BIRD SIGHTINGS
Recent bird sightings reported to Mass Audubon:
The two most notable sightings last week were an American white pelican at Big Pond in Otis and a masked booby photographed by researchers at the edge of the continental shelf near Hydrographer Canyon, one of only three or four masked booby sightings ever recorded in Massachusetts waters.
Berkshire County: An American white pelican at Big Pond in Otis, two merlins in Dalton, a least bittern in the marsh off Town Beach Road in Richmond, and single hooded warblers at the Hopkins Memorial Forest and the Dry Hill reservation in New Marlborough.
Bristol County: Six great shearwaters and three Wilson’s storm-petrels at Gooseberry Island in Westport, and six late ruddy ducks at South Watuppa Pond in Fall River.
Cape Cod: A yellow-crowned night-heron at a Red River marsh in Harwich, three Arctic terns at Race Point Beach in Provincetown, an Acadian flycatcher at the Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich, a whiteeyed vireo at the Falmouth Town Forest, and two blue grosbeaks at the Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area.
Essex County: At Plum Island, a Caspian tern, a black tern, two royal terns, a glaucous gull, and a possible hybrid of a little egret with a snowy egret. Single yellowcrowned night-herons at the Ipswich Town Wharf and Perkins Park in Newburyport, a late Harlequin duck at Straitsmouth Island, a common murre in East Gloucester, and a black tern at Crane Beach in Ipswich.
Franklin County: A late ringnecked duck at the Barton Cove campground in Gill and three sandhill cranes off Plainfield Road in Ashfield.
Hampden County: A blackcrowned night-heron at Forest Park in Springfield, an upland sandpiper off Perimeter Road in Ludlow, and a blue grosbeak at the Southwick Wildlife Management Area.
Hampshire County: Single blue grosbeaks at Honey Pot Road in Hadley and at the Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area.
Martha’s Vineyard: A royal tern at the Joseph Sylvia State Beach, an Acadian flycatcher at Waskosim’s Rock Reservation, a glaucous gull at Norton Point Beach, and a chuck-will’s-widow in Aquinnah.
Middlesex County: A nesting pair of yellow-bellied sapsuckers at the Minute Man National Historical Park and an American bittern at Pine Banks Park.
Nantucket: A masked booby at the edge of the continental shelf near Hydrographer Canyon, a common raven at Low Beach, a glaucous gull at Great Point, an Iceland gull at Coskata, and a yellowcrowned night-heron and a clapper rail in the marsh by the University of Massachusetts Boston Nantucket Field Station.
Norfolk County: Two gadwalls in Squantum, two clapper rails at the Squantum marshes, and single Acadian flycatchers at the Blue Hills Reservation’s Buck Hill and Houghton’s Pond.
Plymouth County: A royal tern at Plymouth Beach, two Acadian flycatchers at the Wompatuck State Park, single Acadian flycatchers at the Manomet bird observatory and in Norwell, a black vulture in Scituate, a great cormorant at the Manomet bird observatory, an American bittern at the Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area, a least bittern at the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, and three Northern parulas at Betty’s Neck in Lakeville.
Suffolk County: Ten Wilson’s storm-petrels off Deer Island, a blue-winged teal at the Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, a purple martin at Millennium Park in West Roxbury, and an indigo bunting at the Arnold Arboretum.
Worcester County: A Brewster’s warbler at the Fruitlands Museum Historic District in Harvard, a claycolored sparrow at the Upper Church Street fields in Hardwick, four evening grosbeaks in Royalston, several red crossbills in Ashburnham, and several other red crossbills at the Mount Watatic State Reservation.