin clouds). Wind NW 8-12 mph with frequent lulls. Temperature 50-54 F.
Raptor Observations: Three migrants. Not counted: Turkey Vulture, adult Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, 1 or 2 Red-tailed Hawks.
Non-raptor Observations: Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robins 22, Dark-eyed Junco. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=107
Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Marty McNamara, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Thanks to Tom and Marty for their continued participation on these lean late Fall days!
Very few hikers today - maybe 10 total.
Weather: Mostly a repeat of yesterday's weather with light to moderate NE winds, temps in the 30s and just reaching 40, and very good visibility with a bit of haze. The difference was a modicum of high thin clouds today which gave us a better background to work with. We were mostly blocked from the wind by the shoulder of the mountain to the east, so wind speeds shown here are based on Worcester airport reports. The relative humidity dropped below 20% at noon.
Raptor Observations: Another slow day with counting crows occupying most of our actual counting time (maybe we should start a band...ah, too late!) The raptors that we did see started moving through about an hour earlier than yesteday. We did manage to get 6 different species out of just the 8 birds counted.
Tom and I ran out of steam and left at 1 pm, but ran into Marty who was headed up. Marty stayed until 3:30. He had a big (probably female) Coop land in a tree next to the overlook, perched there for a minute, and then flew off to the North, only to come back around and land in another tree farther up the road. So nice to see one of the birds up close!
Non-migrating raptors: Bald Eagle - 2 (Adult) Cooper's Hawk - 1 (Adult F) Red-tailed Hawk - 3 (2 Ad, 1 Juv. Maybe more adults among the repeated sightings.)
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Even a slow day for geese with only 1 skein sighted.
Canada Goose - 11 duck sp - 3 Blue Jay - 2 Amer Crow - 185 (182 flying west, 3 locals) Comm Raven - 2 (minimum number) BC Chickadee - 2 T Titmouse - 1 WB Nuthatch - 2 Red-bellied WP - 1 passerine sp - 9 (one group flying nearby twice that I couldn't get binos on in time)
Predictions: For Friday, the temps should be about 10 degrees warmer - 40s to low 50's, stronger winds (10-15 mph) from the NW, and generally sunny skies. I have a family obligation in the morning, so if I go up, it will probably be at the North Rd overlook around noon at the earliest. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Date: 11/14/24 6:38 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 11/14 D. Blakely Hoar and Lost Pond Highlights in Brookline
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
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Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2024 01:12:29 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson<petersonpaul63...> Subject: 11/14 D. Blakely Hoar and Lost Pond Highlights in Brookline
I birded D. Blakely Hoar Sanctuary from 11:10=1:30, and then went over to Lost Pond from 2:00-4:15. Quite a lot of Winter Wrens singing. Unless noted, all birds from D. Blakely Hoar Sanctuary: I took my sweet time, which produced some sweet results.
Red-tailed Hawk 1 Lost P. Wild Turkey 7 Hairy Woodpecker 3 incl. one Lost P. Northern Flicker 3+ Lost P. Brown Creeper 1 Lost P. Winter Wren 5+ two singing Lost P. two singing Hoar Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 Lost P. Eastern Towhee 2 one each Swamp Sparrow 4 White-throated Sparrow 9 Song Sparrow 8 American Tree Sparrow 4 Purple Finch 1 flyover at Lost P., calling
MAMMALIA:
White-tailed Deer 1 Lost P. Raccoon 1 D. Blakely Hoar Muskrat 1 Hammond Pond Pkwy Reservation Eastern Chipmunk x Gray Squirrel x
Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 4.5 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers:
Weather: Moderate (3-2) winds mostly from the North with some NE and NNE as well, and highest gusts of 13 km/hr; Temperature started at 0° C and barely made 3° before becoming 2° at end of watch; Cloud cover began at 0% and as cirrus clouds moved in from the southwest got as high as 30% before lessening to 20%; throughout watch there were were very few clouds toward the north so I was mostly viewing blue sky.
Raptor Observations: Only one definite migrant - an immature Redtail (interacted with an adult RT as it was soaring, but I don't think the second RT was a migrant. Non-migrating - 1 TV, and at least 2 RT
Non-raptor Observations: Birds - 1 DE Junco
Predictions: Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday will all have moderate to strong NW winds -- the best conditions for migrants at this site. Since I have an early morning appointment on Friday, I don't expect to be on site until late in the morning. Other days I will try to be on site the entire day ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=239
Observation start time: 10:15:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 2.75 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks, Steve Tysz
Weather: High, thin clouds covered 50%-70% of the sky, but the day felt sunny. Wind NE 7-10 mph with frequent lulls. Temperature 38-40 F.
Raptor Observations: One Sharp-shin was the only raptor that looked like a migrant. Not counted: 3 Black Vultures (presumably the same trio we've been seeing for weeks), 2 adult Bald Eagles. 2 Red-tails hunting the area.
Non-raptor Observations: Wild Turkeys (flock of 11 hens on the side of North Lane), SANDHILL CRANES 2 (distant view to the east ??? possibly the same pair seen in the vicinity earlier this fall), Blue Jay, American Crows 2, Common Raven, Eastern Bluebird, American Goldfinch, Snow Bunting, Dark-eyed Juncos 2. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Date: 11/14/24 7:10 am From: Josh <opihi...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] MARBA - continuing scissor-tail at IRWS
Hi MassBirders,
I learned through FaceBook (the MA RBA group) this morning that the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is still appearing at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary as recently as yesterday afternoon. I’ve seen no mention of this bird on MassBird since Robert Ross posted about it back on November 3, and the eBird species map shows no sightings since November 5, so I had assumed that it had been gone for a while until it was mentioned on FaceBook. There have been many eBird reports that seem to be still concealed from the map by the rarity filter, so are only visible if one has email alerts enabled, or else digs deeper into the website; eBird's data reviewer for Essex County must be on vacation or something… So I thought that perhaps some other folks were also unaware of the bird’s continuing presence.
An even bigger omission from MassBird: apparently nobody ever posted here about the Mountain Bluebird which Lily Morello found on November 4, IN THE SAME FIELD AS THE SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER! That bird was seen the following day, but I don’t see any reports more recent than the 5th. Amazing to have two state review-list species within sight of each other, however briefly. Classic example of the Patagonia Picnic Table Effect ;-)
Observation start time: 13:30:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 2 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers: Bill Shapiro
Visitors: Greg Oxford on his first hawkwatch saw not only his first adult Bald Eagle, but two others adults as well.
Weather: Moderate (3-2) NW winds changing to ENE at 3 PM; Temperature -- 7-8° C; Cloud cover -- 0% throughout the watch
Raptor Observations: One migrating raptor - an adult Bald Eagle Non-migrating -- 2 adult Bald Eagles (male and female soaring together), 1 probable RT
Non-raptor Observations: birds - 30 Canada Geese
Predictions: Tomorrow should be moderate winds from the north, which may bring some migrants. Better conditions will occur on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday when moderate to strong winds will be from the northwest. I expect to be on site for all four days, although I have an early morning appointment on Friday and thus may not be on site until late morning that day ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=239
Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Christine Restell, Marty McNamara, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Many thanks to Christine Restell and her husband Alan, Tom Gottschang and Marty McNamara for helping me out today. Your company was just as welcome as your eyes!
A slow day for hikers - probably no more than 20 today.
Weather: Moderate winds from the NE to E which we barely felt at the North Rd overlook. After he returned from his hike up to the top, Tom said that the wind was much more evident at the summit. Temps ranged from 34 to 40 F. Slight haze in the air, but very good visibility. Bone dry air. Clear blue sky (ugh.) The ski area has started to make snow on several trails now that the temperature is below freezing at night.
Raptor Observations: Observed from the North Rd overlook. A slow day for raptors with only 7 migrating birds and 5 non-migrating/locals. We started a bit earlier (9:30 am), and stayed later (3:30 pm) than usual, but it didn't help on either end. I'm puzzled by the lack of migrating Red-tails and eagles lately. Did some of them move in the heavy N winds yesterday?
Non-raptor Observations: Lots of crows (migrating?) and migrating geese today.
Canada Goose - approx 214 goose sp - approx 250 (likely all CANGs) Comm Merganser - 8 (single group) duck sp - 3 (headed north) Snow Bunting - 8 (seen by Tom at the summit) Blue Jay - 2 Amer Crow - 201 (3 local, 11 headed W to E at 2:58 pm, 187 headed E to W with 131 between 10:10 am and 12:43 pm, and 56 at 2:10 pm) Comm Raven - 2 (minimum number) Red-bellied WP - 2 woodpecker sp - 1 BC Chickadee - 6 T Titmouse - 2 WB Nuthatch - 2 Amer Goldfinch - 1
Predictions: Another sunny day with temps in the upper 30s to low 40s, and moderate NE winds at 5-10 mph. We'll conduct the watch from the North Rd overlook again, starting at 10 am and ending at 2 pm unless the birds are moving well. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Date: 11/13/24 4:53 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Bristol County scouting trip
Thanks to Strickland Wheelock for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 22:34:50 +0000 (UTC) From: Strickland Wheelock<skwheelock...> Subject: Bristol County scouting trip
This Weds [11/13], Leslie Bostrom & I fairly quickly scouted a portion of Bristol County to come up with a gameplan to maximize the species to be seen, introduce folks to some new birding locations in a day's time for our trip from Drumlin Farm on Sat 11/23. The challenge today was a strong cold breeze on the sunny day which kept many passerines buried in the brush, but in protective stops, lots of action.We made a quick stop in Seekonk at a pond to enjoy around 200 ducks that was a mix of many Gadwalls & Am Wigeon including a beautiful male Eurasian Wigeon, Hooded Mergansers, Green-w Teal, Mallards, etc=C2=A0Our 1st stop for passerines was in a wooded location filled with berries near water and a brushy field - here are a few birds we encountered - many Robins but at least 9 Hermit Thrushes, both Kinglets, Purple Finch, Brown Creeper, Screech Owl, 2 Sapsuckers plus 3 other woodpeckers, Killdeer flying over, Bluebirds, many Wht-th Sparrows, 1 surprise a Blk&Wht Warbler, Wild! Turkeys, Goldfinches, etc.Short distance down the road we stopped by the water to enjoy Brant, both Loons, C Eider, Bufflehead along with a Pine Siskin mixed in a flock of goldfinches.Further down the road, we checked out a pond that is out of the way to enjoy around 400+ ducks - large flocks of Ruddy Ducks, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Ring-n Ducks, Am Wigeon, Bufflehead, Hooded Mergansers, Black Ducks, Mallards, etc - overhead of these ducks and swans, an adult Bald Eagle soared low over the pond checking the food options. By the water, 7 Snow Buntings flew up and landed close by to enjoy - given all that, we will visit that location!Given the success of the 2 other ponds, tried a 3rd where we observed both Common & Hooded Mergansers, several C Goldeneyes, Bufflehead....Given time restrictions, we checked out one of my favorite shrub thickets and had many Wht-thr Sparrows, 1 Fox Sparrow, Catbirds, Cardinals, Carolina & Winter Wren, Mockingbird, 1 Sapsucker, Ruby-cr Kinglet, ! Hermit Thrush, etc - cold wind was still blowing.One of the pr! emier bir ding locations in Bristol County is Gooseberry Neck which we know well so we didn't walk to the Point - just drove out the causeway and observed several Harlequin Ducks, Wht-winged & Black Scoters, C Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, Bufflehead, Common & Red-thr Loons.Surprisingly in 4 hrs of scouting in this challenging windy cold weather, we accumulated 71 species that included 20 species of ducks - that total didn't include any shorebirds, grebes, only 1 raptor, no Mourning Dove - given another 4 hrs of birding Gooseberry Neck and other locations on a nice day, certainly would have recorded 80+species in mid-Nov.
Observation start time: 09:45:00 Observation end time: 14:45:00 Total observation time: 4.5 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers: Bill Shapiro, Mark Hessler
Weather: Very strong (4-6) NW winds throughout watch with gusts as high as 34 mph and averaging 25 mph. Temperature was 7° C until the last hour when it dropped one degree; Cloud cover - As cumulus clouds were continually moving in and ou from the northwest it went from 30-40-60-25%
Raptor Observations: A moderate movement for this time of year. Amazingly, two TV's were able to migrate in this very strong wind Non-migrating -- One adult BE, and at least one RT, but probably more
Mark Hessler arrived shortly before I left and stayed fo another half-hour
Non-raptor Observations:
Predictions: Tomorrow's winds will be about half as strong as today's, beginning from the NNW and changing to the NNE. Not the most ideal conditions for migrating hawks, but birds that were pushed toward the coast today might find the conditions more suitable tomorrow.
I have a doctor's appointment in the morning, so will not be able to be on site until the afternoon ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=239
Date: 11/12/24 4:47 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 11/12 Redhead Continues at Chestnut Hill Reservoir, etc.
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 22:09:51 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson<petersonpaul63...> Subject: 11/12 Redhead Continues at Chestnut Hill Reservoir, etc.
I birded here from 12:50-3:00. Nice to see Bev Chaisson.
Pied-billed Grebe 2 Ruddy Duck 53 REDHEAD 1 near Gate C Woods Ring-necked Duck 70 Lesser Scaup 1 American Coot 35 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Barred Owl 1 thanks small songbirds for going berserk! Golden-crowned Kinglet 3 Nearby fire 1 resulting in hazy air and noise from fire trucks
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 21:58:34 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson<petersonpaul63...> Subject: 11/11 Horn Pond Reservation Highlights
I birded at this place in Woburn from 12:30-4:40:
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Great Egret 1 Great Blue Heron 1+ Gadwall 2 American Black Duck 1 Hooded Merganser 14 (fifty-three at Winter Pond in Winchester) Ruddy Duck 2 Ring-necked Duck 1 scaup sp. 1 American Coot 59 Bald Eagle 1 perched in tree at pond's edge; way down Killdeer 1 Barred Owl 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 ad. male near edge of golf course Hairy Woodpecker 2 Brown Creeper 1+ Golden-crowned Kinglet 3 Carolina Wren 2+ Dark-eyed Junco 5 White-throated Sparrow 5 Spring Peeper 1
Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 13:30:00 Total observation time: 5 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks, Steve Tysz
Weather: Variable cumulus-cloud cover (70%>90%>80%>50%>40%). Strong, blustery wind 14-18 mph. Temperature 42-43 F.
Raptor Observations: Single-digit flight; some flying relatively low, others quite high overhead. Not counted as migrants: Turkey Vulture, 3 Bald Eagles (adult + two immature birds), Cooper's Hawk, 1 or 2 hunting Red-tails.
Non-raptor Observations: Canada Geese 7, Common Merganser, Mourning Dove, Hairy Woodpecker, American Crows 40, Common Ravens 2, Black-capped Chickadee, American Pipits 12 in one flock, Dark-eyed Juncos 3, Red-winged Blackbirds ca. 60 in one flock. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Date: 11/12/24 2:05 pm From: Stuart <stuarttwalker...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] A hawk and a raven walk into a bar
This afternoon I watched a raven (we have at least one pair in the neighborhood) and a hawk (I had no bins but it seemed slimmer than a red-tail and about the size of the raven) flying together, now one on top, now the other, while each called and appeared to assert dominance in turn. There didn’t appear to be actual physical contact but the back and forth went on until they were out of sight. I frequently see and hear ravens in my neighborhood in Forest Hills, a part of Boston sandwiched between the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park, two large wooded spaces.
Great to see the recent postings on American Crows and Fish Crows! As fall migration winds down the overnight
communal winter crow roost numbers are growing weekly!
Recent research by Prof. Andrea Townsend at Hamilton College has clarified the seasonal movement patterns of
American Crows, blending observations of migration and nightly roosting. Reports from New England locations like
Mt. Wachusett and Portland indicate that while some crows undertake long-range migratory journeys, others engage
in roosting flights to nearby urban areas. Hamilton’s research shows that northern crows migrate 100-500+ miles
southward in fall, stopping at urban roosts where warmth and food are abundant, such as in Portland and Lawrence.
These roosts play a vital social role, enabling younger crows to learn survival skills from older ones. Townsend’s
work suggests that both migration and roosting behaviors are intertwined, driven by environmental factors and
reflecting complex social structures. Her findings offer new insights into American Crow adaptation and behavior!
