eBird Report - Sachuest Point NWR, 1/1/11 - GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE - What an amazing way to kick off the New Year of 2011!!

What a way to kick off the New Year of 2011 right by snagging an amazing Life Bird with my great birding buddy, Kirk Marshall and my own lucky bird-charm (and sweetheart), Jennifer Carson!! I say this because during the past few months or so, for the most part, whenever Kirk and I went out bird watching, we would always nearly have bad luck finding the target birds we were looking for (like the Cave Swallows for instance). This time, I was joined by my own very lucky bird-charm, Jen! Her charisma and aura seemed to give us the good fortune we needed to start off 2011 right!


Our whole point and goal heading down to the Newport/Middletown area of Rhode Island was to observe the vagrant Green-tailed Towhee that had made the northwesterly border of Sachuest Point NWR (adjacent to the campground near Second Beach) home for the past couple of weeks! My god, what an utterly amazing and GORGEOUS Lifer!! Tis a bird that Kirk and I have wanted to see for quite some time since first seeing its likeness in our birding field guides. Of course, its range is mainly found out in the Rocky Mountains down through the Southwest and western Texas. From my understanding, it is only the 2nd or 3rd recorded sighting of a Green-tailed Towhee within the Ocean State! This bird was fairly cooperative, though a bit timid at times, hopping in and out of the thickets, kicking up dirt and debris looking for yummy goodness along with a number of American Tree Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, and Song Sparrows.

Photo of Green-tailed Towhee taken on 12/30/2010 by Myer Bornstein of Taunton, MA

The towhee was obviously the big-time highlight of the day, and I would have been completely happy if that were the only bird I saw this day, but again, thanks to good luck that Jen brought with her, we had numerous other birds of interest that made this day superb, including a Northern Shrike!! The shrike is only the second time I have ever had good fortune to observe one (though I have only been an active birder for a few years), this particular bird being found perched atop the highest shrub overlooking the Flint Point Loop side of Sachuest Point NWR. Other rather notable birds included: A half-dozen Common Eiders along the Third Beach side of Sachuest Point; 4 lovely Surf Scoters seen through Kirk's spotting scope off of Flint Point on Sachuest; a lone Brant seen resting on the Island Rocks with a flotilla of a dozen other Brant seen along the Third Beach side of Sachuest near Flint Point; 3 Common Loons in their nonbreeding plumage off of various points of interest along Sachuest; 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, most near Flint Point and the Island Rocks; 2 American Pipits that we heard (through their flight song of course) flying over our heads when we first got to the area where the Green-tailed Towhee was being seen; a pair of Harlequin Ducks (my all-time favorite duck!) seen near the observation platform overlooking Island Rocks off of Sachuest; and lastly, a cluster of 15 Ruddy Turnstones that had been pointed out to us by a very friendly birder from Bristol, RI, whom found them roosting atop the rocky shoreline on the northerly side of Flint Point looking towards Third Beach.


A truly remarkable day filled with wonderful companionship, beautiful weather, and great bird-watching! As always, below you will find my full list of sightings today whilst at Sachuest Point NWR! Happy New Year to everyone, and more importantly, happy birding!!!

Location:     Sachuest Point NWR
Observation date:     1/1/11
Notes:     The lone and vagrant Green-tailed Towhee that has been seen since the 18th of December, 2010 was observed my numerous birders throughout the course of our time down and around Sachuest Point NWR, mingling with various other ground-feeders, such as American Tree Sparrows, Song Sparrows and Savannah Sparrows; Northern Shrike was seen while trekking along the southerly side of the Flint Point Loop trail, looking inland perched atop the tallest shrub in that area.
Number of species:     30

Brant - Branta bernicla     13
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     42
Common Eider - Somateria mollissima     6
Harlequin Duck - Histrionicus histrionicus     2
Surf Scoter - Melanitta perspicillata     4
Red-breasted Merganser - Mergus serrator     7
Common Loon - Gavia immer     3
Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus     1
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     1
Northern Harrier - Circus cyaneus     1
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis     2
Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres     15
Sanderling - Calidris alba     13
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis     3
Herring Gull - Larus argentatus     5
Northern Shrike - Lanius excubitor     1
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     6
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     6
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus     1
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     1
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos     5
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris     200
American Pipit - Anthus rubescens     2
Green-tailed Towhee - Pipilo chlorurus     1
American Tree Sparrow - Spizella arborea     10
Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis     2
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     3
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis     1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     3
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis     4

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

Some select photographs taken while on vacation in Pittsburg, NH!

