Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 5.75 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Brian Rusnica, Chris Eddy, Christine Restell, Cindy Rost, Joanne Hart, Melissa Aldrich, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Many hundreds of holiday weekend sightseers and their dogs; many different languages were being spoken. Friend of the Watch, Carl, spent some time with us.
Weather: Another sunny day with some useful clouds finally arriving in the early afternoon. Temps rose from 57 F to 72F, with winds averaging 5-7 mph, although they faded in the last hour. The humidity was moderate and visibility was excellent.
Raptor Observations: My thanks to our great group of observers who had to work around all of the holiday sightseers on the platform. We also explained our mission to many of those sightseers. Our club president, Brian Rusnica, honored us with a visit today. The bigger push of raptors that we were hoping for never quite materialzed, but we reached a double-digit count (barely) for the first time this season. The last hour featured a Sharpie and an adult Broad-wing, both of which were still in molt with noticeably missing tail and flight feathers.
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: MODO - 1 Chim Swift - 12 Comm Raven - 13 (groups of 4 & 9) RE Vireo - 1 E. Towhee - 1
Predictions: Temps are expected to top off in the low 70's again, with mostly cloudy skies, and 5-10 mph winds from the NNE to ENE. It will be interesting to see if this change in direction brings us more Ospreys from the coast. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 11:15:00 Total observation time: 3 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: John Weeks
Weather: Sunny; cumulus cloud-cover grew from zero to about 25%. Wind NNE to NE 5-10 mph. Temperature 60-70 F.
Raptor Observations: NE winds have never been kind to Blueberry Hill, and today's were no exception. Not migrating: 2 Turkey Vultures, Red-shouldered Hawk, adult Broad-winged Hawk, adult and immature Red-tails.
Non-raptor Observations: 25 species in all. Highlights were Least Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo and eight warblers, including Cape May. Others noted: Chimney Swifts (4), Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Common Raven, Barn Swallows (2), Black-capped Chickadees (2), Tufted Titmice (2), House Wrens (2), Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwings (10), House Finch, American Goldfinch, Eastern Towhee. Warblers: Black-and-white (f), Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue (f) and Prairie. Also one praying mantis and a cottontail rabbit. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 5.75 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Christine Restell, Cindy Rost, Janet Kovner, Paul Vanderhoof, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Guesstimate of 400-500 holiday weekend sightseers, including the Worcester Railers professional hockey team (ECHL).
Weather: Sunny to partly cloudy skies with temps rising from 52F to 70F. Winds were from the W to NW averaging about 8 mph, but with occasional gusts to 12-16 mph. The air was quite clear with all of the normal landmarks visible as well as the VT mountains and mid-NH mountains.
Raptor Observations: Thanks to the observers who joined me today - Janet Kovner, Christine Restell, Tom Gottschang, Cindy Rost and Paul Vanderhoof - for both their eyes and for their conversation.
The migrating raptor count picked up slightly to 7 birds, including the first Amer Kestrel of the season.
The non-migrating raptors were quite active today. The two dueling Turkey Vultures (juv?) were at it again today, and two other TVs had to make violent dives to escape the wrath of a local Sharpie. Five Bald Eagles of various ages commanded our attention at various times today as they soared high on solid winds, and we had to follow them for long periods to see of any of them were migrating - they weren't. Non-migrating: TV - 5 (minimum number) Osprey - 1 Bald Eagle - 5 (2 Ad, 1 Sub-Ad, 2 Juv) Cooper's Hawk - 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 (an ornery cuss) Broad-winged Hawk - 3 (minimum number. 1 Ad, 2 Juv) Red-shouldered Hawk - 1 Red-tailed Hawk - 4 (minimum number. 3 Ad, 1 Juv)
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: MODO - 1 (minimum number. Multiple passes over the summit) Tree Swallow - 5 Chimney Swift - 6 RT Hummingbird - 1 Comm Raven - 2 Cedar WW - 2 Gr Catbird - 1 E Towhee - 1
Predictions: We hope for even better numbers tomorrow with another sunny day featuring temps in the upper 60's and low 70's, and winds from the NNW to N at 5-7 mph. This should allow the birds to use both thermals and the wind for uplift. There's also evidence of birds in the pipeline for the first time with the Clarry Hill (ME) hawk watch site reporting 35 birds including 17 Broad-wings passing through there today. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 12:00:00 Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: John Weeks
Observers: Jim Reid, John Weeks, Steve Tysz
Weather: Abundant sunshine; cloud-cover slowly increased from near zero to no more than 25%. Wind NW 5 mph rising to NW 10-15 mph. Temperature 56-65 F.
Raptor Observations: Two migrants. The season's first was a Northern Harrier at 10:45 EDT, followed by a male Kestrel just 14 minutes later. For the last two hours of the watch, nothing moved. Non-migrants: Turkey Vulture, two immature Bald Eagles horsing around together high up, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk.
Non-raptor Observations: Great Blue Heron, Red-eyed Vireos (2), Barn Swallows (3), Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Cedar Waxwings (ca. 10), American Goldfinch, Eastern Towhee, Common Yellowthroat (1st-winter male), Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler (ad. male), Yellow-rumped Warbler. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Weeks (<aerie.john...>)
Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 11:00:00 Total observation time: 2.5 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Visitors: About 2 dozen hikers and other sightseers who were a bit disappointed by the lack of visbility. I enjoyed talking with our friend Frannie for a while.
Weather: A humid air mass moved in overnight, which increased the cloud cover and decreased the visibility. A low layer of scattered cumulus clouds moved beneath a high layer of cirrus and stratus clouds. The cloud base began the session at about 3500 ft (obscuring the top of Mt Monadnock) and rose to about 6000 ft in the next few hours. Boston was barely visible, and Mt Grace defined the limit of visibility to the NW. Temps in the low to high 60's, light-to-moderate SW winds. Rain clouds began building in the distance in the late morning.
Raptor Observations: Despite the impending rain and SW winds, I decided to come up for a few hours to see what might be moving. A distant Osprey moving off to the SW gave me some hope at the start of the session, but that was all of the migrants for the day. Three TVs, a Broad-wing (juv) and two relatively close Bald Eagles (adult and sub-adult) comprised the total of the non-migrating raptors for the day. Two of the TVs were quite active, playing "tag" with each other which leads me to believe that they were likely juveniles. With rain showing on the radar to the west, the wind picking up, no signs of any more migrating birds, and a major racket coming from the cement pouring trucks on the ski slope just below us, I decided to shut down early.
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Chimney Swift - 15 (minimum number, put on a nice show for a while) Tree Swallow - 1 Barn Swallow - 2 Gr Catbird - 1 E Towhee - 1
Predictions: A much better forecast for Saturday - sunny with temps in the 60's, and 8-12 mph WNW winds which is normally a resonably good direction for migration at our site. Even better on Sunday with slightly warmer temps and NNW to N winds. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Date: 8/28/25 9:34 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] eBird Report - Revere Beach--Point of Pines, Aug 27, 2025
Thanks to Craig Jackson for this report
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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From: Craig Jackson <crleja1949...> Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2025 18:53:06 -0400 Subject: Fwd: eBird Report - Revere Beach--Point of Pines, Aug 27, 2025
Sorry not to get this to you earlier
Caig Jackson. Malden
---------- Forwarded message --------- From: <do-not-reply...> Date: Thu, Aug 28, 2025 at 6:48=E2=80=AFPM Subject: eBird Report - Revere Beach--Point of Pines, Aug 27, 2025 To: <crleja1949...>
Revere Beach--Point of Pines, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US Aug 27, 2025 9:26 AM - 10:13 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.218 kilometer(s) Checklist Comments: When I started walking from the traffic circle the tide was the lowest I have ever seen here -- the flats extended to the channel marker. This was undoubtedly due to the new moon. I walked out counting the shorebirds and then walked back checking and adjusting my count. Track is from the Point back to the traffic circle. 8 species
Canada Goose 11 Black-bellied Plover 15 Semipalmated Plover 15 Piping Plover 10 They breed here. I counted several times Semipalmated Sandpiper 4 Ring-billed Gull X American Herring Gull X Great Black-backed Gull 3
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 5.5 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller, Ted Purcell
Observers: Chris Eddy, David Brown, Greg McGuane, Judy McGuane, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: A light day for sightseers - maybe 30-40.
Weather: A generally pleasant day with very good visibility. Temps ranged from 58 to 71 F, with 4-7 mph winds from W to SW with some higher gusts which did make it a bit chilly up on the platform. The cloud cover was predominately of the thin cirrus type so the light was good.
Raptor Observations: Thanks to our intrepid observers today - Chris Eddy, Judy and Greg McGuane, Dave Brown, Tom Gottschang and Ted Purcell who covered for Eric's late arrival and early departure today. The migration was slow again, but we had our first migrating Broad-wings of the season, as well as a very early Red-shouldered Hawk which passed high overhead, heading SW.
Non-migrating raptors: Black Vulture - 2 (we're enjoying seeing these more often here) TV - 4 Bald Eagle - 1 (Juv) Broad-winged Hawk - 3 (Juv - the 3 amigos) Red-tail - 3 (1 Ad, 2 Imm)
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Chimney Swift - 3 RT Hummingbird - DC Cormorant - 2 Blue Jay - 1 Comm Raven - 3 BC Chickadee - 1 Barn Swallow - 2 Gr Catbird - 1 E Towhee - 1
Predictions: Light rain showers are predicted for a short time between 7 and 8 am EST, and then scattered thunderstorms starting around noon and getting steadier as the afternoon progresses. We'll try to get in a few hours of observations in the morning before the steadier rains hit. Temps in the 60's and SSW winds from 5-10 mph will make it a bit chilly for us. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Date: 8/28/25 8:48 am From: PAUL ROBERTS <phawk254...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] "Identifying Hawks of Flight" Webinar Thurs. Sept 4, 7-8:30 p.m.
