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MASSBIRD for Tuesday, December 8, 2009
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Subject: Shelduck - No
From: Paul Cozza <pcozza(AT)alum.mit.edu>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 7:53am
As of 7:30 this morning, the Shelduck is not present at Short Beach in
Nahant.
Paul Cozza
pcozza(AT)alum.mit.edu
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Cowbirds, Grackles and Red-wings inland
From: Barbara Volkle and Steve Moore <barb620(AT)theworld.com>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 8:28am
This week we have counted 73 Brown-headed Cowbirds, 9 Common Grackles
and 1 Red-winged Blackbird at our feeders here in Northborough, Ma.
These numbers are expected in late March, but in mid-December?
Also present were 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2 Hairy Woodpeckers and 2
Downy Woodpeckers.
Our number of individual birds was down considerably from prior years
until last weekend's snow storm. Now we are up to the usual 20
species and about 70 individuals (not counting the Cowbirds) using
the Cornell feederwatch method.
Steve Moore and Barbara Volkle
Northborough, MA
barb620(AT)theworld.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Common Shelduck -- directions and thoughts
From: "Marshall Iliff" <miliff(AT)aol.com>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 9:02am
----INCLUDING text/plain MIME SECTION----
Massbird,
A couple things for anyone interested in this bird. I notice it is already
reported as "missing" from Short Beach, Nahant, today (which matches
yesterday's pattern; Matt Garvey and I checked that area 3 times between
7:00-8:30).
1) Strategy: Yesterday, no one was able to find the bird at low tide.
However, at high tide, the bird apparently has been faithful to the Red
Rocks Beach area on both Saturday and Monday, although on Sunday it was at
Short beach during this time. I'd recommend focusing on high tide (should be
4:06 today; it was ~3:00 yesterday) and COORDINATING the search with others,
so that several locations can be checked. I also strongly suspect that this
bird is going out on mudflats/sand flats and feeding during low tide, since
this is the typical behavior for this species. There is lots of this habitat
to check in the general area, so if you can only go at low tide, it is worth
a try!
2) Directions: The three locations that the bird has been seen are both
easily found on Google.
a. Short Beach, Nahant: Type "Seaside Pizza, Nahant" into
www.maps.google.com. The beach immediately to the north/east is Short Beach.
The duck was seen at 2:15 Sunday at HIGH TIDE along the rocks here.
b. Red Rocks Beach, Lynn. Type "Ocean Terrace, Lynn: into
www.maps.google.com. There is a sewage outflow that leads out right under
Lynn Shore Drive here and Anas ducks (i.e., Mallards and Blacks) and gulls
will likely be hanging around or feeding here.
c. Red Rocks Park, Lynn. Type "Prescott Rd., Lynn" into
www.maps.google.com and the park that is immediately to the south is a rocky
headland known as Red Rocks Park. Apparently walkers saw the bird here (and
described the orange bill) at about 12:00 pm on Saturday. Note: This was
about 1 hour before high tide so it appears that checking the Lynn Beach-Red
Rocks Park-Red Rocks Beach
3) Habits. This bird is solitary. Although the original report was of a
bird "hanging with Bufflehead", a shelduck would not flock with small diving
ducks. It might more likely flock with Brant or Anas ducks (i.e., American
Black Duck), but yesterday the shelduck was totally solitary. It swam off
and flew off by itself, fed for a while on marine invertebrates among a
flock of Bonaparte's Gulls, and only after dark did it briefly join a flock
of American Black Ducks and Mallards as the tide dropped and the birds
stopped feeding and appeared nervous.
4) Other records. First, a soapbox. One of the greatest faults of the
birding community as a whole is our focus on "countability" for our precious
lists (I count myself among the guilty). We quickly discount presumed
escapees and do not do a good job with records keeping, reporting, and
databasing these types of records. For years and years, Barnacle Geese have
been blown off as escapees nationwide, but now it has become clear that we
are seeing wild birds, at least in New England. The shoddy reporting though
makes it painfully difficult to reconstruct the historical record. The same
issue has plagued birds like Tufted Duck, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, and
even Pink-footed Goose (the MARC did not accept the state's first record in
1999 from Dennis, although it clearly fits the vagrant pattern that has
since become clear). I suspect that dozens of North American Common
Shelducks have been seen free-flying "in the wild". Since these have
summarily been discounted, we do ourselves a disservice since not only is it
hard to understand what pattern of vagrancy may be occurring, but we also
have no idea of the background level of escape from captivity. For example,
Midwestern and West Coast record might help us establish the frequency of
escape. It is high time that the birding community as a whole did a better
job of reporting and databasing (eBird would be a good solution!) everything
they see, not just the "countable" birds. Enough sopaboxing.
In any event, below are the North American records I know of (prior to any
research), regardless of their "status". My comments are in brackets.
a. Immature female collected near mouth of Essex River, Ipswich, MA, 5
Oct 1921 with a specimen in Peabody Museum (hopefully!). (Veit and Petersen
1993, considered "possible vagrant")
[Age, date, and location seem "good" for wild occurrence]
b. One shot (no specimen?) at Squibnocket Pond, Martha's Vineyard, MA,
late Nov 1964 (Veit and Petersen 1993, considered "possible vagrant") [Date
and location seem "good for wild occurrence"]
c. One (sex?) photographed by Blair Nikula at Bass River, Dennis, Cape
Cod, MA, 24 Jan 2004. [Blair reports this was during a strong cold snap in a
tidal area, and thus deserving of serious consideration given its coastal
vagrant trap locale, appropriate wild habitat, and association with
wild-type birds. Age as adult may or may not be a minor nod to escapee
status?]
d. One first-winter (female?) at Quidi Vidi Lake, St. Johns,
Newfoundland, 17 Nov 2009 (photos by Bruce Mactavish) [superb location,
date, and age for vagrant; Mactavish's research indicates low prevalence in
captivity locally]
e. A rumor of a Plum Island record was passed along by Rick Heil. To
anyone (Tom Wetmore?) with details on date, age, length of stay etc., please
do pass those along!
f. One (adult?) at Prettyboy Reservoir, Baltimore Co., MD in April
1992 [considered escapee at time and found on freshwater mudflats on inland
reservoir; probable escapee]
The below records are on summer dates and locations (inland, or well to the
south) that probably favor escapee occurrence, but they are valuable for
helping to show that a number of shelducks have been reported elsewhere.
g. one 8 May 1989, Piney Run Park, MD (Bob Ringler eBird report)
h. one 17-21 Aug 1975, Bombay Hook NWR, DE (Bob Ringler eBird report)
i. one 16 Aug 1980 at Bombay Hook NWR, DE (Bob Ringler eBird report)
j. one 17 Jul 1993 at Baie-du-Febvre, Quebec (Evalyne Samson eBird
report)
k. one 19 May 2007 at "RBG, Spring Rd.", Ontario (Nancy Feagans eBird
report)
I'm sure there are many others of known or presumed escapees, but without
compiling those we won't be able to say how strong the apparent
Northeastern, winter pattern from records a-e actually is. Please get in
touch if you have information!