Chris (my younger brother) took the vast majority of the photos posted here. Pictures taken by your host will be noted as such; all other photos are captured by my awesome bro! I thought it would be nice to share some of the awesomeness we observed while being on vacation in the Great North Woods of Coos County in Pittsburg, NH (from the 18th to 25th of July, 2010). Enjoy everybody!!

Common Loon

Common Loon

Myself resting at "the falls" off of The Falls in the River Trail (Cohos)

Bald Eagles (off of Back Lake)

Bald Eagles

Bald Eagle in flight

Common Loon

Common Loon

Moose bones found off of The Falls in the River Trail (Cohos)

Female Common Merganser

Moose near jct. of Indian Stream Road and Moose Pond Road

Moose

Momma Black Bear with 1 of 3 cubs off of Route 142 in Bethlehem, NH

Bald Eagles off of Back Lake

Myself and my Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Gildor, at Big Brook Bog

Gray Jay at East Inlet

Gray (Canada) Jay, aka Whiskey Jack at East Inlet

Photo taken by yours truly of my bro with his big catch!

Photo by yours truly of a Boreal Bluet

American Toad off of trail leading to Little Hellgate Falls

The rare sighting of a Gildor!

More Common Loonage!

Common Loon

Common Loon on Back Lake

Photo by yours truly of Common Loon

Also by yours truly!

Bear with me folks, this post is going to be a doozy!!! (Thank you Pittsburg, NH!!!)

From the outset, I apologize for the length of this forthcoming post, for it shall entail all the sightings and experiences engaged while up on vacation in the Pittsburg, New Hampshire area at Tall Timber Lodge off of Back Lake!


Every year, for the last 11 years, it has been a family tradition to go on vacation to the Great North Woods of New Hampshire's Coos County, spending 7 days at our favorite place of solitude, Tall Timber Lodge. Like any vacation, it is a much needed respite from the doldrums of every day life back at home, and to compliment such a wonderful getaway, bird watching was the top priority of my list of things to do while up North!


My goal, or rather, broad aspiration, was to try and chance upon the following target species: Bay-breasted Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Spruce Grouse, and my "Nemesis" birds, the explosive little singer often referred to as a Winter Wren! Many, many times I have heard the amazing and breathtaking song of the Winter Wren.....but alas, I have had the misfortune of never seeing one! Well.....guess what??!! The Winter Wren is STILL MY NEMESIS BIRD!!! Count 'em, for 10 times I was within earshot of a singing Winter Wren.....BUT NEVER CLOSE ENOUGH to try and find him in those dense, lush, piney boreal forests up there! The closest opportunity I had was while hiking/birding with my brother on the Little Hellgate Falls Trail off of Cedar Stream Road (east of Lake Francis). This damned little bugger had to be within 50 feet of me, but because the woods were so dense, I had no chance. I think the only way I would've seen one those those blasted Winter Wrens up there is if it flew and smacked me right in my bloody face!!


Oh well, dems da breaks, ya know?! However, I did get upon 2 new Life birds, one of them being one of the target species! An Alder Flycatcher was seen and heard (of course heard, otherwise I would not have been able to identify that Empid!) at Terrill Pond off of Indian Stream Road! Great looks and always fun watching any bird sing, and of course, quite the surprise! The other Lifer was a female Mourning Warbler at Scott's Bog, near East Inlet Road. It was intermingling at the edge of the parking area/boat launch in some deciduous trees (in the low branches) with what I counted to be 11 Boreal Chickadees and a few Red-breasted Nuthatches. Thickets were nearby, which were already home to a couple of Common Yellowthroats (despite their commonality, I love looking at them, that is, if you can find them....kinda elusive they are)!