Thursday evening, September 4, I am giving a webinar on "Identifying Hawks in Flight" for Mass Audubon from 7–8:30 p.m. Whether you're taking it for the first time or as a refresher, the webinar provides an opportunity to prepare for an exciting hawk migration, especially the peak from Sept. 10-24 when you have your best chance to see 100+ hawks and 10+ species in a single day. When else can you see something like that? One of the most spectacular migrations you can see live. (Caution: it can be addictive!) The class will help you identify 13 species of hawks based on what you actually see in the field, rather than magnified images on a computer screen or camera LCD. You'll learn when and where to look for migrants. You will also have online archive access to the video of the class in case you miss the live presentation or want to review it again. Reviewing what you know prior to every season is helpful to learning more, and having more fun. The class is $20 for Audubon members; $24 for nonmembers. For more information or to register, cut and paste this link into your browser. https://www.massaudubon.org/programs/mass-audubon-education/97131-birds-of-summer-identifying-hawks-in-flight Best, Paul Paul M. Roberts Medford, MA <phawk254...>
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 4.08 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Christine Restell
Visitors: Somewhere between 50 and 75 sightseers on the summit today. Several people including a birder from NC helped to look for birds for a bit.
Weather: Isolated rainshowers dotted the area all day. We shut down from 9:00 to 9:40 because of rain, and ended the watch an hour early because a long string of storm cells rode west to east between Route 2 and the NH border, effectively shutting down the migration pipeline. Temps rose from 58 to 70 F, skies were partly to mostly cloudy with mostly cumulus clouds, and winds were from the west at 4-7 mph with gusts from 12 to 18 mph in the last two hours. The wind put a noticeable chill into people on the platform. The visibility was very good except where rain was falling.
Raptor Observations: My thanks to Christine Restell for her good eyes and good company today.
The scattered rainstorms early in the session put a damper on all raptor flight. We didn't see any of the local TVs until almost 10:45 EST, but soon after they rose up, the eagles and other raptors followed, at least for another 90 minutes. Rainstorms kept popping in a 30 mile radius of the mountain which had to have some effect on go/no-go decisions by the birds, and we ultimately decided to shut down as the storms closed off the area north of us. 4 Bald Eagles and 1 Osprey were all that made it through the short window between late morning and early afternoon.
Non-migrating raptors: TV - 7 (minimum number, includes a kettle of 5 birds to our east) Bald Eagle - 1 (Ad) Cooper's Hawk - 1 Red-tail - 1 Broad-wing - 2 (Juv) UR - 1
Non-raptor Observations: The only thing out of the ordinary was a flock of 5 D-C Cormorants which circled up to our east for about a minute and then disappeared. D-C Cormorant - 5 MODO - 1 Chim Swift - 3 Comm Raven - 1 BC Chickadee - 2 Gr Catbird - 1 Amer Robin - 1 Cedar WW - 4 E Towhee - 1
Predictions: The forecast calls for mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies, temps in the 60's and low 70's, low humidity and winds from the WSW at 5-10 mph, with no chance of rain. Eagles should be able to deal with these light-to-moderate headwinds, so we're hoping to see more of them tomorrow. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Date: 8/27/25 5:16 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] West Hill Banding - Wes 27th
Thanks to Strickland Wheelock for this report
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2025 21:00:34 +0000 (UTC) From: Strickland Wheelock <skwheelock...> Subject: West Hill Banding - Wes 27th
Tues 26th dozen+ Phoebes arrived that morning along with several other migrants - Wes the Phoebes were mostly gone but replaced by a new mixture. The same short net that we caught 6 Phoebes Tues morning had some nice surprises on the first 2 net checks - male Canada Warbler, male Prairie Warbler, 2 HY Pine Warblers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker and 1 HY Catbird - other nets had a HY female Wilson Warbler, 1 Ovenbird, 1 HY male C Yellowthroat, a HY Least Flycatcher, 1 male E Towhee, 2 HY male Indigo Buntings, 1 Catbird.What made for a challenge day was ageing some of these species like the Least Flycatcher and several other captures [not a fast process dealing with the molts, etc]. Again we closed the nets after 3 net checks due to the sun/heat despite many mixed species still flitting in the taller trees. As it was in that short time, we did capture 6 warbler species & throw in the Am Redstart & B&W Warbler from Tues, now up to 8 species - many more warblers & vireos & flycatchers & thrushes soon to join us at West Hill Dam.
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 5.75 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller, Ted Purcell
Observers: Christine Restell, Cindy Rost, Joanne Hart, John Edmondson, Mark Hibberd, Marty McNamara, Scot Wiinikka, Ted Purcell, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Several dozen hikers and other sightseers came up to enjoy the good view and pleasant weather.
Weather: Finally a day without southerly winds - everything came straight out of the west today at 6-12 mph with gusts up to 18 mph and lulls down to almost nothing. Temps were from 60 to 70F, and there were many more clouds than predicted, but that was fine as a background for spotting the birds. The wind made it a bit chilly, and layering was definitely in order today. Visibility was very good with only a slight haze - all of the usual landmarks were quite visible.
Raptor Observations: Bald Eagles carried the day for us, accounting for 6 of the 8 migrating raptors that we spotted today. The first one appeared just 15 minutes after we set up this morning, and the other 5 all flew through between 10 and 11 am EST. They seem to respond well to the stronger wind conditions aloft. Non-migrating raptors: Black Vulture - 4 (all together) TV - 4 (minimum number) Bald Eagle - 2 (1 Ad, 1 Juv) Cooper's Hawk - 1 Broad-winged Hawk - 2 (possibly 3, all juveniles) Red-tail - 2 Unident Raptor - 1
We had a great turnout of observers today with a total of 10 over the course of the day. Thanks to everyone who came out today!
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: MODO - 1 Chimney Swift - 4 RE Vireo - 1 Comm Raven - 11 (possibly 12 all in one group) BC Chickadee - 2 Gr Catbird - 1 Amer Robin - 1 Cedar WW - 1 E Towhee - 1 N Cardinal - 1 (not all that common a visitor up here)
Predictions: Partly to mostly cloudy skies, with temps in the 60's, with WNW to W winds at 5-10 mph and low-to-moderate humidity. This should be a recipe for a good flight and good observation conditions. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Date: 8/26/25 5:41 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] West Hill banding
Thanks to Strickland Wheelock for this report
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2025 19:38:11 +0000 (UTC) From: Strickland Wheelock <skwheelock...> Subject: West Hill banding
Time to continue our Bird Banding project at West Hill Dam - set up the nets Sun. 24th and Mon. 25th we opened with semi-low expectations given the warmth & humidity. Our 1st bird netted was a surprise - Wood Thrush [migrant probably] - following that we captured a Bluebird, 2 Savannah & 1 Song Sparrow, 1 Towhee, 2 Catbirds & a Ovenbird. There was little song/activity Mon. morning & no E Phoebes which during migration are normally active in the fields.Hopefully Mon. night's cool breeze from the NW would bring in our 1st real migrant movement overnight for our Tues. morning start. Suddenly Tues morning the fields had Phoebes flying everywhere - 1 short net caught 6 Phobes with another dozen flying about. Bird song/call notes were active around the Park with flycatchers, woodpeckers, wrens, warblers, sparrows, orioles calling. Other species netted were a Veery, 1 B&W Warbler, 1 Am Redstart, 2 Towhees, 4 Catbirds, Ovenbird. We again closed early after 3 net checks as the sun really heated up the ParkAs we enter Sept and cool winds head our way knocking down this heat, we are prepared to net hundreds of migrants moving through the Park - right now is the lull before the storm!
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 14:15:00 Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Bill Rasku
Observers: Christine Restell, Richard Spedding, Ted Purcell
Visitors: There was a steady flow of visitors including a couple of birders from Austin who are now living in the area. We enjoyed talking with our friend Frannie.
Weather: The day started with solid low clouds, light SW winds and high humidity that obscured the view of all of the NH mountains and Boston. Misty rain began to fall around 11:40 and morphed into a 15 minute rain shower starting at 12:00. After that, the clouds began to break and by 12:40, we began to get views of Mt. Greylock far to the west, the NH mountains to the north and Boston to the east. Partly sunny conditions lasted until 3:15 when a heavier rain cell arrived and ended our day. Temps stayed in the 21-24 C range all day.
Raptor Observations: We counted our first migrating raptors of the season - a Red-shoulder, an Osprey and a UR that was too far out to ID. Hopefully these are the first of many more to come.
Thanks to Christine Restell who first spotted all 3 migrating birds, as well as to our counter Bill Rasku and our other observers Ted Purcell and Richard Spedding.
Non-migrating raptors: TV - 6 Broad-winged Hawk - 3 (the immatures that have been seen every day so far) Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: MODO - 1 RT Hummingbird - 1 YT Vireo - 1 RE Vireo - 1 BC Chickadee - 1 Blue Jay - 1 T Titmouse - 1 Barn Swallow - 2+ Gr Catbird - 1 Amer Robin - 1 Cedar WW - 1 Song Sparr - 1 E Towhee - 1 B&W Warbler - 1 BT Green Warbler - 1
Predictions: Now that tropical storm Erin has passed, the dominant SW winds have passed and straight westerly winds will take over. While not the best direction, it's still an improvement, even with wind speeds of 10-15 mph tomorrow. It should be sunny with moderate humidity, and temps in the 60's to low 70's (F). We're hoping for a continuing increase in raptor counts over the next couple of days. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Date: 8/25/25 7:55 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Caterpillar Lab - Garden in the Woods - 8/30 - 9/1
Sam Jaffe and the folks from the Caterpillar Lab will be at Garden in the Woods in Framingham this coming weekend August 30 to September 1 from 10:30 to 4:30 each day.
From facebook:
The Caterpillar Lab is headed to Garden in the Woods!