5) Captive status: Research is ongoing as to the species' status in
captivity. We know that this species is certainly kept by some waterfowl
fanciers, and Bruce Mactavish reports that they are for sale for $150 from
some online sources and that young birds tend to shipped in fall (and thus
are most likely to escape then). In order to gauge how likely an escapee
event is in this case, it would be very interesting to get any first-hand
reports of how common this species is, how likely an adult vs. an immature
is to escape, and whether any recent escapees are known. Since this
information can sometimes be sensitive, feel free to reply off-list so that
I can pass the information along to the Massachusetts and Newfoundland
Records Committees.
I encourage Massbirders to pay attention to this record as a potential wild
vagrant, to take good notes on its behavior and condition, and to try to
keep track of how long it stays.
Best,
Marshall Iliff
PS - Ruddy Shelducks are not to be entirely blown off as escapees either.
Although many records are clearly of escapees, we should be compiling
records given the species' apparent occurrence as a vagrant in western
Europe and a highly intriguing record of a flock in Nunavut (!) several
years ago. Just another indication of why we as birders could do much better
with keeping track of records of exotic birds, whether known, presumed, or
incorrectly presumed escapees! So thanks to Myer for the report of the Ruddy
Shelduck from Cumbies!
----DELETED text/html MIME SECTION----
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: (Common) Shelduck in MA, early l970s; other
"escapes"
From: "Jim Barton" <redwingatfp1986(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 10:25am
Hello. I saw a (Common) Shelduck on Claypit Pond off Concord Avenue in
Belmont in winter l970 or the very early 70's. As I recall, the bird was
pointed out to me by RS.
Later in the early l970s I recall seeing a Bahama Pintail at Great
Meadows. A number of other observers were present, all of whom appeared to
assume the bird was an escape.
Collections of exotic waterfowl in and around New Bedford have
historically made judging the provenance of such birds problematic.
As to Barnacle Geese, I believe SP researched the family group present
in Cotuit Harbor some years ago, and discovered that an illegal breeder in
(New Brunswick??) had released a number of birds to try to stay ahead of the
law.
Yours,
Jim Barton
Cambridge, MA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: RE: Common Shelduck -- directions and thoughts
From: James Restivo <jbird7480(AT)hotmail.com>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 10:23am
----INCLUDING text/plain MIME SECTION----
In light of Marshall's suggestion for coordination=2C I will be leaving wor=
k in Waltham around 4PM and will head directly to Lynn to look for this bir=
d. My cell phone number is 860-377-6041.=20
If anyone has found the bird by then=2C please feel free to call/text. If i=
t has not been found=2C I'll gladly direct my search to areas that haven't =
yet been covered.
I hope it's still around!
James Restivo
Somerville=2C MA
From: miliff(AT)aol.com
To: massbird(AT)theworld.com
CC: mattpgarvey(AT)gmail.com
Subject: [MASSBIRD] Common Shelduck -- directions and thoughts
Date: Tue=2C 8 Dec 2009 08:59:52 -0500
Massbird=2C
=20
A couple things for anyone interested in this bird. I notice
it is already reported as =93missing=94 from Short Beach=2C Nahant=2C today
(which matches yesterday=92s pattern=3B Matt Garvey and I checked that area=
3
times between 7:00-8:30).
=20
1) =20
Strategy: Yesterday=2C no one was able to find the bird
at low tide. However=2C at high tide=2C the bird apparently has been faithf=
ul to
the Red Rocks Beach area on both Saturday and Monday=2C although on Sunday =
it was
at Short beach during this time. I=92d recommend focusing on high tide
(should be 4:06 today=3B it was ~3:00 yesterday) and COORDINATING the searc=
h with
others=2C so that several locations can be checked. I also strongly suspect=
that
this bird is going out on mudflats/sand flats and feeding during low tide=
=2C
since this is the typical behavior for this species. There is lots of this
habitat to check in the general area=2C so if you can only go at low tide=
=2C it is
worth a try!
=20
2) =20
Directions: The three locations that the bird has been
seen are both easily found on Google.=20
a. Short
Beach=2C Nahant: Type =93Seaside Pizza=2C Nahant=94 into www.maps.google.co=
m. The beach
immediately to the north/east is Short Beach. The duck was seen at 2:15 Sun=
day
at HIGH TIDE along the rocks here.
b. Red
Rocks Beach=2C Lynn. Type =93Ocean Terrace=2C Lynn: into www.maps.google.co=
m. There is a sewage outflow
that leads out right under Lynn Shore Drive here and Anas ducks (i.e.=2C Ma=
llards
and Blacks) and gulls will likely be hanging around or feeding here.=20
c. Red
Rocks Park=2C Lynn. Type =93Prescott Rd.=2C Lynn=94 into www.maps.google.co=
m and the park that is
immediately to the south is a rocky headland known as Red Rocks Park.
Apparently walkers saw the bird here (and described the orange bill) at abo=
ut
12:00 pm on Saturday. Note: This was about 1 hour before high tide so it
appears that checking the Lynn Beach-Red Rocks Park-Red Rocks Beach=20
=20
3) =20
Habits. This bird is solitary. Although the original report
was of a bird =93hanging with Bufflehead=94=2C a shelduck would not flock
with small diving ducks. It might more likely flock with Brant or Anas duck=
s
(i.e.=2C American Black Duck)=2C but yesterday the shelduck was totally sol=
itary. It
swam off and flew off by itself=2C fed for a while on marine invertebrates =
among
a flock of Bonaparte=92s Gulls=2C and only after dark did it briefly join a
flock of American Black Ducks and Mallards as the tide dropped and the bird=
s
stopped feeding and appeared nervous.
