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MASSBIRD for Sunday, March 9, 2008
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Jamaica Plain Birds: Northern Goshawk, Killdeer,
Cowbirds, Fox Sparrow, etc
From: Jake Miller <jakemiller(AT)mac.com>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 6:30am
Birders--
Wednesday (3/5) on my way to pick up my son at daycare I noticed the
Forest Hill T pigeons were in an agitated state. The sources of the
agitation was a nice immature Northen Goshawk that was initially
invisible in the midst of the swirling pigeons.
Once it broke off pursuit I had a great look at this buteo sized,
broad, burly hawk with an exceptionally long tail, including the
rather obvious pale stripe on its greater coverts.
The Goshawk flew off from the T station and headed south in a
meandering path over the Arboretum, providing good looks for nearly a
minute before it went out of sight.
I had brief looks at what was presumably the same bird as it flew
over Forest Hills Cemetery on 2/10 and I had an adult Northern
Goshawk fly over the Boston Nature Center on 2/24. (Goshawk(s) have
also been reported recently from Franklin Park, though I'm not sure
whether it was an adult or an immature.)
When I got back from my run this afternoon (3/8), I saw a hawk
perched in a tree around the corner from my house which turned out to
be the imm. Goshawk.
It's been a good year for raptors in the neighborhood. I had a nice
Coopers Hawk near the corner of Walk Hill and Hyde Park (just up the
hill from the Dunkin Donuts) and a Sharp-Shinned Hawk in my backyard
on 2/25. My feeder birds were not as excited to see it as I was.
On a run in Franklin Park this afternoon (3/8) I had a Peregrine
Falcon and three Red-Tailed Hawks all lurking around Scarborough Pond
(with 8 oddly unconcerned Mallards) and a nice flock of sparrows
which included at least one Swamp and one Fox (I stopped running to
look at the sparrows).
Other JP highlights from the first week of March included my first of
the season Killdeer (heard around the back of the Forest Hills
Cemetery on Scarborough St), and my first of the season Common
Grackle and Brown Headed Cowbirds (both at the Boston Nature Center),
all on 3/6.
Good birding!
Jake Miller
Jamaica Plain
fiatlux at interport dot net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Fox Sparrow Natick
From: "Greg Dysart" <dysart(AT)volume3.com>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 10:00am
They're back.
My first of the season Fox Sparrow came in with yesterday's storm. I
photographed the single bird seen near our feeder this morning.
Also had 3 male Turkeys yesterday morning.
Good birding,
Greg Dysart
http://volume3.com/birds.html
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Stony Brook signs of Spring
From: "Will Sweet" <wsweet321(AT)gmail.com>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 10:10am
Today I went to Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, and saw a few Signs of
spring. There were many Red Winged Blackbirds, Grackles, and Cowbirds,
but the best Sign of spring was a TREE SWALLOW sitting on the wood
duck house.
--
Will Sweet
Sharon MA
wsweet321(AT)gmail.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Gloucester MA 3/7/08
From: <winterwren2(AT)verizon.net>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 10:32am
Location: 01930 Gloucester MA Observation date: 3/7/08
Notes: To celebrate getting off crutches, I did a little local Gloucester
birding. During the week Red-winged Blackbirds and Grackles are really back
and visiting my feeders. I looked for the Slaty-backed Gull and there were
not a lot of gulls around at Jodrey Pier or Niles Pond. Icelands and
Glaucous still present. I enjoyed seeing a three scoter species on the
backshore and seeing C. Goldeneyes displaying. One thing I noticed was the
lack of comorants.
Number of species: 40
Mute Swan 2
American Wigeon 4
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Ring-necked Duck 18
Common Eider X
Surf Scoter X
White-winged Scoter X
Black Scoter 1
Long-tailed Duck 1
Bufflehead X
Common Goldeneye X
Red-breasted Merganser X
Common Loon 5
Horned Grebe 6
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Iceland Gull 5
Glaucous Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Downy Woodpecker X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Horned Lark 16
Black-capped Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
White-breasted Nuthatch X
American Robin X
European Starling X
American Tree Sparrow X
White-throated Sparrow X
Dark-eyed Junco X
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
House Finch X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
winterwren2(AT)verizon.net
Susan Hedman, Gloucester
"I believe in God, only I spell it Nature." Frank Lloyd Wright
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Spring Migrants 2/9/2008
From: Barbara Volkle and Steve Moore <barb620(AT)theworld.com>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 11:36am
Yesterday we had 2 Fox Sparrows at our feeder here in Northborough,
along with 22 Red-winged Blackbirds and 21 Common Grackles.