Other highlights are as follows:


3 Bald Eagles were seen at Back Lake, 2 adults and one immature! Such majestic and proud raptors! 2 Ruffed Grouse were seen, a red-morph by myself and Chris whilst on Cedar Stream Road driving to the trailhead for Little Hellgate Falls (a Red-shouldered Hawk was also seen roughly 100 yards prior to coming across the red-morph Ruffed) and a gray-morph was solely observed by Chris while he and I hiked The Falls in the River Trail (part of the Cohos Trail system), this being near the dam for the 2nd Connecticut Lake. A Blackburnian Warbler (female) was seen while checking out the confines in behind our cabin, as well as a couple of Northern Parulas, a couple of Purple Finches and 2 Blackpoll Warblers. A couple of Blue-headed Vireos were seen while hiking the Moose Alley Trail (also part of the Cohos), and a Common Raven was seen off of Big Brook Road as well as at Terrill Pond. 4 Gray Jays were happily observed at East Inlet Reservoir....and as always, they are quite tame and rather inquisitive....one of the Gray Jays coming within 20 feet of Chris and myself. Chris was able to get a few decent shots of this lovely "Canada" Jay, of which he'll post on Facebook soon enough, at least most likely! Several Swainson's Thrushes were heard and observed at several locations throughout Pittsburg, and Boreal Chickadees were seen at Scott's Bog, Moose Alley Trail and Big Brook Bog. Lastly, a couple of Golden-crowned Kinglets were seen while hiking the short Idlewild Spur Trail (also part of the Cohos) that runs near the southwestern shoreline of the 2nd CT Lake. I hadn't seen GC Kinglets in seemingly ages....since I think Odiorne State Park in Rye, NH in the Autumn of last year!


Okay, enough blabbering I suppose! It was a great vacation with plenty of good birding, despite not seeing 3 birds I have been dieing to see (the Bay-breasted Warbler, Spruce Grouse and cursed Winter Wren). Coming away with 2 new Life birds, even one, makes the whole trip worth it!


And yes, for those whom may be wondering, several Red Foxes, Moose, White-tailed Deer and even 3 Black Bears were seen (saw the Momma black bear with adorable cubs in Bethlehem on the first day on our drive up to Pittsburg)!


Finally, here are all my sightings from this past week, the longest list only topping out at 19 birds seen. Thanks everybody for reading, enjoy and happy birding as always!!

Location:     Tall Timber Lodge, Pittsburg, NH
Observation date:     7/18/10
Number of species:     15

Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis     1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris     2 (at hummingbird feeders near main lodge)
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     2
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     5
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     7
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     1
Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus     1
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum     6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata     4
Blackburnian Warbler - Dendroica fusca     1
Blackpoll Warbler - Dendroica striata     2
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina     1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis     2
Purple Finch - Carpodacus purpureus     2
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis     3


Location:     East Inlet, Pittsburg
Observation date:     7/19/10
Notes:     I chose East Inlet as primary location since most of listed birds were seen there...here are some more details of most of the birds observed: Common Loons seen at Lake Francis and 1st Connecticut Lake; Great Blue Heron seen at East Inlet; Immature Bald Eagle seen along northern shoreline of Back Lake near Tall Timber Lodge; Ring-billed Gull seen at Middle Pond; Red-eyed Vireo seen at East Inlet; Grays Jays seen at East Inlet; Common Raven seen at East Inlet; Barn Swallows seen at junction of Route 3 and Indian Stream Road; Red-breasted Nuthatch seen at East Inlet; Hermit Thrush seen at East Inlet; Cedar Waxwings seen at Tall Timber Lodge near Back Lake; Northern Parulas seen at East Inlet and Tall Timber Lodge; Common Yellowthroat seen at East Inlet; Song Sparrows seen at Moose Pond; White-throated Sparrows seen at Middle Pond; Dark-eyed Junco seen at Tall Timber Lodge.
Number of species:     19

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     7
Common Loon - Gavia immer     5
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     1
Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus     1
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis     1
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     1
Gray Jay - Perisoreus canadensis     4
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     9
Common Raven - Corvus corax     1
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica     3
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     1
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     1
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     5
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum     14
Northern Parula - Parula americana     2
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     1
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     2
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis     2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis     1


Location:     The Falls in the River/Moose Alley Trails (Cohos), Pittsburg, NH
Observation date:     7/21/10
Number of species:     10

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     1
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon     2
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     2
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     1
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     1
Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus     2
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     1
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum     4
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla     2
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis     2


Location:     Arthur & Christie Johnson Memorial Forest, Pittsburg, NH
Observation date:     7/21/10
Number of species:     14

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     10
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     2
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon     2
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     4
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     2
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     12
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     8
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     1
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     3
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     3
Northern Parula - Parula americana     2
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla     1
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis     2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis     8