=20
4) =20
Other records. First=2C a soapbox. One of the greatest
faults of the birding community as a whole is our focus on =93countability=
=94
for our precious lists (I count myself among the guilty). We quickly discou=
nt
presumed escapees and do not do a good job with records keeping=2C reportin=
g=2C and
databasing these types of records. For years and years=2C Barnacle Geese ha=
ve been
blown off as escapees nationwide=2C but now it has become clear that we are
seeing wild birds=2C at least in New England. The shoddy reporting though m=
akes
it painfully difficult to reconstruct the historical record. The same issue=
has
plagued birds like Tufted Duck=2C Black-bellied Whistling-Duck=2C and even
Pink-footed Goose (the MARC did not accept the state=92s first record in
1999 from Dennis=2C although it clearly fits the vagrant pattern that has s=
ince
become clear). I suspect that dozens of North American Common Shelducks hav=
e
been seen free-flying =93in the wild=94. Since these have summarily
been discounted=2C we do ourselves a disservice since not only is it hard t=
o
understand what pattern of vagrancy may be occurring=2C but we also have no=
idea
of the background level of escape from captivity. For example=2C Midwestern=
and
West Coast record might help us establish the frequency of escape. It is hi=
gh time
that the birding community as a whole did a better job of reporting and
databasing (eBird would be a good solution!) everything they see=2C not jus=
t the =93countable=94
birds. Enough sopaboxing=85
=20
In any event=2C below are the North American records I
know of (prior to any research)=2C regardless of their =93status=94. My
comments are in brackets.
=20
a. Immature
female collected near mouth of Essex River=2C Ipswich=2C MA=2C 5 Oct 1921 w=
ith a specimen
in Peabody Museum (hopefully!). (Veit and Petersen 1993=2C considered =93po=
ssible
vagrant=94)
[Age=2C date=2C and location seem
=93good=94 for wild occurrence]
=20
b. One
shot (no specimen?) at Squibnocket Pond=2C Martha=92s Vineyard=2C MA=2C lat=
e Nov
1964 (Veit and Petersen 1993=2C considered =93possible vagrant=94) [Date
and location seem =93good for wild occurrence=94]
=20
c. One
(sex?) photographed by Blair Nikula at Bass River=2C Dennis=2C Cape Cod=2C =
MA=2C 24 Jan
2004. [Blair reports this was during a strong cold snap in a tidal area=2C =
and
thus deserving of serious consideration given its coastal vagrant trap loca=
le=2C
appropriate wild habitat=2C and association with wild-type birds. Age as ad=
ult
may or may not be a minor nod to escapee status?]
=20
d. One
first-winter (female?) at Quidi Vidi Lake=2C St. Johns=2C Newfoundland=2C 1=
7 Nov 2009
(photos by Bruce Mactavish) [superb location=2C date=2C and age for vagrant=
=3B
Mactavish=92s research indicates low prevalence in captivity locally]
=20
e. A
rumor of a Plum Island record was passed along by Rick Heil. To anyone (Tom
Wetmore?) with details on date=2C age=2C length of stay etc.=2C please do p=
ass those
along!
=20
f. =20
One (adult?) at Prettyboy Reservoir=2C Baltimore Co.=2C MD
in April 1992 [considered escapee at time and found on freshwater mudflats =
on
inland reservoir=3B probable escapee]
=20
The below records are on
summer dates and locations (inland=2C or well to the south) that probably f=
avor
escapee occurrence=2C but they are valuable for helping to show that a numb=
er of
shelducks have been reported elsewhere.
=20
g. one
8 May 1989=2C Piney Run Park=2C MD (Bob Ringler eBird report)
=20
h. one
17-21 Aug 1975=2C Bombay Hook NWR=2C DE (Bob Ringler eBird report)
=20
i. =20
one 16 Aug 1980 at Bombay Hook NWR=2C DE (Bob Ringler
eBird report)
=20
j. =20
one 17 Jul 1993 at Baie-du-Febvre=2C Quebec (Evalyne
Samson eBird report)
=20
k. one
19 May 2007 at "RBG=2C Spring Rd."=2C Ontario (Nancy Feagans eBird
report)
=20
I=92m sure there are many
others of known or presumed escapees=2C but without compiling those we won=
=92t
be able to say how strong the apparent Northeastern=2C winter pattern from
records a-e actually is. Please get in touch if you have information!
=20
5) =20
Captive status: Research is ongoing as to the species=92
status in captivity. We know that this species is certainly kept by some
waterfowl fanciers=2C and Bruce Mactavish reports that they are for sale fo=
r $150
from some online sources and that young birds tend to shipped in fall (and =
thus
are most likely to escape then). In order to gauge how likely an escapee ev=
ent
is in this case=2C it would be very interesting to get any first-hand repor=
ts of
how common this species is=2C how likely an adult vs. an immature is to esc=
ape=2C
and whether any recent escapees are known. Since this information can somet=
imes
be sensitive=2C feel free to reply off-list so that I can pass the informat=
ion
along to the Massachusetts and Newfoundland Records Committees.
=20
I encourage Massbirders to pay attention to this record as a
potential wild vagrant=2C to take good notes on its behavior and condition=
=2C and
to try to keep track of how long it stays.=20
=20
Best=2C
=20
Marshall Iliff
=20
PS =96 Ruddy Shelducks are not to be entirely blown off as
escapees either. Although many records are clearly of escapees=2C we should=
be
compiling records given the species=92 apparent occurrence as a vagrant in
western Europe and a highly intriguing record of a flock in Nunavut (!) sev=
eral
years ago. Just another indication of why we as birders could do much bette=
r
with keeping track of records of exotic birds=2C whether known=2C presumed=
=2C or
incorrectly presumed escapees! So thanks to Myer for the report of the Rudd=
y
Shelduck from Cumbies!