From August 30 – September 1, drop in and explore an exhibit filled with native caterpillars. Uncover the unbelievable—yet true—stories behind these insects’ fascinating and often bizarre adaptations.
Whether you pop in for a few minutes or for an hour, you’re guaranteed to spot something new and surprising!
The event is free with Garden admission.
Sam says he’s hoping to make it extra exciting for Lep, bird, and general naturalist type people in eastern and Central Ma.
Date: 8/25/25 11:21 am From: Josh <opihi...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] MA RBA: Bridled Tern, Westport
Hi MassBirders,
Erik Nielsen is reporting a Bridled Tern from Gooseberry Neck (Beach, island) in Westport today. Originally posted an hour and a half ago to the MA RBA on GroupMe, reported as still present just over an hour ago. Presumably blown in by the hurricane that recently passed us by. We can only imagine what we’d be seeing from the BBC pelagic right now if we were out there, but was cancelled at the last minute due to overly rough seas….
Date: 8/25/25 5:45 am From: Mark Fairbrother <bogelfin...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] CT river Great Egrets 8.24.25
Yesterday morning there was a group of 8 Great Egrets along the river at Hadley/Hatfield, and two more along the river in north Sunderland. No shorebirds there, but 13+ at the airport in Hatfield.
Visitors: Jody from West Boylston stopped by to chat. The Quabbin Regional HS girls field hockey team hiked up the mountain on a team-building excercise. Hundreds of sightseers hiked, biked and drove up to look around. We had good conversations about our work with quite a few people.
Weather: Another day of solid southerly winds (8-12 SSW with 16-18 mph gusts), but with higher humidity than the last few days and a solid low cloud cover (about 4,000 ft AMSL) to start. Blue patches began to appear around noon and the cloud base rose to around 5,000 ft. With the added humidity, the haze hid Mt Greylock, the VT mountains and the more distant NH mountains.
Raptor Observations: Yet another 0 migrant day. If any raptors were thinking of moving today, they were undoubtedly discouraged by the solid SSW winds that lasted all day. The low cloud cover kept most of the local raptors down until almost mid-day. The raptor highlight of the day was a Peregrine Falcon that circled up on the west side and then took a steep dive at something out of our sight below. Non-migrating raptors: TV - 6 Broad-winged Hawk - 3 (the 3 same juveniles that we've been seeing the last few days) Red-tailed Hawk - 1 (AD) Peregrine Falcon - 1
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Another of today's highlights was a kettle of 18 Ravens that rose up on the east side in the early afternoon. Chimney Swift - 6 Tree Swallow - 3 Comm Raven - 18 Gray Catbird - 1 E Towhee - 1
Predictions: The last of the southerly flow of air should shift to a more westerly direction by early afternoon, but that will also likely bring some rain showers. The morning winds should be under 5 mph and it will be interesting to see if any birds take advantage of that to get moving. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Date: 8/24/25 4:53 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 8/23 Little Blue Heron YES in Squantum
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2025 19:34:30 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: 8/23 Little Blue Heron YES in Squantum
Sorry for the late post, as the Quincy Library's computers wouldn't allow me to get to my e-mails. It has something to do with yahoo and its stricter policies? I birded here from 10:30-2:30.
Little Blue Heron 1 when I arrived, the bird was in the 2nd panne, basically being a loner. Almost all the Snowy Egrets in the same pan were in a bunch. After one-half hour, the Little Blue Heron flew to the 1st panne. I walked quickly over to that panne, and got the bird with killer looks. Pat was able to get many close photos. Snowy Egret 25 Great Egret 19 Great Blue Heron 1 Osprey 1 Black-bellied Plover 15 Semipalmated Plover 1 American Oystercatcher 2 Semipalmated Sandpiper 130 Short-billed Dowitcher 5 Greater Yellowlegs 5 Lesser Yellowlegs 5 Common Tern 3 Saltmarsh Sparrow 1 ammodrramus sparrow 1 Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Boston
Date: 8/23/25 5:48 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Red Crossbill Request for Information
Thanks to Dr. Cody Porter for this request for information.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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From: <empidonaxdvg...> Subject: Red Crossbill Request for Information Date:Fri, 22 Aug 2025 15:35:06 -0400
Hi all,
I’m writing to follow up on my previous requests for observations of eastern red crossbills feeding on conifers. Late summer-early fall is a great time to look for crossbills, as conifer cone crops are mature and food availability for crossbills is at an all time high.
As a reminder, I’m looking for recordings of crossbill calls from the eastern US/Great Lakes with information on the conifers the birds are feeding on. The recordings do not have to be made with any advanced equipment – phone recordings are often sufficient. Pictures of the conifer cones the birds are feeding on are most helpful. However, if you are comfortable with conifer identification, notes on which conifers birds are feeding on are also valuable.
Based on contributions from several folks across the eastern US, I’ve accumulated nearly 1,000 records of eastern red crossbills and the conifers they’re feeding on. If you’re interested, I’ve posted a little blurb on my website (https://www.ckporterlab.com/community-science) illustrating and describing the preliminary data for type 12, the crossbill I have the most data for and am most interested in for this project.
Although there are some intriguing patterns in the data so far, describing the feeding ecology of type 12 and other eastern call types will require /much/ more data across many seasons and years. So, if you have crossbills in your area, please consider uploading recordings and conifer information to eBird. I’ve also created an iNaturalist project (link below) where observations can be uploaded. If you don’t use eBird or iNaturalist, please feel free to send me any observations directly.
Thanks a ton for considering my request. Please feel free to reach out with any questions! Also, please pass this onto anyone you think might be interested in participating.
Observation start time: 08:15:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 4.75 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Bill Rasku, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Hundreds of sightseers, dozens of dogs and one cat (Wild Thing with his human Bruce.) We had good conversions about our work with over a dozen people.
Weather: Another pleasant warm and sunny day, but with moderate to strong winds coming from the SW. Some clouds appeared mid-morning which helped with locating some of the birds. Somewhat hazier than yesterday with slightly higher humidity, but we could still make out Mt Greylock, Stratton Mt and Boston, just not clearly.
Raptor Observations: Thanks to Bill Rasku and Tom Gottschang for their hard work today. No migrating raptors for a second day, but today we could blame the SW winds. The local raptors seemed to enjoy the winds, using them to swoop around the mountain repeatedly.
Non-migrating raptors: TV - 6 (minimum number) Bald Eagle - 1 (AD - minimum number) Cooper's Hawk - 1 (tangled once with a circling Red-shoulder) Red-shouldered Hawk - 1 (2nd day in a row that another raptor dove on it while it was innocently circling. It don't get no respect!) Red-tailed Hawk - 1 (AD - minimum number) Broad-winged Hawk - 3 (all Juveniles, playing together and hawking insects. There might be a 4th BW - one bird we spotted had a white patch on its upper left wing which we hadn't noticed on the other birds before)
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Rock Pigeon - 1 MODO - 1 Chimney Swift - 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2 Comm Raven - 3 Tree Swallow - 1 Barn Swallow - 3 swallow sp- 4 Cedar Waxwing - 1 E. Towhee - 1
Predictions: Similar weather to today with highs in the upper 70's, a bit higher humidity and cloudier skies. Winds will continue from the SSW, averaging 10-12 mph. This doesn't bode well for seeing migrating birds. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Observation start time: 08:45:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 5.25 hours
Official Counter: Eric Mueller
Observers: Laura de la Flor, Mark Burns, Tom Gottschang
Visitors: Dave Shattuck stopped by to say hello, and our friend-of-the-watch Frannie spent some time with us. Plenty of sightseers came up to enjoy the good visbility. The track and field teams from Fitchburg State and the Holy Cross men's rugby team all ran up the mountain.
Weather: A very pleasant warm and sunny day, with moderate winds straight out of the north. Some clouds appeared mid-morning which helped with locating some of the birds. Humidity was quite low and there was just mild haze in the air, so visibility was very good. The only regular landmarks that we couldn't see reasonably well were Mt. Passaconaway and Whiteface Mt far into NH.
Raptor Observations: Thanks to Tom Gottschang, Laura de la Flor and Mark Burns for helping out on our first official day of the Fall hawk watch. We were hoping that today's north winds would bring some early migrating birds, but we didn't have any luck that way. We did get a nice sampling of the local raptor population. 3 local juvenile Broad-wings kept us entertained with their interactions with each other. The 2 Black Vultures were a pleasant surprise - we don't see many here.
Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptors: Chimney Swift - 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1 Red-eyed Vireo - 1 Blue Jay - 1 Comm Raven - 2 Barn Swallow - 4 swallow sp - 2 Gray Catbird - 1 E Towhee - 1
Predictions: Another warm and sunny day, but with winds from the SW. Clarry Hill in ME reported Bald Eagles and Ospreys moving through today, so maybe those birds can deal with the headwinds and pass our way. ======================================================================== Report submitted by ERIC MUELLER (<ericmueller1912...>) Wachusett Mountain information may be found at: http://www.massbird.org/emhw
Date: 8/22/25 7:07 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Winthrop Fun Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Etc.
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2025 20:27:20 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: Winthrop Fun Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Etc.
After birding on Winthrop Beach from 9:30-11:15, I headed over to the nearby Crystal Cove, then Lewis Lake, and, finally, Fishermen's Bend Roost
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 Lewis Lake ad. initially perched at the bridge (culvert area); forty-five minutes later, on my 2nd pass, it had moved about thirty-five yards or more over to the left, down low and difficult to see Black-crowned Night-Heron 3 Lewis Lake flushed from a big American Linden behind auto repair Snowy Egret 3 Lewis Lake Killdeer 4 Piping Plover 2 Semipalmated Plover 50 guess Black-bellied Plover 35 Fishermen's Bend Roost (near high tide) White-rumped Sandpiper 12 Semipalmated Sandpiper clueless as to numbers Least Sandpiper 1 Ruddy Turnstone 5 Greater Yellowlegs 8+ Fishermen's Bend American Oystercatcher 18 fourteen Fishermen's Bend; four Crystal Cove Jetty Common Tern FORSTER"s TERN 1 adult breeding plumage flyover Laughling Gull 20 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 rare in Winthrop (Thornton Park)
Date: 8/21/25 9:15 am From: Dorothy Anderson <andersondorothy72...> Subject: Re: [MASSBIRD] Never before in nearly 86 years -a Whip-poor-will
So great to hear that!