Today (3/9/08) we did some local birding the highlights being:
Nine Acre Corner, Concord
Killdeer - 2
American Wigeon - 2
Northern Pintail - 8
Green-winged Teal - 40
Ring-necked Duck - 11
Canada Geese - YES
Mallard - YES
Fire & Police Station, South Lincoln (in the fruit trees in front)
Pine Grosbeak - 5
Cedar Waxwing - 8
Thanks to Jason Forbes for alerting us about the Grosbeaks in the
fruit trees directly in front of the Station.
Stow
Turkey Vulture - 1 (flying over the Stow Police Station)
Steve Moore and Barbara Volkle
Northborough, Ma
barb620(AT)theworld.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: 3/9 Duxbury Beach
From: Rick Bowes <rbowes(AT)bowesweb.com>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 3:46pm
3/9/08 11:30-3:00; temp:38; HiTide: 1:18pm; Clear; Wind W 20mph est
gusts 30+; bay very choppy with 1 foot waves; ocean quiet close to
shore choppy about 200yds out.
It was great to be back out there though the strong, gusty winds made
observing difficult. Birds were scarce on the ocean side and very
hard to see given the glare and waves on the bay side. Eventually I
found all of the winter regulars except the Harrier but nothing came
easy. Most birds were south of High Pines where the wind was
somewhat blocked by Clark's Island. The portion of the High Pines
peninsula still exposed at high tide was almost entirely covered with
birds - a mixture of gulls, Brant, Canada Geese, Common Eiders, and
Great Cormorants (about 30). A flock of about 80 Dunlin flew back
and forth over the group landing only occasionally.
Birds of interest (29 species recorded):
Red-necked Grebe (2) off the Gurnet point
Black Scoter (1m) off Gurnet
Dunlin (80) south of High Pines - this group has been on the
beach or at Saquish all winter
Black Guillemot (1 juv.) continues off the Gurnet Point - this
time at about 300 yards
Horned Lark (3) at marsh's edge near Plum Hill parking pulloff
Common Grackle (1) My FOY for the beach
For Duxbury readers, three Ring-necked Duck males have joined the
Buffleheads and Hooded Mergansers on the Island Creek Pond.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rick Bowes
rbowes(AT)bowesweb.com
PO Box 1637, Duxbury, MA 02331
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Spring Migrants 2/9/2008
From: Jason Forbes <jason(AT)brewsterslinnet.com>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 3:52pm
I wandered back this afternoon with my parents and there were still
at least 3 grosbeaks hanging around. When we arrived, they were
calling high up in the trees across the street but flew in to the
fruit trees fairly quickly.
A few photos:
http://www.brewsterslinnet.com/nature/birding/2008/03/09/pine-
grosbeaks.html
While searching unsuccessfully for them yesterday, we had about 12
Cedar Waxwings and an Eastern Bluebird at the train station and a
Pileated Woodpecker at the Codman Estate. In another break in the
rain later in the morning, I had a Winter Wren at the end of my street.
Jason
On Mar 9, 2008, at 12:35 PM, Barbara Volkle and Steve Moore wrote:
>
>
> Fire & Police Station, South Lincoln (in the fruit trees in front)
>
> Pine Grosbeak - 5
> Cedar Waxwing - 8
>
--
Jason Forbes
Waltham, MA
jason(AT)brewsterslinnet.com
www.brewsterslinnet.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Plum I.; 9 March 2008.
From: Richard Heil <rsheil(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 6:00pm
SUNDAY, 9 MARCH 2008:
PLUM ISLAND: Lot One Migration Watch (0720-1020 hrs.)
Weather: Mostly clear, WSW winds 20-40 mph, 32F.