=20
_________________________________________________________________
Get gifts for them and cashback for you. Try Bing now.
http://www.bing.com/shopping/search?q=3Dxbox+games&scope=3Dcashback&form=3D=
MSHYCB&publ=3DWLHMTAG&crea=3DTEXT_MSHYCB_Shopping_Giftsforthem_cashback_1x1=
----DELETED text/html MIME SECTION----
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Common Shelduck -- directions and thoughts
From: Linda Pivacek <lpivacek(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 11:19am
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
----INCLUDING text/plain MIME SECTION----
Great information Marshall. Thought I'd a note of interest.
The floating algae in which the Common Shelduck was feeding yesterday is
pilayella littoralis. Along the east coast of North America this algae
is pretty exclusive to Nahant Bay, with a small amount in recent years
in Broad Sound. Interestingly, this algae species is fairly common in
Europe.
From Short Beach, Nahant to Lynn and Swampscott the algae is on the
beaches at low tide and as the tide comes it is resuspended in the sea
water along with the marine invertebrates enjoyed by Bonaparte's Gulls
and apparently Common Shelduck. Brant other ducks and larger gulls
sometimes join the crowd.
Perhaps this algae food source will keep the shelduck around Nahant Bay.
Cheers!
Linda
Linda Pivacek, Nahant, MA
Marshall Iliff wrote:
> Massbird,
>
>
>
> A couple things for anyone interested in this bird. I notice it is
> already reported as "missing" from Short Beach, Nahant, today (which
> matches yesterday's pattern; Matt Garvey and I checked that area 3
> times between 7:00-8:30).
>
>
>
> 1) Strategy: Yesterday, no one was able to find the bird at low
> tide. However, at high tide, the bird apparently has been faithful to
> the Red Rocks Beach area on both Saturday and Monday, although on
> Sunday it was at Short beach during this time. I'd recommend focusing
> on high tide (should be 4:06 today; it was ~3:00 yesterday) and
> COORDINATING the search with others, so that several locations can be
> checked. I also strongly suspect that this bird is going out on
> mudflats/sand flats and feeding during low tide, since this is the
> typical behavior for this species. There is lots of this habitat to
> check in the general area, so if you can only go at low tide, it is
> worth a try!
>
>
>
> 2) Directions: The three locations that the bird has been seen
> are both easily found on Google.
>
> a. Short Beach, Nahant: Type "Seaside Pizza, Nahant" into
> www.maps.google.com <http://www.maps.google.com>. The beach
> immediately to the north/east is Short Beach. The duck was seen at
> 2:15 Sunday at HIGH TIDE along the rocks here.
>
> b. Red Rocks Beach, Lynn. Type "Ocean Terrace, Lynn: into
> www.maps.google.com <http://www.maps.google.com>. There is a sewage
> outflow that leads out right under Lynn Shore Drive here and Anas
> ducks (i.e., Mallards and Blacks) and gulls will likely be hanging
> around or feeding here.
>
> c. Red Rocks Park, Lynn. Type "Prescott Rd., Lynn" into
> www.maps.google.com <http://www.maps.google.com> and the park that is
> immediately to the south is a rocky headland known as Red Rocks Park.
> Apparently walkers saw the bird here (and described the orange bill)
> at about 12:00 pm on Saturday. Note: This was about 1 hour before high
> tide so it appears that checking the Lynn Beach-Red Rocks Park-Red
> Rocks Beach
>
>
>
> 3) Habits. This bird is solitary. Although the original report
> was of a bird "hanging with Bufflehead", a shelduck would not flock
> with small diving ducks. It might more likely flock with Brant or Anas
> ducks (i.e., American Black Duck), but yesterday the shelduck was
> totally solitary. It swam off and flew off by itself, fed for a while
> on marine invertebrates among a flock of Bonaparte's Gulls, and only
> after dark did it briefly join a flock of American Black Ducks and
> Mallards as the tide dropped and the birds stopped feeding and
> appeared nervous.
>
>
>
> 4) Other records. First, a soapbox. One of the greatest faults of
> the birding community as a whole is our focus on "countability" for
> our precious lists (I count myself among the guilty). We quickly
> discount presumed escapees and do not do a good job with records
> keeping, reporting, and databasing these types of records. For years
> and years, Barnacle Geese have been blown off as escapees nationwide,
> but now it has become clear that we are seeing wild birds, at least in
> New England. The shoddy reporting though makes it painfully difficult
> to reconstruct the historical record. The same issue has plagued birds
> like Tufted Duck, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, and even Pink-footed
> Goose (the MARC did not accept the state's first record in 1999 from
> Dennis, although it clearly fits the vagrant pattern that has since
> become clear). I suspect that dozens of North American Common
> Shelducks have been seen free-flying "in the wild". Since these have
> summarily been discounted, we do ourselves a disservice since not only
> is it hard to understand what pattern of vagrancy may be occurring,
> but we also have no idea of the background level of escape from
> captivity. For example, Midwestern and West Coast record might help us
> establish the frequency of escape. It is high time that the birding
> community as a whole did a better job of reporting and databasing
> (eBird would be a good solution!) everything they see, not just the
> "countable" birds. Enough sopaboxing...
>
>
>
> In any event, below are the North American records I know of (prior to
> any research), regardless of their "status". My comments are in brackets.
>
>
>
> a. Immature female collected near mouth of Essex River, Ipswich,
> MA, 5 Oct 1921 with a specimen in Peabody Museum (hopefully!). (Veit
> and Petersen 1993, considered "possible vagrant")
>
> [Age, date, and location seem "good" for wild occurrence]
>
>
>
> b. One shot (no specimen?) at Squibnocket Pond, Martha's
> Vineyard, MA, late Nov 1964 (Veit and Petersen 1993, considered
> "possible vagrant") [Date and location seem "good for wild occurrence"]
>
>
>
> c. One (sex?) photographed by Blair Nikula at Bass River,
> Dennis, Cape Cod, MA, 24 Jan 2004. [Blair reports this was during a
> strong cold snap in a tidal area, and thus deserving of serious
> consideration given its coastal vagrant trap locale, appropriate wild
> habitat, and association with wild-type birds. Age as adult may or may
> not be a minor nod to escapee status?]