On Sat, Aug 16, 2025 at 9:22 AM Dana Fox <dana.fox1939...> wrote:
> It was 8:55 pm on July 19th at my cabin on the western shore of Lower
> Beech Pond in Tuftonboro NH on a warm summer's night. All the windows and
> the screen doors were open. I was sitting facing the front of the cabin
> about 5 feet in and Bob was sitting closer facing inward.
>
> Suddenly, a loud call erupted from the Mountain Cranberry Bush 10 feet
> away. There is a 5 foot wide deck, this 15 foot tall Bush and then the
> lake. So close. I pished to get Bob's attention and actually saw it drop
> down in that crespuscular light.
>
> I was astounded as never before and that is in 86 years next week had I
> had a Whip here. Mature hemlock, red maples, Beech, spruce, and birch are
> the trees around me.
>
> In my early youth, you could here them about a half mile away and a more
> open area and younger trees. That was a while ago.
>
> A moment I will not forget. It just shows you always can discover new
> things even if it is only post breeding dispersal!
>
> Dana Duxbury-Fox
> Center Tuftonboro NH and
> North Andover MA
>
Date: 8/20/25 9:10 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 8/20 Winthrop Highlights, Etc. Eleven Shorebird Species
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:55 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: 8/20 Winthrop Highlights, Etc. Eleven Shorebird Species
Great Egret 1 Belle Isle Snowy Egret 1 Lewis Lake Common Eider 7 Peregrine Falcon 1 scaring the many birds Osprey 1+ Belle Isle Black-bellied Plover 46 Fishermen's Bend roost Killdeer 6 all but one Winthrop B. Semipalmated Plover 60 Piping Plover 3 Winthrop B. Semipalmated Sandpiper 300 wild guess White-rumped Sandpiper 5 Winthrop Beach Least sandpiper 1 Belle Isle American Oystercatcher 12 max. five F.B.; four Crystal Cove Jetty; three W.B.sister Ruddy Turnstone 4 W.B. Greater Yellowlegs 13 Crystal Cove Jetty Lesser Yellowlegs 1 B.I. Common Tern 1+ Crystal Cove Purple Martin 2 Lewis Lake bus stop; calling and seen Saltmarsh Sparrow 1 Belle Isle
Date: 8/18/25 6:32 am From: Mark Fairbrother <bogelfin...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] CT river at Sunderland bridge 8.17.2025
Late yesterday afternoon there was a loose group of 6 Great Egrets within a few hundred yards south of the Sunderland bridge. There was also a hunting party of about 25 Common Mergansers along the shore by the boat launch. The immature B-c Night Heron was perched on a branch over the water of Broughton's Pond in Old Deerfield, where there was also a group of 3 Green Herons also perched on snags over the water.
Date: 8/17/25 5:05 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] A Long Read From Laura Kiesel - But Well Worth It !! ACTION REQUESTED, PLEASE !!
Thanks to Gary Menin, Sr. for this post.
In order to get news on this topic, contact him directly in order to get on his mailing list.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...> *
From: gcmeninsr <gcmeninsr...> Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2025 10:10:21 -0400 Subject: A Long Read From Laura Kiesel - But Well Worth It !! ACTION REQUESTED PLEASE !!
Don't forget to comment on the Massachusetts State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). The deadline is Monday, August 18th. Save Arlington Wildlife is asking folks to request the state suspend the registration and use of anticoagulant rodenticides as per the request of the legal petition to Massachusetts as well as to remove the oversight of all pesticide registration from the MA Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) and instead place it with the MA Dept of Environmental Protection. Comments can be submitted @:
You can note the Species of Greatest Conservation Need and highlight the threats Anticoagulant Rodenticides pose to these species. Below is a list of species the state has highlighted for conservation concerns that we know are impacted by rodenticides. Starting with animals on the SWAP list which are also on the MESA I noted the following species:
- Bald eagle: As folks know, we lost two bald eagles right in our borders to rodenticides--MK and C25. Bald eagles are listed as a "Species of Conservation Concern" in MESA, a demotion in status I would argue is premature considering within a year several eagles died of SGARs. So I do ask they reinstate them to threatened status.
- Barn owls: Are barely hanging on in the state, with a tiny population on the islands. In late December 2024, an entire family of 5 barn owls died. SGARs were found to be a contributing if not primary factor in their deaths. Barn owls have been found to be more sensitive/vulnerable to anticoagulant rodenticides than other owl species. Yet, they are not listed as endangered. Please ask that they receive a proper listing befitting of their status.
- Snowy owls are not MESA listed though they are listed here as a species of conservation concern. They are IUCN Red-listed as threatened. Studies have found Snowy owls are profoundly vulnerable to rodenticides, with one study participant telling me of all the dead Snowy owl specimens around the world they looked at with Project SNOWstorm--the Snowies in MA had the highest rates of poisoning.
- American Kestrels are declining in the US. Part of this is due to loss of habitat. They are cavity nesters and need mature trees to nest. But also: rodenticides have been highlighted as a possible culprit. In Europe: the Common Kestrel, which is nearly identical to the American Kestrel and occupies the same kind of ecological niche--was found to be declining due to rodenticides.
Other birds of prey listed by SWAP that are also potentially vulnerable to rodenticides: the Long-Eared Owl, the Short-Eared Owl, the Northern Harrier, and the Peregrine Falcon.
If you look at other animals on the SGCN (Species of Greatest Conservation Need) you will find these of interest:
- Gray fox: lists secondary rodenticide poisoning as a threat. Just last night, we received liver panel results for a Gray Fox that was found dead in Arlington last month and his anticoagulant rates were OFF THE CHARTS. We had a large amount of internal bleeding.
- Bobcat: doesn't mention rodenticide even though anticoagulant rodenticides have been decimating bobcat populations in California (through widespread fatal mange the exposure makes them vulnerable to) and in Kiawah Island of South Carolina (due to AR toxicosis, massive internal bleeding). We have had several cases of bobcat kittens in MA die of rodenticide poisoning and submitted this data to the state.
While SAW mainly focuses on rodenticides, we also mention concerns about: insecticides and herbicides like neonics and glyphosate that are harming pollinators like bees and butterflies and compromising the survival of songbirds; plastic pollution in our waterways, particularly that of fishing line that causes so many wildlife casualties (to turtles, seabirds and marine mammals) and a plea to restrict or prohibit recreational fishing in sensitive waterways and put in tougher licensing requirements (including age restrictions) and enforcement. We also ask the state to do more to protect against the takedown of mature trees during construction or development projects, considering that trees take years or decades to mature into appropriate wildlife habitat for many sensitive species and so one cannot simply "plant new trees" to offset the damage. We also ask for more enforcement against taking down trees during songbird migration and peak nesting seasons. While SAW didn't mention it, we do have a growing interest in the adverse impacts of light pollution on species and would like to see more action on that as well, so it may be worth others mentioning it.
Date: 8/16/25 9:43 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 8/15 The "Spit" at Scituate Highlights
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2025 20:23:01 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: 8/15 The "Spit" at Scituate Highlights
I arrived here at high tide, and birded here from 4:15-7:40. I thus was able to see two very large birds roosts at either end of the ocean (the northern rocks and the tip of the "Spit". When the ride was almost mid-way, i was able to see birds feeding. T was spyched to get a target bird here-RED KNOT! What's KNOT to love?
Great Egret 12 seen along the way (fish pier at Driftway Park Snowy Egret 8 ditto Great Blue Heron 2 Northern Harrier 1 near dusk (no surprise) Cooper's Hawk 1 flyover Scituate Golf Club Semipalmated Plover 800 wild guess; impossible to count; total of the two very large roosts Piping Plover 7 Killdeer 2 Black-bellied Plover 15 RED KNOT 1 Willett 3 Greater Yellowlegs 1+ White-rumped Sandpiper 3 Semipalmated Sandpiper 600 wild guess; bunched and carpeting the land! Sanderling 25 Spotted Sandpiper 1 beginning of public boardwalk Ruddy Turnstone 5 Laughing Gull 80 Common Tern 100+ Least Tern 60Fish Crow 2 Driftway Park; in a tree Purple Martin 1 Horned Lark 1+ COMMON BUCKEYE 1 Sadly, not common) White-tailed Deer 2 out in marsh; seen from Driftway Park
P.S. As far as I know, there is no parking near here; there is, however, a commuter rail train stop about one-mile from the station. It is a scenic walk
Date: 8/16/25 7:44 am From: Liz Pease <lizpease...> Subject: Re: [MASSBIRD] August 15, 2025 Parker River NWR, Newburyport, Tree Swallow Bonanza..10K Flock!
Matt,
Thank you for this wonderful description (and for your beautiful post the
other day about the waning summer days -- I found it spot-on and very
poignant). I live in Salisbury near the beach, and after having breakfast
with my mom this morning, we did our usual drive through the Salisbury
Beach State Reservation and had a pretty good show of swallows there as
well, particularly along the edge of the campground across from the
playground. I remarked to my mom how I love this spectacle each year
because, as you mentioned as well, it makes even nonbirders stop and take
notice of nature. They simply have no choice!
Does anyone have any insight into what makes these certain areas prime
spots for these premigratory swallow gatherings?