Richard S. Heil
Canada Goose (235)
Gadwall (34)
American Wigeon (12)
American Black Duck (240)
Mallard (2)
Northern Pintail (25)
Green-winged Teal (7)
CANVASBACK (1m.): Put up by eagle from marsh pans or river, along
with other ducks, then flew south.
Common Goldeneye (8)
Hooded Merganser (14)
Common Merganser (2f.)
Bald Eagle (1 imm.)
Northern Harrier (4; 1 ad.m., 3f.)
Red-tailed Hawk (4)
Peregrine Falcon (1 ad.)
Ring-billed Gull (2)
Herring Gull (45)
Great Black-backed Gull (12)
Mourning Dove (5)
American Crow (43)-migrating N.
Horned Lark (4)
Black-capped Chickadee (2)
American Robin (2)
European Starling (5)
American Tree Sparrow (5)
Snow Bunting (1)
Red-winged Blackbird (27)-migrating N.
Common Grackle (35)-migrating N.
House Finch (1)
Richard S. Heil
S. Peabody, MA
rsheil(AT)comcast.net
This report was generated with the aid of eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Killdeer in Deerfield
From: "Rob Ranney" <rranney(AT)rcn.com>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 6:10pm
Two Killdeer were on the muddy roadside edges of snow-covered fields at the
south end of Mill Village Road in Deerfield Sunday 6:30 PM.
Rob Ranney-Blake
Deerfield, Mass.
rranney(AT)rcn.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Loons Feeding
From: Scott Shumway <sshumway(AT)wheatonma.edu>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 6:56pm
Chris' loon photo #7605a shows a loon holding a prey item that clearly
displays the fan shape characteristic of the carapace of a green crab.
Crabs have their abdomens folded beneath their carapace. This
concentrates the center of mass over the walking legs, allowing crabs to
be highly mobile. In female crabs the abdomen is a wide flap that can be
used to brood thousands of eggs and becomes quite distorted as the eggs
mature. Eventually eggs hatch and larvae are released into the water
column. I have seen green crabs brooding eggs, but don't recall them
reaching the size and vivid hue shown the the photo. However, I have
seen blue crabs carrying large broods of eggs and they do have a
gold/orange color.
Some tunicates, also called sea squirts, are known to concentrate
vanadium and/or sulfuric acid in their bodies. These chemical defenses
could make them less than ideal bird food. There are a couple species
that exhibit bright orange coloration...
Photos of a green crab and of blue crabs carrying eggs may be found in
my new book "A Naturalist's Guide to the Atlantic Seashore" recently
published by Globe~VPequot Press.
Scott Shumway
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Cape Ann--Slaty-backed Gull
From: "Bates, David Westfall,M.D." <DBATES(AT)PARTNERS.ORG>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 6:56pm
Jan Smith and I spent the a.m. on Cape Ann, and even though it was extremely
windy enjoyed the morning. Very nice to see things coming into spring plumage.
Gloucester Fish Pier
Peregrine 1 (on the tower)
SLATY-BACKED GULL--1 was sitting on the little island very close to the pier,
great views even with binoculars. I had only seen it before at distance on the
sheds.
Glaucous Gull 1
Iceland Gull 14
Brace's Cove (behind Niles Pond)
Glaucous Gull 2
Iceland Gull 3
Eastern Point
Iceland Gull 4
Golf course where the solitaire has been (sorry, don't remember the name)
Goshawk 1 (flying by)
Merlin 1 great views, perched above the parking lot--perhaps one reason the
area
was so quiet!
David Bates
Watertown, MA
david.bates(AT)gmail.com
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Cumberland Farm field, Middleboro/Halifax 3/9
From: james sweeney <assawompsett(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 7:06pm
Hello Massbirders,
A late afternoon cruise around the Cumberland
Farm field produced a nice duck show in the flooded
sections of the field on Wood St. (near Raven Brook).
The following species were easily viewed from
the edge of the road:
Green-winged Teal (73)
American Wigeon (5)
Mallard (200+)
American Black Duck (100+)
A male Northern Harrier also made an appearance
while I was watching the ducks in this area.