>
>
>
> d. One first-winter (female?) at Quidi Vidi Lake, St. Johns,
> Newfoundland, 17 Nov 2009 (photos by Bruce Mactavish) [superb
> location, date, and age for vagrant; Mactavish's research indicates
> low prevalence in captivity locally]
>
>
>
> e. A rumor of a Plum Island record was passed along by Rick Heil.
> To anyone (Tom Wetmore?) with details on date, age, length of stay
> etc., please do pass those along!
>
>
>
> f. One (adult?) at Prettyboy Reservoir, Baltimore Co., MD in
> April 1992 [considered escapee at time and found on freshwater
> mudflats on inland reservoir; probable escapee]
>
>
>
> The below records are on summer dates and locations (inland, or well
> to the south) that probably favor escapee occurrence, but they are
> valuable for helping to show that a number of shelducks have been
> reported elsewhere.
>
>
>
> g. one 8 May 1989, Piney Run Park, MD (Bob Ringler eBird report)
>
>
>
> h. one 17-21 Aug 1975, Bombay Hook NWR, DE (Bob Ringler eBird report)
>
>
>
> i. one 16 Aug 1980 at Bombay Hook NWR, DE (Bob Ringler eBird
> report)
>
>
>
> j. one 17 Jul 1993 at Baie-du-Febvre, Quebec (Evalyne Samson
> eBird report)
>
>
>
> k. one 19 May 2007 at "RBG, Spring Rd.", Ontario (Nancy Feagans
> eBird report)
>
>
>
> I'm sure there are many others of known or presumed escapees, but
> without compiling those we won't be able to say how strong the
> apparent Northeastern, winter pattern from records a-e actually is.
> Please get in touch if you have information!
>
>
>
> 5) Captive status: Research is ongoing as to the species' status
> in captivity. We know that this species is certainly kept by some
> waterfowl fanciers, and Bruce Mactavish reports that they are for sale
> for $150 from some online sources and that young birds tend to shipped
> in fall (and thus are most likely to escape then). In order to gauge
> how likely an escapee event is in this case, it would be very
> interesting to get any first-hand reports of how common this species
> is, how likely an adult vs. an immature is to escape, and whether any
> recent escapees are known. Since this information can sometimes be
> sensitive, feel free to reply off-list so that I can pass the
> information along to the Massachusetts and Newfoundland Records
> Committees.
>
>
>
> I encourage Massbirders to pay attention to this record as a potential
> wild vagrant, to take good notes on its behavior and condition, and to
> try to keep track of how long it stays.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> Marshall Iliff
>
>
>
> PS - Ruddy Shelducks are not to be entirely blown off as escapees
> either. Although many records are clearly of escapees, we should be
> compiling records given the species' apparent occurrence as a vagrant
> in western Europe and a highly intriguing record of a flock in Nunavut
> (!) several years ago. Just another indication of why we as birders
> could do much better with keeping track of records of exotic birds,
> whether known, presumed, or incorrectly presumed escapees! So thanks
> to Myer for the report of the Ruddy Shelduck from Cumbies!
>
----DELETED text/html MIME SECTION----
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Shelduck--not yet
From: Charlie Nims <cwnims(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 12:51pm
Joe Scott and I have unsucceasfully looked for the Shelduck but will
continue searching.
Charlie Nims
Norwell, MA
cwnims(AT)comcast.net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Common Shelduck -- directions and thoughts
From: Jake Miller <fiatlux.interport(AT)rcn.com>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 1:18pm
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Birders--
I just wanted to say that posts like Linda's are one of the reasons =20
that I love MASSBIRD.
Posts like Marshall's are great, too, but a little frustrating for =20
those of us who barely have time to check email, let alone get out to =20=
Nahant to search for rarities.
Having to content myself with the odd Merlin buzzing a perched Red-=20
tailed Hawk or an occasional accipiter sp. versus hundreds of Robins, =20=
Stalings and Mourning Doves at the Arboretum on my walk home from my =20
son's pre-school in the mornings these days.
Not complaining, just saying.
Good birding to all.
--Jake
On Dec 8, 2009, at 11:17 AM, Linda Pivacek wrote:
> Great information Marshall. Thought I'd a note of interest.
> The floating algae in which the Common Shelduck was feeding =20
> yesterday is pilayella littoralis. Along the east coast of North =20
> America this algae is pretty exclusive to Nahant Bay, with a small =20
> amount in recent years in Broad Sound. Interestingly, this algae =20
> species is fairly common in Europe.
> =46rom Short Beach, Nahant to Lynn and Swampscott the algae is on the =20=
> beaches at low tide and as the tide comes it is resuspended in the =20
> sea water along with the marine invertebrates enjoyed by Bonaparte's =20=
> Gulls and apparently Common Shelduck. Brant other ducks and larger =20=
> gulls sometimes join the crowd.
> Perhaps this algae food source will keep the shelduck around Nahant =20=
> Bay.
>
> Cheers!
> Linda
>
> Linda Pivacek, Nahant, MA
>
>
>
> Marshall Iliff wrote:
>>
>> Massbird,
>>
>> A couple things for anyone interested in this bird. I notice it is =20=
>> already reported as =93missing=94 from Short Beach, Nahant, today =20
>> (which matches yesterday=92s pattern; Matt Garvey and I checked that =20=
>> area 3 times between 7:00-8:30).
>>
>> 1) Strategy: Yesterday, no one was able to find the bird at =20
>> low tide. However, at high tide, the bird apparently has been =20
>> faithful to the Red Rocks Beach area on both Saturday and Monday, =20
>> although on Sunday it was at Short beach during this time. I=92d =20
>> recommend focusing on high tide (should be 4:06 today; it was ~3:00 =20=
>> yesterday) and COORDINATING the search with others, so that several =20=
>> locations can be checked. I also strongly suspect that this bird is =20=
>> going out on mudflats/sand flats and feeding during low tide, since =20=
>> this is the typical behavior for this species. There is lots of =20
>> this habitat to check in the general area, so if you can only go at =20=
>> low tide, it is worth a try!
>>
>> 2) Directions: The three locations that the bird has been seen =20=
>> are both easily found on Google.
