Bird sightings
Recent bird sightings reported to Mass Audubon:
Breeding activity is practically at a peak. Late June and early July are often fairly quiet months as many species stay quite secretive until their young have fledged. Early-returning Arctic nesting shorebirds are expected to begin appearing by July 4.
▶ Berkshire County: A least bittern along the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, a hooded warbler at the Hopkins Memorial Forest, a worm-eating warbler off Mount Washington Road in Egremont, and three red crossbills at the October Mountain State Forest.
▶ Bristol County: A yellowcrowned night-heron off Star of the Sea Drive in Dartmouth.
▶ Cape Cod: Two long-tailed jaegers, two Arctic terns, two royal terns, and an Atlantic puffin at Race Point Beach in Provincetown, an Acadian flycatcher at the Ryder Conservation Area in Sandwich, two whiteeyed vireos near Long Pond in Falmouth, and 55 grasshopper sparrows, three blue grosbeaks, and a dickcissel at the Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area.
▶ Franklin County: Three continuing sandhill cranes in Worthington.
▶ Hampden County: A piedbilled grebe in Blandford, two upland sandpipers on Perimeter Road in Ludlow, an olivesided flycatcher in Agawam, and a blue grosbeak at the Southwick Wildlife Management Area.
▶ Hampshire County: Four sandhill cranes on Old Post Road in Worthington and a blue grosbeak in Hadley.
▶ Martha’s Vineyard: Two gadwalls and a glaucous gull at Norton Point Beach, a yellowcrowned night-heron at the Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary pond, a willow flycatcher at Squibnocket Pond, two common ravens in West Tisbury, and a raven at Oak Bluffs.
▶ Middlesex County: A piedbilled grebe and a common gallinule at the Great Meadows
National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, four common loons and two bald eagles at the Whitehall State Park, an alder flycatcher and two yellow-bellied sapsuckers at the Minute Man National Historical Park, a late dark-eyed junco in Lexington, and an American bittern and six red crossbills on the Nashua River Rail Trail.
▶ Nantucket: Twenty-seven gadwalls and three Northern shovelers in the Great Point Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge.
▶ Norfolk County: A late ringnecked duck at the Houghton’s Pond Recreation Area in Milton and an Acadian flycatcher nearby, another Acadian flycatcher at Blue Hills Reservation’s Buck Hill, nine piping plovers at Wollaston Beach, a clapper rail in the Squantum marshes, and two grasshopper sparrows at the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station site.
▶ Plymouth County: Single Acadian flycatchers at Wompatuck State Park and the Manomet bird observatory, two American bitterns and a pied-billed grebe at the Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area, and a yellow-crowned night-heron at Button Island.
▶ Suffolk County: A red-shouldered hawk and two purple martins at Millennium Park in West Roxbury, an alder flycatcher and a red-breasted nuthatch at the Arnold Arboretum, and two cliff swallows at Georges Island.
▶ Worcester County: Two scarce inland least terns at the Bolton Flats Wildlife Management Area, a ruddy duck at Coes Reservoir in Worcester, a continuing Brewster’s warbler at the Fruitlands Museum Historic District in Harvard, an Acadian flycatcher on the Quinapoxit Street Rail Trail, and five red crossbills in Ashburnham.