A hint of Spring is in the air with the last vestiges of Winter still lingering!

With "Cabin Fever" taking a firm grip all over the Northeast and its inhabitants, my good buddy Kirk Marshall and myself just had to get out and about, what with the mild temperatures (40s to 50s), the promise of drenching rains the next couple of days and the fact work was wearing on the both of us! We made a day of it, getting our "bird on", going up the shoreline just north of Boston-proper to the rocky shores of Cape Ann, even making a final stop not too far off from my town of residence, visiting a spot in West Concord!

Our day started off in Belle Isle Marsh in East Boston. It is a favorite haunt of Kirk's, but twas only the 3rd time I had been there, and of course, prior to becoming friends with Kirk, had never been there before. Our hope for this first stop was to chance upon the sizable flock of Common Redpolls that had been reported by Ryan Schain the day before (a flock of 48 of them!), but alas, no such luck. Besides the fact that such a cute little winter finch is so nomadic, I am sure the numbers of dog walkers and the planes overhead flying into Logan held the Redpolls either at bay or scared off altogether. Nonetheless, Belle Isle Marsh offered up an equally wonderful bird, 3 Rusty Blackbirds!! These birds were still in their winter plumage, so thusly they were still had the rusty hue to their feathers that gives them their common name. Whats more is that these Rusty's were singing, which on the only other occasion I had a chance to see a Rusty Blackbird at Oxbow NWR, they had not been. Other birds of note was a sizable group of Buffleheads (a diving duck), 16 in total, and this year's first sightings of Red-winged Blackbirds and a Common Grackle, both signs of warmer times ahead of us! The full list of birds seen at Belle Isle Marsh is below:

Location:     Belle Isle Marsh--IBA
Observation date:     3/5/11
Notes:     How fantastic it was to come upon the 3 Rusty Blackbirds, still in their winter plumage, singing away in the trees right near the parking lot for Belle Isle Marsh. We had hoped to come upon the good-sized flock of Common Redpolls that had been seen the day before by Ryan Schain (48 of 'em), but no luck.
Number of species:     16

Mute Swan - Cygnus olor     2
American Black Duck - Anas rubripes     9
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     2
Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola     16
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     4
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     2
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     2
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     12
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos     1
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris     50
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis     1
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     8
Rusty Blackbird - Euphagus carolinus     3
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     1

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


Our next stop was King's Beach (part of the Lynn Shore & Nahant Beach Reservation) along the Lynn/Swampscott town line in our pursuit of the very rare Mew Gull. Alas, we didn't have luck with that bird either, however, we did come across 8 more Buffleheads and a flotilla of Brants, at least 60 in number!


Location:     King's Beach, Lynn/Swampscott
Observation date:     3/5/11
Notes:     Attempted to re-find Mew Gull that had been reported in previous sightings along King's Beach, alas, to no avail. The flotilla of Brant was very nice to come upon though!
Number of species:     3

Brant - Branta bernicla     60
Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola     8
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis     12

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


Then we were off to the Rockport area of Cape Ann, in search of ducks that you would normally see during the winter-time along the coastlines. However, the diving duck in question we were going after is one wintering duck you wouldn't normally see, as compared to other birds I will mention shortly. We had hoped to come across the adult male King Eider that had been reported along the rocky shores in-between Folly's Cove and Halibut Point, or perhaps the one located just off the shores near the Elk's Club in Gloucester. We sadly could not come upon either majestic male, (though he had been seen earlier in the day off the Elks, half way in-between the shoreline and the horizon). Nonetheless, our consolation prize was seeing 2 1st-winter juvenile male King Eiders right near the rocky shoreline just south of the cliff face at Halibut Point. We also visited Andrew's Point, Cathedral Ledge and the aforementioned shoreline near the Elk's Club in Gloucester and were rewarded with good looks at Harlequin Ducks, all three Scoter species (Surf, Black and White-winged), Greater Scaups, more Buffleheads and another Life bird, a lone Great Cormorant off of Halibut Point. Total numbers from all the locations visited on Cape Ann are below:


