MAS 2010 Bird-a-thon: 4 new Life birds and a Red-headed Woodpecker at Oxbow NWR!

This year's MAS Bird-a-thon was my first time ever participating in this event, and it was one of the most memorable and exhausting birding experiences I have had to date!!

I was part of Team Drumlin Farm, going out into the field with Pamela Sowizral, Mary Brogan and Bruce Black and we definitely made the most of this year's event! 78 TOTAL BIRDS we observed/heard over the course of these 2 days, and saw several excellent birds!

The 4 Life birds for me was seeing the MANX SHEARWATER, MONK PARAKEET, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER & CLAY-COLORED SPARROW!! (Don't worry, in the list I'll tell ya'll where these awesome birds were/are!)

DAY ONE:

Friday evening we started off visiting Revere Beach to look for our target bird, the MANX SHEARWATERS. We weren't there long before they graced us with their presence (6 in total), roughly 50 to 100 yards offshore. What fantastic pelagic birds they are! We then headed over to Bremen Street Park in East Boston to gaze upon the nesting MONK PARAKEETS. We had to wait awhile, roughly 15-20 minutes before a pair of the Quaker Parrots (as they are commonly referred to and sold under in stores). So very nice to see such exotic birds in the wild, though seemingly very far from their supposed natural element! We then tried to go for the Clay-colored Sparrow at Millennium Park in West Roxbury, but it was just far too late in the evening to see much of anything.

DAY TWO:

So, guess what our first stop was today, this Saturday the 15th??! Yup, you guessed it, Millennium Park in West Roxbury to try for the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW again, and this time, we got all that we could've hoped for. I must say, I truly wish I had an iPhone with the iBird app installed on it, because it was indispensable this whole trip in verifying bird calls and songs. It was using this program coupled with a Sibley Guide that confirmed the presence of the Clay-colored! This lovely little sparrow was located, if looking from the front entrance to the park (gate), off to the left side of the hill in the reeds (phragmites); side of the hill in between the road that goes to the river and the road that goes toward the top of that hill. The next stop was the Boston Public Gardens. Our hope was to try and get upon the female Summer Tanager that had been reported there, but no luck. Nonetheless, we were delighted to come upon several warbler species, including the aforementioned BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER as well as other goodies like the BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, the BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, and MAGNOLIA WARBLER! CHIMNEY SWIFTS were indeed everywhere there at Boston Public Gardens. I also ran across my great friend and buddy Kirk Marshall there, for after seeing the Massbird report from there, he too had to get in on the action!! From there we made a quick stop to Hanscom Field and lucked upon a couple of BOBOLINKS. We proceeded to Great Meadows NWR, Concord Unit, and sadly, there was not much to see. Several MARSH WRENS were putting on quite the show for us though along the Dike Trail. Next up was Bolton Flats WMA, and we came across several YELLOW WARBLERS, a LESSER YELLOWLEGS and a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER as the highlights from there. Our final stop was Oxbow NWR where the day before a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER had been reported, and again, we were not disappointed! Had fantastic looks at this lovely and striking pecker for at least 15 minutes. He can or should be found off of Tank Road to your left in the swampy area that set in a bit. Put it this way, when on Tank Road and you come upon the culvert that leads into a more open-watered swamp on your right, look and listen off to your left into the swamp there. I hope this Red-headed decides to stick around so others can see him! That of course was the main highlight, but VEERYS were heard and seen, and a number of YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS were heard (seen by other birders there), but we could not get on them. OVENBIRDS were fairly plentiful as well. Oh, how could I forget, when we were over by the photo-blind off of Turnpike Trail, a COMMON NIGHTHAWK came soaring over.....yet another awesome bird!

Anyhow, enough from me, here is the full list (78 total):

MANX SHEARWATER - (Revere Beach; look for pink apartment buildings)

NORTHERN GANNET - (Revere Beach; seen off a ways, fairly good looks with scope)

Double-crested Cormorant - (first observed while driving along Route 145)

Great Blue Heron - (first observed for me while driving past Littleton Heron Rookery heading east on Route 2)

Turkey Vulture - (Bolton Flats WMA)

Canada Goose - (first observed at Millennium Park on the 14th)

BRANT - (Revere Beach, at least half-dozen observed)

Mute Swan - (Boston Public Gardens)

Wood Duck - (Oxbow NWR)

American Black Duck - (Boston Public Gardens)

Mallard - (first observed at Millennium Park on the 14th)

WHITE-WINGED SCOTER - (Revere Beach)

RED-SHOULDERED HAWK - (seen being mobbed by Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds near Assabet River while stopped at traffic light for jct. of 62 & 117 in Maynard)

Red-tailed Hawk - (first observed at Millennium Park on the 15th)

RUFFED GROUSE - (heard drumming several times from parking lot at Oxbow NWR)

Wild Turkey - (Drumlin Farm education dept. parking lot)

SEMIPALMATED PLOVER - (Bolton Flats WMA)

Killdeer - (first observed at Millennium Park on the 14th)