Location:     Terrill Pond, Pittsburg, NH
Observation date:     7/21/10
Notes:     Northern Flickers seen near Mile Marker 11 while driving south on Indian Stream Road in Pittsburg, NH.
Number of species:     10

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) - Colaptes auratus [auratus Group]     4
Alder Flycatcher - Empidonax alnorum     1
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     1
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     5
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum     2
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     1
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina     1
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     2
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     1


Location:     The Falls in the River/Moose Alley Trails (Cohos), Pittsburg, NH
Observation date:     7/22/10
Number of species:     12

Common Merganser - Mergus merganser     1
Ruffed Grouse - Bonasa umbellus     1
Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo     2
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon     2
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     2
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     1
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     5
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     1
Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus     4
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis     8


Location:     Little Hellgate Falls, Pittsburg, NH
Observation date:     7/22/10
Notes:     Red morph Ruffed Grouse and Red-shouldered Hawk seen within a hundred yards of each other near Mile Marker 16 along Cedar Stream Road; Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker seen near junction of Magalloway & Cedar Stream Roads; Eastern Phoebe seen on power lines paralleling Beach Road near Powderhorn Lodge.
Number of species:     8

Ruffed Grouse - Bonasa umbellus     1
Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus     1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) - Colaptes auratus [auratus Group]     1
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe     1
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     1
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     8
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis     2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis     5


Location:     Moose Alley Trail (Cohos), Pittsburg, NH
Observation date:     7/23/10
Number of species:     10

Blue-headed Vireo - Vireo solitarius     1
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     1
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     1
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     5
Boreal Chickadee - Poecile hudsonicus     1
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     6
Brown Creeper - Certhia americana     2
Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus     1
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     3
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis     1


Location:     Scott's Bog, Pittsburg, NH
Observation date:     7/24/10
Notes:     Female Mourning Warbler seen intermingling with Boreal Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches near boat launch/parking area for Scott's Bog.
Number of species:     8

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     1
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     2
Boreal Chickadee - Poecile hudsonicus     11
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     3
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Dendroica caerulescens     2
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla     1
Mourning Warbler - Oporornis philadelphia     1
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     2


Location:     Big Brook Bog, Pittsburg, NH
Observation date:     7/24/10
Notes:     Wild Turkey and Common Raven seen along Big Brook Road; One chick with 2 adult Common Loons.
Number of species:     14

Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo     1
Common Loon - Gavia immer     3
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     3
Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius     1
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon     2
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     1
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     1
Common Raven - Corvus corax     1
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     7
Boreal Chickadee - Poecile hudsonicus     2
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     5
Northern Parula - Parula americana     1
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     1
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     1


Location:     Idlewild Spur Trail (Cohos), Pittsburg, NH
Observation date:     7/24/10
Number of species:     6

Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     1
Golden-crowned Kinglet - Regulus satrapa     4
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata     3
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     1
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     1

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

eBird Report - Pondicherry NWR, Jefferson, NH, 6/19/10 - Bears, otters and warblers, oh my!!

Despite this weekends fairly high temperatures, even for up in northern New England, my good buddy Kirk and I just had to make our first stop of the year to Pondicherry NWR in Jefferson, NH. I had been itching for weeks to get up there, for I consider this wonderful haven of mine to be my "paradise" in all of New England so far!! And so, I met up with Mr. Marshall in Burlington, MA by 6:30 am, and it was at 9:30 am that we arrived at Pondicherry!!! We certainly figured the flies would be horrendous, and they did not disappoint. They were still bearable, but they seemed to love Kirk far more than me, which is certainly a good spate of fortune on my part.

Kirk and I just love being up there, for it truly is "god's country" as the saying goes.....breathtaking panoramic views, crisp air with a hint of fresh pine aloft! We never know what to expect when we visit Pondicherry, but it never disappoints! The birds were hard to get on because it was so sunny and of course, so much foliage. Still, we had a few good birds. An Alder Flycatcher and American Kestrel were our first treats, though the Alder was heard only, for we all know how well Empids tend to blend in with their surroundings. We were hoping, when we got down to "Big" Cherry Pond that we would chance upon Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Chestnut-sided Warblers again, but alas, none such species were seen this go around. We then walked down to Moorhen Marsh, and sadly, no Marsh Wrens either, though a female Common Yellowthroat was chipping away at us and and displaying to protect her nest, a very peculiar and interesting show!