In regard to the counting process and accurately documenting the local numbers, the 2023 Audubon Christmas Bird Count
(CBC) for the Andover Circle, the Crow Count recorded 11,600 Crows (including American and Fish Crows), down
from 13,750 in 2022. Over the past 8 years, the numbers have peaked near the end of January. Donna Cooper continues to
coordinate the Andover Circle count each year. Improved counting methods were used, including open-source counting
software and hand counts at the roost, to enhance accuracy. For more details, refer to the newly published roost counting
guide on the main page of our blog.
Crows in the news:
New York Times (Oct. 29, 2024): Fascinating story on Crows, their memories and holding grudges with interview
notes from my friend, Prof. John Marzluff, who joined us in 2019 on a local Crow Patrol outing. John was also a
guest on the Crow Patrol podcast!
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/28/science/crows-grudges-revenge.html
Bird Watcher's Digest: (Sept/Oct 2024) Eight page Species Profile on the Ameerican Crow with the last page dedicated
to the history and geography of winter crow roosts, with highlighted mention of our national roost blog.
Bird Watcher's Digest: (Nov/Dec. 2024) Six page feature story authored by my friend David Bird, asking how "Can Drones
Save Our Birds?" David has also visited the winter crow roost roost in Lawrence. The article mentions the crow roost in
Lawrence and how we are utilizing innovative aerial imaging to significantly enhance and refine the roost counting process.
The numbers at the Lawrence roost are growing weekly in leaps and bounds. Please visit the blog to read the two latest
entries from early November with action photos and dazzling slow motion videos!
Date: 11/11/24 2:57 pm From: Mark Fairbrother <bogelfin...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Waterfowl Nov 10 Pittsfield, and 11th Whiting Street Res, Holyoke
Yesterday (Nov 10), there was a good selection of waterbirds at Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield. Included were:
D. c. Cormorant 3 Great Blue Heron 1 Am. Coot 6-7 Am. Wigeon 1f Wood Duck 1f Green-winged Teal 2 Ring-necked Duck several dozen Greater Scaup 20-25 (I thought Greater) RUDDY Duck 1, possibly 2 f Hooded Merganser 75+ Common Merganser 40-50 Sadly, no sign of the previously reported Canvasback or the Redhead
Today Nov 11:
Redhead continues, in the company of 15-20 Ring-necked Ducks. Pressed for time, so didn't check out the ducks at the north end of the lake.
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 12:00:00 Total observation time: 3 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers:
Visitors: Approx. 20-30 hikers and their dogs.
Weather: Very windy with gusts over 25 mph, from the SW. Temps in the low 40s. Mostly sunny to start, but high stratus clouds increased over time, dimming the light. There was a mild haze line in the air that moved higher as the morning progressed. Visibility was good all morning. The overlook was on the lee side of the mountain, so the winds were very sporadic. Wind speeds shown below were taken from the Worcester airport reports, and more accurately reflect what the birds were probably experiencing.
Raptor Observations: I observed from the North Rd overlook today. No migrating birds were seen, and only a few local raptors, probably largely due to the strong SW winds. The locals didn't come up until after 10 am. I called it a day at noon after 3 hours with no migrating birds.
Non-migrating raptors: Bald Eagle - 2 (Ad & Juv flying together) Red-tailed Hawk - 2 (minimum number. 2 seen flying near each other, but singles were also seen)
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Canada Goose - 43 Comm Merganser -2 duck sp - 3 gull sp - 22 (likely Ring-bills) Red-bellied WP - 1 Hairy WP - 1 Snow Bunting - 8 Amer Robin - 3 Blue Jay - 2 Amer Crow - 4 (not migrating) Comm Raven - 2 BC Chickadee - 2 T Titmouse - 1 WB Nuthatch - 2 Amer Goldfinch - 1
Predictions: We're not planning a watch for Monday. Light rain all night (we need it!) and then strong WSW winds all day. We're not expecting birds to move with this kind of headwind. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Date: 11/10/24 5:21 pm From: GLENN D'ENTREMONT <gdentremont1...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] RHWO behavior(s) observed-protecting the house
Today I observed the Red-headed Woodpecker on the TTOR Jewell Hill property.
I observed interesting behaviors. The bird was silent until it flew to ground for acorns then chattered a sound which seems to be diagnostic for this species since I have heard it several times and only when RHWO has been present. The bird flew up with it to this single tree and pounded it into same opening which apparently is to break it apart since it took the pieces and dropped down the tree and put the pieces into crevices in the tree (I also saw a Red-belly also doing this. It spent most of the 20 or so minutes I was observing doing this task; however, one time it flew in a beeline to another tree and began to chase two Blue Jays. I presumed this tree also had stashed acorn pieces because the jays seemed to be trying to pull at spots on the tree. The RHWO did it successfully, then came back to continue its task. A second round with a jay occurred at the tree I was observing and the jay did not want any business with this bird which is about 85% the size of the jay! in length and weight (per Sibley).
Glenn
Glenn d'Entremont: <gdentremont1...> Stoughton, MA
Our trip this past Sat [11/9] was to bird a few locations along the eastern Ct coastal in late fall which was ambitious as we traveled from Drumlin Farm to Stonington and ended at Hamonassett Beach SP - basically give the participants an introduction to these locations along with finding a nice mix of birds. As the weather turned out that morning, a very sunny day with a strong cool [maybe called cold] breeze making conditions good to see raptor but challenging in the beginning to see the passerines - fortunately the winds died down later in the afternoon making for more passerine movement. First stop was in Stonington at the Saltwater Farm Vineyard [permission is needed] where we quickly saw a male Hooded Merganser in a channel and a Cooper's Hawk zip by. As we walked this trail along the marsh edges, we found a few species like Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Red-b Woodpecker, Juncos, Red-tailed Hawks but not the mixture we found scouting a few days earlier with Sapsuckers, Saltmarsh Sparrows, E Meadowlark, etc.=C2=A0 A few days earlier, a Sedge Wren, Sora & Virginia Rails were seen in the marsh Only 7 minutes away, we visited Barn Island WMA [still strong cool winds] as we birded down to the 1st impoundment to scan the marshes and bird along the edges. We did hear 1 Virginia Rail call, enjoyed various hawks flying about like a Red-shouldered, Red-tails & Cooper's Hawk - missed seeing the Goshawk & Merlin seen the previous day. As we walked back to the car, we enjoyed 3 Hermit Thrushes close up, Goldfinches, Wht-thr Sparrows, Red-bellied & Downy Woodpeckers, etc. Barn Island WMA is a huge property with extensive marshes and duck impoundments and excellent trail system such that one could spend the whole day birding this one location - a few days early in the marsh, a Yellow Rail was flushed along with Sora & Virginia Rails, Marsh Wrens, Saltmarsh Sparrow & more Next stop was Harkness Memorial SP that has excellent mudflats, marshes, thickets and ocean viewing - again a location that more hours could have been spent. Right off we spotted a f Baltimore Oriole, Mockingbirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Killdeers, Blk-bellied Plovers, Bufflehead, Hooded Mergansers, Black Ducks, Ruby-cr Kinglet as we walked around. At the Point as we scanned the ocean, we spotted an Osprey feeding, a Peregrine Falcon shooting by, flock of Brant, C Eiders, Surf & Black Scoters, many Red-thr and a few C Loons, Dunlin, Laughing Gulls, etc. Nearby Harkness is a spot only known as the Secret Spot which we visited - a small area with a loop trail going through field, scrub full of berries, stream, wooded edges - right off we enjoyed a Palm Warbler feeding on the ground, Purple Finches in the berries, Red-bellied & Downy Woodpeckers, Sharp-shinned Hawk flying low overhead, a f Northern Harrier hunting the field, Golden-cr Kinglets, then a Bald Eagle overhead - then out pops a stunning Fox Sparrow - 2 days earlier when scouting, an Orange-cr Warbler was in the same spot along with Towhees, E Meadowlark & much more After lunch, we headed to Hammonassett Beach SP with limited time to get a few target birds which was successful as we quickly found the Long-billed Dowitcher feeding along with several Gt Yellowlegs and Dunlin - great looks as we could compare the various ID features of these species - near the car in the dirt parking lot, 7 N Horned Larks put on a show for the folks while a Gt Egret flew into the marsh - a great ending to this cool windy day as we ended up with 62 species - the raptor show was great all day with our only real miss was a Merlin - all day we had many Turkey Vultures with several Black Vultures mixed in. Thanks like always to Leslie Bostrom, Dan Fournier, Lindsay Neubeck for all their driving and bird ID skills - great team plus a great group of participants - wonderful combination! Our last trip for 2024 from Drumlin Farm is Sat. 11/23 as we cover some of the top birding locations in Bristol County [see trip description below for info] - Dec. I get tied up with Christmas Bird Counts and then the holidays. I do believe early Jan. we have some trips to start the New Year off with a bang https://www.massaudubon.org/programs/drumlin-farm/93367-birding-bristol-cou= nty Strickland Wheelock Uxbridge MA
Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 13:30:00 Total observation time: 5 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks, Steve Tysz
Weather: Cloudless; milky-white horizons; wind NW 10-11 mph; temperature 43-47 F.
Raptor Observations: There was a considerable movement of buteos prior to 10:00 EST, when I arrived. Steve did his level best, tallying 20 buteos, but was unable (he is new to hawk watching) to distinguish Red-tails from Red-shoulders at a distance -- hence the unusually high count of unidentified buteos. At least one of the eagles he observed was a Golden Eagle. After 10:00, the flight gradually diminished to nothing.
Non-raptor Observations: Canada Geese: 19 skeins spotted and a few others heard passing unseen high overhead; a very rough estimate of the total is 1,200. Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Ravens 2, Tufted Titmouse, American Robins 2 (eating winterberries), American Pipit, Purple Finch, finch species (10, probably Purple Finches), American Goldfinches 3, SNOW BUNTINGS 2, Dark-eyed Junco. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=107
Date: 11/10/24 5:44 am From: Paul Champlin <skua99...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Raptors on the 9th
Astounded at the paltry numbers recorded inland. Westport was amazing, with a dozen bald eagles passing, many red-shoulders, several harriers, merlin, kestrel, red-tail, and other migrants (and 3 cave swallows).
I'm currently perched on the coast now, and raptors are absent so far, but 200+ siskins and 18 purple finch are just a few of the fun things moving through. Very busy.
Paul Champlin,
Westport, MA
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
Get Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>
Observation start time: 10:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Paul Vanderhoof, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Thanks to Tom Gottschang and Paul Vanderhoof who came up on a cold, windy day to help out. Paul's friend Mike spent some time with us. Approximately 25 hikers passed by; a few stopped to chat.
Weather: Another windy day, but this time the winds were from the north. Clear "Blue screen of death" sky. Temps 40-44 F. Wind gusts at the summit and at Worcester airport were reported at 20-25 mph. The air was very dry and quite clear - visibility was very good.
Raptor Observations: Faced with the propect of gusty winds, we observed from the North Rd overlook where the wind speed varied quite a bit. Despite the northerly winds, we counted only 5 migrating birds, and a few locals. The local Red-tails made repeated appearances all session. We did get a really nice look at a migrating Red-shoulder and later at a local Cooper's Hawk as they passed nearby.
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: A very good day for geese. Canada Goose - approx 253 (7 skeins) goose sp - approx 410 (5 skeins - likely Canada's, but too far away for positive ID) Comm Merganser - 1 Amer Black Duck - 6 N Bluebird - 1 Snow Bunting - 3 (minimum number) GC Kinglet - 2 Red-bellied WP - 1 Blue Jay - 2 Amer Crow - 80 (including groups of 25, 4, 14 & 34 headed west) Comm Raven - 2 BC Chickadee - 1 T Titmouse - 1 WB Nuthatch - 1
Predictions: The status of Sunday's watch is up in the air right now. The forecast is for SW winds at 10-15 mph with partly sunny skies and temps in the 40s. If we decide to go up, it will be to the North Rd overlook again. If you go up and no one is there, please send any sightings to Eric by email. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Predictions: Light SW winds not favorable for raptor migration ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=239
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2024 01:06:57 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson<petersonpaul63...> Subject: 11/7 Mt. Auburn Cemetery Highlights
11:00-4:00:
Great Blue Heron 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1+ Mourning Dove 13+ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Brown Creeper 1+ Golden-crowned Kinglet 4 Carolina Wren 3 Hermit Thrush 6 Pine Warbler 1 pine tree on Story Rd. Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Field Sparrow 1 Willow P. area (thrush pool) Chipping Sparrow 2 Willow Pond area Swamp Sparrow 1 Willow Pond Song Sparrow 6 White-throated Sparrow 20 Dark-eyed Junco 30 Red-winged Blackbird 3
Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 12:45:00 Total observation time: 4.25 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: Jim Reid, John Weeks, Steve Tysz
Visitors: Local resident Svetlana and Oscar the dog.
Weather: Mostly cloudy at first, becoming mostly sunny (85% cloud cover decreasing to 35%). Wind NW 8-16 mph. Temperature 57-63 F.
Raptor Observations: Third Golden Eagle of the season, an immature bird, at 9:45 EST; a mediocre view at distance. Not counted as migrants: Black Vulture, adult Bald Eagle, eagle species, 2 or more Red-tailed Hawks.
Non-raptor Observations: Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Ravens 2, American Robins 5, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, medium-sized passerines (silent flock of ca. 25). ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=107
Observation start time: 09:45:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 4.25 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Cindy Rost, Paul Vanderhoof, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Thanks to Tom Gottschang (who showed up before Eric arrived, and decided to hike up to the summit and back just for the exercise), Paul Vanderhoof and Cindy Rost who hiked up to join Eric at the overlook.
About 20 hikers walked by with about 10 large dogs. A few stopped to enjoy the view and ask what we were doing.
Weather: Quite windy with W to NW winds at 8-15 mph average and gusts above 30 mph. Partly cloudy to partly sunny skies, predominately cumulus clouds. Temps varied only from 59 to 62 F. Visibility was good to very good with a light haze in the air. The cloud base stayed around 5,000 ft most of the time.
Raptor Observations: Because of the heavy winds, we observed from the North Rd overlook instead of the summit. 30 mph wind gusts are no fun.
Eric started 45 minutes later than planned (furnace repairs take precedence!) Not very busy raptor-wise. The birds really had to fight against the strong gusts early in the day, and we only saw 1 migrating bird before 11:30 am. The bird of the day was the juvenile or sub-adult Golden Eagle that Paul spotted heading off to the west. We spotted a few local TVs, and the local Red-tails made multiple appearances throughout the day.
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Snow Bunting - 8 (seen by Tom when he hiked up to the summit before coming back to North Rd) Canada Goose - 13 (1 skein) Blue Jay - 2 Amer Crow - 148 (most headed west) Comm Raven - 2 BC Chickadee - 4 T Titmouse - 6 Red-bellied WP - 2
Predictions: No watch is planned for Friday due to strong SW to W winds.
Saturday should have solid NW winds and sunny skies, so we'll probably go up then despite temps just into the 40s. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Date: 11/7/24 5:06 am From: Childs, Jackson <jchilds...> Subject: Re: [MASSBIRD] RFI - Red Crossbill feeding observations
Hi,
Back in June I encountered a flock of what I assume are Red Crossbills at Pondicherry wildlife refuge in New Hampshire. I don't think I've ever seen the species before, so I was a bit surprised. I was able to get some ok video of them feeding on Tamarack, with some audio of their calls at the end.
________________________________
From: <massbird-approval...> <massbird-approval...> on behalf of Barbara Volkle <barb620...>
Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2024 11:00 PM
To: <massbird...> <massbird...>
Subject: [MASSBIRD] RFI - Red Crossbill feeding observations
Thanks to Dr. Cody Porter for information about his research and his request for information.
Barbara Volkle
Northborough, MA
<barb620...>
*
From: C<empidonaxdvg...>
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2024 19:34:42 -0400
Subject: RFI - Red Crossbill feeding observations
Hi all,
I'm writing to follow up on my previous requests for observations of
eastern red crossbills feeding on conifers.