Thanks,
Liz
<lizpease...>
Salisbury
On Fri, Aug 15, 2025 at 10:28 PM Matt S. <accipiter22...> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> It’s mid-August so it was time for my annual tree swallow trip to Parker
> River. Really, it’s one of the two or three highlights of my year. Somehow
> after I go and see the swallows I feel like the year is “complete”, which
> may sound odd for a mid-August trip, but it just does. Maybe it’s that,
> for me, this is the greatest natural spectacle I see every year, or somehow
> it feels like a book-end to spring migration. Or maybe because it feels
> like a cap on summer. I don’t know. I suppose one of the advantages of
> living close now is that I can have this cap a few times without the long
> drives.
>
> Today as soon as I was pulling in to the refuge I had a good feeling.
> There were swallows right along the road as I pulled in, and then Lot 1 had
> a few hundred in it. Some years I come and there’s not a ton, still a lot
> by almost any other standard, but not a ton by August Parker River
> standards. Today I had a feeling it would be good. It was probably the
> best flight I have ever seen. They were all along the road as I drove up,
> and just as I got to the maintenance sheds there were about 1000 to the
> north of that, and then to the south the field was boiling with swallows. I
> headed to North Pool Overlook since they seemed to be massing there, and
> they were coming up over the water and then riding up and over the dike,
> almost like they had mini thermals carrying them. Another guy was there
> watching them, and in the distance we saw something approaching, and
> realized it was this gigantic…mass…of tree swallows. It was probably close
> to 4000 in that one mass alone. It started at Hellcat and was moving
> towards us, almost like this orb or something floating along. As it got
> nearer it broke up and they started to careen all around us, above us,
> skimming the pool, skirting over the dike, festooning the trees. It was
> one of the coolest experiences I have had at Parker, or anywhere.
>
> After that I headed to Hellcat, and the shore-side had another 1500 or so,
> though the dike there was bereft of swallow, likely since they had all
> moved to NPO. There were plenty of dowitcher around, and some lesser and
> greater yellowlegs right next to each other. It really drives home the
> point that lesser are roughly killdeer sized and greater…are much larger.
> After that I worked farther down, sometimes I have good luck at stage, and
> there was a smattering there of swallow, but not much else. An
> oystercatcher had been spotted at Emerson Rocks, so I headed over there and
> had some folks that were on it with scopes let me have a peak. Always nice
> to see the clowns of the shore.
>
> At that point I figured things were settling down, I had 7500 swallows,
> not a bad haul, and I started heading out, retracking through the areas
> that were mobbed with swallows. As I pulled through the curves, I came
> around a bend just south of Lot 1 and let out a surprised expletive. Just
> ahead of me, maybe 200 yards, there was a cloud of swallows that was unlike
> anything I have ever seen. This conglomeration looked like a living
> organism made of thousands, just hovering in mid-air, and then, to the
> right, another cloud lifted off, and then another, each of them had several
> thousand swallows in it. It began streaming towards me, and I was holding
> my cellphone taking a video, forgetting that I had all my camera gear. I
> was stunned. They streamed around and behind me and the other people
> there, even people that were not there birdwatching just stopped, the birds
> literally stopped traffic. The swallows went around us, behind us, swirled
> behind, enveloped us. I am almost positive it felt like the air cooled as
> they clouded the air. I set up my camera to take video, and what I got
> does not do it justice as they flock was already thinning as it streamed
> by. I would estimate that this flock alone had 10,000 on the low end and
> maybe 13,000 on the high end. I have never seen anything like this in my
> life. After I saw that, then I felt that sense of completion and headed on
> out, smiling the whole way home, and looking forward to picking through my
> video footage.
>
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/email?subID=S267403877 >
> That's all for now,
>
> Matt s.
> Newton, NH
> <Accipiter22...>
>
> ----------------
>
> Parker River NWR, Essex, Massachusetts, US
> Aug 15, 2025 7:49 AM - 11:53 AM
> Protocol: Traveling
> 8.905 mile(s)
> 44 species
>
> Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 3
> Gadwall (Mareca strepera) 4
> Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 14
> Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
> American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) 1
> Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 4
> Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 6
> Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 10
> Willet (Tringa semipalmata) 1
> Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 2
> White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) 3
> Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 3
> Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 2
> American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 3
> Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 1
> Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) X
> Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) X
> Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 2
> Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 14
> Great Egret (Ardea alba) 3
> Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 4
> Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 1
> Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1
> Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 6
> Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 3
> Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 3
> Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 17500 4500 npo..1000 north of
> maintenance sheds...1500 hellcat and surrounding seashore...500 along road
> aa i drove theough....then...10,000 north of lot 1!!! Tons of videos.
> Purple Martin (Progne subis) 4
> Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 1
> Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 1
> European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 73
> Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 7
> Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 3
> American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
> Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 10
> American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 4
> Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
> Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 3
> Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 6
> Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 1
> Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 1
> Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1
> American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 2
> Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1
>
> View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S267403877 >
> This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (
> https://ebird.org/home)
>
>
>
Date: 8/16/25 2:53 am From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Pelagic Trip offshore Southern Maine to MA - 8/13/25
Thanks to Steve Mirick for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2025 08:57:30 -0400 From: Steve Mirick <smirick...> Subject: Pelagic Trip offshore Southern Maine to MA - 8/13/25
I was an invited guest yesterday aboard the "Gulf Challenger". The UNH vessel was conducting research with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Researchers were collecting core sediment samples and studying water samples trying to understand algae blooms and the harmful effects they can inflict on other life forms within ecosystems.
We cruised offshore from Portsmouth Harbor NNE to Boon Island Light and then again NNE to a point 28 miles southeast of Cape Elizabeth. We then cruised due SSW for 2 hours and about 30 miles through NH waters to a point a few miles east of Jeffrey's Ledge in MA. We then cruised home forming a large triangle. We canceled a 3rd collection site due to rough seas. Interestingly, in all my years offshore from NH, this was my first visit to some of these waters east of Jeffrey's Ledge! We did not slow down or alter course for birds.
Weather was pretty bad. The first leg was rather peaceful, but the 2nd leg, the 2 hour cruise from Maine south to MA, was directly into a 20 knot wind and standing 3 to 4 foot seas that created a terrible bone crunching ride and waves crashed repeatedly over the bow. Impossible to use binoculars or camera and difficult to avoid wet salt spray which engulfed the boat constantly. The final leg was better, but was still very difficult at times.
Sadly, despite the terrible weather, it was apparent that there were not a lot of birds. 14 scattered Cory's Shearwaters and 4 Great Shearwaters were the only shearwaters found. In fact, the 1 hour ride back across Jeffrey's Ledge in NH produced ZERO shearwaters! Wilson's Storm-Petrels were a nice companion along the trip. The highlight was a nice somewhat close Parastic Jaeger.
Total birds noted OFFSHORE PAST ISLES OF SHOALS ONLY ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- shorebird sp. 4 PARASITIC JAEGER 1. The highlight of the day. Nice views as it flew past the boat relatively close. Laughing Gull 4. All juveniles. American Herring Gull 46 Great Black-backed Gull 35 Common Tern 7 Wilson's Storm-Petrel 142 CORY'S SHEARWATER 14 - Scattered birds. All seen well enough were ID'd as Cory's rather than Scopoli's. GREAT SHEARWATER 4 shearwater sp. 7 - Brutal conditions made it impossible to ID a few. Double-crested Cormorant 1. Strange experience when a single Cormorant flew in and landed by the boat 28 miles southeast of Cape Elizabeth.
Marine Mammals - ZERO!!!! No whales or dolphins at all. Again, the conditions were not helpful and we could have easily passed whales or dolphin without notice.
In harbor or nearshore birds -------------------------------------- Common Eider 14 Bonaparte's Gull 14 Great Blue Heron 2 Double-crested Cormorant - X Bald Eagle 1 Fish Crow 1 Barn Swallow 6 European Starling 30 Northern Mockingbird 1
Date: 8/15/25 7:17 pm From: Matt S. <accipiter22...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] August 15, 2025 Parker River NWR, Newburyport, Tree Swallow Bonanza..10K Flock!
Hello all,
It’s mid-August so it was time for my annual tree swallow trip to Parker
River. Really, it’s one of the two or three highlights of my year. Somehow
after I go and see the swallows I feel like the year is “complete”, which
may sound odd for a mid-August trip, but it just does. Maybe it’s that,
for me, this is the greatest natural spectacle I see every year, or somehow
it feels like a book-end to spring migration. Or maybe because it feels
like a cap on summer. I don’t know. I suppose one of the advantages of
living close now is that I can have this cap a few times without the long
drives.
Today as soon as I was pulling in to the refuge I had a good feeling.
There were swallows right along the road as I pulled in, and then Lot 1 had
a few hundred in it. Some years I come and there’s not a ton, still a lot
by almost any other standard, but not a ton by August Parker River
standards. Today I had a feeling it would be good. It was probably the
best flight I have ever seen. They were all along the road as I drove up,
and just as I got to the maintenance sheds there were about 1000 to the
north of that, and then to the south the field was boiling with swallows. I
headed to North Pool Overlook since they seemed to be massing there, and
they were coming up over the water and then riding up and over the dike,
almost like they had mini thermals carrying them. Another guy was there
watching them, and in the distance we saw something approaching, and
realized it was this gigantic…mass…of tree swallows. It was probably close
to 4000 in that one mass alone. It started at Hellcat and was moving
towards us, almost like this orb or something floating along. As it got
nearer it broke up and they started to careen all around us, above us,
skimming the pool, skirting over the dike, festooning the trees. It was
one of the coolest experiences I have had at Parker, or anywhere.
After that I headed to Hellcat, and the shore-side had another 1500 or so,
though the dike there was bereft of swallow, likely since they had all
moved to NPO. There were plenty of dowitcher around, and some lesser and
greater yellowlegs right next to each other. It really drives home the
point that lesser are roughly killdeer sized and greater…are much larger.