On our way back to Cherry Pond, a Common Loon was sighted, much to our pleasure, before us heading off to Little Cherry Pond to see if the pair of Black-backed Woodpeckers were still around. Sadly, this was not the case. However, on our way over to Little Cherry, we came across a bunch of Hermit Thrushes and a warbler of some question. There may have been 2 warblers in the same vicinity, for the bird that my binocs were sighted upon looked by all accounts to be a Canada Warbler. My good buddy, according to all that he saw, was a Hooded Warbler. I am not sure if we were looking at the same bird, and my observation skills were in error if so, but he was adamant it was a Hooded. But, I just have to go with my gut here based on what I saw, though at the time I did not protest this to Kirk. Thusly, I firmly believe what I saw was a Canada. For all intents and purposes, I hope it was another bird he was on and it was indeed a Hooded, for that would be a Lifer for him (would've been for me as well). As it is, the Canada is in fact a Lifer for me. If he reads this post, of which Kirk might indeed, he may be upset with me, but I just have to go with me gut on this. I saw a yellow throat and breast, grayish back and the black necklace that Kirk fondly calls dribbled chocolate sauce that is on the chest of the Canada. He firmly believes that bird he saw had the yellow face with black mask, which definitely indicated a Hooded. Here is hoping we were both on different birds!

Well, enough of that, after the warblers we chanced upon, we were treated to 3 river otters swimming across Little Cherry Pond, though sadly, no Black-backed Woodpeckers. That is alright though, we were able to come upon them last year while on the trail leading to Little Cherry!

The icing on the cake for us though was just before we came back to the parking lot. I saw a large black mammal about 75 feet in front of us dart across the path after giving us a quick glance. At first I thought it was someone's dog (Pondicherry was kinda busy that day, at least the most active in terms of visitors that we have ever experienced). But I quickly decided it was a black bear! And to prove it, another black bear darted across the path after the first one!!! The first live black bears I have ever seen without being killed by me (accidently killed off of Route 5 in the NEK of VT, hitting it with my old Chevy Celebrity wagon that I had back in 2001). The bears were the first ones Kirk had ever seen either!! What a way to end the day, that is for sure! I highly recommend everybody goes up to Pondicherry at least once a year! Happy birding to all!!

Location:     Pondicherry NWR, Jefferson, NH
Observation date:     6/19/10
Notes:     The Black-billed Cuckoo, Least and Alder Flycatchers were heard only.
Number of species:     37

Wood Duck - Aix sponsa     1
Common Loon - Gavia immer     1
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     3
Northern Harrier - Circus cyaneus     1
American Kestrel - Falco sparverius     1
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     2
Black-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus erythropthalmus     1 (heard only)
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus     1
Alder Flycatcher - Empidonax alnorum     1 (heard only)
Least Flycatcher - Empidonax minimus     1 (heard only)
Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus     2
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus     2
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     2
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     4
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     3
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     3
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     6
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     4
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     2
Veery - Catharus fuscescens     3
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     5
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     4
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensus     1
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos     1
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cydrorum     14
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia     2
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Dendroica caerulescens     1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata     1
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia     3
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla     1
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     4
Canada Warbler - Wilsonia canadensis     1
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina     2
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     3
Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza georgiana     2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     4
Purple Finch - Carpodacus purpureus     1

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

Great Meadows NWR (Concord), Oxbow NWR, Nine-Acres Corner - 04/18/2010

The weather may not have been ideal (annoyingly light, intermittent rain showers for most of the day) for heading outside, but it wasn't too awful either, so here are the highlights of todays expedition with my good friend Kirk Marshall!

It started off, before meeting up with Kirk at Great Meadows by 8 am, by seeing a pair of COMMON LOONS on Nagog Pond near the Littleton/Acton border while driving east on 119/2A. This pair, at the time this morning, was drifting along with about a half-dozen RING-NECKED DUCKS. And yes, I had good looks because I had been stuck at the traffic light there to go into Nagog Park.

While at Great Meadows, Kirk and myself got upon 2 AMERICAN COOTS, both on the Lower Pool side of the dike, milling amongst the dead reeds nearest the dike. We also saw a handful of GREAT BLUE HERONS, a pair of MUTE SWANS, and about a half-dozen WOOD DUCKS, a few of which were perched on top of the wood ducks boxes. A few DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS also had the same idea. Strewn throughout the entire area was a myriad of COMMON GRACKLES, TREE SWALLOWS AND RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, many of the male Red-wings displaying! We also lucked upon a MERLIN flying overhead the Lower Pool as well! And yes, there was a large contingent of CANADA GEESE....oh well! But I find the most amusing thing there was this one Great Blue. We'd get within 5-10 feet of it on the dike trail, then it would fly off, but only to just a little ways down the dike trail in front of us. So, we'd come upon him again, and he would fly off again farther down the dike. After the 3rd time, he decided to stand his ground as we walked past him. I guess he liked that dike much too much!