This is an especially interesting year and time of year for crossbill
feeding behavior. Last year there was a massive white pine cone crop in the
Northeast that lots of type 12, type 2, type 4, and type 1 crossbills fed
on until rather late in the spring. There does not seem to be such a
massive cone crop this fall and most of the types 2 and 4 have returned to
the western US. As such, I'm interested in seeing what the diets of the
type 12 and 1 birds look like in a more "normal" year.
As a reminder, I'm looking for audio recordings of crossbill calls from the
eastern US/Great Lakes with information on the conifers the birds are
feeding on. The recordings do not have to be made with any advanced
equipment - many phone recordings are sufficient. Pictures of the conifer
cones are most helpful. However, if you are comfortable with conifer
identification, notes on which conifers crossbills are feeding on are also
valuable.
Based on contributions from over 100 folks across the eastern US, I've
accumulated nearly 1,000 (!) records of eastern red crossbills and the
conifers they're feeding on. If you're interested, I've posted a little
blurb on my website (
https://ckporter.weebly.com/eastern-red-crossbill-ecology.html)
illustrating and describing the preliminary data for type 12, the crossbill
I have the most data for and am most interested in for this project.
Although there are some intriguing patterns in the data so far, describing
the feeding ecology of type 12 and other eastern call types will require
*much* more data across many seasons and years. So, if you have crossbills
in your area, please consider uploading recordings and conifer information
to eBird. I've also created an iNaturalist project (link below) where
observations can be uploaded. If you don=E2=80=99t use eBird or iNaturalist, please feel free to send me any observations directly.
Thanks a ton for considering my request. Please feel free to reach out with
any questions. Also, please pass this onto anyone you think might be
interested in participating.
Date: 11/6/24 10:27 am From: Jeffrey Gantz <jeffreymgantz...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Black-throated Gray Warbler at Mount Auburn Cemetery
Was still there today (November 6), just off Willow Pond. It’s not
favouring the Almy Road beech as much as I gather it did Sunday and Monday,
but yesterday and today it showed up there at 11 a.m. almost on the dot, in
company with some Yellow-rumped Warblers, and gave good looks for a few
minutes. Not so easy to track down when it’s not in the beech. Waited for
three hours yesterday and two today, but it did finally appear. Southwest
winds in the forecast suggest it may stick around for at least the next
couple of days.
Date: 11/6/24 6:57 am From: Robert Ross <plumisl...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] What I Learned from My Feeders
Like many nature enthusiasts, my bird feeders bring an opportunity to more closely interact with nature through observation and reflection. Here are some insights I have learned from watching my backyard birds feed.
If I fail to keep my feeders stocked, for perhaps a few weeks due to travel, the birds in my backyard move on to find other sources of food. I have neighbors who also feed them. This causes a lull in my backyard as bird activity drops off slowly at first then nearly in total. A few stick around including Carolina Wrens, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, American Robins, an occasional obnoxious Blue Jay, and the ever-present Crows. A Raven remains and perches occasionally in the tallest dead tree. But many songbirds leave.
When I put out new seed, the activity begins immediately. It takes less than an hour. The first to come back are Tufted Titmouse and White-breasted Nuthatches. A Chickadee, usually only one, accompanies them. Within the hour after arrival, a Goldfinch flies in. Recently, we watched a single Goldfinch come and go over a couple of days, after refilling all the feeders. We knew many more were in the wings.
By the second day, House Finches, Northern Cardinals, Bluebirds, more and more Titmouse, more Chickadees, and Mourning Doves fly in. All of this activity begs the question of how the word gets around quickly. The birds' excited chirps and calls clearly attract more of their own and other species. This cross-communication is fascinating to witness because it appears this has less to do with the sense of smell most animals, vultures, and birds of prey often reply on to find food. This behavior appears to rely mostly on sound.
Of course, we know birds communicate across species through warning calls. That proves to be fortuitous when the inevitable Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks follow the excitement. It typically takes these hunters 3-4 weeks to catch on to the newly active supply of prey in our yard, but it rarely takes much longer.
Another phenomenon has emerged. Bird activity around our feeders brings in birds who are less likely or unlikely to feed on the food we supply. Pileated Woodpeckers often show up before the first week of re-supply is up. Though we put out two suet feeders, we have never seen a Pileated eat from these, The Pileated in our neighborhood much prefer shredding our dead trees. But we rarely see these birds when the feeders quiet down.
Last spring, after filling the feeders, an American Pipit appeared in the yard. Warblers seem to be attracted as well. We see the activity in the oaks and other trees around our yard pick up when the feeders are full. A flock of European Starlings is not rare in the yard. All of this activity dies down dramatically when the feeders need filling.
This fall in the mid-afternoon, a Great Horned Owl appeared near the top of one of our pines. I have never seen one in the afternoon before, except in Florida and that one was sleeping. It simply flew in to watch. All the excited chirping likely raised its curiosity. A Pine Warbler appeared and we also picked up a Dickcissel on the Merlin app, which we did not see. Our backyard bird list, kept over the last six-plus years, now lists 80 species.
Watching birds at our feeders offers another lesson--timing feeder feeding patterns to time birding trips. I have discovered holding to these patterns when birding in a wild environment often pays off. We know birds feed very early in the morning, at or shortly after sunrise. We knew they also feed at the end of the day, becoming active in the hours before dusk. Our feeder birds have a very consistent third meal time—lunch.
Their lunchtime is consistently from 12:30-2:30 every day. There is sporadic activity earlier, but rarely before noon. Daily savings time does not change this pattern. As the lunch hour is from the stated time during daylight savings, it merely falls back to 11:30-1:30. They feed consistently every day at the same intervals.
Many times I have planned midday and afternoon birding trips around this consistent lunch time. As an example, I spent several hours observing and photographing shorebirds in mid-September. Arriving just after 10:30 AM, I found nearly all of them resting in and among the wrack line. These were flocks of Sanderlings, Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Dunlins, and a few loners, including an American Golden Plover. There was virtually no movement of activity when I first came to the beach.
As if on cue, by my watch, at 11:40, the birds started to stir. By 12:30 nearly all were foraging below the tide line. They began to fly in and out in bursts. Harriers became visible working over the tree line. A raft of Common Eiders suddenly appeared and swam by. It was all suspiciously related to an internal clock set to instigate feeding activity at approximately the same time our backyard birds become active in mid-day.
There are notable exceptions, of course. The gulls are certainly on their own schedule, as are the egrets and herons. But where no Greater Yellowlegs had been seen an hour before, now there were four along the waterline. Groups of Sanderlings formed up and challenged the waves. Flocks of Least Sandpipers suddenly took to the wind. Then by 2:30, all quieted down again.
I have no scientific data to prove my hypothesis. I am only in the observation stage and it is unlikely I would advance to research more. However, if I miss out on seeing a rare bird because it was seen very early in the morning, I know I have a very good chance to see it in the midday lunch window. This I can report, has consistently worked for me. I have also applied this timing to birding trips around the U.S. It has paid off nicely.
I would be glad to hear if mine matches other's observations of feeding patterns at their feeders applying to bird activity in more natural settings.
Date: 11/5/24 9:11 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Early Nov -Yellow Rail
Thanks to Strickland Wheelock for this announcement.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2024 04:30:33 +0000 (UTC) From: Strickland Wheelock <skwheelock...> Subject: Early Nov -Yellow Rai
l This coming Sat 10/9, we are doing a 1-day birding trip to the CT coastline squeezing in Hammonassett Beach SP we Barn Island plus a few rarely birded productive areas. This time of year, one can find some nice surprises in C=T which we discovered talking to this college student who he and friends walked in waders a few coastal marsh ditches - a few of their finds were a Yellow Rail flushed, Sedge Wren up close, Sora, Saltmarsh Sparrows, Virginia Rails, Am Bittern & a host of other quality species just the past few days - think we will pass on the waders but we will cover the same locations.Today's scouting trip with Leslie Bostrom did have several highlights starting with Orange-cr Warbler, Virginia Rail, several Purple Finches, Am Kestral, E Meadowlarks, Saltmarsh Sparrows, close looks at Red-s and Cooper's Hawks, Blk Vultures, Sapsuckers, Am Pipits, Dunlin, many Red-thr Loons, Black & Surf Scoters, etc - in total we found 60 species - goal was how to structure a trip to cover the key areas, show the participants some of CT's easterly top coastal birding locations despite a long drive to & fro - in the process, see many quality species. Strickland Wheelock Uxbridge MA
Date: 11/5/24 3:23 pm From: Robert Ross <plumisl...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Backyard Birding Observations
Like many nature enthusiasts, my bird feeders bring an opportunity to more closely interact with nature through observation and reflection. Here are some insights I have learned from watching my backyard birds feed.
If I fail to keep my feeders stocked, for perhaps a few weeks due to travel, the birds in my backyard move on to find other sources of food. I have neighbors who also feed them. This causes a lull in my backyard as bird activity drops off slowly at first then nearly in total. A few stick around including Carolina Wrens, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, American Robins, an occasional obnoxious Blue Jay, and the ever-present Crows. A Raven remains and perches occasionally in the tallest dead tree. But many songbirds leave.
When I put out new feed the activity begins immediately. It takes less than an hour. The first to come back are Tufted Titmouse and White-breasted Nuthatches. A Chickadee, usually only one, accompanies them. Within the hour after arrival, a Goldfinch flies in. Recently, we watched a single Goldfinch come and go over a couple of days, after refilling all the feeders. We knew many more were in the wings.
By the second day, House Finches, Northern Cardinals, Bluebirds, more and more Titmouse, more Chickadees, and Mourning Doves fly in. All of this activity begs the question of how the word gets around quickly. The birds' excited chirps and calls clearly attract more of their own and other species.
This cross-communication is fascinating to witness because it appears this has less to do with the sense of smell most animals, vultures, and birds of prey often reply on to find food. This behavior appears to rely on sound.
Of course, we know birds communicate across species through warning calls. That proves to be fortuitous when the inevitable Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks follow the excitement. It typically takes these hunters 3-4 weeks to catch on to the newly active supply of prey in our yard, but it rarely takes much longer.
Another phenomenon has emerged. Bird activity around our feeders brings in birds who are less likely or unlikely to feed on the food we supply. Pileated Woodpeckers often show up before the first week of re-supply is up. Though we put out two suet feeders, we have never seen a Pileated eat from these, The Pileated in our neighborhood much prefer shredding our dead trees. But we rarely see these birds when the feeders quiet down.
Last spring, after filling the feeders, an American Pipit appeared in the yard. Warblers seem to be attracted as well. We see the activity in the oaks and other trees around our yard picking up when the feeders are full. A flock of European Starlings is not rare in the yard. All of this activity dies down dramatically when the feeders need filling.
This fall in the mid-afternoon, a Great Horned Owl appeared near the top of one of our pines. I have never seen one in the afternoon before, except in Florida and that one was sleeping. It simply flew in to watch. All the excited chirping likely raised its curiosity. A Pine Warbler appeared and we also picked up a Dickcissel. Our backyard bird list, kept over the last six-plus years, now lists 80 species.
Watching birds at our feeders offers another lesson--timing feeder patterns to time birding trips. I have discovered holding to these patterns when birding in a wild environment often pays off. We know birds feed very early in the morning, at or shortly after sunrise. We knew they also feed at the end of the day, becoming active in the hours before dusk. Our feeder birds have a very consistent third meal time—lunch.
Their lunchtime is consistently from 12:30-2:30 every day. There is sporadic activity earlier, but rarely before noon. Daily savings time does not change this pattern. As the lunch hour is from the stated time during daylight savings, it merely falls back to 11:30-1:30. They feed consistently every day at the same intervals.
Many times I have planned midday and afternoon birding trips around this consistent lunch time. As an example, I spent several hours observing and photographing shorebirds in mid-September. Arriving just after 10:30 AM, I found nearly all of them resting in and among the wrack line. These were flocks of Sanderlings, Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Dunlins, and a few loners, including an American Golden Plover. There was virtually no movement of activity when I first came to the beach.
As if on cue, by my watch, at 11:40, the birds started to stir. By 12:30 nearly all were foraging below the tide line. They began to fly in and out in bursts. Harriers became visible working over the tree line. A raft of Common Eiders suddenly appeared and swam by. It was all suspiciously related to an internal clock set to instigate feeding activity at approximately the same time our backyard birds become active in mid-day.
There are notable exceptions, of course. The gulls are certainly on their own schedule, as are the egrets and herons. But where no Greater Yellowlegs had been seen an hour before, now there were four along the waterline. Groups of Sanderlings formed up and challenged the waves. Flocks of Least Sandpipers suddenly took to the wind. Then by 2:30, all quieted down again.
I have no scientific data to prove my hypothesis. I am only in the observation stage and it is unlikely I would advance to research more. However, if I miss out on seeing a rare bird because it was seen very early in the morning, I know I have a very good chance to see it in the midday lunch window. This I can report, has consistently worked for me. I have also applied this timing to birding trips around the U.S. It has paid off nicely.
I would be glad to hear if mine matches other's observations of feeding patterns at their feeders applying to bird activity in more natural settings.
Observation start time: 12:30:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 0.5 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: Gary Adamson
Weather: Mostly sunny; unseasonably warm (up to low 70s F).
Raptor Observations: One Harrier. Not counted: Red-tailed Hawk.
Non-raptor Observations: Flushed a Ruffed Grouse on my way down from the hilltop. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2024 23:33:39 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson<petersonpaul63...> Subject: 11/3 Arlington Reservoir Highlights
I birded here from 1:30-5:00, walking around the reservoir twice. i also hit Lex Farm twice, and Cataldo Reservation once. All three places are contiguous to each other:
Double-crested Cormorant 2 Great Blue Heron 1+ Green-winged Teal 20 American Black Duck 7 Mallard Duck x Hooded Merganser 11 Ring-necked Duck 2 Bufflehead 5 Ruddy Duck 19 Cooper's Hawk 1 had been hidden in farm grass! It flew out, probably due to my presence Red-tailed Hawk 1 farm at dusk Wild Turkey x heard one call Great Horned Owl 2 male and female calling; farm area Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 Hermit Thrush 1 Swamp Sparrow 2 incl. one in restored meadow at edge of ball field White-throated Sparrow 8 mostly in Cataldi calling at dusk Red Squirrel 2 black squirrel 1 variant of Gray Squirrel
Date: 11/4/24 5:11 pm From: Josh <opihi...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] MA RBA: BTGray at Mt Auburn!
Hi MassBirders,
I just saw on FaceBook, in the Massachusetts Rare Bird Alert group, that a Black-throated Gray Warbler was found in Mount Auburn Cemetery yesterday (Sunday 11-3):
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter:
Observers: Jon Skinner
Visitors: None
Weather: Yesterday's hawkwatch report from Jon Skinner: The morning started at a cool 34F and warmed up to a comfortable 48F with the sun shining bright. Skies were completely clear in the morning except for low hanging haze, mostly to the east, likely due to recent brush fires. Thin clouds started forming in the afternoon but didn't help make the birds easier to spot. Winds remained a constant 6-8mph out of the NW.
Raptor Observations: I was expecting a typical quiet start to the morning that is typical for late-season hawkwatching but I had a good variety, right out of the gate in the first hour. The American Goshawk was very much a highlight and got me excited and motivated for the rest of the day. Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks were the most frequently seen birds of the day with a good handful of each representing the overall count of migrants for the day. The other highlights of the day, albeit not migrants, was one of the latest Black Vultures for the hawkwatch and double feature of Red Crossbill and White-winged Crossbill. It might not be a big flight year for finches but there's still some to be found. Also notable was the constant stream of American Crows moving southward during the day. Wachusett Mountain has been reporting consistent numbers of crows moving through as well. I suspect that a good number of these crows are joining the evening roost in Fitchburg.