Location:     Cape Ann--Halibut Point
Observation date:     3/5/11
Notes:     2 first-winter juvenile male King Eiders seen right off the rocky shore just to the south of the cliff face for Halibut Point; please note total numbers are for all birds seen around Cape Ann and at the shoreline in front of the Elk's Club in Gloucester; as such: Common Eiders and Harlequin Ducks were seen at Halibut Point, Andrew's Point and Cathedral Ledge; the Buffleheads were seen in Gloucester near the Elks and at Andrew's Point; the White-winged Scoters were only seen near the Elks; the Black Scoters at Andrew's Point; the Common Merganser at Andrew's; and the Great Cormorant at Halibut Point.
Number of species:     10

Greater Scaup - Aythya marila     3
King Eider - Somateria spectabilis     2
Common Eider - Somateria mollissima     50
Harlequin Duck - Histrionicus histrionicus     20
Surf Scoter - Melanitta perspicillata     8
White-winged Scoter - Melanitta fusca     3
Black Scoter - Melanitta americana     12
Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola     14
Common Merganser - Mergus merganser     2
Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo     1

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


Lastly, to use the proverbial "icing on the cake" expression, we made our final stop of the day in West Concord at the Thoreau School in hopes of seeing the small flock (12 at max) of Common Redpolls that had been reported earlier in the week by David Swain at the feeders directly across from the teacher's parking slots at Thoreau. It was 4 pm by the time we got to West Concord and obviously, our light was waning steadily. But after waiting for about 15 minutes (Redpolls were seen 15 minutes prior to our arrival at the school), our patience and long waiting for a new winter finch had paid off! 3 gorgeous, wonderfully cute Redpolls came to the grouping of feeders filled with millet, busily stuffing their faces, but also wary of our presence and even skittish of the Mourning Doves that were perusing the snows below them at the feeders.


Location:     Thoreau School, West Concord, MA
Observation date:     3/5/11
Notes:     Though more Common Redpolls have been reported here, 3 were seen at a grouping of bird feeders in the back yard of a home directly across from the teacher's parking slots of the Thoreau School in West Concord. What a wonderful Life bird....so gorgeous, so flitty.....only 2nd winter finch species of the year (had a Pine Siskin on Dec. 26th in North Reading, MA).
Number of species:     3

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     4
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     2
Common Redpoll - Acanthis flammea     3

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


My gods, what a way to end the day!! 3 new Life birds in one day (King Eider, Great Cormorant, Common Redpoll). After this hellacious winter we have all endured, such a day of great birding and time with my good buddy and birder, Kirk, was much needed!! Here is to a relaxing day tomorrow and to a great year of bird watching!! Happy birding too all my friends!!

eBird Report - Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve, Hartwell Ave., Littleton, MA, 3/6/10

Location:     Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve, Hartwell Ave., Littleton, MA
Observation date:     3/6/10
Notes:     I just had to get out on this gorgeous fair weather day! So, I decided to take my first stroll of the year around the Hartwell Preserve, which is just down the street from my home. As figured, numerous BC Chickadees and Titmice were seen and heard. The Red-wings and the Grackle was seen around the wetland are that encompasses Beaver Brook. The Sharpie was seen flying over the fields that are located nearby. And please note, the Barred Owl was heard giving its characteristic grouping of hoots 3 times. It is heard almost daily, (for like I stated earlier, our home is fairly close to the Preserve) but I am never able to get on it. If anyone is curious as to directions to the Hartwell Preserve, please feel free to email me! (Here is a web address for those who desire a little background information on the Preserve: http://www.littletonconservationtrust.org/guide/hartwell/hartwell.html) Good birding to all!
Number of species:     15

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     4
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     3 (fly-over around Beaver Brook)
Sharp-shinned Hawk - Accipiter striatus     1 (over fields near Beaver Brook)
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     3
Barred Owl - Strix varia     1 (judging from location of hooting, seems near Proctor Hill)
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     2
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     3
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     2
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     X
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     X
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     4
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     6
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     3 (Beaver Brook area)
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     1 (Beaver Brook area)

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

eBird Report - 83 Hartwell Avenue, Littleton, MA 01460, 3/3/10: Red-wings = Sign of Spring!

Location:     83 Hartwell Avenue, Littleton, MA 01460
Observation date:     3/3/10
Notes:     After having come home to a raucous of varying bird calls (most notably the flock of Red-wings), I decided to spend some time observing all the feeders as well as the property itself around the house. I am so very excited to hear/see Red-wings....a true sign that spring is close-at-hand!
Number of species:     12

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus     1
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     2
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     6
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     4
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     1
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis     3
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     26
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis     1

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