After that I worked farther down, sometimes I have good luck at stage, and
there was a smattering there of swallow, but not much else. An
oystercatcher had been spotted at Emerson Rocks, so I headed over there and
had some folks that were on it with scopes let me have a peak. Always nice
to see the clowns of the shore.
At that point I figured things were settling down, I had 7500 swallows, not
a bad haul, and I started heading out, retracking through the areas that
were mobbed with swallows. As I pulled through the curves, I came around a
bend just south of Lot 1 and let out a surprised expletive. Just ahead of
me, maybe 200 yards, there was a cloud of swallows that was unlike anything
I have ever seen. This conglomeration looked like a living organism made
of thousands, just hovering in mid-air, and then, to the right, another
cloud lifted off, and then another, each of them had several thousand
swallows in it. It began streaming towards me, and I was holding my
cellphone taking a video, forgetting that I had all my camera gear. I was
stunned. They streamed around and behind me and the other people there,
even people that were not there birdwatching just stopped, the birds
literally stopped traffic. The swallows went around us, behind us, swirled
behind, enveloped us. I am almost positive it felt like the air cooled as
they clouded the air. I set up my camera to take video, and what I got
does not do it justice as they flock was already thinning as it streamed
by. I would estimate that this flock alone had 10,000 on the low end and
maybe 13,000 on the high end. I have never seen anything like this in my
life. After I saw that, then I felt that sense of completion and headed on
out, smiling the whole way home, and looking forward to picking through my
video footage.
Date: 8/15/25 10:24 am From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 8/14 Solitary Sandpipers Continue For Three or Four Weeks Brookline
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
*
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2025 00:44:35 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: 8/14 Solitary Sandpipers Continue For Three or Four Weeks Brookline
Along the Muddy River; however, this time one was near Brookline Ave.and the Brookline D.P.W. The other was at the usual mudflats-opposite the Carlton St. Foot Bridge.
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 Halls Pond Great Blue Heron 1 mudflats opposite Carlton St. Footbridge Wood Duck 2 Halls Pond Solitary Sandpiper 2 Common Nighthawk 1 last evening above Harvard Ave. (not to be confused with Harvard Street). This makes it three consecutive nights for this species in Brookline.
Date: 8/15/25 4:56 am From: Brian Rusnica <velocicrafter...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Eastern Mass Hawk Watch Annual Meeting: IN PERSON! Friday Sept 5th 2025, 7pm at Middlesex Community College, Bedford Campus. Public Invited!
The 2025 Eastern Mass Hawk Watch annual meeting will be Friday, September
5th at 7pm. *PLEASE NOTE* our new location for 2025: we will gather at
Middlesex Community College in Bedford, MA. The meeting will take place in
the Cafe East section of the Campus Center. Please see a detailed campus
map on our website here: https://massbird.org/emhw/annual-meeting/
We'd like to extend the invitation to our meeting to the public and welcome
all who are interested in learning more about hawkwatching and our
organization. The annual meeting is the traditional kick-off to the Fall
hawkwatching season in Massachusetts - it won't be long before the first
kettles of Broad-wings gather over the skies of New England!
Our keynote speaker this year is Ben Nickley from The Berkshire Bird
Observatory. Ben will present on Berkshire Bird Observatory’s efforts to
recover American Kestrel populations in the Berkshires through their
American Kestrel Nest Box Project. Though initially a side-project,
bringing Kestels back has become central to BBO’s conservation efforts in
the region, as these extraordinary pocket falcons deserve full commitment.
Considered a species of greatest conservation need in MA, Kestrels have
unfortunately experienced range-wide declines with acute declines across
the Northeast. Ben will present on the development of BBO’s Kestrel trail
and the early success of the project.
The meeting is free and open to the public (donations appreciated) and will
take place in the auditorium. A social hour with beverages, appetizers and
snacks starts at 6pm, followed at 7pm by a brief business meeting and the
keynote presentation. The business meeting will review EMHW Watch Sites and
how you can visit or participate this upcoming migration season! We’ll also
have the return of our famous raffle, including many raptor-related and
birding items and some fantastic photography. Join us for a great evening!
If you are interested in contributing raffle items, refreshments, or
helping EMHW with the meeting, please let us know at
<e.masshawkwatch...> and we'll be in contact!
For complete information, including directions to the location in Bedford
(plenty of free parking), visit the Eastern Mass Hawk Watch web site at
massbird.org/EMHW.
EMHW's Bonfire T-Shirt campaign is running at https://www.bonfire.com/emhw if you'd like to support our raptor conservation efforts and order a
t-shirt. We've partnered with *Bonfire* as a unique solution that allows
EMHW to support a wide variety of size, color and garment options.
Date: 8/14/25 7:24 pm From: Matt S. <accipiter22...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] August 14, 2025 Quiet out there - Hello from the NH/MA border!
August 14, 2025 Quiet Out I have mentioned that I have a listening device outside that picks up bird calls. The accuracy is decent but not great. But one of the interesting parts is seeing the number of species it picks up each day. Granted, about 1/3 of them are miscategorized, but still. During migration there were days at probably 50 species or close to it. During the earlier summer it would still pick up 30. Today it picked up 18. I realized today I have barely seen or heard the red-bellied woodpeckers, and when I checked the history on that device it showed they have been detected only every few days. The red-belly is one of the species it picks up pretty accurately too, so I generally believe it, particularly when it matches my own observations. One called today a single time. The goldfinches have been the dominant bird, but even they have piped down a bit. Whatever bird was detected the most during winter, or spring, or even into mid-summer would be detected maybe 200 times, and other common species over 100. Today the goldfinch was at 85, the hummingbirds at 47, the titmouse 41 times, and nothing else even above 30.
As I gardened with Mari around 7:00 this evening I noticed how much darker it was getting. A barred owl was calling while we were out there, and the dragonflies are swarming up in the air like they did last year. A solitary great blue heron flew over in the evening. Yard #95. Probably the last new one I will add for this first year here, with August 26th coming up again. When we were setting up the house last year in mid-August, Wendy thought she saw one flyover, but was not sure. It took until now to see one again. I heard an eastern pewee calling from near the Merrimac border. I have not heard the orioles in some time; I remember reading that the adult males are one of the first birds to leave, by early August they are moving out.
Yesterday I was noting that the house wren young appeared extremely close to fledging, they were practically hanging out of the nest box on the fence. I got some video of them a couple of days ago, I realized time to do so was running short. Good thing I did, because this morning I noticed the parents were not going to the box anymore, and I could hear them chattering from other parts of the yard, the nest box empty. I am shocked the male successfully bred; he did not show up until July 7th and a female did not arrive until July 11th. Congrats to them.
I cannot believe the 4th of July was over 5 weeks ago, it seems like 2. This happens every year it seems; the summer starts and goes by at a modest clip, then somewhere in late July the days start slipping by and I look up and August is almost over. Every year around July 27th I notice that the light takes on that golden tone of late summer, no longer the pure clear light that bakes us through the first third of summer. Just after that date every year is when I seem to lose two or three weeks in the blink of an eye.
The land is warm still, the sunlight is turning golden yellow, and things are definitely quieter out.
The podcast gets broadcast by WICN Worcester 90.5 FM, but I don’t have the date yet. However, you can listen to it straight off the station website. WICN is an affiliate of NPR.
Date: 8/13/25 5:36 am From: Robert Ross <plumisl...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Birding Sacramento (and getting "flagged")
Last week, while birding along the Sacramento River, I found 46 species. I reported these on eBird, and my checklist was "flagged."
I have noticed, when I travel to the West Coast, often the more recent eBird checklists and rare bird reports are sparse. I check these starting two weeks before I arrive. Before I arrived in Sac, the largest number of reported species on the checklists I searched was 21. Rare Bird Alerts were also very limited, with one species, a Costa's hummingbird someone found in their backyard and continued to report every day for over a week, the only listing.
This gives me the impression that Massachusetts birders are more dedicated, more active, and perhaps simply better birders. Checklists of 60 or more species are not rare. Do we simply have more birds? I am sure we do not. More, it is a matter of knowing how and where to find them, and along the north coast, as one example, we have many varied habitats to explore. I try to find areas with a variety of habitats and ecozones, if possible. Sacramento proved to offer such an opportunity.
Across the Tower Bridge, the road leading directly to the capital, on the other side of the river from Old Sacramento, there is a river walk. There are parallel trails, one paved, one not. The paved trail is shorter. The unpaved trail winds through the wooded areas, close to the river, and into a wild area, which includes a small sunken pond, a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines, and open areas of brown, dried grass and rocks. Sacramento was built on what is essentially a desert. It was hot and dry.
While I certainly hope to add life list species when I travel, I am also intrigued by the common species and how these vary from ours in Northern New England. Oak titmouse, Anna's hummingbirds, Nuttall's woodpeckers, western bluebirds, yellow-billed magpies, black phoebes, bushtits, wrentits, spotted towhees, lesser goldfinches, and more were readily found. Bewick wrens sang out consistently from the bushes lining the river and pond.
I hoped to see a hooded oriole, California thrasher, graylag goose, cinnamon teal, and if I could get a decent photograph of several of the above, and perhaps a roosting Swainson's hawk, I would be thrilled.
I keep Merlin on at all times. I use it to tell me what might be around, and then I search to spot the birds. I also use it to verify my sightings. Many birders know that high summer is a tough time to bird, when the birds are not mating or nesting, and when they often remain deep in the vegetation. Merlin helps me pinpoint a location where birds might be found.
I was taught to bird actively, not passively. In other words, I do not simply search for birds out in the open or easily found. I was fortunate to have a dedicated birder as a grandfather, and he taught me many calls, songs, and warnings to bring the birds into view. Interestingly, while most of these work well in New England and the Midwest, these do not work as well along the West Coast; partly, I believe, because several mimic the warnings of the Eastern screech owl.