Non-migrant Raptors: Black Vulture 1 Bald Eagle 8 Red-tailed Hawk 7
Non-raptor Observations: Canada Goose 58 goose sp. 165 gull sp. 6 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Blue Jay 26 American Crow 1174 Common Raven 15 Black-capped Chickadee 10 Tufted Titmouse 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Eastern Bluebird 1 American Robin 1 Purple Finch 7 Red Crossbill 2 White-winged Crossbill 1 Pine Siskin 1 American Goldfinch 1 Snow Bunting 1 passerine sp. 17
Predictions: No formal count planned. If you count any raptors at Mount Watatic the rest of the Fall, please email me your sightings <at14hawks8owls...> As we enter November, many excellent species begin to peak their migration, highlighted by Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks. Migrant Bald Eagles have been plentiful in later months as well. You also have an increased chance at wonderful rarities like Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle and Rough-legged Hawk in these colder months. I encourage folks to explore Watatic during the late Fall, especially on days with NW winds! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Brian Rusnica (<brian_rusnica...>) Mount Watatic information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=229
Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks, Steve Tysz
Weather: Blue Sky of Despond until 1 PM EST. Cirrus clouds began to appear; cloud-cover increased to 50%, then declined to 25%. Wind NW 6-8 mph until the last hour, when it became variable and extremely light (2 mph). Temperature 43-52 F.
Raptor Observations: Not quite two dozen raptors, mostly Turkey Vultures and Red-tails, availed themselves of the favorable winds. Highlight was another male "gray ghost" Harrier at 1:45 EST. Not counted as migrants: Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagles 3 (two adults, one immature), Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk (immature), Red-tail.
Non-raptor Observations: BIRD OF THE DAY: Two SNOW BUNTINGS. Canada Geese ca. 490, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crows 63, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadees 5, Tufted Titmice 2, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebirds 5, American Robins 5, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Juncos 7, Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Predictions: Lousy (ESE/SE) winds; no watch planned. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=107
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 14:15:00 Total observation time: 5.25 hours
Official Counter: Bill Rasku, Eric Mueller
Observers: Bill Rasku, John Edmondson, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Thanks to our team today - Tom and John who both hiked to the summit to join Eric, and Bill who hiked up to the North Rd overlook. Bill froze in the shade, while the rest of us "basked" in the sunlight. A good job by all, and a reasonably fun time for most.
Hundreds of hikers, bikers and dogs took advantage of the great visibility to come to the summit on a sunny Sunday. It would have been more crowded up top except that the ski area wasn't letting people from the Food Truck Festival get off the ski lift at the top. That worked for us!
Weather: Nearly cloudless skies with 4-7 mph NNW to N winds, and temps from 31 to 42 F. The sunshine and light winds made dealing with the low temperatures tolerable at the summit. Bill felt the chill of direct winds and little sunlight at the North Rd overlook. Visibility was very good. There was a slight haze in the air that kept us from identifying Mt Washington with any degree of confidence, but it had no effect on ID'ing the birds. The humidity was very low and the barometric pressure was very high.
Raptor Observations: Another very good count for early November here. Eric, Tom and John watched from the summit, while Bill took up his regular spot at the North Rd overlook from 11 am to 2:15 pm. After resolving a few duplicate sightings, we counted a total of 85 migrating raptors today, 42 from the summit and 43 from North Rd. There were no special sightings, just birds that we expected.
Non-migrating raptors: TV - 2 Bald Eagle - 3 (Adult) Red-tailed Hawk - 4 Unident. buteo - 1
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: A fair number of apparently migrating crows, but only 1 skein of geese today. We didn't see any Snow Buntings.
goose sp - 70 Comm Loon - 1 Blue Jay - 3 Amer Crow - 263 moving E to W in 9 groups. 4 non-migrating birds. Comm Raven - 4 BC Chickadee - 2 Y-B Sapsucker - 1 GC Kinglet - 1
Predictions: No watch is currently planned for the next two days. Monday's forecast calls for temps in the low 40s, SSE winds and almost no sun. Tuesday's calls for strong SW winds. Neither day sounds like good enough weather to justify the hike up.
Just a reminder that the auto road is closed to vehicles until next Memorial Day. If you happen to go up on your own, please send your sightings and time of sightings to Eric <atericmueller1912...> Thanks! ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers: Bill Shapiro, Carol Powers
Visitors: Many hikers who stopped to ask what we were doing. Bill Shapiro's friend Ross Kennedy also helped spot birds for us
Weather: Mostly light (1-2) N-NW winds throughout the day, with intermittent, but infrequent gusts up to 10 km/hr. Temperature went from 2-6-5° C. Cloud cover began with small cumulus clouds covering 65% of the sky, increased to about 75%, before decreasing to 3% at 1PM, and then increasing to 20% at 2 PM
Raptor Observations: Small movement of raptors, all of which were soaring and passing the Rock very high in the sky (3-4) Non-migrating -- at least 3 adult Bald Eagles, one of which was harassed by a Raven, and at least one RT, possibly more
Non-raptor Observations: Birds -- 9 CAGO, the afore-mentioned Raven, and one DE Junco
Predictions: Very light NW winds are predicted for Monday morning changing to SSE in the afternoon. Tuesday's winds will be strong but from the SW. I will not be on site on Monday or Wednesday, but may come to the Rock on Tuesday. From Thursday to Monday I will be attending the Hawk Conference in Duluth. As of this moment, moderate to strong winds from the west on Friday are predicted to stay strong but shift to the NW on Saturday. If anyone can cover the Rock on either of those days it would be much appreciated. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=239
Date: 11/3/24 2:54 pm From: Janice F. Jorgensen <jjpcpanama...> Subject: Re: [MASSBIRD] Halloween X: The Return of Josh's Birding Trip
It was a perfect trip.. great company.. 8000 steps according to my Iphone and a FOY bird for me in the Black Vulture.
thanks so much, Josh.. Where are we going next?
> On Nov 3, 2024, at 4:53 PM, Josh <opihi...> wrote:
>
> Hi MassBirders,
>
> This fall, HBC’s Janice Jorgensen prompted me to reanimate my formerly annual Halloween-ish birding trip to Satan’s Kingdom, Hell’s Kitchen, and nearby places in Franklin County, the 10th iteration of this trip. I met up with my group at the power canal in Turners Falls, and we started with a short walk there. The canal’s water level is still far below normal, so birds were few and mostly passerines. The highlight was probably a close-up Brown Creeper right by the parking lot just before we left.
>
> We organized into a couple of carpools and headed toward Northfield. Our first stop up there was the Sawyer Ponds that bracket the south end of Old Vernon Road, where we tallied over 30 Wood Ducks plus a few each Ring-necked and American Black.
>
> From there we proceeded to Hell’s Kitchen, a large marshy wetland. A group of 10 Green-winged Teal greeted us in the first small section of the Kitchen. A couple of Killdeer headlined the larger portion. A flock of goldfinches that descended to the water’s edge to drink brought a female/immature plumaged Purple Finch with them. Pine Siskins called from overhead but did not follow the other finches to the water. A Hermit Thrush was eating Euonymus berries at the edge of a nearby residential yard, and a Winter Wren skulked beneath a horizontal tree trunk near the shoreline.
>
> We continued into Satan’s Kingdom Wildlife Management Area. Just a few minutes after we left our cars, a Black Vulture soared low overhead. A few more Killdeer, Wood Ducks, and GW Teal populated the pond, and we continued hearing Pine Siskins overhead, joined at one point by another Purple Finch. After we left the Kingdom, we drove nearby Caldwell Road, which sadly had dried out and lost the shorebirds which had been reported here in recent weeks (given the late date, those birds would likely have left by today even if the fields had been still muddy).
>
> We stopped for lunch at the Upper Bend Cafe in Turners Falls, with 39 species on our trip list. We agreed that we needed to crack 40 before calling it a day, and made one last stop at Unity Park by Barton Cove. The Cove obliged us with our first Hooded Mergansers, Double-crested Cormorant, and Mute Swans of the day, bringing us to 42 for the trip. (I personally had 44 on the day, having spotted a pre-trip Great Blue Heron in Leverett on my way to meet the group, and an adult accipiter, not sure whether Cooper’s Hawk or Sharpie, over the power canal parking lot just after the rest of the group left)
>
> Good birding!
>
>
>
> Joshua S. Rose, Ph.D.
> Amherst, MA
> https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/opihiman > https://www.facebook.com/opihi >
> Writer/compiler, Bird Observer
> https://www.birdobserver.org/ >
> Columnist, “Earth Matters”
> https://www.gazettenet.com/search?bodysearch=earth+matters > https://www.hitchcockcenter.org/category/earth-matters/ >
> Vice-president, Hampshire Bird Club
> https://hampshirebirdclub.org/ >
> Northeast Chapter head, Dragonfly Society of the Americas
> https://www.dragonflysocietyamericas.org/northeastdsa >
>
>
Enjoy the outdoors, be peaceful in your thoughts, and laugh,
Don't forget to Vote.
Janice F. Jorgensen
150 River Drive
Hadley, MA 01035
<jjpcpanama...> <mailto:<jjpcpanama...> 413-320-9494 (cell) (WhatsApp)
413-585-0145 (home)
Date: 11/3/24 1:58 pm From: Josh <opihi...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Halloween X: The Return of Josh's Birding Trip
Hi MassBirders,
This fall, HBC’s Janice Jorgensen prompted me to reanimate my formerly annual Halloween-ish birding trip to Satan’s Kingdom, Hell’s Kitchen, and nearby places in Franklin County, the 10th iteration of this trip. I met up with my group at the power canal in Turners Falls, and we started with a short walk there. The canal’s water level is still far below normal, so birds were few and mostly passerines. The highlight was probably a close-up Brown Creeper right by the parking lot just before we left.
We organized into a couple of carpools and headed toward Northfield. Our first stop up there was the Sawyer Ponds that bracket the south end of Old Vernon Road, where we tallied over 30 Wood Ducks plus a few each Ring-necked and American Black.
From there we proceeded to Hell’s Kitchen, a large marshy wetland. A group of 10 Green-winged Teal greeted us in the first small section of the Kitchen. A couple of Killdeer headlined the larger portion. A flock of goldfinches that descended to the water’s edge to drink brought a female/immature plumaged Purple Finch with them. Pine Siskins called from overhead but did not follow the other finches to the water. A Hermit Thrush was eating Euonymus berries at the edge of a nearby residential yard, and a Winter Wren skulked beneath a horizontal tree trunk near the shoreline.
We continued into Satan’s Kingdom Wildlife Management Area. Just a few minutes after we left our cars, a Black Vulture soared low overhead. A few more Killdeer, Wood Ducks, and GW Teal populated the pond, and we continued hearing Pine Siskins overhead, joined at one point by another Purple Finch. After we left the Kingdom, we drove nearby Caldwell Road, which sadly had dried out and lost the shorebirds which had been reported here in recent weeks (given the late date, those birds would likely have left by today even if the fields had been still muddy).
We stopped for lunch at the Upper Bend Cafe in Turners Falls, with 39 species on our trip list. We agreed that we needed to crack 40 before calling it a day, and made one last stop at Unity Park by Barton Cove. The Cove obliged us with our first Hooded Mergansers, Double-crested Cormorant, and Mute Swans of the day, bringing us to 42 for the trip. (I personally had 44 on the day, having spotted a pre-trip Great Blue Heron in Leverett on my way to meet the group, and an adult accipiter, not sure whether Cooper’s Hawk or Sharpie, over the power canal parking lot just after the rest of the group left)
Date: 11/3/24 12:03 pm From: John Edmondson <johnedmondsonbbc...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Cancelling Brookline Bird Club walk in Franklin Park next Sunday (Nov 10)
Birders,
The BBC is cancelling the Franklin Park bird walk next Sunday, November 10. There is a large sporting event scheduled at the same time and we don't feel it is practical to bird there at that time and rescheduling isn't practical for the leaders.
Date: 11/3/24 11:40 am From: Robert Ross <plumisl...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Ipswich River Audubon
A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was spotted on 11/2 at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary-Mass.-Audubon. This AM, 11/3, it was out in the open in the field next to the bluebird/swallow boxes, There were 15 photographers there at 7:30 AM, so it was easy to find the bird.
Had my earliest Barrow's (and common?) Goldeneye, a male, at Great Sandy Pond in Pembroke. There are lots of waterfowl there (due to low water elsewhere?):
Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 6.5 hours
Official Counter: Bill Rasku, Eric Mueller
Observers: Bill Rasku, Marilyn Cugini, Paul Vanderhoof, Steve Smith
Visitors: Bill ran the North Rd site by himself, while Paul Vanderhoof, Marilyn Cugini and Steve Smith made some nice sightings while helping Eric out at the summit. Very nice work everyone!
Hundreds of hikers, bikers, sightseers and runners on the mountain today. The Childrens Cancer Fundraiser "Obstacle Course" with around 100 runners was held in the morning. North Rd lookout was the "untie the knot" station, while the summit was "carry the heavy bag of sand" location. The ski area is running its Food Truck Festival this weekend, so the ski lift ran all day.
Weather: A bit of a strange day. Rain wasn't in today's forecast, but the region was dotted all day with isolated rain cells that mostly consisted of fine drizzle. We saw partial rainbows twice. Temps varied only slighty all day, ranging from 46 to 50 F. The winds were a bit lower than forecasted, mostly 4-7 mph with semi-regular gusts to 10+, and sunshine was very sporadic. The low thick clouds in the morning rose up as the day progressed, but the cloud base never quite reached 5000 ft. It ended up being a cold day on the platform. Visibility varied widely as the rain cells moved around, with clear views of Boston all day while Gardner was hidden by rain several times. When clear of rain, we could easily see all of the VT and central NH mountains other than Mt Washington.
Raptor Observations: Bill observed from the North Rd overlook from 7:30 to 2:00 EST (with a weather break from 9:15 to 10:00), while Eric and the others observed from the summit from 9:00 to 2:00. The bird counts were more evenly balanced today than recently, with 31 seen at North Rd and 20 at the summit, with no overlaps. We had a nice range of birds with 9 species represented. Bill sighted another adult Golden Eagle - no sign of white, although it was in mediocre light.
Non-raptor Observations: There were a lot of passerines flying around in small groups today, beyond what is listed below.
Canada Goose - 69 goose sp - approx 100 (probably Canadas - 24 + 36 + ~40) duck sp - 6 Comm Loon - 1 gull sp - 41 Blue Jay - 3 Amer Crow - 158 (11 groups, all headed W to SW) Comm Raven - 4 BC Chickadee - 4 T Titmouse - 1 WB Nuthatch - 1 Downy WP - 1 Red-bellied WP - 1 GC Kinglet - 2 Amer Robin - 169 (5 groups, all headed W to SW) DE Junco - 15 Snow Bunting - 4 blackbird sp - ~250 (all in one group)
Predictions: We're expecting a slightly cooler day on Sunday with temps in the 40's, NNW winds at 5-8 mph, and much sunnier skies than today. The birds should have better thermals to work with, and we'll have better viewing conditions and warmer backs. The porta-potties should remain in place at the summit at least through tomorrow.
The road to the summit is closed to vehicles for the season. Hiking and biking are the approved modes of travel to the summit (no, helicopters and sky diving are not options.) ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 14:15:00 Total observation time: 5.25 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks
Visitors: Steve Tysz spotted many birds during the morning.
Weather: Mostly cloudy all day (varying between 60% and 95% cloud-cover). Wind NW 7-12 mph. Temperature 47-51 F.
Raptor Observations: Given the steady NW winds, the raptor count was a bit of a disappointment, but the second juvenile Golden Eagle of the season more than made up for the low numbers. This vividly marked eagle (white patches, present above and below in the primaries, the bronze mantle and the snow-white base of the tail were all clearly visible) appeared at 2:36 PM EDT and passed slowly by the Hill. It paused once to stoop — wings folded, talons extended — but quickly returned to the sky, soared high and then glided off to the SW.
Non-raptor Observations: Canada Geese ca. 110, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crows 2, Black-capped Chickadees 2, Tufted Titmice 2, Eastern Bluebirds 3, American Robins ca. 200, American Pipits 4, Purple Finches 2, American Goldfinch, finch species 27 (ca. 20 in one compact flock may have been Pine Siskins, but they were silent), Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=107
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 12:00:00 Total observation time: 3 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers: Bill Shapiro
Weather: Winds shifting back-and-forth from NE-NW, but mostly from NE with heaviest gusts of 17 km/hr from the NE; Temperature -- 9-10° C; Cloud cover - heavily overcast with small patches of blue opening and closing
Raptor Observations: No raptors seen
Non-raptor Observations: Birds - 2 DE Juncos
Predictions: Predicted moderate NW winds may bring some migrating raptors ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=239
Date: 11/2/24 5:05 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 11/1 Rusty Blackbird and Winter Wren at Cold Spring Park
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Sat, 2 Nov 2024 20:19:27 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson<petersonpaul63...> Subject: 11/1 Rusty Blackbird and Winter Wren at Cold Spring Park
Hi, I birded here from 12:30-4:00. I thought I heard a Hermit Thrush a little ways into the swamp, so I pished. Up came a Rusty Blackbird. It was then that I remembered that the calls of these two birds are quite similar!
