Trip Highlights

More than a handful of members joined in to enjoy a good birding day.  It was hoped that meeting late morning would get the group to the Turners Falls Power Canal in time to witness the gulls and ducks that gather there as sunset approaches.  Though the group decided not to press on after the first few stops, many birds were spotted along the way, as follows.

Honey Pot Area:

Bluebirds

Bald Eagle (3)

Red-tailed Hawk

Tree Sparrows

Dark-eyed Juncos

Blue Jays

Canada Goose

Ring-billed Gulls

Common Merganser

Northern Harrier (3)

Back entrance to Arcadia:

Crows

Northern Harrier

Ring-billed Gulls

Hadley Cove:

Green-winged Teal

Wood Duck (male/female)

Mallards

Common Merganser

Belted Kingfisher

Tufted Titmouse

Black-capped Chickadee

European Starlings

Common Grackles

Mourning Doves

Downey Woodpecker

Brown Creeper

Northern Cardinals

Red-winged Blackbirds

Turkey Vulture

Red-tailed Hawk

House Finch

There were just three eager birders ready to start the New Year right, despite the new fallen snow and the frigid temperatures.  We began the trip by taking a detour to New Bedford, where a rare Mandarin Duck was reported at The Sawmill at Acushnet River Preserve.  The pond was partially frozen, but we found the graceful duck floating in the outflow river with Mallards, Black Ducks, Canada Geese and several domestic ducks and geese. The preserve is a lovely place, but the clock was already ticking, so we moved on to try for a Snowy Owl reported on the beach along the New Bedford Cove Walk.  We did not find it, but did spot an array of waterfowl, including Red-throated Loon, Bufflehead, Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, Scaup, Red-breasted Mergansers and Common Eider - and another life place!

Onward to the Cape, we picked up Turkey Vulture and seconds later Black Vulture from the moving car.  We arrived at Siders Pond in Falmouth around 11:25 to find less birds than in previous years. We counted about a dozen each of Hooded Mergansers, Canada Geese and Mallards, and five Double-crested Cormorants.  At nearby Salt Pond, there were less than a dozen Scaup, but two Great Blue Heron were hunting at the back edge of the water.  Other birds were Bufflehead, Red-breasted and Hooded Mergansers, and a Belted Kingfisher.  Off Surf Avenue there were 2 Red-throated Loon, 4 Common Loon, lots more Red-breasted Mergansers, a few Goldeneye and a Long-tailed Duck.

After a break, we headed to Flax Pond and found the reported Redhead Duck with some Canada Geese.  While there we picked up few songbirds and a Flicker.  Next stop was Ashumet Pond, where parking was difficult and most of the waterfowl were distant. There were Scaup, lots of Common Mergansers and Common Goldeneye, and with them was one male Barrow’s Goldeneye.

On to Marston’s Mills, where the newly frozen ice forced the ducks into an area where we could get good views.  We picked out two male Pintail and a Green-winged Teal, as well as Hooded Mergansers, Blacks, Mallards, 5 Mute Swans, another Great Blue Heron and the always cheerful call of the Carolina Wren.  

We accessed Mill Pond in West Barnstable by parking at the end of Gemini Road and walking down a snow and ice-covered trail. The Pond treated us to 50 Wood Ducks, 25 Canada Geese and two Great Horned Owls calling back and forth.  On returning to the car, we spotted six Turkeys strolling in the neighbor’s yard.

It was after 4:00 by now and we still had much to do before sunset.  We headed straight for Town Neck Rd, forgoing a quick look at the Sandwich marina, and parking at the usual spot, but the closed-down restaurant is now the new Tree House Brewing Co.  Over the years, viewing the bay from this spot has given us wonderful close-up looks at hundreds, maybe thousands, of waterfowl and has been a good place to search for alcids, particularly Razorbills.  We did pick up a few new birds for the day, 4 Black Scoter, a Great Black-backed Gull, and a Red-necked Grebe, but even with that and the four lovely Long-tailed Ducks, we were left wanting for alcids and Gannets.

On to Plymouth Wharf, where we hoped a new location would bring us luck.  We quickly found 20 Surf Scoter, more Common Eiders, Bufflehead, Canada Geese and lots of Black Ducks.

It was late, so we rushed west to Cumberland Farms.  Scanning there in the almost-dark, we spotted 3 Short-eared Owls flying together, weaving an imaginary web as they circled in figure eights with the crimson-colored sunset sky as a backdrop. The last bird to make itself known was a Great Horned Owl, perched high up in a deciduous tree on the back edge of the farm fields.  After a few moments it began calling, too.  It was a great end to our day’s adventure.  We garnered a total of 54 species and added many birds to our new year lists.

Here’s a rundown of how we did this year compared to past years.  We brought in a total of 68 species, the fourth highest species count and the highest in the last 15 years.  Observer number, hours in the field, and miles covered were all in the average range.  Water was unfrozen for the most part. The temperature ranged between 35-45 degrees F, but winds picked up in the afternoon and gusts were strong.

There were many species found in higher numbers than usual.  All averages are 31-year averages and an asterisk signifies the highest count recorded for that species over the 31 Cobble Mtn counts.  Canada Geese came in at an all-time high of 6040*, while the average is 1190.  Black Duck at 108 was almost double the average of 56.  Hooded and Common Mergansers were both counted at all-time highs, Hooded 61* with an average of 12 and Common 728* with an average count of 78.  Hawks gave us good numbers, too.  We counted 13* Cooper’s Hawks with a previous average of 4, Red-shouldered Hawk count of 5* was matched in 2019, with at least one reported each year since 2012.  Even Redtails were high at 50* when the average is 28.  We also counted 2 Northern Harriers, only sighted in 4 of the other 31 years.  Our Hermit Thrush count was 5*, which was only matched in 2014. Finally, Red-winged Blackbirds were spotted by three teams, with a total of 603* birds, far above the average of 75.  