>> a. Short Beach, Nahant: Type =93Seaside Pizza, Nahant=94 into =
www.maps.google.com=20
>> . The beach immediately to the north/east is Short Beach. The duck =20=
>> was seen at 2:15 Sunday at HIGH TIDE along the rocks here.
>> b. Red Rocks Beach, Lynn. Type =93Ocean Terrace, Lynn: into =
www.maps.google.com=20
>> . There is a sewage outflow that leads out right under Lynn Shore =20
>> Drive here and Anas ducks (i.e., Mallards and Blacks) and gulls =20
>> will likely be hanging around or feeding here.
>> c. Red Rocks Park, Lynn. Type =93Prescott Rd., Lynn=94 into =
www.maps.google.com=20
>> and the park that is immediately to the south is a rocky headland =20=
>> known as Red Rocks Park. Apparently walkers saw the bird here (and =20=
>> described the orange bill) at about 12:00 pm on Saturday. Note: =20
>> This was about 1 hour before high tide so it appears that checking =20=
>> the Lynn Beach-Red Rocks Park-Red Rocks Beach
>>
>> 3) Habits. This bird is solitary. Although the original report =20=
>> was of a bird =93hanging with Bufflehead=94, a shelduck would not =
flock =20
>> with small diving ducks. It might more likely flock with Brant or =20
>> Anas ducks (i.e., American Black Duck), but yesterday the shelduck =20=
>> was totally solitary. It swam off and flew off by itself, fed for a =20=
>> while on marine invertebrates among a flock of Bonaparte=92s Gulls, =20=
>> and only after dark did it briefly join a flock of American Black =20
>> Ducks and Mallards as the tide dropped and the birds stopped =20
>> feeding and appeared nervous.
>>
>> 4) Other records. First, a soapbox. One of the greatest faults =20=
>> of the birding community as a whole is our focus on =93countability=94 =
=20
>> for our precious lists (I count myself among the guilty). We =20
>> quickly discount presumed escapees and do not do a good job with =20
>> records keeping, reporting, and databasing these types of records. =20=
>> For years and years, Barnacle Geese have been blown off as escapees =20=
>> nationwide, but now it has become clear that we are seeing wild =20
>> birds, at least in New England. The shoddy reporting though makes =20
>> it painfully difficult to reconstruct the historical record. The =20
>> same issue has plagued birds like Tufted Duck, Black-bellied =20
>> Whistling-Duck, and even Pink-footed Goose (the MARC did not accept =20=
>> the state=92s first record in 1999 from Dennis, although it clearly =20=
>> fits the vagrant pattern that has since become clear). I suspect =20
>> that dozens of North American Common Shelducks have been seen free-=20=
>> flying =93in the wild=94. Since these have summarily been discounted, =
=20
>> we do ourselves a disservice since not only is it hard to =20
>> understand what pattern of vagrancy may be occurring, but we also =20
>> have no idea of the background level of escape from captivity. For =20=
>> example, Midwestern and West Coast record might help us establish =20
>> the frequency of escape. It is high time that the birding community =20=
>> as a whole did a better job of reporting and databasing (eBird =20
>> would be a good solution!) everything they see, not just the =20
>> =93countable=94 birds. Enough sopaboxing=85
>>
>> In any event, below are the North American records I know of (prior =20=
>> to any research), regardless of their =93status=94. My comments are =
in =20
>> brackets.
>>
>> a. Immature female collected near mouth of Essex River, =20
>> Ipswich, MA, 5 Oct 1921 with a specimen in Peabody Museum =20
>> (hopefully!). (Veit and Petersen 1993, considered =93possible =
vagrant=94)
>> [Age, date, and location seem =93good=94 for wild occurrence]
>>
>> b. One shot (no specimen?) at Squibnocket Pond, Martha=92s =20
>> Vineyard, MA, late Nov 1964 (Veit and Petersen 1993, considered =20
>> =93possible vagrant=94) [Date and location seem =93good for wild =20
>> occurrence=94]
>>
>> c. One (sex?) photographed by Blair Nikula at Bass River, =20
>> Dennis, Cape Cod, MA, 24 Jan 2004. [Blair reports this was during a =20=
>> strong cold snap in a tidal area, and thus deserving of serious =20
>> consideration given its coastal vagrant trap locale, appropriate =20
>> wild habitat, and association with wild-type birds. Age as adult =20
>> may or may not be a minor nod to escapee status?]
>>
>> d. One first-winter (female?) at Quidi Vidi Lake, St. Johns, =20
>> Newfoundland, 17 Nov 2009 (photos by Bruce Mactavish) [superb =20
>> location, date, and age for vagrant; Mactavish=92s research indicates =
=20
>> low prevalence in captivity locally]
>>
>> e. A rumor of a Plum Island record was passed along by Rick =20
>> Heil. To anyone (Tom Wetmore?) with details on date, age, length of =20=
>> stay etc., please do pass those along!
>>
>> f. One (adult?) at Prettyboy Reservoir, Baltimore Co., MD in =20=
>> April 1992 [considered escapee at time and found on freshwater =20
>> mudflats on inland reservoir; probable escapee]
>>
>> The below records are on summer dates and locations (inland, or =20
>> well to the south) that probably favor escapee occurrence, but they =20=
>> are valuable for helping to show that a number of shelducks have =20
>> been reported elsewhere.
>>
>> g. one 8 May 1989, Piney Run Park, MD (Bob Ringler eBird =20
>> report)
>>
>> h. one 17-21 Aug 1975, Bombay Hook NWR, DE (Bob Ringler eBird =20=
>> report)
>>
>> i. one 16 Aug 1980 at Bombay Hook NWR, DE (Bob Ringler =20
>> eBird report)
>>
>> j. one 17 Jul 1993 at Baie-du-Febvre, Quebec (Evalyne Samson =20=
>> eBird report)
>>
>> k. one 19 May 2007 at "RBG, Spring Rd.", Ontario (Nancy =20
>> Feagans eBird report)
>>
>> I=92m sure there are many others of known or presumed escapees, but =20=
>> without compiling those we won=92t be able to say how strong the =20
>> apparent Northeastern, winter pattern from records a-e actually is. =20=
>> Please get in touch if you have information!