There is one call I find to be very effective, no matter my location. I found it worked even in Europe. This is a "Psssss" call. The p sound is hit hard, and then the s sound is dragged out to nearly a whistle. There is no perfect way to deliver it, nor is there a perfect way to phish. One must experiment with variations.
The key is to be patient. While some species will respond immediately with a warning chirp (sparrows, cardinals, and warblers), others will return a loud call (towhees being an example), and some will not make a sound, though they will gradually approach. I have found the optimum wait time in any one location for birds to be drawn to you is around ten minutes. If nothing responds after ten minutes, I will move 20 yards and try again. Often, I have discovered birds will follow me silently or out in the open.
An example of the latter is the Anna's Hummingbird. These fun little birds have no fear. They will rise in response to a call, hover only 8-10 feet in front of your face, dart left, dart right, and roost right above your head as they try to determine whether a birder is a threat. Comically, if more than one responds at the same time in a given space, they will attempt to drive each other off. In New England, chickadees, Eastern Towhees, some sparrows, jays, and cardinals will often follow.
Also, even if you are hearing and seeing common species, this will often bring out less conspicuous ones. I tend to look for areas of activity, then assume more birds are around. This typically pays off. Also, it is wise not to assume a bird you see is the same as a species you have found common in your own area. For instance, great-tailed grackles are common in the Western US. We might easily assume it is the common grackle we see in New England, though these would be well out of range in California.
As I walked further down the river trail, I came to a more heavily wooded area. The path narrowed. I heard a phoebe, several wrens, house finches, and lesser goldfinches around me. I stopped, offered a warning call, and waited. Instantly, downy woodpeckers began chirping. As they did, Nuttall's woodpeckers, who have a very distinct call and a different pattern of behavior, responded to their cousins. Then, an acorn woodpecker called. If I can see three woodpecker species all at the same time, I am thrilled. It can happen here in NE with downy, hairy, and flickers, but for me at least, it is rare.
Of course, the downy woodpeckers were easily found first. The Nuttall's tend to stay deeper in the canopy. They also feed on insects they find on the leaves, and they can be found perched on a small branch, feeding happily for several minutes, but nearly hidden by leaves. Acorns are the true Woody Woodpeckers, as they act in what appears to be a chaotic and comical way. I searched for the Nuttall's, focusing on any movement. I found two. Then, below them, I found the acorn. It was staring at me from inside a high bush, which rose around 30-40 feet from the trail.
Another trick is to watch for shadows. Some species will fly over you to find out what the commotion is all about, and if the sun's angle is right, you can be alerted by their shadows. Following the direction of the flight path can often lead to finding them roosting.
I found many of the expected commons, and some in large numbers. For instance, I found 16 yellow-billed magpies, four Nuttall's (and heard several more), and four Anna's, two that followed me for several yards. While I was searching the canopy for movement, I first found another downy and then, lower and to the right in the same tree, I found a hooded oriole. I watched it for around 20 seconds or so, seeing its orange-yellow beneath, black throat, wings, and tail. I could not get a good photo, but I was confident of my ID. Later, when checking Merlin, I saw it listed, though I had not heard it.
As I was trying to draw out a towhee, as it was loudly protesting my presence but staying well behind lower branches, a California thrasher hopped out of the underbrush, not twenty feet away. It looked at me, and I at it, and it was gone. The dramatically curved bill is a certain ID point.
Of course, any time one tries to call birds nearer where California scrub jays can be found, they will respond. They screamed all around me, and for most of my hike. They are also fearless and will post directly above you on a bare branch or come out to the edge of trees and bushes to take a closer look, much like our blue jays. They are loud.
I saw a gray lump deep in the weeds in the pond below me. With an Anna's buzzing me continuously, and a Wilson's warbler popping up off and on in my front, I tried to stay focused on the lump. I was not sure what it was as it appeared all gray. Often, the angle of the sun can produce a trick of the light, so what might seem unusual can prove not to be. I saw two green herons nearby by and so I thought I might have found a third.
Then, the bird turned its head and looked up. The reddish-orange bill flashed. My first instinct was to ID it as a Virginia rail, but later I discovered Ridgeway rails are more common in that area. I took out my phone to look up a photo to verify, and after getting distracted, I looked back, and the bird was gone. I spent well over half an hour trying to find it in the reeds, trying several different angles, but no luck. I remain uncertain whether it was a Virginia or a Ridgeway. I have a poor photo that does not help with the ID, though the bill is noticeable.
I never found the goose or teal, but I did find the hooded oriole and the thrasher. When I entered my checklist, I was surprised to find the titmouse and the magpie listed as new sightings. Then I recalled holding off on listing the titmouse until I could get a photo, merely as a challenge. I was surprised more by the magpie, as I have seen several before, but never included them on a checklist.
I listed 46 species on my eBird checklist. The next day, the list was "flagged." I have inquired why. I do not have a response from eBird yet, but I hope to have one soon. My guess is the eBird monitor is not used to having so many species reported. In nearly three hours of birding, from 6:30 AM to nearly 9:30, I had put in the time. I remain confident in all of my sightings. Perhaps next time I am out there, I will invite the eBird monitor to come along.
Date: 8/10/25 3:16 pm From: Eric Mueller <ericmueller1912...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Fall Hawk Watch begins at Mt Wachusett on Aug 23
Hello MassBirders,
Eastern Mass Hawk Watch is proud to announce that we'll begin our 50th season of Fall hawk watch coverage on Mt. Wachusett on Saturday, August 23. We invite everyone who enjoys watching birds or who wants to know more about raptor migration to join us at the summit. The auto road to the summit will be open almost every day this Fall through Saturday, October 25, and we'll continue to hike and bike up the mountain after that as the weather and our energy allow. The raptors often appear at a fair distance from the mountain, so binoculars are a must, and if you have a spotting scope, feel free to bring that along as well. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to scan the skies for raptors and give a shout out when you see something. We'll be happy to share tips on where to look, what to look for and how to identify different species.
Our watches are always more successful when we have multiple observers on the mountain every day, so we'd like to invite folks who are interested to consider volunteering on a scheduled basis, such as the same day each week during the season. Barring poor weather or other circumstances, we'll always have at least one veteran hawk watcher present each day to handle recording and reporting duties, so volunteers can just concentrate on spotting birds and calling out their locations. If you'd be interested in helping out this way, please contact me (Eric Mueller) at the email address or phone number shown below. This doesn't preclude you from just showing up whenever you can - we're always happy to have extra help at any time.
The gates to the auto road that leads to the summit open at 9:00 am each morning, so we start right after that. The address of the park entrance is 345 Mountain Road, Princeton MA. We typically stay until at least 2:00 pm each day early and late in the season, and to 3:00 pm or later during the heart of the season in mid-to-late September. The park closes the auto road entrance gate just before sunset each day. There are more details about the site posted on the hawkcount.org website at https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?r=on&rsite=228&go=Go+To+Hawkwatch+Profile .
One thing to note is that the Wachusett Mt Reservation is a MA state park and they charge a daily parking fee of $5.00 for vehicles with MA license plates, or $20 for out-of-state. If you're a MA resident, you can buy an annual park pass (Jan 1- Dec 31) for $60. MA residents who are age 62 and older can purchase a lifetime park pass for only $10 (great deal!) To purchase either type of pass, go to https://www.mass.gov/how-to/purchase-an-annual-parking-pass-for-massachusetts-state-parks . Each pass is now linked to a single MA vehicle license plate, so have that information available when you order your pass.
Parking is free for vehicles with disability plates or placards, or with Purple Heart recipient or Disabled Veteran plates. Many MA public libraries and recreation centers have daily park passes that MA residents can borrow for free.
We are expecting a few interruptions at Wachusett Mt this year as the ski area replaces the ski lift just below the summit. They will have to close the summit road on a few days this Fall to accommodate the construction. I'm working closely with the staff at the park's Visitor Center to find out when those interruptions will occur and will pass along the details here as they become available. If the summit itself remains open, we'll hike up and conduct the watch there. We're also working on plans for alternate viewing sites on those days and will let you know what happens.
We'll also be conducting the Mt. Watatic hawk watch (Ashburnham MA) this year from Sept. 11 through Sept. 24. It requires a climb up the mountain and there are no facilities up there, but the birds often ride the uplifts coming up the steep slopes on both sides and can give you great, up-close views. Everyone is welcome.
The Eastern Mass Hawk Watch annual in-person meeting in early September will be announced shortly. Keep your eyes peeled for more details. It's always a great time!
If you have any questions about the upcoming hawk watch or about volunteering, please feel free to contact me.
Best regards, Eric
Eric Mueller EMHW Site Coordinator for the Wachusett Mt. hawk watch Clinton MA <ericmueller1912...> 978-337-9150 (voice and text)
Date: 8/10/25 1:37 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Pair of Common Ravens Over Brookline Town Hall Just Now
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2025 18:43:10 +0000 (UTC)
From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: Pair of Common Ravens Over Brookline Town Hall Just Now
I had almost arrived at the Brookline Public Library when I heard the croaking call of a Common Raven. Immediately, I swung around to look way up to see a pair of cruising and croaking birds. awesome! I was immediately put into wilderness mode!
Date: 8/10/25 10:13 am From: Marsha Salett <msalett...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] August 2025 Bird Observer is online
Massbirders -
Bird Observer announces that our August 2025 issue is online at www.birdobserver.org. Sorry for the late post.
Where to Go Birding highlights “Scarboro Pond and the Greater Franklin Park Area, Boston, Massachusetts” by Matt Sanda.
Feature articles include “Art and Nature: A Lasting Relationship Reflected through the Collection at the Museum of American Bird Art” by Jennifer S. Tafe and “The Blackbirds of Boxford: Early American Wild Bird Advocacy” by Peter W. Oehlkers. Sebastian Jones’s Tricky Birds compares “Philadelphia and Warbling Vireos in the Eastern United States.” The photo essay depicts works from the Museum of American Bird Art.