There were just a few species found in lower numbers than usual.  We only spotted 3 Turkeys, while the average is 34.  Red-breasted Nuthatch was among its lowest numbers at just 2 birds.  The Northern Cardinal count was just 59, with an average of 97.  We were lucky to count one each of Screech, Great Horned, and Barred Owls, which is more a reflection of effort than a downward trend.

There were many good finds this year, too.  Snow Goose (4*) was recorded on only two other count years.  Wood Ducks (2) were last reported in 2013.  When not frozen, Congamond Ponds can add a number of waterfowl species and this year was no different.  Viewpoints overlooking Middle Pond gave us a highest ever number of Pintail (10*) and Ringnecks (10*), one spot offered a Greater Scaup and 2 Lessers, and South Pond granted one team a Bufflehead.  Great Blue Heron was counted by three teams, one bird each.  Songbirds not found regularly included Catbird (1), Savannah Sparrow (4), Swamp Sparrow (2) and a first-ever Veery, a highly unusual species for this date.

Unfortunate misses this year were Horned Lark, Field Sparrow and Purple Finch.  

Count week birds added by Dorrie Holmes and Al and Lois Richardson were Goldeneye (2), Ruddy Duck (2) and Red-breasted Merganser (1), all at Congamond on December 24th.

It was a good year, thanks to the efforts of all participants!

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2021 Cobble Mtn CBC

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2021 Springfield CBC Results

Thirteen members gathered in Gloucester at the parking lot of Sweet Water Grille (the old Friendly’s) at Grant’s Circle.  Right from the parking lot many members were treated to excellent views of the previously reported Wood Stork flying into the marsh.  Also there were 6 Great Blue Herons, 50+ Bufflehead, 6 Black Ducks and a Carolina Wren.  It was a great start to a very nice day of birding.  

Jodrey’s Pier was next giving us 3 Long-tailed Ducks.  Seth was not fond of this duck’s new name and continued to refer to them as Oldsquaw, not because he didn’t identify with the more politically correct name, but just because he was a poet and thought Oldsquaw was a more colorful and poetic name for the beautiful, graceful duck.  Also there were Common Loon (2), DC Cormorant (15), C Eider (75), Surf Scoter (1), our three usual gulls, but no white-winged gulls.  Someone mentioned that the warmer weather might have delayed their migration.

Rocky Neck added Red-breasted Merganser (35), Red-throated Loon (4) and Bufflehead (3), along with Mockingbird.  Also present were C Loon (8), Surf Scoter (10), DC Cormorant (10) and hordes of European Starlings.

At Niles Beach, we added Bald Eagle (1), Black Scoter (1), and Catbird.  

While Eastern Point gave some who ventured out to the rocky precipice two Black Guillemots, a Gannet and three Purple Sandpipers, those that stayed behind, mostly due to the limited parking, were still treated to crows mobbing a Bald Eagle, C Loon (6), Surf Scoter (25), Bufflehead (4), RB Merg, C Eider (75), Long-tailed Duck (15), and another Carolina Wren singing for all.

A brief stop at Niles Pond added Ring-necked Ducks (10).  Also there were Bufflehead (10), RB Merg, Black Duck (12), Mallard (5), Great Blue Heron, Blue Jay and yet another Carolina Wren!

Next stop, and last before lunch, was the Elks Club, where more of us got views of Black Guillemot (3).  This location added 6 Red-necked Grebes, 30 White-winged Scoters, and a Cooper’s Hawk.  Other highlights were eight Purple Sandpipers just below us atop a rock near the water’s edge, three Gannets, six Surf Scoters, 18 Bufflehead and four Common Loons.

Our usual break for lunch at Stop and Shop gave us a Red-tailed Hawk perched in a tree, a Great Blue Heron, Mallards, a Blue Jay, and more Starlings.

The afternoon birding began at Loblolly Cove where we added Harlequin Duck (3).  Other birds were Purple Sandpiper (3), Gannet (3), C Loon (4), RB Merg (6) and House Finch.

On to Granite Pier for our only Savannah Sparrow, who posed for a long time on a large rock lining the parking area.  There were also three Song Sparrows, Gannet (3), Harlequin (4), C Loon (4), C Eider (5), Bufflehead (2), and DC Cormorant (3).

Cathedral Rocks did not add any new birds to our list, but did give us more Gannets (2), Harlequins (12), Buffleheads (6), C Eiders (15), C Loons (5), Surf Scoters (11), RB Mergs (2), DC Cormorants (2) and Herring Gulls.

Andrew’s Point has become a fussy place to park, with multiple “No Parking” signs along the side streets.  We were able to park a couple of blocks away on a small town-owned parcel and walk to our usual birding spots.  Along the walk we picked up Chickadee, Junco, Song Sparrow, House and Goldfinch, and Cardinal.  The ocean gave us C Loon (6), RT Loon (1), C Eider (40), Harlequin (13), a very nice female Black Scoter, White-winged and Surf Scoters (3 each), and Long-tailed Duck (3), but no alcids.

Many of us ventured on to the last stop of the day at Halibut Point, where the only new bird was Downy Woodpecker.  There were also Gannets (10), a male Black Scoter, C Eider (30), a flyby of two Brant and four Common Loons.  The weather had become decidedly colder with a breeze keeping us clutching our coat collars on the walk back to the park area.  All-in-all a wonderful day of coastal birding with a species total of 45!