>>
>> 5) Captive status: Research is ongoing as to the species=92 =20
>> status in captivity. We know that this species is certainly kept by =20=
>> some waterfowl fanciers, and Bruce Mactavish reports that they are =20=
>> for sale for $150 from some online sources and that young birds =20
>> tend to shipped in fall (and thus are most likely to escape then). =20=
>> In order to gauge how likely an escapee event is in this case, it =20
>> would be very interesting to get any first-hand reports of how =20
>> common this species is, how likely an adult vs. an immature is to =20
>> escape, and whether any recent escapees are known. Since this =20
>> information can sometimes be sensitive, feel free to reply off-list =20=
>> so that I can pass the information along to the Massachusetts and =20
>> Newfoundland Records Committees.
>>
>> I encourage Massbirders to pay attention to this record as a =20
>> potential wild vagrant, to take good notes on its behavior and =20
>> condition, and to try to keep track of how long it stays.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Marshall Iliff
>>
>> PS =96 Ruddy Shelducks are not to be entirely blown off as escapees =20=
>> either. Although many records are clearly of escapees, we should be =20=
>> compiling records given the species=92 apparent occurrence as a =20
>> vagrant in western Europe and a highly intriguing record of a flock =20=
>> in Nunavut (!) several years ago. Just another indication of why we =20=
>> as birders could do much better with keeping track of records of =20
>> exotic birds, whether known, presumed, or incorrectly presumed =20
>> escapees! So thanks to Myer for the report of the Ruddy Shelduck =20
>> from Cumbies!
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Fwd: eBird Report - Pepperell (Pepperell Ponds) ,
12/8/09
From: Tom Pirro <alurap(AT)verizon.net>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 1:40pm
Location: Pepperell (Pepperell Ponds)
Observation date: 12/8/09
Notes: From behind the "trotting track" along the Nashua River.
Number of species: 14
Canada Goose 112
Mute Swan 31 * Down from 36 a few weeks back, still a very high number for this
area of Massachusetts.
American Black Duck 1
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) 1
Mallard 50
Common Merganser 5
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Osprey 1 ** Late, most recent sighting was 12/3. Today this young bird was
feeding on a modest size fish..initial impression was a Crappie as it appeared
flat while the bird was carrying it.
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Ring-billed Gull 1
Belted Kingfisher 2 1 male and 1 female
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 10
Red-winged Blackbird 4 In the phragmities on a nearby island.
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
Tom Pirro
Westminster, Ma.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Fresh Pond waterfowl
From: Jeffrey Boone Miller <miller(AT)bbri.org>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 1:46pm
Fresh Pond, Cambridge
Dec. 8, 2009. 12:00 noon - 12:50pm
24 Canvasbacks
32 Ring-necked Ducks
7 Ruddy Ducks
4 Hooded Mergansers
2 Grebe sp. (probably Horned Grebes*)
*I was without my binos today, but three Horned Grebes were recently reported on
Fresh Pond and the field marks that I could see were consistent with that ID.
Not definitive.
By the way, I have circumambulated Fresh Pond an average of 3-4 times per month
for almost 20 years and I have never had an unpleasant encounter with a canine.
Hominids are another story. Of course, it's always important to pay attention
to one's surroundings.
----Boone
J. Boone Miller
Belmont MA
miller(AT)bbri.org
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Mew Gull, Lynn/Swampscott
From: Bird Watchers Supply & Gift <birdwsg(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 2:10pm
Tim Factor called the store at 2:00 to report spotting a Mew Gull. The bird was
being seen on the Lynn/Swampscott border.
Barrett Bacall for SG
Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher's Supply & Gift and Nature Shop at Joppa Flats
Newburyport, MA USA
REPLY TO: BirdWSG(AT)verizon.net
978-462-0775
www.birdwatcherssupplyandgift.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Cape Cod Bird Club Meeting December 14
From: "cvf(AT)juno.com" <cvf@juno.com>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 3:48pm
The December meeting of the Cape Cod Bird Club will be on Monday, December 14 at
7:30pm at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History on Rt 6A in Brewster. CCBC
meetings are free and open to the public.
The December meeting features a digital slide show of members' bird photos, a
silent auction of bird books and other items, refreshments, door prizes and a
bake sale. Proceeds go to Birder's Exchange, and to the CCBC Scholarship Fund.
Come join the fun! More information on the meeting, and on scheduled trips in
December and January can be found at www.massbird.org/ccbc.
Cynthia Franklin
for Cape Cod Bird Club
So Wellfleet
cvf(AT)juno.com
____________________________________________________________
Senior Assisted Living
Put your loved ones in good hands with quality senior assisted living. Click
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: 12/8/09 -- Quabbin Reservation, Gate 5, Old
Enfield & Allen Roads
From: Christopher Ide Ellison <grosbeak21117(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 5:14pm
Common Loon 2
Horned Grebe 2
Mallard 2
Black Scoter 1
Long-tailed Duck 1
Bald Eagle 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Ruffed Grouse 2
Bonaparte's Gull 1
Ring-billed Gull 3
Rock Dove 4
Mourning Dove 13
Barred Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 14
American Crow 5
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 7
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Brown Creeper 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 11
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Eastern Bluebird 3
American Robin 14
Cedar Waxwing 6
American Tree Sparrow 8
Fox Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 13
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 18
Northern Cardinal 4
Red-winged Blackbird 7
American Goldfinch 6
Chris Ellison
grosbeak21117(AT)yahoo.com
Hardwick, MA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Painted Bunting, Orleans 12/8
From: "Mark Faherty" <mfaherty(AT)massaudubon.org>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 5:56pm
A female type Painted Bunting has been visiting a feeder in East Orleans
since yesterday. I saw it this afternoon and took some "record shots" as
we like to say when the photos aren't that great.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pajarero/4169582689/
The homeowner agreed that people could view it from the road. It's at 7
Harbor View Lane, which is off of Brick Hill Rd. It's the first house on
the right. The single feeder is behind the house, and the bird comes
from the thicket along the edge of the tennis court. Please don't go
into the yard unless you are invited. The woman's name is Nancy and she
is very nice. A couple of streets away there is a male Summer Tanager
coming to a feeder but it is not publicly accessible, unfortunately.