As usual, we include Musings from the Blind Birder by Martha Steele, About Books by Mark Lynch, Bygone Birds by Robert Stymeist, Bird Sightings for March-April 2025 by Jason Forbes and Robert Stymeist, At a Glance by Wayne Petersen, and Hot Birds by Joshua Rose.
The cover features Sanderling by Barry Van Dusen. “About the Cover: Sanderling” is written by John Kricher.
Bird Observer is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Marsha Salett (she/her)
Editor
Bird Observer
<msalett...>
Needham, MA
Date: 8/8/25 4:08 pm From: Richard George <richard...> Subject: Re: [MASSBIRD] Bird identification question/potential MERLIN near Davis Square Somerville
I photographed 3 Merlin in North Cambridge while living there, so this is absolutely possible:
Merlins fly a mile in 2 minutes and pitch can always vary, so I wouldn’t rule it out.
Richard George Wakefield MA <richard...>
> On Aug 7, 2025, at 10:53 PM, Barbara Volkle <barb620...> wrote: > > Thanks to Bob Parker for this post. > > Barbara Volkle > Northborough, MA > <barb620...> > > * > > > From: Bob Parker <Bob.Parker...> > Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2025 09:38:32 -0400 > Subject: Bird identification question/potential MERLIN near Davis Square Somerville > > > All: > At approximately 9.20 I heard a strange bird call, so I pulled out my > trusty Merlin app which identified the call after 1-2 seconds as a MERLIN. > As I live in a very urban area (community path > 1/4 mile away, parks > further) this seems very strange to me. The call was similar to but a > lower pitch then the Merlin app MERLIN (bird) call. Does anyone have > suggestions of an alternative bird? > > Thanks, > Bob Parker > Somerville, MA (between Davis and Porter Squares) >
Date: 8/7/25 8:12 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 8/7 Least Bittern at Millennium Park, Etc.
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2025 00:41:35 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: 8/7 Least Bittern at Millennium Park, Etc.
A beautiful day for birding.The Least Bittern was calling incessantly for the twenty-five minutes I was in the area. This was around 4:30 p.m.It was a somewhat scratchy rik rik rik rik rik or rik rik rik rik. The locale was about half-way between woodpecker corner and the footbridge. A good field mark is a tall bunch of white flowers about six feet tall, on the brook side. The bird was unseen, and it gave rather quiet calls, although i could hear the calls from the next level up!
LEAST BITTERN 1 Green Heron 5 high school wetland in one sweep of my binoculars; possibly more Great Blue Heron 1 high school wetland Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 high school wetland Great Egret 1 mudflats on the Charles Killdeer 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 3 Least Sandpiper 1 peep sp. 4 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 ruins trail Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Brook Farm Reservation Eastern Kingbird 3 hither and yon Eastern Phoebe 2 Common Raven 2 LEPIDS: Monarch 5 Black Swallowtail ? 1 skipper sp. 1 Clouded Sulphur 1 Cabbage White 2 butterfly sp. 1 Green Frog 2 Painted Turtle x West Roxbury will always hold a special place in my heart. This neighborhood of Boston packs quite a punch birdwise
Date: 8/7/25 7:59 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Bird identification question/potential MERLIN near Davis Square Somerville
Thanks to Bob Parker for this post.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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From: Bob Parker <Bob.Parker...> Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2025 09:38:32 -0400 Subject: Bird identification question/potential MERLIN near Davis Square Somerville
All: At approximately 9.20 I heard a strange bird call, so I pulled out my trusty Merlin app which identified the call after 1-2 seconds as a MERLIN. As I live in a very urban area (community path > 1/4 mile away, parks further) this seems very strange to me. The call was similar to but a lower pitch then the Merlin app MERLIN (bird) call. Does anyone have suggestions of an alternative bird?
Thanks, Bob Parker Somerville, MA (between Davis and Porter Squares)
Date: 8/5/25 9:10 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] D. Blakely Hoar Sanctuary in Brookline Highlights, Etc.
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2025 23:47:11 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: D. Blakely Hoar Sanctuary in Brookline Highlights, Etc.
I went to three places in Brookline, starting at Riverway Park. I then went to Hall's Pond, and I finished at D. Blakely Hoar Sanctuary, which is easy to get to by taking bus #51 from Reservoir Station.
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3 Halls Pond Wood Duck 2 Halls Pond Bald Eagle 1 Hoar Sanctuary Turkey Vulture 1 Hoar Sanctuary Solitary Sandpiper 2 Riverway Park Spotted Sandpiper 2 Riverway Park Chimney Swift 6 Halls Pond Hairy Woodpecker 1+ Eastern Kingbird 5 Common Raven 2 Hoar Sanctuary Northern Waterthrush 1 H. S. bridge to nowhere Common Yellowthroat 2+ Swamp Sparrow 1+ WEASEL SP. 1 Hoar Sanctuary 2nd one for Brookline (other at Halls Pond)
P.S. Here are the places that I remember seeing weasels over the years: Franklin Park, Halls Pond, D. Blakely Hoar Sanctuary,Scituate, and Burrage Pond Hanson. The one in Scituate was about three weeks ago, and the one at Franklin Park was just a few days after the Halls Pond sighting!
Date: 8/4/25 8:51 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] 8/3 Solitary Sandpipers at Riverway Park Brookline Continue Twelve, days
Thanks to Paul Peterson for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2025 00:03:16 +0000 (UTC) From: Paul Peterson <petersonpaul63...> Subject: 8/3 Solitary Sandpipers at Riverway Park Brookline Continue Twelve days
Yesterday there were two Solitary Sandpipers at the mudflats at and near the Carlton St. Bridge in Brookline. This is at Riverway Park, which runs next to the Muddy River. All the other recent visits I made here, starting on July 23, I had three . Great Blue Heron 2 yesterday Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 Halls Pond yesterday Solitary Sandpiper 2 apart yesterday Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 mudflats yesterday
On July 23 I visited the Cliff Swallows and spoke with Town Hall staff. The nests will be relocated by an individual with experience/understanding of the swallow's needs - I believe it may be the individual who originally installed the nests. I was also told Cliff Swallows are nesting on private property in the area. Perhaps the population is not exclusive to the Town Hall nests.
Date: 8/1/25 2:39 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Optics Day - Sunday, August 10
Thanks to Steve Grinley and Bird Watcher's Supply & Gift for this announcement.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2025 12:04:11 -0400 (EDT) From: "Bird Watcher's Supply & Gift" <birdwsg...> Subject: Optics Day - Sunday, August 10
Our Annual Optics Day this year is Sunday, August 10th, 10am to 3pm at Bird Watcher's Supply & Gift, Port Plaza, 45 Storey Ave., Newburyport, MA. This event coincides with the MA State Sales Tax Holiday Weekend in which purchases are sales tax exempt on August 9 & 10. Manufacturerâs representatives are invited to participate, and this year features Kowa and Nikon products.
This is a free event where you can compare all of our binoculars and scopes. We will offer substantial discounts and our best prices of the year on most binoculars & spotting scopes, tax free.
If you can't make it on Sunday the 10th, you can come any time prior during our Optics Week, Aug. 1-10, enjoy discounted prices, and we will process your transaction on the Sales Tax Holiday Weekend.
Bird Watcher's Supply & Gift is celebrating 30 years of serving the birding community. You are welcome to share this event with others in your favorite organization. Hope to see you there!
Good Birding, Steve
Steve Grinley Bird Watcher's Supply & Gift 45 Storey Ave Newburyport, MA 01950 <Birdwsg...> 978-462-0775
Date: 8/1/25 2:15 pm From: Leslie Kramer <kramer.lf...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Rowe Town Hall Cliff Swallows Fate
According to the Rowe Town Hall excuse, employees were concerned about the swallows' swooping behavior, the "inability" of Town Hall employees to open windows, and the usual swallow nests cleaning, etc.
Obviously, solutions exist to address and remediate all of these concerns. An awning? Screens? Signage that informs, promotes, and celebrates these birds come to mind. Instead, the town's chosen to violate the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, in particular toward a declining species, even after installing artificial nests that the birds successfully used.
Is the fate of this critical Cliff Swallow colony a done deal? Has Mass Audubon been approached? Their website includes important information about these birds, and their precipitous decline in Massachusetts, not specifically in Rowe. But, Rowe's currently thriving population will certainly be affected.
Date: 8/1/25 5:59 am From: Fred Bouchard <frederickbouchard...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Three Animated Pileated Woodpeckers
By a strange coincidence, having read George & Judy Gove's note [below],
we too were entertained early AM by the antics of three juvenile PIWOs on
the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee at Stonedam Island [Meredith] --
tooting gently, wickering, flitting here there, hide-and-seek high and low
in large pines,
exploring birches, pecking berries along the shore-line like Mallards do.
Monitored at a distance by a wacky pack of young Blue Jays. A jolly
few minutes!
Fred Bouchard
We live in an urban/suburban area of a city with an Interstate just west
of us and in a condominium complex, not a place where I would think of
for Pileated Woodpeckers but we have had them here for several years.
Normally we would hear them but occasionally get a sighting. One year we
saw one eating the fruit of a Tupelo tree next to our road. This year we
have quite a few sightings usually of one bird but the other day there
were three of them on some dead trees in our complex near our unit, the
most we have seen in one sighting and possibly a family group. They were
very noisy and flew off more or less together over our house. They have
provided us with entertainment particularly this year....
George Gove & Judy Gordon
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<frederickbouchard...>
78 farnham st
belmont 02478 ma
617-484-6692
www.fredbouchard.wordpress.com
'One ought, every day, to hear a little song, read a good poem, sip a tasty
wine,
see a fine picture, and if possible, to speak a few reasonable words.'
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(1749-1836)
Instructions for living a life:
*Pay attention.Be astonished.Tell about it.*
--- Mary Oliver (1935-2023)