LESSER YELLOWLEGS - (Bolton Flats WMA)

AMERICAN WOODCOCK - (heard peenting while watching the Red-headed Woodpecker; was seen by other birders there along Turnpike Trail)

Ring-billed Gull - (Revere Beach)

Herring Gull - (Revere Beach)

Great Black-backed Gull - (Revere Beach)

Rock Pigeon - (first observed when on Route 1A in Revere)

Mourning Dove - (first seen flying across hood of car while on Hartwell Ave in Littleton)

MONK PARAKEET - (Bremen Street Park, East Boston)

COMMON NIGHTHAWK - (Oxbow NWR)

Chimney Swift - (Boston Public Gardens)

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER - (Oxbow NWR)

Red-bellied Woodpecker - (heard at Drumlin; seen at Oxbow NWR)

Downy Woodpecker - (first observed at Boston Public Gardens)

Eastern Phoebe - (bathrooms at Great Meadows NWR, Concord Unit)

Eastern Kingbird - (first observed at Boston Public Gardens)

YELLOW-THROATED VIREO - (heard at Oxbow NWR; seen by other birders)

Warbling Vireo - (first observed at Boston Public Gardens)

Blue Jay - (Home)

American Crow - (first observed while driving past Littleton Heron Rookery)

Tree Swallow - (first observed at Millennium Park on the 15th)

Black-capped Chickadee - (Home)

Tufted Titmouse - (Home)

Red-breasted Nuthatch - (heard at Drumlin Farm)

White-breasted Nuthatch - (Oxbow NWR)

Brown Creeper - (Oxbow NWR)

House Wren - (Home)

MARSH WREN - (Great Meadows NWR, Concord)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - (Bolton Flats WMA)

Eastern Bluebird - (Millennium Park)

Veery - (Oxbow NWR)

American Robin - (first observed at Millennium Park on the 14th)

Gray Catbird - (first observed at Drumlin Farm)

Northern Mockingbird - (heard at Drumlin; first seen at Hanscom Field)

European Starling - (first seen along Route 1A in Revere)

CEDAR WAXWING - (Boston Public Gardens)

Northern Parula - (Boston Public Gardens)

Yellow Warbler - (first observed at Great Meadows NWR, Concord)

MAGNOLIA WARBLER - (Boston Public Gardens)

BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER - (Boston Public Gardens)

Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler - (Boston Public Gardens)

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER - (Boston Public Gardens)

BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER - (Boston Public Gardens)

Black-and-white Warbler - (first observed at Boston Public Gardens)

American Redstart - (first observed at Boston Public Gardens)

Ovenbird - (Oxbow NWR)

Common Yellowthroat - (Bolton Flats WMA)

WILSON'S WARBLER - (first observed by me at Oxbow NWR; also seen by Pam at Boston Public Gardens)

Scarlet Tanager - (Oxbow NWR)

Savannah Sparrow - (Millennium Park)

Song Sparrow - (heard at Millennium; first seen by me at Bolton Flats WMA)

CLAY-COLORED SPARROW - (Millennium Park; in reeds to the left side of the hill when approaching from main entrance)

Northern Cardinal - (Home)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - (Oxbow NWR)

BOBOLINK - (Hanscom Field)

Red-winged Blackbird - (seen everywhere)

Common Grackle - (seen everywhere)

Brown-headed Cowbird - (Millennium Park)

Baltimore Oriole - (first seen at Home)

American Goldfinch - (ditto)

House Sparrow - (Revere & Boston Public Gardens)

I want to sincerely thank Bruce Black and Mary Brogan for carting the whole group around and I want to truly thank Pam for inviting me to join them and participate in this year's Bird-a-thon....an amazing experience that shall stick with me forever!!

To all those who participated, I hope you had a great weekend of birding, saw many great birds and just had a fantastic time enjoying yourself, the birds and the company you kept! Happy birding to everyone!!

eBird Report - Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge--IBA, 5/14/10

I decided to do some warming up for this weekend's MAS 2010 Bird-a-thon, which of course starts tonight at 6 pm EST. So, I chose to hit up Assabet River NWR, being there from 9:20 am to 1:40 pm. I also had a target bird in mind at Assabet that I wanted to scout out for my Bird-a-thon team, that being the Northern Goshawk that has been reported there not too long ago by USFWS' Jason St. Sauver. Well, it would've been a nice target bird to shoot for tomorrow, for I am assuming it is there. And I say assume because Towhee Trail has been roped off. Since it is blocked, I am assuming the goshawks are still there. However, sadly, this means we won't be able to go for this particular raptor, the trail being blocked off for good reason. Besides making sure the goshawks aren't overly stressed out and disturbed by passerby, it also prevents any unassuming hiker/birder from being bombarded. Oh well, still plenty of great birds out there!

As the list below shows, it still was a pretty good day of birding, despite the ravenous storm-clouds of mosquitoes that harassed me the whole time I was there. So yes, I had to douse myself in bug spray, and it kept them at bay, but not enough from buzzing around me incessantly. Highlight birds were several OVENBIRDS, SCARLET TANAGERS, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS, BALTIMORE ORIOLES, an EASTERN KINGBIRD and EASTERN TOWHEES, among other good birds.