Red-tailed Hawk 1 accipiter sp. 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Brown Creeper 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Winter Wren 1 in middle of swamp (there are many entrances into the swamp. Simply choose any area where boards are lay down) Cedar Waxwing 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler 8 in swamp Dark-eyed Junco 31 in passive field near gog park field Rusty Blackbird 1 near old Eurasian Teal wet area dragonfly sp. 1 Garter Snake 1 Coyote 2+ they're more afraid of you than you are of them) Eastern Chipmunk 2 Gray Squirrel 3 Eastern Cottontail 1
Raptor Observations: Only one definite migrating raptor - an immature Bald Eagle Non-migrating -- CH presumed to not be migrating -soared with BE for awhile before I lost it; 1 RT
Predictions: continued SW winds are not promising ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=239
Date: 11/2/24 8:24 am From: Cliff Cook <ccook13...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Fwd: eBird -- Mount Auburn Cemetery -- Nov 2, 2024
This morning the Brookline Bird Cub held a successful walk at Mt Auburn
Cemetery. 16 participants and the leader encountered 28 species over the
course of about 2.5 hours. Highlights included a continuing stream of
Robins flying overhead as well as several substantial flocks feeding on
lawns and fruiting trees, both Golden Crowned and Ruby Crowned Kinglets,
and 4 Sapsuckers. Birds were clustered in multispecies flocks,
particularly around Halcyon and Willow Ponds.
If any participants would like me to share the eBird list with them please
get in touch.
Cliff Cook
Watertown
---------- Forwarded message ---------
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Nov 2, 2024
8:03 AM
Traveling
2.79 miles
134 Minutes
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 3.1.1 Build 3.1.4
4 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
5 Mourning Dove
3 Common Loon -- Flyovers together early in AM
1 Red-tailed Hawk
4 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker -- Careful count of distinct birds
3 Red-bellied Woodpecker
3 Downy Woodpecker
2 Northern Flicker
15 Blue Jay
6 Black-capped Chickadee
3 Tufted Titmouse
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
9 Golden-crowned Kinglet
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
2 Brown Creeper
2 Carolina Wren
5 European Starling
1 Hermit Thrush
225 American Robin -- Estimate and count and probably low.
3 Cedar Waxwing
6 House Finch
6 American Goldfinch
33 Dark-eyed Junco
15 White-throated Sparrow
7 Song Sparrow
150 Common Grackle
6 Yellow-rumped Warbler
6 Northern Cardinal
Date: 11/1/24 7:15 pm From: Matt S. <accipiter22...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] November 1, 2024: Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston - Continuing Chat & Dickcissel
Hi All,
Greetings from the north! Today while down in Boston in my office I was browsing rare bird alerts, and saw both dickcissel & chat were being seen literally a 45-second walk from me. The chat was hiding by the mural down near South Station, and I could not find it for some time...Then someone turned, as we were all looking into the bushes, and it was practically right next to us, like it was wondering what we were all looking for! It dove right down into the brush as soon as we turned, and I got a 3 second look before it melted into the shrubs. My third chat ever; I think one of their field-marks should be "gives terrible looks"
Next I headed over to look for the Dickcissel; apparently it is extremely drab and barely distinguishable from the house sparrows. I actually did not even see any house sparrows near where it had been, and failed to turn it up, though several other people had seen it previously, so it was definitely there today.
Living in New Hampshire has been nice, as has been living literally on the Massachusetts border; best of both worlds. I've been back to Rock Meadow & Mount Auburn; this autumn was the slowest migration I have seen, so even though I get to go to Parker River nearly constantly now, I have not seen a really broad breadth of autumn migrants.
In our yard, one thing that struck me, almost immediately, is that there is no 'down time' during midday. Living back in Newton, from roughly 11AM through maybe 6PM in the summer, it would be REALLY quiet in our yard. Up here, not so much. The local foraging flock assaults my feeders from sun up to sun down. The two "coolest" moments so far:
I saw some branches moving above our feeders, which are placed at the edge of some newish growth woods. I figured it was a squirrel, but scanned anyway. My eyes almost popped out of my head: Yellow-billed cuckoo!! I got some documentation shots before I lost track of it, but I do wonder if they could breed nearby, I need to keep an ear/eye out in the spring.
The other cool moment was an inundation of grackles. We get random foraging/migrating flocks come through every week or so. I went back and counted this week's from two pictures spanning our front yard......942!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The video was an absolute cacophony.
That's all for now,
Matt s. Newton, NH <Accipiter22...> ----------------------------------
Rose Kennedy Greenway, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US Nov 1, 2024 12:13 PM - 12:48 PM Protocol: Stationary Checklist Comments: Searching for Chat & Dickcissel...brief looks at Chat, dipped on dick 8 species
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 37 Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) X American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) X European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) X House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 8 White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 6 Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2 Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) 1 By mural, continuing....was next to us as we looked into the bushes! looked to the side and it IMMEDIATELY jumped down when we saw it. Got another 3 second look after as it skulked on ground, before it receded into brush.
Red-breasted nuthatches are less often seen in eastern Mass. than farther north. But I have been seeing them at my feeders every day for the past month. Is that the experience of others throughout Mass.? Has the weather somehow contributed to their arrival and duration?
Robert Rotberg
Lexington
> On Oct 31, 2024, at 7:53 PM, Barbara Volkle <barb620...> wrote:
>
> Thanks to Strickland Wheelock for this report.
>
> Barbara Volkle
> Northborough,MA
> <barb620...>
>
> *
>
> Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2024 23:07:13 +0000 (UTC)
> From: Strickland Wheelock <skwheelock...>
> Subject: 2024 banding results
>
> What a spring/early fall of banding at West Hill Dam and to top off that, what a fall from Oct. to Halloween at this historic property in Uxbridge that is managed for the birds, bees & butterflies. When I arrived at this property at 7:30 am this warm morning & knowing we were closing up for the season, a sense of sadness hit me about closing watching flocks of birds swirling around the field, knowing we were going to have our hands full instantly with captures before the heat shuts things down, knowing we could be banding 20 to 40 birds easily a day through next week - yet I am shutting down & need to be patient to next spring. Here is the morning: 20+ Turkeys were walking under 1 unopened net, flocks of Goldfinches and Juncos were swirling about, the 5 species of woodpeckers were calling/feeding, Cedar Waxwings were flying about, a Winter Wren starts singing by one of the nets, Pine Siskins were calling along the marsh with all the Red-winged Blackbirds, Bluebirds were landing in the trees by our banding table, Wht-thr Sparrows and Swamp Sparrows were calling from the marsh edge - those were just some of the obvious species.My faithful team & I quickly started to put up the nets and within minutes, the short net by the banding table already had 9 birds and another close by short net had 5 more - mostly Juncos, a few Song Sparrows, Goldfinches - other nets had Swamp and Wht-thr Sparrows, more Goldfinches, more Juncos - the Winter Wren chose not to get banded which would have been a great ending to an awesome banding year.Once we summarize all the various species & numbers banded & recaptured this 2024 season in Uxbridge, should be very impressive list with highlights like the Dickcissel, Gray-cheeked and Swainson's Thrushes, Lincoln Sparrows, Yellow-thr & Blue-h Vireos, many species of warblers from Canada, Prairie, Nashville, N Waterthrushes, Ovenbirds, etc, several E Kingbirds and Willow Flycatcher, Brown Creepers, N Flicker - even caught at West Hill Dam a Spotted Sandpiper and Killdeer - as you know, every net check often has a surprise like early in the spring, we put up a short net in the field and 1st check, we had a M & F Baltimore Oriole and right next to it a M & F Orchard Oriole plus a Prairie Warbler. Besides collecting much data [goal] from all these captures, one gets to enjoy being in such beautiful habitat early in the morning with its peacefulness yet full of wildlife and song, having a chance to show many children & adults these special birds [could be even a Catbird], having a very special group of volunteers that drive from CT, RI, outside of Boston plus local volunteers that join me early, set up the nets, help extract, record & close up - net result I feel very blessed to be living in such a wonderful town along with having a passion for banding and birding for 70 yrs. - a great combination!
>
> Strickland Wheelock
> Uxbridge MA
>
What a spring/early fall of banding at West Hill Dam and to top off that, what a fall from Oct. to Halloween at this historic property in Uxbridge that is managed for the birds, bees & butterflies. When I arrived at this property at 7:30 am this warm morning & knowing we were closing up for the season, a sense of sadness hit me about closing watching flocks of birds swirling around the field, knowing we were going to have our hands full instantly with captures before the heat shuts things down, knowing we could be banding 20 to 40 birds easily a day through next week - yet I am shutting down & need to be patient to next spring. Here is the morning: 20+ Turkeys were walking under 1 unopened net, flocks of Goldfinches and Juncos were swirling about, the 5 species of woodpeckers were calling/feeding, Cedar Waxwings were flying about, a Winter Wren starts singing by one of the nets, Pine Siskins were calling along the marsh with all the Red-winged Blackbirds, Bluebirds were landing in the trees by our banding table, Wht-thr Sparrows and Swamp Sparrows were calling from the marsh edge - those were just some of the obvious species.My faithful team & I quickly started to put up the nets and within minutes, the short net by the banding table already had 9 birds and another close by short net had 5 more - mostly Juncos, a few Song Sparrows, Goldfinches - other nets had Swamp and Wht-thr Sparrows, more Goldfinches, more Juncos - the Winter Wren chose not to get banded which would have been a great ending to an awesome banding year.Once we summarize all the various species & numbers banded & recaptured this 2024 season in Uxbridge, should be very impressive list with highlights like the Dickcissel, Gray-cheeked and Swainson's Thrushes, Lincoln Sparrows, Yellow-thr & Blue-h Vireos, many species of warblers from Canada, Prairie, Nashville, N Waterthrushes, Ovenbirds, etc, several E Kingbirds and Willow Flycatcher, Brown Creepers, N Flicker - even caught at West Hill Dam a Spotted Sandpiper and Killdeer - as you know, every net check often has a surprise like early in the spring, we put up a short net in the field and 1st check, we had a M & F Baltimore Oriole and right next to it a M & F Orchard Oriole plus a Prairie Warbler. Besides collecting much data [goal] from all these captures, one gets to enjoy being in such beautiful habitat early in the morning with its peacefulness yet full of wildlife and song, having a chance to show many children & adults these special birds [could be even a Catbird], having a very special group of volunteers that drive from CT, RI, outside of Boston plus local volunteers that join me early, set up the nets, help extract, record & close up - net result I feel very blessed to be living in such a wonderful town along with having a passion for banding and birding for 70 yrs. - a great combination!
Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 14:30:00 Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Bill Rasku, Eric Mueller
Observers: Bill Rasku, Paul Vanderhoof
Visitors: 50-60 hikers and bikers, plus 70 "energetic" children and their teachers from Briggs Elementary School in Ashburnham who hiked up and back.
We got to talk a little bit with our friends Sunny, Bob Young and Barbara Hager.
Weather: An unseasonably warm day (62-73F) with a noticeable haze line in the sky (approx 4000 ft.) due to a temperature inversion. Moderate (5-10 mph) W to WSW winds, and a very high cloud layer that was thick enough at times to cast noticeable shadows on the ground. The haze was thick enough to only let us see outlines of Mt Grace and the Uncanoonucs, and to completely hide Boston, Mt Greylock and the VT mountains. The haze eased up a bit in the early afternoon.
Raptor Observations: The temperature inversion and WSW winds seemed to keep the birds flying low today. Eric and Paul V were up at the summit and only counted 6 migrating birds (5 TV and 1 UB), while Bill was down at the North Rd overlook and counted 36. There was no overlap in the sightings - none of the Bald Eagles that Bill counted ever rose high enough to be seen from the summit.
Non-migrating raptors: TV - 8 (1 from the summit) Bald Eagle - 4 (2 Ad, 2 Imm) Cooper's Hawk - 1 (summit) Red-tail - 4 (2 from summit)
Non-raptor Observations: Snow Bunting - 1 (at summit for just an instant - too much noise from all the school kids) Canada Goose - 10 DC Cormorant - 1 Comm Loon - 1 Blue Jay - 1 Amer Crow - 20 (all headed west) Comm Raven - 4 (1 at summit) Chickadee - 2 (at summit) T Titmouse - 1 WB Nuthatch - 1 (at summit) Pileated WP - 1 Downy WP - 1 Red-bellied WP - 1 GC Kinglet - 1 DE Junco - 11 (at summit) Amer Goldfinch - 1 Purple Finch - 1
Predictions: We won't conduct a watch on Friday - early morning rain, then warm humid air with strong SW winds the rest of the day. Saturday and Sunday look good with seasonable temps and moderate N to NNW winds both days.
The auto road has closed for the season. Hiking and bicycling are the only ways up. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Observation start time: 10:00:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 3 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks
Weather: Mostly cloudy to start, then rapidly clearing to become mostly sunny (initial cloud-cover, 60%, diminished to 20%). Low-lying fog persisted in the valleys throughout the watch; Mt Tom was totally hidden until just before I left. Wind variable and light, W/WSW/SW. Temperature unseasonably warm, 65-73 F.
Raptor Observations: What little wind there was came from the wrong directions, with predictable results ââ two birds just barely mustered the effort to be recorded as migrants. The Bald Eagle was an immature, "white-bellied" bird.
Non-raptor Observations: Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jays 2, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmice 2, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, finch species 7, Dark-eyed Juncos 6, Song Sparrow. One dragonfly.
Predictions: Given the unfavorable forecast for the next two days (Thursday and Friday), the next watch will take place on Saturday, November 2nd. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Date: 10/30/24 10:45 am From: Andrea Bean <abean60...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Swarovski Scope setup for sale
Hi all, I am selling my scope as I just don't use it as much as I would like and it has sat in my living room for over a year. It's like new, I just use my smaller Opticrom scope all the time, which is easier for me to carry on my own. Since purchase, I've used it about 15 times, and only once on sand. It also never spent overnight in the trunk, it was always kept in my house.
The scope is an ATS 65 with a curved 20-60x eye-piece. The tripod is a Manfrotto carbon fiber 290 Xtra. The head is a Manfrotto 128RC. I also have a cover. Purchased new the entire kit would be $3365.00. I also have a phone adapter that is adjustable to any size phone. I am selling the kit for $2000.00.
If interested, *please email me directly at: <abean60...> <abean60...> *
Date: 10/30/24 9:54 am From: John Edmondson <johnedmondsonbbc...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Brookline Bird Club Fresh Pond Nov 3 Trip Cancelled/Postponed to November 9
Birders,
The Brookline Bird Club trip to Fresh Pond scheduled for November 3 has been cancelled due to unavailability of the leader. There is a new Fresh Pond trip on November 9 listed on our website, also led by Thomas Michel. Sorry for any inconvenience.
All are welcome on our trips.
We update our website as soon as we have new information. It is a good idea to check the website before heading out on our trips.
Are you going to have a “guided tour” like in the past of this roosting phenomenon?
I haven’t been able to do this but my schedule has freed up this year and is on my bucket list to come to a night time viewing.
Is it a little later in the season?
I’m always awed by the numbers of crows at 4:00 flying over 495 to the Merrimack River. It gives me the chills!
Diane Lightburn
North Andover ma
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 26, 2024, at 10:43 AM, Dana Fox <dana.fox1939...> wrote:
That 30 mile figure is for the daily WInter range of the flock.
On Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 10:36 AM Dana Fox <dana.fox1939...><mailto:<dana.fox1939...>> wrote:
David,
The vast number of crows coming into these nightly roosts are migrants that have come from further north. They typically come from as far away as 30 miles. They are joined by the resident crows at this time of year. Both groups return to their breeding locations in the spring and the resident breeding crows stay on that territory for the summer. Our Lawrence MA nightly roosting crows in October number no more that a couple thousand. By January we have seen the numbers grow to 24,000.