Jim Sweeney
assawompsett(A)yahoo.com
Middleboro, Ma
____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Taunton River and environs 3/9
From: james sweeney <assawompsett(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 7:06pm
Hello Massbirders,
Dave McGlynn and I birded the Taunton River area
from Assonet Bay in Freetown down to Brayton Point in
Somerset. The following birds were sighted between
9:00am and 2:00pm:
Bufflehead (104)
Common Goldeneye (34)
Red-breasted Merganser (21)
Mallard (29)
Common Merganser (8)
Greater Scaup (316)
Lesser Scaup (6)
Canvasback (22) Three birds were
found across from
Broad Cove in
Dighton. The others
were sighted from the
end of North St. in
Somerset.
Ruddy Duck (6) Broad Cove, Dighton
American Black Duck (54)
American Wigeon (4)
Long-tailed Duck (1) Somerset
Canada Goose (162)
Brant (1)
Great Cormorant (1) Assonet Bay
Ring-billed Gull (175+)
Herring Gull (37)
Great Black-backed Gull (14)
Turkey Vulture (2)
Mute Swan (4)
Common Grackle (29)
Northern Mockingbird (5)
White-throated Sparrow (1)
Dark-eyed Junco (4)
Black-capped Chickadee (2)
Carolina Wren (2)
Northern Cardinal (2)
House Sparrow (15)
We also birded several locations on the coast west of
the Taunton River.
Lee River, Somerset
American Wigeon (4)
Gardner's Neck, Swansea
Brant (6)
American Black Duck (6)
Common Goldeneye (10)
Red-breasted Merganser (5)
Horned Grebe (3)
State Boat Ramp and Cole River, Swansea
American Wigeon (52)
Horned Grebe (11)
Bufflehead (10)
Mute Swan (33)
Jim Sweeney
assawompsett(A)yahoo.com
Middleboro, Ma
____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Newburyport Area & Salisbury ~ March 9th
From: newburyportbirders(AT)comcast.net
Date: 9 Mar 2008 8:20pm
Birders,
Paula McFarland and I led a small group of birders on an outing titled "Focus on
Bills" this morning. We gathered on Plum Island and elected to head
upriver due to the blustery conditions. We stopped at Cashman Park and studied
gulls and their bills. We saw a thick, dagger-like Common Loon bill. We
encountered
Common Goldeneye and Great Cormorant and studied their bills.
We had an aggregation of Bald Eagles at the Newburyport Boat Basin. We had
seven birds ~ two of which were adults. One of the adults was scream-calling
while perched in the same tree as another, mature bird. Then they played
leap-frog on
a tree on Carr Island. Two immature birds were soaring over the saltmarsh. We
studied
the bill of the Bald Eagle at great length. Two younger birds were perched
further
upriver in one tree. A seal was bottling in the swift current, and a Northern
Harrier
sailed over the Salisbury saltmarsh. Several Red-tailed were seen in the same
area.
We headed to Salisbury for a brief comfort stop and to acquire warm beverages.
The clerk acknowledged us as birders and said that two men sporting "bins" were
in earlier. We proceeded to Salisbury Beach State Reservation where we had
five, immature Bald Eagles attending to prey on the saltmarsh. We studied the
sloping
bill of the Common Eider and the long, serrated bill of the Red-breasted
Merganser. The hearty and well prepared participants enjoyed their study birds,
and the dozen Bald Eagles were the highlight.
This evening was our walk titled "Spring Ahead ~ An Evening Bird Walk".
Seventeen participants including several children joined Paula and
me. At the Maintenance Area, we studied courting Mallards, soaring Northern
Harriers, a Snowy Owl perched on a staddle, then taking flight to a red cedar
and
then a decidious tree. The buildings were wonderful buffers from the wind. We
saw
harrier prey scurrying along the building foundation.
We consolidated and headed to Hellcat; in transit, we saw a Northern Shrike.
We
walked the closed road where grading activity had taken place to the blind in
the pines.
The blind was a respite from the wind. Red-winged Blackbirds were in flight as
were several
American Crows, American Tree Sparrows and Song Sparrows. We walked back
slowly,
listening for that welcoming "peent". We had reviewed the field marks of the
American
Woodcock earlier at the blind. We returned to our vehicles and ever so slowly
headed
north. We heard the first "peent" of the year on the east side of the road.
