Date: 2/1/26 4:38 pm From: Barbara J. Goodchild <bjgoodchild...> Subject: Re: [Arlington Birds] Re: Pleasure Bay, South Boston shorebirds
Wow! What an excellent list. And you are right at "hearty." I am waiting
until it warms up a bit.
Barbara
On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 2:02 PM Cliff Cook <ccook13...> wrote:
> I ran into a problem with Soheil's ebird link.
>
> This one worked for me:
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S297357234 >
> Cliff Cook
> Watertown
>
> On Sun, Feb 1, 2026 at 1:40 PM <sohzendeh...> wrote:
>
>> Folks,
>>
>>
>>
>> John Edmondson and I led a hardy group of birders around Castle Island
>> and Pleasure Bay, South Boston, yesterday. Temperatures were in the teens
>> but the wind was relatively mild so overall conditions were decent. There
>> was great light and excellent birding to be had. The highlight was, of
>> course, the Snowy Owl on top of the Castle. But encountering three species
>> of shorebirds, particularly 25 Purple Sandpipers – a relatively high count
>> for this location – with the snow and ice and cold temperatures was a blast
>> too.
>>
>>
>>
>> If you’re curious about where the shorebirds are (usually), here are some
>> hints:
>>
>>
>>
>> Purples are usually near the beginning of the causeway around Pleasure
>> Bay (starting near the Castle). Yesterday they kept coming back to a pebbly
>> beach on the left (open bay) side of the causeway. Sometimes they perched
>> on the rocks near the first sluiceway.
>>
>>
>>
>> The Sanderling was on the same pebbly patch.
>>
>>
>>
>> Dunlins typically, nearly always, roost on the rocks on the outer side of
>> the causeway near the Sugarbowl – that is the structure halfway out on the
>> causeway. They were not easy to see due to the ice and snow.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks to John for maintaining the list. If you were on the trip, use
>> this link to share yesterday’s list:
>>
>> https://ebird.org/checklist/email?subID=S297357234#share-checklist-form >>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Castle Island and Pleasure Bay, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US
>>
>> Jan 31, 2026 9:04 AM - 11:04 AM
>>
>> Protocol: Traveling
>>
>> 1.059 mile(s)
>>
>> Checklist Comments: BBC trip. Forgot to count. about 10 plus two
>> leaders. Very cold. Wind was moderate but created biting wind chill becasue
>> it was about 10F and less at the start. Sunny.
>>
>> 26 bird species + one seal – undetermined species
>>
>>
>>
>> Brant 58
>>
>> Canada Goose 17
>>
>> American Black Duck 23
>>
>> Common Eider 53
>>
>> Surf Scoter 6
>>
>> White-winged Scoter 1
>>
>> Black Scoter 1
>>
>> Long-tailed Duck 2
>>
>> Bufflehead 4
>>
>> Common Goldeneye 10
>>
>> Red-breasted Merganser 18
>>
>> Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 15
>>
>> Sanderling 1
>>
>> Dunlin 27
>>
>> Purple Sandpiper 25 Careful count, multiple observers.
>>
>> Ring-billed Gull 3
>>
>> American Herring Gull 25
>>
>> Great Black-backed Gull 3
>>
>> Red-throated Loon 1
>>
>> Common Loon 2
>>
>> Cooper's Hawk 1
>>
>> Snowy Owl 1
>>
>> Horned Lark 7 definite ID, one small flock.
>>
>> Snow Bunting 9
>>
>> Song Sparrow 1
>>
>> Pine Warbler 1 Pic may be coming. ID'd carefully. That certain
>> citrus yellow that only Pine Warnlers have. Strong contrast between darker
>> cheeks and yellow throat.
>>
>>
>>
>> View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S297357234 >>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Soheil Zendeh
>>
>> Littleton, MA
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
> Cliff >> <ccook13...>
>
> --
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