Dana
On Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 9:47 AM David Gulick <dvdgu741...><mailto:<dvdgu741...>> wrote:
I am surprised by the discussion of "migrating" crows. Aren't these simply the typical, nightly, late fall/winter, overnight, in-city roosting flights? I have been witnessing these for decades into Portland late every day in the fall and winter. I rough counted 3,000 in two trees one evening in Portland 15 years ago. The daily in-flights start around 2 pm and continue until dark. Forbush has a considerable section on these nightly roosting events from a century ago. Huge numbers of birds reported flying in to roost nightly in several cities. David Gulick
American Crows from the north are on the move at this time of year.
Friends,
I Wrote the following YESTERDAY -
Four years ago today, I had the distinct pleasure of seeing hundreds of migrating crows from the Woodmont orchard parking lot in Hollis NH which had probably been following the Merrimack River. An hour later, hawk watchers on Mt. Wachusetts reported seeing hundreds of crows passing overhead. That mountain and Hollis are on a direct line SW and the crows were flying at their mph rate.
Yesterday, Eric Mueller, the Mt Wachusetts hawk watcher reported his first flock of migrating crows..
Keep an eye out and please report what you are seeing.
The numbers of crows in Massachusetts winter roosts will begin to swell.
Late December is the peak in my nearby Lawrence MA roost.
We counted at least 312 migrating Amer Crows today at Wachusett Mt. Almost all of them were spotted flying down low by one of our observers who was stationed at a north-facing overlook that's about 500 ft lower than the summit. The birds flew by in the following numbers - 2, 20, 24, 8, 9, 23, 8, 30, 13, 32, 45, 100+ & 28. The 100+ group went by around 3:45 pm EDT.
Hope this helps!
Eric"
What is the likelihood a migration would occur on the same day of the month as four years ago?
By the way, my husband, Bob Fox and I are leading trips to the Lawrence MA American and Fish Crow roost the first week-end of January for the Seacoast Chapter of the New Hampshire Audubon Society and the third weekend of January for the Brookline Bird Club.
Let me know if you are interested in observing the winter phenomena which will occur between 3:30 and 5:30 pm at that time of the year.
Date: 10/29/24 5:40 am From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] MACC Free webinar on Rodenticides
Thanks to Suzanne Sullivan for this announcement.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
*
From: Suzanne Sullivan <swampy435...> Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2024 06:53:12 -0400 Subject: MACC Free webinar on Rodenticides
For anyone interested the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions is holding a free webinar this Wednesday at 12 noon on Rodenticides. Anyone can attend this virtual information webinar . I am working on an article for my town and this year's annual town meeting to ban these substances. 100s of gulls were killed in my town last year likely from poison. If you truly care about birds please find ways to help. This webinar gives you options. Here is the link https://www.maccweb.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1895368
Date: 10/28/24 6:42 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Big Three bird trip results
Thanks toStrickland Wheelock for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2024 15:04:19 +0000 (UTC) From: Strickland Wheelock <skwheelock...> Subject: Big Three bird trip results
Our traditional "Birding the Big Three" trip used to include Bolton Flats & Lancaster Grasslands but due to hunting season for pheasants, time to revi se to a safer agenda. The one survivor of the Big Three was Great Meadows Concord which was our 1st stop on this cool morning and before the strong winds took over the day. As we walked the dike to the Concord River and took the right-hand loop around the marsh, we were greeted by many Swamp & Song & a few Wht-thr Sparrows - a few Marsh Wrens were calling and a surprise Spotted Sandpiper was seen. A few flocks of Green-winged Teal plus Wood Ducks & Mallards joined the many Canada Geese flying about - several Gt-blue Herons were feeding about the marsh [quite dry for the most part] - along the wood line by the river were various woodpeckers [Hairy, Downy, Red-bellied and a N Flicker] plus a Palm Warbler plus a few Yellow-rumped Warblers, Carolina Wrens.One highlight was a male N Harrier swooping over the marsh.Next stop was a quick visit to the Kavasaki Farm Conservation Land property - now the winds were blowing helping to keep the passerines down low - however we had a few highlights at this location being an adult Snow Goose mixed amount a flock of Canda Geese feeding in one of the fields and a flock of Am. Pipits in a plowed field and later flying about, plus a mixture of Red-tailed Hawks and a Cooper's Hawk soaring in the winds.After lunch, on to Horn Pond area which had a nice mixture of species - on the water were 2 Pied-billed Grebes, 1 Gt Cormorants plus several D-C Cormorants, flock of Coots and Ruddy Ducks, 1 female Gadwall, 1 Lesser Scaup, many Mallards and a few Black Ducks, 1 Belted Kingfisher, several Ringed-b Gulls plus a few Herring Gulls, some Gt-blue Herons actively snapping up small fish - again the wind was blowing!Once into the woods and checking out the community gardens, we came across some Ruby-cr Kinglets, Yellow-r Warblers, Savannah & Song & Wht-thr & Swamp Sparrow, Am Goldfinches, Robins & House Finches feeding in the berries, C Grackles & Red-wings in the marshes - also fun at one of the bridges, participants held their hands out with seeds and the Wht-b Nuthatches, T Titmouse and Chickadees would land in their hands to gather up the a free meal.In the end, we did a quick walk to the back fields at Drumlin Farm where there had been a nice mixture of sparrows [Clay-colored & Vesper] plus an Orange-cr Warbler, Cedar Waxwings and more, but the winds whipping made a short trip of this walk. Trip total was 57 species under challenging conditions with the wind.Thanks to Dan Fournier and Lindsay Neubeck for the co-leading and a hardy group of participants this windy day.
Observation start time: 07:45:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7.25 hours
Official Counter: Bill Rasku, Eric Mueller
Observers: Bill Rasku, Eric Mueller, Marty McNamara
Visitors: Approximately 50 hikers and a variety of dogs at the summit.
Weather: What was supposed to be a mostly sunny morning actually started with a solid low overcast that almost completely blotted out views of Mt Monadnock, and spit out light snow flurries from time to time. The cloud base rose to 3,000 ft at 9:30 EST with patches of blue here and there, and then mostly dissipated by 10:30, leaving only very high patchy cloud cover and filtered light at ground level. Temperatures started at 32 F and rose to 46 F by the end of our session. Winds were a bit brisk at first with gusts to 10-12 mph from NE to NW, but tailed off around noon to less than 4 mph from varying directions.
Raptor Observations: Bill arrived at the North Rd overlook at 7:45 am and stayed until 3:00 pm. Marty helped Bill at North Rd from 12:50 to 3:00. Eric hiked up to the summit, arriving at 9:30 am and departing at 2:00 pm.
Sightings are assumed to be from North Rd unless noted otherwise. Duplicate sightings were assigned to the summit location, but there was relatively little overlap. Bill sighted a nice variety of species including an adult Golden Eagle, while the 18 birds that Eric sighted from higher up were primarily Bald Eagles, Red-tails and Red-shoulders. The filtered sunlight washed out a lot of color and details of the birds which resulted in a high number of Unidentifieds.
Canada Goose - 14 gull sp - 13 (North Rd) Blue Jay - 4 (both locations) Amer Crow - 705 (701 counted by Bill as they streamed past all day, including one group of 260. Eric saw 4) Comm Raven - 5 (both locations) BC Chickadee - 4 (both locations) T Titmouse - 3 (both locations) WB Nuthatch - 2 (both locations) Snow Bunting - 1 (foraging on the ground at the summit. FOY) DE Junco - 17 (both locations) Brown Creeper - 1 (North Rd) Downy WP - 1 (North Rd) Wht-thr Sparrow - 1 (North Rd) Amer Goldfinch -1 (North Rd)
Predictions: Now that the auto road is closed until Memorial Day and we have to hike up, we will pick and choose the days that we go up. No watch is planned at this point for either Tuesday or Wednesday due to southerly winds. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Date: 10/28/24 3:45 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 10/28 Fenway Northern Pintail and Nashville Warbler etc.
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2024 21:23:49 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: 10/28 Fenway Northern Pintail and Nashville Warbler etc.
Quite a variety of birds here! I covered a great deal of the Fenway area from 11:15-4:15:
Double-crested Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 1 NORTHERN PINTAIL 1 in river behind war memorials Wood Duck 4 Ring-necked Duck 1 Red-tailed Hawk 2 imm. together, soaring Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 in two of three cottonwoods; calling gave it away; ad. male Brown Creeper 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 House Wren 1 Carolina Wren 2+ Hermit Thrush 2 Nashville Warbler 1 gardens Dark-eyed Junco 20 including flock of seventeen in gardens Field Sparrow 2 one war memorials, one across from back side of M.F.A. Swamp Sparrow 6 several individuals calling from plantings along edge of Muddy River at various spots White-throated Sparrow 19 Song Sparrow 28
Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 12:30:00 Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks
Weather: Overcast for the first hour or so: an interesting stratus formation, looking furrowed or ribbed, then, as it opened up, resembling a blanket of cotton balls. The cloud-cover then diminished rapidly from 100% to 85%, 20%, and 5%). Wind NE 6-9 mph until noon EDT, then E and finally variable 0-4 mph. Temperature 38-46 F.
Raptor Observations: FINALLY! Just northeast of the Hill at 10:20 EDT, a juvenile Golden Eagle abruptly materialized flying low, accompanied by a dozen or so crows, and headed straight towards me. As Goldens so often do, it would pause in its progress and wheel slowly, royally. For a quarter of an hour, I had views, from every angle, of this magnificent bird. The flat light (the sky was still overcast) was perfect for making out every detail of the plumage. The coconut-white coloration of the underwing patches and the basal two-thirds of the tail really popped against the rest of the dark brown body and wings. Later, a Gray Ghost flew directly over my head in the clear blue and, but for the eagle, would have been the bird of the day.
Non-raptor Observations: Canada Geese ca. 300, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Down Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crows 12, Common Ravens 2, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebirds 4, Hermit Thrush, American Robins ca. 60, Purple Finches 2, Pine Siskins 2, American Goldfinch.
Predictions: Execrable east wind, and not much of it. No watch planned. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Date: 10/27/24 6:13 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] RAPTOR ADVOCATES Here's Something We Can Do - On Tuesday Morning At, (9 or 10 ??** AM)
Thanks to Gary Menin, Sr. for this announcement.
Please contact him directly if you wish to be on his email list.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
*
From: gcmeninsr<gcmeninsr...> Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2024 13:48:16 -0400 Subject: RAPTOR ADVOCATES Here's Something We Can Do - On Tuesday Morning At (9 or 10 ??** AM)
As you know, the pace of legislative action towards even nominal
mitigation of the ongoing rodenticide havoc being wreaked on our wildlife (most notably our Birds Of Prey including our national symbol - four poisoned to death in recent years) is slower than molasses flow on a sub-zero day - notwithstanding the multitude of cards. letters. phone calls. meetings, hearings, demonstrations. editorials, etc etc. that have demanded legislative action for over six years now. That's not to say we should stall the push - but there's one parallel thing that just might move our hopes over at least one goal line perhaps a bit quicker.That effort relates to the following action (also see attachment herewith):
- image ommitted-
Though nothing substantive has happened on this petition to date - MDAR does hold periodic meetings during which this petition is discussed. The next such meeting - where this will be discussed - is this coming Tuesday October 29 2024 and it's open to the public via ZOOM. Here's the details to connect:
The more of us that attend the MDAR Pesticide Board public meetings including the subcommittee public meetings, conservationist pesticide advisory council public meetings, and pesticide applicators public meetings - and - make ourselves heard the better !!! *
It's clear to ANYONE outside a cave, that the subject rodenticides do indeed pose an UNREASONABLE ADVERSE RISK TO OUR ENVIRONMENT !!
Featured at this meeting will be Massachusetts' own Rachel Carson in this battle - front liner Jane Newhouse of Newhouse Wildlife Rescue. Here's some compelling thoughts from Jane: "I will no longer stand idly by while I continue to witness the effects of rodenticide on Massachusetts wildlife. After months of attempting to get somewhere with this, I realize that my efforts will not be taken seriously by those in power unless they realize the people of the state have had enough. **One wildlife clinic has been testing birds of prey in our state and 100% have tested POSITIVE for some form of rat poison. To my knowledge, no studies have been done to learn the effects it has had on the rest of our predatory animals - despite the fact that wildlife rehabilitators continue to receive animals in their care that are dying from it. *
- image omitted-
This red fox was only 4 months old when it died a horrible death in our care. Testing of its liver showed three separate types of rat poison in its system. It bled out internally. The animals that eat the rodents in our state are being exposed to rat poison second hand. It happens more than you realize. Here is what I need: An amazing attorney who understands wildlife and state laws. A devoted biologist who would be willing to head a study that tests deceased predators for rodenticide exposure. Someone with political power who shows a genuine interest in the conservation of our local wildlife. And YOU. I need you. Right now. Those in power show interest when they see LOTS of public attention on an issue. The more people react to this post and SHARE it, the more those people are going to notice. **Are you tired of this too? Are you ready to see a change? Then let=E2=80=99s do this - together. I=E2=80=99m asking my = fellow rehabilitators, the humane society, the MSPCA, Animal Control Officers, Veterinary Clinics and residents of this great state to take a stand. I am throwing that rock. I NEED you to be that ripple...." Jane Newhouse of Newhouse Wildlife Rescue*
These public meetings are on ZOOM only. It is through the Pesticide Board and Pesticide Board Subcommittee that all rodenticide registrations and policies are enacted in Massachusetts. For advanced meeting notifications, email Hotze Wijnja <atHotze.Wijnja...>
Let's make that splash for Jane !! Gary Menin, Sr. Talkin' Birds Ambassadorhttps://www.talkinbirds.com/ Advocate For Keeping Our Raptors Poison Free ~
PS: There's conflicting info as to whether it starts at 9 or 10 - I'll try to clear this up tomorrow.*
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks
Visitors: Steve Tysz helped out with the spotting again today. Wes came by with his dog Dinah.
Weather: Sunny, blue skies; haze less bothersome than usual. Wind NW~WNW 7-10 mph. Temperature 41-48 F.
Raptor Observations: Ho-hum, still waiting for an honest-to-God cold front to come through. Not counted as migrants: Bald Eagles 2 (adult and immature), Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk.
Non-raptor Observations: Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jays 2, American Crows 3, Black-capped Chickadees 3, Ruby-crowned Kinglets 2, Hermit Thrush, American Robins ca. 50, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Juncos 2, Common Grackles ca. 20. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Carole Powers, Chris Eddy, Cindy Rost, Dan Rossman, Janet Kovner, Jean Hampel, Joanne Hart, John Edmondson, Marty McNamara, Scott Carlson, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: We had a great turnout of observers for the last day that we could drive up to the summit - more observers than migrating raptors. Many thanks to the crew today for sticking it out in the cold and wind! We enjoyed each others company in between the isolated sightings.
The final day of AppleFest down at the ski area brought hundreds of people up on the ski lift where they joined hundreds of others who hiked or drove up. Very few stayed on the platform for more than a few minutes once they felt the cold wind.
Weather: A little less windy than yesterday, but not by much, and 10 degrees colder all day (36-47 F)...brrr! Winds were out of the West most of the day at 6-10 mph, but with frequent gusts of 15-20+ mph. A virtually cloudless sky mid-afternoon. Visibility was very good all day.
Raptor Observations: The gusty winds seemed to have kept the birds down today. We saw very few migrating birds, and viewing what birds we saw was challenging at times as our optics were bounced around a bit.
Chris, Joanne and Carole went down to the North Rd overlook for a while after I shut down the watch at the summit at 2 pm EST, and saw a local adult Bald Eagle, two local Red-tails, 12 Ravens and 22 migrating Canada Geese, but no migrating raptors.