Everyone
in our group heard the call of this woodland shorebird. One of these took
flight,
heading south. As we proceeded north, an Eastern Cottontail roamed the edge of
the
road. Another American Woodcock took flight.
It was a blustery evening, but the well prepared participants enjoyed the
sunset, a winter speciality ~ Snowy Owl ~ and several signs of spring ~ American
Woodcock and Red-winged Blackbird.
Good birding,
Sue
Sue McGrath
Newburyport Birders
Newburyport, Ma 01950
978-462-4785
newburyportbirders(AT)comcast.net
www.newburyportbirders.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: CT Report 03/09/2008
From: Roy Harvey <rmharvey(AT)snet.net>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 8:20pm
From Aaron Barriger:
3/09 - Stratford, end of Long Beach/Pleasure Beach -- 1 TUNDRA SWAN
feeding with 6 Mute Swans in the location of the burned bridge
that used to connect to Bridgeport.
Easton, Aspetuck Reservoir -- male REDHEAD still present.
Bridgeport, Battery Park -- 22 LESSES SCAUP.
From Mark Barriger via Aaron Barriger:
3/09 - Wallingford -- Blue phase SNOW GOOSE, 2 WILSON'S SNIPE.
From John & Linda Clancy:
3/09 - Bloomfield, Filley Pond -- blue morph SNOW GOOSE.
From Mike and Wanda Moccio:
3/09 - Holly Pond -- REDHEAD continues, 250 BONAPARTE'S GULLS.
Shippan Point/Stamford Avenue -- 3 NORTHERN PINTAIL, 500 Brant.
From Jim Bair:
3/09/08 - Shelton, Plumb Library (downtown) -- 1 Black Vulture
From Bob Bitondi:
3/08 - Pomfret Center -- American Woodcock calling at dusk, 1 Fox
Sparrow, 14 Common Redpolls.
From Robert Dixon
3/08 - Sterling feeders -- 7 species of sparrow including 1 FOX
SPARROW.
From Frank Mantlik
3/08 - Westport, foot of Sasco Creek Rd., mouth of Sasco Creek --
5:20pm, 1 adult BLACK-HEADED GULL in with 13 Bonaparte's Gulls.
Westport, Compo Beach -- 3/8 & 3/7 - 500-1000 gulls (vast majority
Ring-billed) feeding on plankton just off the beach; joined by numbers
of Brant, black ducks, bufflehead, etc.
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Mt Auburn Cemetery 3/9
From: Linda Ferraresso <tattler1(AT)verizon.net>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 8:50pm
There was some nice activity at the feeder at Mt Auburn Cemetery this
morning. The Fox Sparrow previously reported by Oakes Spaulding was
still in attendance.
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker
EASTERN PHOEBE
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Fox Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
House Finch
House Sparrow
Cheers!
Linda
--
Linda Ferraresso
Watertown, MA
tattler1(at)verizon(dot)net
“Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark" -
Tagore
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Florida Golf Development, Eagles Coexist
From: "Scott Ricker" <ptbagger(AT)verizon.net>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 9:16pm
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
----INCLUDING text/plain MIME SECTION----
MassBirders,
Here is story from the AP about a developer in Florida that passed on
developing about 120 acres of prime real estate property. Bobby Ginn passed
up about $40 million worth of home sites to designate the land as a
conservation easement and handed over control to the Florida Audubon. Mr
Ginn continues to pay out of pocket expenses for outreach & monitoring
programs.
HYPERLINK
"http://www.localtechwire.com/news/national_world/national/story/2542765/"ht
tp://www.localtechwire.com/news/national_world/national/story/2542765/
There truly needs to be more developers like this to take steps preserving
our National Symbol and many other species of wildlife!
Scott Ricker
Southwick, MA.
Ptbagger(at)Verizon(dot)net
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.518 / Virus Database: 269.21.7/1322 - Release Date: 3/9/2008
12:17 PM
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: fox sparrow
From: Barbara Lawless <w-blawless(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 9 Mar 2008 10:04pm
We had a Fox Sparrow about mid-day at our feeders, about a week
earlier than last year!
Barbara Lawless
Walpole, MA
w-blawless(AT)comcast.net
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