Date: 1/4/21 7:52 am From: <redpoll...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Sector 5B of Taunton-Middleboro CBC 1-3-2021
Sector 5B of the Taunton-Middleboro CBC is south and east of the Taunton River and mostly bounded by Route 24 to the east, and encompasses parts of Taunton, Berkeley, and Freetown, including Assonet Bay. For the past two years, we have also quickly covered the Mill Pond WMA off Howland Road in Assonet.
We were spared the recitation of all of the great birds seen in other sectors of the count this year, since there was no tally party. So, of course, yesterday we had some pretty good stuff in our normally quiet sector. As usual, Susan and I were joined by Wayne Petersen and Jill Mathieu.
Highlights included: 1 Great Blue Heron (not common despite river frontage), 4 Bald Eagles (amazing number, normally struggle to find one , 3 adults and 1 first year), 1 Red-shouldered Hawk (it has been a long time since we had one), 1 Rough-legged Hawk (dark morph, in Mill Brook WMA in Assonet for 2 years in a row), 87 Blue Jays (high number, everywhere there were oaks), 12 Carolina Wrens (good number), 17 Eastern Bluebirds (easy to miss normally), 1 Gray Catbird (not every year), 1 Brown Thrasher (Remarkable!), 1 Purple Finch (bright male - rare in our area), 93 Dark-eyed Juncos (good year for juncos), and 4 Pine Warblers (2 birds at each of 2 feeder locations). 2 Harbor Seals (well up the tidal Taunton River, seen from Dighton Rock State Park).
Lowlights included: Lowest number of waterfowl I can remember, Sparse raptors (except eagles), Very quiet woods and thickets, Zero waxwings of any flavor, Amazing number of empty feeders, and Total absence of any grosbeaks, redpolls, crossbills, or even siskins. (sigh)
Dave
David Larson Bradford, MA <redpoll...> <larson...>