Non-migrating raptors: TV - 5 Bald Eagle - 4 (3 Ad, 1 Imm) Cooper's Hawk - 1 Red-tail - 4
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Canada Goose - 76 (skeins of 10, 18, 26 & 22) Blue Jay - 2 Amer Crow - 2 Comm Raven - 12 BC Chickadee - 2 WB Nuthatch - 2
Predictions: The road to the summit has now been closed to vehicles until next Memorial Day, so our watches will be more sporadic as we pick and choose which days to schelp our gear up. For Monday, I (out-of-shape Eric) will attempt to hike up to the summit and arrive around 10 am EDT. Bill Rasku will hike up to the North Rd overlook at the same time and we'll compare notes. Winds are expected to be from the NNW to NW at 4-6 mph, with temps from the mid-30s to mid-40s, and sunny to mostly sunny skies. This should be good flying weather and we're hoping for better results than the last couple of days. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Observation start time: 07:45:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 6.25 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers: Visitors: Among all the hikers who said hello, Steve Singer stopped by to chat and discuss yesterday's count
Weather: Moderate (1-3) N-NW winds with maximum, but infrequent gusts up to 22 km/hr. Temperature went from 1-9° C. Cloud cover was 0% until the last hour when about 1% of the sky had sparse clouds.
Raptor Observations: Small movement of raptors Non-migrating -- two possibly three Adult Bald Eagles, with probably the same pair circling together that were seen yesterday. Also one TV
Non-raptor Observations:
Predictions: Monday will be moderate N-NW winds with decreasing cloud cover in the afternoon. As previously stated, I will probably not be on site at all due to medical appointments. Tuesday, winds are predicted from the SSE and after Tuesday night's rain winds will shift to the SW for Wednesday and Thursday and temperatures will rise. Cloud cover may help finding migrants on Wednesday and Thursday when thermals may be expected to develop allowing whatever birds are migrating to fly high. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 12:00:00 Total observation time: 3.5 hours
Official Counter: Brian Rusnica
Observers: Visitors: None
Weather: Extremely brisk - 30° as I left the house today, and only 33° on the summit at 9:30am today. Skies were ice blue, completely cloudless. Winds light from the NW, turning W by afternoon.
Raptor Observations: Just a few hours logged today, and I tracked a few eagles and hawks across long, slow flights below the horizon, trying to turn Balds into Goldens, and 'Tails into Rough-legs. Unfortunately none of our late Fall specialities today. Just a handful of distant birds to add to our numbers for the season. Non-migrant Raptors Bald Eagle 2 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Turkey Vulture 1
Non-raptor Observations: Common Raven 34 Canada Goose 70
Predictions: No formal count planned. If you count any raptors at Mount Watatic the rest of the Fall, please email me your sightings at <14hawks8owls...> As we approach November, many excellent species begin to peak their migration, highlighted by accipiters, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks. Migrant Bald Eagles have been plentiful in later months as well. You also have an increased chance at wonderful rarities like Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle and Rough-legged Hawk in these colder months. I encourage folks to explore Watatic during the late Fall, especially on days with NW winds! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Brian Rusnica (<brian_rusnica...>) Mount Watatic information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Date: 10/27/24 1:42 pm From: Mark Taylor <m.taylor604...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Hatches Harbor to Race Pt. , Provincetown
Hello, After reading reports of good seabird activity out at Race Point we hiked out via fire road to the lighthouse and point! Lots of activity with closeup view of a single Cory’s Shearwater. Having short experience with this species I was unable to identify it as ‘Scopoli’s subspecies, found and photographed by Peter Food the previous day. Great day at the Race! Note from previous day at Race Pt. Parking lot access. 8 Harlequin Ducks made a vanguard appearance just offshore!
Cape Cod National Seashore--Hatches Harbor Fire Road Oct 27, 2024 11:05 AM Traveling 3.88 miles 224 Minutes All birds reported? No Comments: Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 3.1.1 Build 3.1.4
1 Snow Goose 80 Common Eider 20 Surf Scoter 62 White-winged Scoter 2 Black Scoter 8 Red-breasted Merganser 2 Black-bellied Plover 17 Sanderling 6 Black-legged Kittiwake 12 Bonaparte's Gull 23 Ring-billed Gull 60 American Herring Gull 250 Great Black-backed Gull 3 Red-throated Loon 1 Cory's Shearwater 1 Great Shearwater 213 Northern Gannet 22 Double-crested Cormorant 2 Downy Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker 3 Blue Jay 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 White-throated Sparrow 3 Song Sparrow 20 Yellow-rumped Warbler
Number of Taxa: 25
Sent from my iPhone
Mark Taylor 604 Gulf Rd. Northfield, MA <M.taylor604...> Sent from my iPad
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 5.25 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Jon Skinner, Melissa Aldrich
Visitors: My thanks to Jon Skinner and Melissa Aldrich for coming out and sticking around on this windy day. It was great watching for the birds and catching up with both of you.
Many hundreds of sightseers, hikers and bikers. Most didn't hang around on the platform for very long.
Weather: A very windy day on the mountain - WSW to NW winds averaging 10-15 mph with frequent gusts to 20+ mph and occasional 30 mph gusts. Temps from 48 to 58 F, and sunny to mostly sunny skies. There was a light haze that obscured the more distant NH mountains in the morning, but all other landmarks were easily visible. 50-ish% humidity in the morning dropped below 30% by mid-afternoon.
Raptor Observations: The strong gusty winds made following the few migrating birds that we could find difficult. After spotting only 2 migrants and 7 local raptors in the first 3 hours, and getting tired of getting pummeled by the wind, we moved from the summit down to the North Rd overlook where we spent the final 2 1/2 hours and counted 14 more birds. The first Harrier that we saw really struggled against the wind while the first Bald Eagle moved slowly but steadily.
Non-migrating raptors: TV - 2 (minimum number, but very few up in the air) Bald Eagle - 3 (minimum number. 2 Ad, 1 Imm) Cooper's Hawk - 1 Red-tail - 5 Unidentified buteo - 1 (large, distant; possibly one of the Red-tails) Unidentified raptor - 1 (distant, couldn't keep optics steady on it due to the wind)
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Canada Goose - 88 (skeins of 18 & 70) Amer Black Duck - 7 GC Kinglet - 1 Blue Jay - 3 Amer Crow - 113 (109 on the move to W and SW - 48, 58 & 3; 4 local) Comm Raven - 1 DE Junco - 4
Predictions: MA DCR has decided to keep the summit road open to vehicles this Sunday instead of closing for the season today. It looks to be a better day to watch for hawks and for them to migrate. The winds are expected to moderate to a 10 to 12 mph average, coming out of the west. Mostly sunny skies with highs around 50 F. Dress warmly, and enjoy the extra day with easy access to the summit. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Date: 10/26/24 8:41 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Re: [Maine-birds] Amazing American Crow Migration Report from Mt,Wachusett YESTERDAY
Thanks to Steve Plumb for this post.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
*
From: Steve Plumb <steveplumb.me...> Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] Amazing American Crow Migration Report from Mt Wachusett YESTERDAY Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2024 15:00:21 -0400
Peter Vickery, in Birds of Maine speaks of a Aug-Oct migration season with reports of "unusually large flocks" occurring around the state during short periods. Then a winter season with few crows inland and large flocks centered in a few city and coastal locations. The Waterville roost is the largest mentioned at 10,000 birds and smaller roosts in Lewiston, Portland, and Bangor.
The largest flock I've observed passing over my house in Nobleboro was in Oct 2022 if I am remembering correctly. It numbered in the many dozens, possibly low hundreds heading SE over a 20 minute period.
Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers: Bill Shapiro, Jack Miano
Weather: Moderate (3) West winds changed to NW, and although gusts got as high as 21 km/hr at 1400, the winds were never constantly strong; Temperature went from 8-14° C; Cloud cover began with 20% of the sky covered toward the south, and increased to 50% (basically covering the entire southern sky) in the first half hour. From then on as clouds in the southern sky drifted toward the east, cumulus clouds started moving in from the northwest, such that by 1400 60% of the entire sky was covered by scattered cumulus clouds
Raptor Observations: Although 20 migrating birds is not bad for this time of year, I had hoped for more given the predicted winds and cloud cover. Thanks to Jack's "eagle eyes" (pun intended), included among the 20 migrants were 5 BE, including at least one definite immature bird. The five BE bettered our previous yearly high for BE by 5 birds. Non-migrating -- There were both an adult and sub-adult BE that were flying together and did not seem to migrate; there were also at least several non-migrating RT
Non-raptor Observations: Birds -- 115 Canada Geese, and 1 Great Blue Heron
Predictions: Hopefully, tomorrow's relatively strong West winds and the cold front that tonight's NW winds are bringing will bring some more migrants. Monday's winds also look to be favorable. Due to medical appointments on Monday I will not be on site until late afternoon if at all. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 10:00:00 Total observation time: 3 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers: Weather: Light (2) NW winds soon turned to even lighter (1) winds from the North with maximum gusts at beginning of the watch at 13 km/hr Temperature went from 4-7° C. Cloud cover began at 0% and ended at less than 1%
Raptor Observations: No raptors of any kind seen -- migrating or non-migrating
Predictions: NW winds should bring some birds ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
Date: 10/26/24 5:27 pm From: <jim.berry3...> <jim.berry3...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 142 County Rd., Ipswich (home), Oct 26, 2024
142 County Rd., Ipswich (home)
Oct 26, 2024
Protocol: Incidental
Checklist Comments: We had a terrific bird ON OUR DECK today: a yellow-throated warbler. We saw it for only a few minutes late in the afternoon. Then it apparently flew back over the mere quarter-mile between here and 16 Meadowview, where it was also seen today. So it is the same bird. I didn't post it because of the lateness of the hour, but i'm posting in now so you can be prepared to see it in the morning. HOWEVER, at the same time we discovered two leaks in our kitchen ceiling, coming from upstairs bathroom. A plumber is coming at 0830 tomorrow to try to fix the problem, so if you come here, please make it after about 11 because i will be preoccupied with our plumbing problem as long as the plumber is here. I will email the list again after the plumber leaves to give you whatever I know about the warbler as of then. Besides, this bird has been seen almost entirely in late afternoon, so this delay should not inconvenience anyone.
2 species
Common Grackle 40 big flock again
Yellow-throated Warbler 1 See notes above; this is, clearly, a new yard bird. I have much experience with this species in Texas, and this bird has yellow lores and is therefore of the dominica subspecies from the east coast, as opposed to albilora of the midwest.
Date: 10/26/24 7:19 am From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Re: [Maine-birds] Amazing American Crow Migration Report from Mt Wachusett YESTERDAY
Thanks to David Gulick for this pot.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
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From: David Gulick <dvdgu741...> Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] Amazing American Crow Migration Report from Mt Wachusett YESTERDAY Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2024 09:47:19 -0400 Cc: nhbirds <nhbirds...>, <massbird...>, Maine birds <maine-birds...>, Margaret Huber <hubermargaret7...>, Wayne Petersen <reedpetersen44...>
I am surprised by the discussion of "migrating" crows. Aren't these simply the typical, nightly, late fall/winter, overnight, in-city roosting flights? I have been witnessing these for decades into Portland late every day in the fall and winter. I rough counted 3,000 in two trees one evening in Portland 15 years ago. The daily in-flights start around 2 pm and continue until dark. Forbush has a considerable section on these nightly roosting events from a century ago. Huge numbers of birds reported flying in to roost nightly in several cities.
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7.75 hours
Official Counter: Bill Rasku, Eric Mueller
Observers: Bill Rasku, Christine Restell, Eric Mueller, Jean Hampel, Ted Purcell, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Thanks to our hard-working teammates at the summit and at North Rd, and to Michael from Leominster who helped Bill out at the North Rd.
Hundreds of hikers and sightseers and their dogs on the mountain today.
Weather: Clear blue sky most of the day (sigh...) Temps ranged from 41 to 56 F. The 4-7 mph winds that were forecasted didn't show up until mid-afternoon, leaving the birds with little to work with above summit level. Humidity was low. There was a light haze but all landmarks were visible, including a shadowy Mt Washington. We noticed some heat shimmer in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations: Bill Rasku observed from the North Rd overlook, while the rest of us were at the summit. Bill outcounted us by 4-to-1 margin, with duplicate sighting counts evenly assigned. A lot of birds just weren't getting the lift they needed to get into the summit team's sightlines. TV's predominated. There were quite a few distant birds that had to be put in the Unidentified categories.
The bird of the day was the light-morph Rough-legged Hawk that Bill saw fly up out of a tree down below and head west. The Rough-leg was the first of the season for us and completed our season's tick list of the 16 species that we expect to see at our site during the Fall migration.
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Canada Goose - 193 (20, 32, 38, 60, 15 & 28) seabird sp - 2 (large buff-colored birds with M-shaped wings while gliding) MODO - 4 Hairy WP - 1 RB WP - 1 N Flicker - 1 Blue Jay - 5 Amer Crow - 312 (2, 20, 24, 8, 9, 23, 8, 30, 13, 32, 45, 100+ & 28) - all but 2 seen from North Rd Comm Raven - 16 BC Chickadee - 4 T Titmouse - 4 WB Nuthatch - 4 Yellow-rump Warb - 2 DE Junco - 8 WhtThr Sparr - 2 Br Creeper - 1 Am Goldfinch - 1 GC Kinglet - 2 Carolina Wren - 1
Predictions: Saturday's forecast is for mostly sunny skies, temps in the mid to upper 50s, and strong (10 to 20 mph) WNW winds. These will be challenging, but hopefully rewarding, conditions.
Saturday may be the last day that you can drive up to the summit this season (there's a rumor of a Sunday opening that I'll check on), so come up while you can! ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
More site information at hawkcount.org:https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=228
Date: 10/25/24 2:37 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Hooded Warbler Emmanuel College Boston
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
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Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2024 19:19:10 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: Hooded Warbler Emmanuel College Boston
I had literally just started birding (at 2:40 p.m.), when I scanned the row of evergreen shrubs at Emmanuel college along The Fenway (actual name of road). This is at the corner of Avenue Louis Pasteur and The Fenway. WOW! Crazy!
Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 12:30:00 Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks
Visitors: Steve Tysz, who once again was a big help with spotting migrants, and his dog Luna.
Weather: Cloudless sky with hazy horizons. Wind NNW, veering gradually to NE, then backing to WSW; wind speed diminished from 5-8 mph in the a.m. to 4-7 mph in the p.m. with frequent lulls. Temperature 46-60 F.
Raptor Observations: Few raptors were moving today. The Unidentified Raptor may have been a Golden Eagle, but distance and the chronic haze made it impossible to be sure. Not counted as migrants: Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk.
Non-raptor Observations: Blue Jay, American Crows 27, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebirds 12, American Robins 21, Purple Finches 5, American Goldfinches 2, Dark-eyed Juncos 4, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Date: 10/25/24 8:03 am From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Re: [Maine-birds] Migrating Crows - Please report
Thanks to Margaret Huber for this post.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...> *
From: Margaret Huber <hubermargaret7...> Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] Migrating Crows - Please report Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2024 09:29:51 -0400 Cc: nhbirds <nhbirds...>, <massbird...>, Maine birds <maine-birds...> To: Dana Fox <dana.fox1939...>
Great report. Is this truly migration or seasonal movements? Will they stay south? Margi
Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 14:45:00 Total observation time: 5.25 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: Austin Stokes, John Weeks
Visitors: Steve Tysz and his dog Luna; once again, Steve pointed out several birds I would otherwise have missed.
Weather: Mostly sunny (cloud-cover down to 5% by mid-afternoon); dense haze at horizon level; wind NNW to NW 10-15 mph. Temperature 60-62 F.
Raptor Observations: Seven species of migrants noted today, with Turkey Vultures the most numerous. A late-season, juvenile Peregrine Falcon was one of two highlights of the watch (see non-raptor observations for the other). Red-tails still stubbornly refuse to begin moving south at this site.
Non-raptor Observations: BIRD OF THE DAY: Two SANDHILL CRANES flew over the Hill at 10:55 EDT ??? only the fourth record at this site that I know of. Mourning Doves 2, Down Woodpecker, Blue Jays 2, American Crows ca. 30, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadees 3, Ruby-crowned Kinglets 2, Cedar Waxwings ca. 12, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Purple Finches 7, Dark-eyed Juncos 6, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Date: 10/25/24 7:50 am From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Parker River NWR closure - 10/26 -10/27 - details below
From Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Complex on facebook:
NOTE: Lot 1 will be closed to all vehicles from opening through 4pm on Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27, to accommodate a training event. A pedestrian path will provide access to the Lot 1 Boardwalk and restrooms. Other parking lots are not affected. Thank you for your patience.
