Bird sightings
Recent bird sightings as reported to the Mass Audubon:
Last week was marked by a number of outstanding sightings, according to Mass Audubon, including a Pacific loon in partial breeding plumage, an immature purple gallinule, a rufous hummingbird, a Townsend’s solitaire, a continuing LeConte’s sparrow and a Western tanager. On Friday, a major coastal migration of scoters, other sea ducks and laughing gulls led to small numbers of scoters appearing on interior lakes.
▶ Cape Cod: A Pacific loon in partial breeding plumage in Sandwich, several snowy egrets, including three at South Monomoy Island and singles near the Sandwich Marina and Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, a continuing common gallinule in Mashpee, a tardy piping plover in Orleans, and a late common nighthawk in Brewster.
▶ Bristol County: An Eurasian wigeon in Seekonk, three cattle egrets in Fairhaven and a Western tanager and a late chimney swift in Mansfield.
▶ Plymouth County: Single greater white-fronted geese in Plymouth. A continued presence of three sandhill cranes in Hanson and six more cranes in Middleboro, along with three soaring black vultures. In North Scituate, a rufous hummingbird and a Bicknell’s thrush.
▶ Norfolk County: A clay-colored sparrow in Quincy.
▶ Suffolk County: A Townsend’s solitaire and an ovenbird at the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
▶ Essex County: Two cackling geese, a Connecticut warbler, a clay-colored sparrow, a blue grosbeak and a late bobolink in Middleton. A lark sparrow at Plum Island, a red-headed woodpecker at Appleton Farm, a spotted sandpiper in West Newbury, a cattle egret in Ipswich, a late mourning warbler in Marblehead and 38 razorbills in Rockport.
▶ Middlesex County: Three blue grosbeaks, an indigo bunting and a solitary sandpiper in Arlington, a green heron and a gray-cheeked thrush in Cambridge, a great cormorant, 24 black scoters and a blue-winged teal in Medford, 18 brant in Burlington and four blue grosbeaks in Winchester.
▶ Berkshire County: A brant at Stockbridge Bowl, a tardy magnolia warbler in Great Barrington and three red crossbills in New Marlborough.
▶ Franklin County: A cackling goose in Whately, a blue-winged teal in Northfield and a spotted sandpiper in New Salem.
▶ Hampshire County: A redthroated loon and 13 brant in Belchertown, a laughing gull in South Hadleyand a dickcissel in Northampton.
▶ Hampden County: A juvenile purple gallinule in Longmeadow.
▶ Worcester County: A continuing LeConte’s sparrow, 140 black scoters and nine laughing gulls in Clinton. A Western kingbird in Westborough, a black vulture at Mount Wachusett and four continuing sandhill cranes in Hardwick.
▶ Martha’s Vineyard: A snowy egret at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and another sighting of an itinerant common raven at Aquinnah.
▶ Nantucket: Three redheads, a cattle egret and a common gallinule at Hummock Pond, and two more cattle egrets at Bartlett’s Farm.
For more information about bird sightings or to report bird sightings, call Mass Audubon at 781-259-8805 or go to www.massaudubon.org.