Next stop was Oxbow, and it was fairly quiet today, compared to earlier last week. Saw a few WOOD DUCKS and MALLARDS and TREE SWALLOWS, as well as other commonly found birds this time of year, but the highlight from what we saw was the lone PALM WARBLER we observed along the Turnpike Trail. A BELTED KINGFISHER also graced us with its crazed chatterings while walking back along Tank Road.

Our last stop was to check out Nine-Acres Corner for the GLOSSY IBISES, and we were not disappointed. They are in the same southwest quadrant of the area, all 10 of them, along with a few KILLDEER and GREAT BLUE HERONS. Had some seriously great looks at the ibises due to the sun finally shining, making their glossy, purple-hued/iridescent feathers glitter! Also was able to see them in flight as they moved from one flooded area to the next!

All in all, a very nice day to be out and about for the both of us! Happy birding to all!!

Cape Ann, North Shore and Miscellaneous - American Bald Eagles & Harlequin Ducks

What a most gorgeous day to be outside today, getting some fresh air whilst looking for whatever birds we could find! I met up with my good friend Kirk Marshall today in Burlington early enough around 7:30 am. We then made a go of it for a fair portion of the day, first stopping in Newburyport and Amesbury, then heading southward to the Gloucester area and finally in the Rockport area. After dropping Kirk off back in Burlington around 4 pm, I made a quick stop in Concord at Great Meadows NWR. Here are some highlights of what we observed. If I forget anything, I am sure Kirk will post an addendum to this message!

Cashman Park, Newburyport: Here we tried first to spy ourselves an American Bald Eagle or Great Cormorant, but no luck. However, it was nice to hear and see a Northern Mockingbird calling. About a half-dozen Common Goldeneyes were also seen. Other than that, not much to mention.

Deer Island, Amesbury: Our second stop in looking for eagles. Here, after about 10 minutes, we were rewarded with an adult American Bald Eagle first coming in over the Merrimack along the tree tops, then riding the thermals in giant soaring circles, heading downstream of the Merrimack from there. Amusing to me was a Red-tailed Hawk shadowing this Baldy, riding the thermals as well and staying within about 50 feet or so below the Bald Eagle.

Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester: Observed a few White-winged Scoters and Surf Scoters here, as well as a couple of Common Loons...I believe a few Common Eiders as well. Fellow birders that were there had reported seeing Purple Sandpipers around, but we could not get on them.

Cathedral Ledge, Andrews Point & Halibut Point, Rockport: I will start off with saying that we saw nothing off of Halibut Point, nothing that we could see anyhow. Andrews Point and Cathedral Ledge were more rewarding, with a total of about 40+ Harlequin Ducks spotted between the 2 locations. I believe we observed about 4 Common Loons, a mating pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, and about a total of 20+ Common Eiders. Song Sparrows were certainly very abundant amongst the residential area there near both Andrews and Cathedral.

Great Meadows NWR, Concord: I came here to try and see if that Eurasian Green-winged Teal was still hanging around, but again as with 9-Acre Corner off of 117 in Concord, no luck. However, about 10Common Mergansers, 3 Red-winged Blackbirds and 1 American Bald Eagle were seen. This eagle was best seen through a scope from the observation tower overlooking the Upper Pool. From the tower overlooking the Upper Pool, look across to the far side near the Concord River amongst the trees. Well, that is where myself and a number of other birders observed him. The eagle could be anywhere else around Great Meadows come tomorrow. A very nice gentleman allowed me to observe this eagle through his scope. You could still make the eagle out with binocs, but obviously not anywhere near as good as with a scope. Oh, I almost forget to mention, while driving to Great Meadows along Route 62 heading west, just before you cross into Concord from Bedford, I estimate a flock of about 40 or so Common Grackles flew over my car. Largest group of grackles I have seen so far this year.

Well, there you have it. A good day of birding and a great day just to be outdoors! Good luck and happy birding to all!