The route I chose to traverse is as follows: Hudson Rd Parking Lot - Petapawag Trail - White Pond Road - Harry's Way - Otter Alley - Taylor Way - Winterberry Way - Puffer Pond Trail - Winterberry Way - Sandbank Trail -  Winterberry Way - Harry's Way (near new visitor's center) - Pine Garden Trail - Tri-town Trail - Hudson Road Parking Lot: Total Approx. Mileage: 7.2 miles.

So, to those who dare venture at Assabet River NWR, be warned and advised, bring plenty of bug spray or suffer the consequences!! Good luck to all this weekend during the Bird-a-thon and happy birding!!

Location:     Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge--IBA
Observation date:     5/14/10
Number of species:     41

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     6
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa     4 (in marsh area to left near jct of Harry's Way and Towhee Trail)
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     9
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     9
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis     1
Merlin - Falco columbarius     1 (near jct of White Pond Road and Harry's Way)
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     7
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus     1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) - Colaptes auratus [auratus Group]     1 (checking out a dead tree to my right from fishing dock along SE shore of Puffer Pond, off of Puffer Pond Trail)
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe     3 (near jct of White Pond Road and Harry's Way)
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus     1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     6
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     3
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     47 (all over marsh areas in between Otter Alley and Winterberry Way as well as Puffer Pond)
Bank Swallow - Riparia riparia     8 (wetlands nearest Puffer Pond)
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica     2 (wetlands nearest Puffer Pond)
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     34
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     13
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     3 (others heard, all along Petapawag Trail and White Pond Road)
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     2
House Wren - Troglodytes aedon     1 (near jct. of White Pond Road and Harry's Way)
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis     1 (off of Taylor Way in between Otter Alley and Winterberry Way)
Veery - Catharus fuscescens     1 (Petapawag Trail)
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     2 (Petapawag Trail and Tri-town Trail)
Wood Thrush - Hylocichla mustelina     1 (Petapawag Trail)
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     26
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     5
Pine Warbler - Dendroica pinus     4
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla     8 (Petapawag Trail, Tri-town Trail, Pine Garden Trail, Harry's Way)
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     1
Scarlet Tanager - Piranga olivacea     4 (White Pond Road and Harry's Way)
Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus     11 (White Pond Road, Harry's Way, Winterberry Way)
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina     5 (parking lot off of Hudson Road and along Taylor Way)
Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis     1 (Otter Alley)
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Pheucticus ludovicianus     4 (near jct. of White Pond Road and Harry's Way as well as near jct. of Harry's Way and Towhee Trail)
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     38
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     11
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula     8 (White Pond Road, Harry's Way and Winterberry Way)
Purple Finch - Carpodacus purpureus     2 (wetlands along Winterberry Way, nearer to Puffer Pond)
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis     9

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/massaudubon/)

A weekend full of birding is looming near!!! WOO-HOO!!

Man oh man, what an exciting weekend this is going to be! First up is this years 2010 MAS Bird-a-thon! I am on Team Drumlin Farm, though a part of a small group that makes up the larger whole. I will be accompanying Pamela Sowizral (Volunteer Coordinator at Drumlin Farm), Mary Brogran, and Bruce Black.

We will be starting out by meeting up at the Ed. Center of Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary by 4:45 pm. From my understanding, Bruce is driving both Friday evening and on Saturday, at least that is where it stands right now. Our first stop will be Revere Beach to see if we can get on the Manx Shearwaters in the area, and if we are lucky, the Forster's Tern will still be in the area. Then we are going to head into East Boston to catch a glance at the nesting colony of Monk Parakeets, and whatever else is in the vicinity. Then, on our way back, we figure to stop by Great Meadows NWR, Concord Unit to chance upon Common Nighthawks and listen for rails (most likely Virginia Rails, if any around). Hopefully the Pied-billed Grebe and Common Moorhen will still be around before it is too dark. We should still have some daylight left to us until about 8:30 pm.

Saturday will be quite the whirlwind! It has not been decided what time we'll all be meeting up, but I wager wicked early in the morn, say 6 am or earlier! We should be meeting up at Pam's residence in Bolton, MA. From there, we'll be making stops at Bolton Flats WMA, Oxbow NWR, the grassy fields in North Devens, the Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsborough State Forest for the Red-headed Woodpeckers and lastly, Assabet River NWR (hopefully the Northern Goshawk will still be kicking around). What a day it shall be! No matter how many birds we all get upon, it is going to be exciting and fun, and I am hoping we all can obtain a few more Life birds while we are at it!

On Sunday, it sounds like I will be meeting up with my good buddy and friend Kirk Marshall to check out Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, MA to see if we can chance upon the Cerulean Warbler that has been in the area recently as well as Red-eyed Vireos! Man, I wager I am going to be exhausted once all is said and done, but it will be so worth it!!