Bird sightings
Recent bird sightings as reported to the Mass Audubon:
Last week was relatively quiet for birds, although small numbers of migrant warblers are increasingly being seen at scattered locations, as well as stronger numbers of shorebirds at many coastal localities. In addition, scattered small flocks of red crossbills continue to be reported from a number of localities in western parts of the state.
▶ Bristol County: Gooseberry Neck in Westport featured an American golden-plover and a cerulean warbler.
▶ Cape Cod: A summering rednecked grebe off Morris Island in Chatham, a yellow-throated warbler at High Head in Truro, a Western tanagerin the Little Namskaket River area of Orleans, a royal tern at Race Point in Provincetown, two continuing blue grosbeaks at the Francis A. Crane Wildlife Management Area in Falmouth, a black skimmer at South Cape Beach in Mashpee, two Northern pintails at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in South Wellfleet, more than 75 fish crows at Hemenway Landing in Eastham where 38 blackcrowned night-herons and seven yellow-crowned night-herons were also tallied, and a peregrine falcon at Town Cove in Orleans. Among the birds counted on a seabird survey at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary were 75 great shearwaters, 16 sooty shearwaters, 2,200 Wilson’s storm-petrels, two red phalaropes, and five parasitic jaegers.
▶ Essex County: A common merganser at Crane Beach in Ipswich, and single yellow-crowned night-herons were noted at Plum Island, Children’s Island in Salem, Kettle Island in Manchester, and a solo individual in a marsh on Essex Avenue in Gloucester. Other Plum Island sightings were highlighted by an unseasonal merlin and a rednecked phalarope.
▶ Franklin County: Three sandhill cranes off Plainfield Road in Ashfield, two Bonaparte’s gulls and 17 red crossbills at gate 35 at Quabbin Reservoir in New Salem.
▶ Hampden County: A piedbilled grebe at the Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke.
▶ Hampshire County: Four sandhill cranes at Glencroft Farm in Southampton and four more cranes in a field on South Central Street in Plainfield, three green-winged teal in the East Meadows in Northampton, two Tennessee warblers, a Northern parula, and two orchard orioles on Moody Bridge Road in Hadley, a mourning warbler at Orchard Hill on the UMass campus in Amherst, two cerulean warblers at Skinner State Park in Hadley, a continuing blue grosbeak at the Honey Pot in Hadley, a ring-necked duck at Lake Wallace in Belchertown, and a sanderling at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton.
▶ Martha’s Vineyard: A bald eagle at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, three merlins at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport and another single merlin at Gay Head where a common raven was also tallied, a yellow-crowned nightheron at Edgartown Harbor, and an acadian flycatcher at Waskosim’s Rock Reservation in Chilmark.
▶ Middlesex County: Two alder flycatchers and an orchard oriole at Mount Feake Cemetery in Waltham, three more orchard orioles at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, two purple martins in Dunstable, and three red crossbills at the Squannacook River Wildlife Management Area in Shirley.
▶ Nantucket: A summering razorbill on the beach off Squam Road and a merlin at Smith Point.
▶ Norfolk County: A summering ring-necked duck at Houghton’s Pond in Milton, a merlin at Wollaston Beach, and a yellowcrowned night-heron at Squantum.
▶ Plymouth County: An out-ofseason Townsend’s solitaire in the Planters Hill area of World’s End in Hingham, a marbled godwit at Point Connett in Mattapoisett, four soras at the West Meadows Wildlife Management Area in West Bridgewater, another sora at the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshfield, and a peregrine falcon at Duxbury Beach.
▶ Suffolk County: A Tennessee warbler, a bay-breasted warbler, and a black-and-white warbler, as well as a red-shouldered hawk and a broad-winged hawk at Franklin Park.
▶ Worcester County: A Lawrence’s warbler at the Westborough Wildlife Management Area in Westborough, six Bonaparte’s gulls at Quabbin Reservoir’s Gate 35 in Petersham, six red crossbills at a powerline cut on Elm Street in Leominster, and several additional red crossbills at the Eagle Reserve in Royalston.