This tanager was there last winter as well and apparently visited other
feeders in the area, so keep an eye out. All the rare birds in East
Orleans tend to be at feeders with sunflower hearts.
Also, the male Barrow's Goldeneye is back at the Chequesset Neck bridge
in Wellfleet. A Fox Sparrow, an Eastern Towhee, and 6 Northern Bobwhites
have been here at our sanctuary feeders in recent days. A Merlin has
been around as well:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pajarero/4156088401/
*********************************************************************
Mark Faherty
Science Coordinator
Mass Audubon/Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Plum Island photos of Gadwalls, Pintails and
Shovelers
From: hbreder(AT)comcast.net
Date: 8 Dec 2009 6:44pm
Here is a report of my trip to Plum Island on Dec 6, a bright sunny day, not
great for birding
because of the glittering snow and water, and harsh shadows which made seeing
and
photographing birds difficult - still a fabulous day.
http://onejackdawbirding.blogspot.com/2009/12/plum-island-good-and-bad.html
Hilke Breder
Brattleboro, VT
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: at least one Barrow's Goldeneye, Essex Bay
From: dbjones1899(AT)earthlink.net
Date: 8 Dec 2009 8:02pm
I was kayaking in Essex Bay this afternoon and snapped a few photos as three
goldeneyes flew by overhead. When I got home and viewed them on the computer it
was clear that one was a male Barrow's Goldeneye; the pictures aren't very
detailed but I'd say that the other two were one female Barrow's Goldeneye and
one female Common Goldeneye. They were flying southwest between Choate Island
and Cross Island, away from Crane's Beach toward Essex center.
Photos at http://www.pbase.com/clamflats/essex_bay_rarities
David Jones
Essex, Mass.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Mew Gull pictures
From: m.goetschkes(AT)comcast.net
Date: 8 Dec 2009 8:20pm
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Hello Massbirders,
No luck this afternoon finding the Common Shelduck this afternoon in Lynn, but
Tim Factor found a Mew Gull!
I've posted a few pictures at the link below.
Best Regards,
Margo Goetschkes
Cambridge, MA
m.goetschkes(at)comcast(dot)net
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24246528@N05/?saved=1
----DELETED text/html MIME SECTION----
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Eye piece
From: "Bob Crowley" <crbob(AT)fairpoint.net>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 8:56pm
Today at one of the many locations in Lynn, Swampscot and Nahant where I
was looking for the Sheldrake I lost a 20 x 60 Zoom lens for my Kowa Scope.
There was a report that it had been found. Thanks for any help in finding
it.
Bob Crowley
Chatham, NH
crbob(AT)fairpoint.net
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: 2 Peregrines in Cambridge
From: "Greg Dysart" <dysart(AT)volume3.com>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 9:00pm
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Tuesday Dec 8, 2009 1 pm cold clear day.
2 Peregrine Falcons flying together, seen from Temple Street. One landed on
the tall, concrete 13 story building on Mass. Ave.
I got distant photos of this bird.
Greg Dysart
http://dysart.zenfolio.com/falcons
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: dogs at FP
From: "Jim Barton" <redwingatfp1986(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 9:22pm
Hello. I circumambulated Fresh Pond just about every day during
October, November and December in the l980s and early l990s. I never
encountered problems with dogs. But problems with dogs abound, including
one serious incident in which the wife of my children's pediatrician was
knocked to the ground and suffered severe injuries, which resulted in a
lawsuit against the dogowner. I know of such incidents because I serve on a
board concerned with the management of the Reservation for the benefit of
all users. Miller's experience should not be interpreted as absence of
evidence for a continuing problem.
Yours,
Jim Barton
Cambridge, MA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Parker River NWR Closed ~ 12/9/09
From: Sue McGrath <newburyportbirders(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 10:04pm
Birders,
This is posted with our moderator's consent:
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge will be closed on Wednesday,
December 9, 2009 for deer culling. A
controlled, white-tailed deer hunt is a part of a comprehensive Refuge
Wildlife Management Program. This
program helps maintain the deer population at a level commensurate with
foraging habitat.
Best wishes,
Sue
Sue McGrath
Newburyport Birders
Observe ~ Appreciate ~ Identify
Newburyport, MA 01950 USA
978-462-4785 newburyportbirders(AT)comcast.net
www.newburyportbirders.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Longmeadow - Northern Shoveler
From: Barbara Volkle and Steve Moore <barb620(AT)theworld.com>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 10:08pm
Thanks to Nancy Eaton for the following report!
Barbara Volkle
Northborough, MA
barb620(AT)theworld.com
* * *
Longmeadow: N. Shoveler
12/8/09 Longmeadow (10:40-11 a.m.): Female N. Shoveler swimming
close to Pondside Rd. in pond just south of "Tina Lane" and pull-off.
Nancy Eaton
Enfield, CT
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: CT Report 12/08/2009
From: Roy Harvey <rmharvey(AT)snet.net>
Date: 8 Dec 2009 10:58pm
From Paul Carrier:
12/08/09 - New Hartford, Bakerville swamp -- 2 RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
From Dave Rosgen, w/ John Eykelhoff & Edith Canning:
12/08/09 - Litchfield, N. Shore Rd. (Litchfield Town Beach) -- 1
Winter Wren.
From SH Johnston:
12/07/09 - Farmington yard -- 3 possible EVENING GROSBEAKS, yard
fly-through.
From Paul Carrier:
12/06/09 - Harwinton yard -- with 3" of snow on the ground, 3 PINE
SISKIN at the feeder (that did not return on 12/07/09).
From Jim Goggin:
12/06/09 - Branford, Linden Ave -- "This morning at 7:00 I saw two
white pelicans in front of my house at 171 Linden avenue , Branford ,
CT. They were flying southwest." Presumably these are NOT from the
group of eight seen later that day.
**********************************************************************
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authorization from the board of directors of the COA.
**********************************************************************
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Reports should be sent to CTBirdReport(AT)ftml.net. Reports should
include sender's name, date, location of sightings and species of note
at each location. Reporting Guidelines are available at:
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