Date: 10/25/24 7:31 am From: Barbara M Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Parker River NWR closure - 10/26 -10/27 - details below
From Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Complex on facebook:
NOTE: Lot 1 will be closed to all vehicles from opening through 4pm on Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27, to accommodate a training event. A pedestrian path will provide access to the Lot 1 Boardwalk and restrooms. Other parking lots are not affected. Thank you for your patience.
Date: 10/24/24 6:31 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Winter waterfowl in Gloucester
Thanks to Caroline Haines for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
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From: caroline haines<chaines49...> Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2024 20:43:12 -0400 Subject: Winter waterfowl in Gloucester
Gloucester’s inner harbor is accumulating winter waterfowl. In the last two days: 42 surf scoters, 2 horned grebes, 2 r b mergansers, 5-6 common loons , and the usual crowd of eiders. The two bald eagles who bred here this year were spotted at their nest today. Caroline Haines Gloucester <Songbirder...> Sent from my iPhone-please excuse brevity, typos, or insults.
Date: 10/24/24 5:11 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 10/24 Purple Finch and Lincoln's Sparrow at Hammond Pond Newton
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
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Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2024 23:27:35 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson<petersonpaul63...> Subject: 10/24 Purple Finch and Lincoln's Sparrow at Hammond Pond Newton
Hi, I birded at Hammond Pond and some of the contiguous conservation areas from 3:15-5:15:
Great Blue Heron 1 Wood Duck 9-17 Killdeer 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Carolina Wren 3 Hermit Thrush 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 brushy edges of peat bog with the Swamp Sparrows, etc. Swamp Sparrow 10 White-throated Sparrow 10 Purple Finch 1 Old Deer Park; singing on tree top near twelve House Finch
Date: 10/24/24 5:06 pm From: <jim.berry3...> <jim.berry3...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Parker River NWR, Oct 24, 2024
Parker River NWR
Oct 24, 2024 9:25 AM - 12:20 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.5 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Bob Watts and I birded PI to the old pines and back, driving about 4 miles and walking another half-mile. We heard that the scissor-tailed flycatcher had not been reported in a couple days so did not drive to the south end. Shorebirds were black-bellies, greater yellowlegs, and semi sandpipers. Sparrows were song, savannah, clay-colored, field, and white-throated. Weather was sunny, warm, and breezy.
27 species
Canada Goose 32
Gadwall 6
Mallard 1
American Black Duck 160
Green-winged Teal 32
Mourning Dove 5
Black-bellied Plover 5
Greater Yellowlegs 12
Semipalmated Sandpiper 100 estimate of flock of small sandpipers in flight; a few could have been other peeps
Bonaparte's Gull 1
American Herring Gull 30 estimate
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Egret 6
Great Blue Heron 5
Turkey Vulture 1
Northern Harrier 2 juvs. 3 sightings of widespread singles, but only two entered.
Blue Jay 4
Tree Swallow 1
House Finch 1
Clay-colored Sparrow 1 continuing at sub-hq
Field Sparrow 1 sub-hq (aka "the warden's)
White-throated Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 1 sub-hq
Song Sparrow 11
Eastern Towhee 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 14:45:00 Total observation time: 6.75 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Chris Eddy, Christine Restell, David Brown, Evan Lipton, Greg McGuane, Jack Miano, Janet Kovner, John Edmondson, Mark Morris, Ted Purcell, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: We had a really good turnout of observers today. Many thanks to everyone for contributing to a fine day.
Several hundred sightseers and elementary school students came up to the summit today. Our friend Carl stopped by to spend some time with us.
Weather: A warm day for late October (56 - 60F) but still about 10 degrees cooler than the past few days. The day started with almost full cloud coverage, thick enough to really darken the landscape. Then the predicted mild cold front moved through between 9 and 10 am EST, giving us two very quick, light rain showers. The sky cleared up greatly, and the northerly winds picked up into the 8-12 mph range (with gusts to 18 mph) for two hours which coincided with the heaviest movement of the day. The winds subsided into the 4-7 mph range for the rest of the day and the bird count eased off, but stayed pretty steady for the rest of the session. Visibility was very good and there was much less haze than the last 3 days.
Raptor Observations: A very nice count for late October with 104 birds passing through. As expected, TVs were the most numerous but Sharpies and Coops made nice showings as well. The bird of the day was an adult American Goshawk which made a quick pass along the north edge of the summit and then plunged down to the west. This was the 2nd Goshawk of the season here, exactly 1 week after a juvenile was spotted here by two of the same spotters, Mark Morris and Evan Lipton. You guys are encouraged to come back as often as possible! Christine and John were also on the summit both times and undoubtedly added to the good mojo. This was the first time since 2018 that we've had more than one Goshawk in a season up here.
The better weather brought out the local non-migrating raptors as well: TV - 7 Bald Eagle - 6 (minimum number. 2 Ad, 3 Imm, 1 Juv) Cooper's Hawk - 1 Red-tails - 4 (including the continuing adult that always holds its tail at a 45 degree angle "/" and its wings at slightly different angles from each other.)
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Canada Goose - 5 waterfowl sp - 12 shorebirds sp - 3 Hermit Thrush - 1 Blue Jay - 7 Amer Crow - 14 (4 groups migrating) Comm Raven - 9 (all in one kettle) T Titmouse - 2 WB Nuthatch - 1 DE Junco - 15 Purple Finch - 9 (2 groups) GC Kinglet - 2 Yellow-rump Warb - 2
Predictions: We're expecting that today's passage of the cold front and much lower temperatures overnight (into the 30s) will get the birds moving again tomorrow. Daytime temps should get into the much more seasonable 50s, along with sunny skies and 4-7 mph winds that stay in the NNW to NW direction until noon and then drift over to W by mid-afternoon. All of this is just right for a good flight. We're hoping for at least one more big push of Turkey Vultures in the next few days. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Craig Jackson
Observers: Bill Shapiro
Weather: Moderate (2) SW-SSW winds throughout much of watch, although at times the winds shifted to the WSW; Temperature 14-20° C; cloud cover began with about 10% in the northwest horizon, then became about 20% scattered cirrus clouds, and ended with about 1% cirrus clouds. Raptor Observations: small movement of raptors - CH and SS harassing each other as they came over the Rock Nono-migrating - 2 TV and at least 2 RT - that were dog-fighting
Non-raptor Observations: Birds -- about 140 DC Cormorants in two flocks, a Pileated Woodpecker, a Blue-headed Vireo, a YR Warbler, and a DE Junco
Predictions:
Thursday should be a good day with strong NW winds; Saturday and Sunday also look promising with strong W-NW winds. I can not be on site on Thursday until late afternoon, if at all. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Craig Jackson (<crleja1949...>)
Date: 10/23/24 8:35 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] moderator -spam happens
Spam isn't just a canned food or something of interest to Monty Python fans - it's something that happens when participating email accounts get hacked and send email to lists like massbird.
I've blocked the poster whose account sent along spam to massbird.
What you can do is scan your device for malware and viruses, change your password regularly, and help keep this stuff to a bare minimum.
Thanks for your help.
Once again, I encourage all of you to share your sightings, events, insights, questions and other birding content on massbird. The vibrancy and existence of the list depends on your contributions through your posts.
Thanks for your support over the years.
Barbara Volkle moderator MASSBIRD Northborough, MA
Date: 10/23/24 8:05 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] RFI - Red Crossbill feeding observations
Thanks to Dr. Cody Porter for information about his research and his request for information.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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From: C<empidonaxdvg...> Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2024 19:34:42 -0400 Subject: RFI - Red Crossbill feeding observations
Hi all,
I'm writing to follow up on my previous requests for observations of eastern red crossbills feeding on conifers.
This is an especially interesting year and time of year for crossbill feeding behavior. Last year there was a massive white pine cone crop in the Northeast that lots of type 12, type 2, type 4, and type 1 crossbills fed on until rather late in the spring. There does not seem to be such a massive cone crop this fall and most of the types 2 and 4 have returned to the western US. As such, I'm interested in seeing what the diets of the type 12 and 1 birds look like in a more "normal" year.
As a reminder, I'm looking for audio recordings of crossbill calls from the eastern US/Great Lakes with information on the conifers the birds are feeding on. The recordings do not have to be made with any advanced equipment - many phone recordings are sufficient. Pictures of the conifer cones are most helpful. However, if you are comfortable with conifer identification, notes on which conifers crossbills are feeding on are also valuable.
Based on contributions from over 100 folks across the eastern US, I've accumulated nearly 1,000 (!) records of eastern red crossbills and the conifers they're feeding on. If you're interested, I've posted a little blurb on my website ( https://ckporter.weebly.com/eastern-red-crossbill-ecology.html) illustrating and describing the preliminary data for type 12, the crossbill I have the most data for and am most interested in for this project.
Although there are some intriguing patterns in the data so far, describing the feeding ecology of type 12 and other eastern call types will require *much* more data across many seasons and years. So, if you have crossbills in your area, please consider uploading recordings and conifer information to eBird. I've also created an iNaturalist project (link below) where observations can be uploaded. If you don=E2=80=99t use eBird or iNaturalist, please feel free to send me any observations directly.
Thanks a ton for considering my request. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Also, please pass this onto anyone you think might be interested in participating.
Date: 10/23/24 7:13 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 10/23 Black-throated Blue and Orange-crowned Warblers Fenway,Victory Gardens.
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough,MA <barb620...>
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Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2024 23:32:24 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: 10/23 Black-throated Blue and Orange-crowned Warblers Fenway Victory Gardens.
I birded in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston today, covering the victory gardens and beyond:
Wood Duck 4 American Black Duck 100 estimate; probably more Mallard Duck 140 wild guess Red-tailed Hawk 1 imm. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 war memorials area Brown Creeper 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 Carolina Wren 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 found by Luke; in elm end of Row D; also in Row E (near dusk) Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Row W Blackpoll Warbler 4 oaks opposite Emmanuel College Field Sparrow 3 two gardens, one war memorials White-throated Sparrow 30 Song Sparrow 15 Monarch 1+ Cabbage White 3
PS: A Short But Excellent Video Featuring One Communities Perspective On This Ongoing Tragedy Is Linked Here:**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE9OgIIhKwE
Observation start time: 10:15:00 Observation end time: 13:15:00 Total observation time: 3 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks
Weather: Mostly sunny (40% cloud-cover) the first hour; clouds diminished rapidly to practically nothing by 1:00 PM EDT. Wind SW the whole time, 10-14 mph with gusts up to 17 mph. Temperature unseasonably warm again, 70-74 F.
Raptor Observations: Only Turkey Vultures attempted to fly south against the headwinds ââ and at least four of them came back north. Not counted as migrants: 4 Black Vultures (swooped up from behind the trees on the top of the hill and circled over my head no more than 50 to 100 ft up), adult Bald Eagle, 2 Red-tails. Non-raptor Observations: The birds seemed to be hunkered down on account of the wind. Blue Jay, Common Raven, Purple Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warblers 2.
Predictions: Sunshine and stiff winds again, but from the NW/NNW this time. Strong NW winds ââ between 10 and 20 mph ââ usually force migrants to pass east of Blueberry Hill, so I'm not getting my hopes up. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Date: 10/23/24 6:09 pm From: Spector, David (Emeritus) <spectord...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Birds of North America sets available for free
Two sets of the original hard-copy Birds of North America(1992-2002) are available for free. This series consists of 716 fascicles, roughly one for each species* that breeds or bred in "North America" (U.S., including Hawai'i, and Canada), packaged in 18 boxed sets of 40 each.
If you are interested or want more information contact me.
David Spector Belchertown
*A few, e.g., some of the extinct Hawai'ian species and some recent "splits," are combined in one fascicle.
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 12:00:00 Total observation time: 3.58 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Visitors: Only a few hikers at North Rd. Over 100 hikers, bikers and sightseers up on the windy summit. Phrase heard most often from the children on the platform today - "Can we leave now?"
Weather: Another exceptionally warm day for late October wtih temps from 60-69 F. Mostly sunny skies with strong SW winds all day. Winds averaged 8-12 mph with regular gusts over 20 mph and several from 25-30 mph just before I left. Haze continued to hide many of the mountains, especially to the NNW and NW. There was another temperature inversion in the morning, but the haze layer only covered the bottom two-thirds of Mt Monadnock. The humidity dropped preciptiously in the 4 hours that I was there, from 70% to 31%, and the air seemed to clear a bit as that happened. A US govt agency's AirNow website (https://fire.airnow.gov/#3.69/42.57/-61.86) seems to show smoke plumes coming up this way from eastern Texas, Mississippi and Alabama which might explain some of the hazy conditions over the last 3 days.
Raptor Observations: Faced with the strong SW winds and figuring that the earlier birds might want to come up in a more sheltered area, I decided to start the day down at the North Rd overlook which is on the leeward side of the mountain. No luck during the 2 hours that I spent there - not even any locals. Moved to the summit at 10:20 EST and managed to see 3 migrating birds over the course of the next two hours. When the wind gusts began to hit 20+ regularly about 11:30 EST, I wondered if I should keep the watch going. When a gust then hit 30 mph, I said fuhgeddaboudit and hit the road at 12 pm.
Non-migrating raptors: TV - 1 Red-tail - 1 Juv
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Blue Jay - 3 Comm Raven - 2 BC Chickadee - 2 WB Nuthatch - 2 DE Junco - 1 N Flicker - 1 woodpecker sp - 1 (Sapsucker?)
Predictions: Thursday should be a much better day with the winds shifting to the NNW as a cold front moves through. Winds will average 10-15 mph with the temperatures topping out about 60 F. Partly cloudy skies should give us a good backdrop for seeing the birds. Hopefully the smoke haze will move out.
Please note that for those of you who come in on Rt 2, Rt 140 south from Rt 2 to the Wachusett ski area will be closed Monday through Thursday this week for more repairs. Detour signs will be posted at the usual exit, but it might be quicker if you get off of Route 2 at Exit 94 (Narrows Rd/Depot Rd) instead. At the end of the exit ramp, turn left on Depot Rd and drive 0.8 miles on Depot Rd / Narrows Rd. Turn left onto Stone Hill Rd and drive 0.4 miles. Then turn left onto East Rd and drive 0.9 miles. Turn right on Gatehouse Rd, and drive 0.5 miles to the intersection of Rt 140 (Worcester Rd.) Turn right and then immediately left on Park Rd/Mile High Rd. Proceed as you normally would past the Wachusett Mt ski area and up Mountain Rd to the state park entrance. If you want to get some help from a driving app, the address of the park's Visitor Center is 345 Mountain Rd, Princeton, MA. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Date: 10/23/24 8:54 am From: Leslie Kramer <kramer.lf...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Brookline Bird Club Hybrid Fall Meeting This Friday
Join us at Harvard University's Geological Hall, 100 Oxford Street,
Cambridge, for our fall hybrid meeting, open to all. 6:30 social hour, 7 PM
meeting, including Hog Island recipient presentations, announcements, and
guest speaker Dr. Alan Poole.
A dazzling and legendary bird of the highland forests of Mexico and Central
America, Aztec and Mayan cultures revered the Resplendent Quetzal. How have
conservation efforts failed it in many regions, but given it a boost in
others? What else do we know? We will focus on the RQ’s nesting and feeding
ecology, on its central role in Mayan and Aztec religions, on how it fits
into the increasingly threatened rainforests that sustain it, and on what
lies ahead for this bird. Dr. Alan Poole will share the latest research on
this spectacular bird.
Note: Dr. Poole will have books to sell. Paying by Venmo, cash and check is
all okay. Dr. Poole will have a card swiper for credit cards.
An ornithologist with training at Princeton, Yale, and Woods Hole, Alan
Poole has had a long career in the worlds of research and publishing. He is
an Associate of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a Fellow of the American
Ornithological Society, and the recently retired editor of the Birds of
North America (BNA) – an 18 volume, 18,000 page life history series now
online at Cornell. In addition to editing, Alan has spent over 40 years in
studies of coastal birds, particularly Ospreys, and completed his 2 nd book
on that species (Ospreys: the revival of a global raptor; Johns Hopkins
University Press) in 2019. His new book about the Resplendent Quetzal, a
Neotropical cloud forest beauty, was published by Cornell/Zona Tropical in
October 2023.
Free parking at 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Check the BBC website for details and the zoom registration.
