Seth Kellogg
The trip to the coast was postponed a week, but went on the 24th with five people. We headed to Scusset Park and found the adult King Eider close to the rocky dike just below us. Also there at 9:00 am were Oldsquaw, Red-breasted Mergansers, some Brant, and many Eiders, which slowly flew in groups farther out to sea and over to Horizons Beach.
After getting very cold, we drove south to Falmouth, where few ducks were in ponds except a nice Red-throated Loon, with Goldeneye, Eiders, and Buffleheads in the bay. We drove though congestion slowly along Rte. 3 until Marston’s Mills, where there was only a Gadwall. A short ride on Rte. 6 took us back to Horizons, where there were many Black Scoters, with fewer Surf and White-winged Scoters. Other ducks were scattered among them, including possible Razorbill.
Plymouth Beach had only a few things plus some Brant, and a strong cold wind again. We did not try for Tundra Swan at Atwood Reservoir in Carver. Maybe we should have driven to the outer Cape, where alcids were found by others on that day.
Kathy Conway & Chris Blagdon
February 24-25, 2018 - There were 16 participants on this weekend trip. We birded a total of 13.5 hours, 8 on Saturday and 5.5 on Sunday, getting 53 species in all. It was a lovely day on Saturday, temps in the 50’s, mostly sunny. Dry in the morning on Sunday, changing to rain and cooler temps later. We visited several locations in Cape Ann on Saturday, including Jodrey’s Pier, Niles Beach, Eastern Pt., Niles Pond/Brace Cove, Atlantic Ave., Cathedral Rocks, Granite Pier, Andrew’s Point, Plum Cove, and Nelson’s Island. On Sunday we covered the Newburyport area, including Salisbury State Park, Chapman Park, Joppa Flats, and Plum Island.
Waterfowl listed were Canada Goose, Brant 20, Gadwall 30, American Wigeon 1, Black Duck, Mallard, Pintail 1, Gtr and Lesser Scaup, C. Eider, Harlequin Duck, Surf, White-winged and Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, C. Goldeneye, Hooded and Red-breasted Mergan-ser, Red-throated and C. Loon, Horned and Red-necked Grebe, and DC (at Chapman Park)and Great Cormorant. Hawks were Northern Harrier 2 and Red-tailed Hawk. The only shorebird was Purple Sandpiper 50+. Rarer gulls found were Iceland 1 and Glaucous 1. Seabird special-ties were Thick-billed Murre 4, Dovekie 4 (1 at Eastern Pt., 3 more at Granite Pier, including one very close look with Thick-billed Murre), Razorbill 1, and Black Guillemot 1. We had 8 Snowy Owls, 1 at Nelson’s Is., 4 at Salisbury Park, 3 at Plum Island. Land birds included Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, Blue Jay, Crow, Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Mockingbird, Song Sparrow, Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Grackle, House Finch, and House Sparrow.
The meeting spot at Friendly’s gave us looks at 20 Bufflehead. First stop was at Jodrey Pier and we found a Razorbill right away. We also were treated to a Thick-billed Murre for a while and quite close by. Glaucous Gull was close on raft. Regular birds were Oldsquaw, White-winged and Surf Scoter, Eiders, Bufflehead, Common Loons and Red-breasted Merganser. Niles Beach had White-winged and Surf Scoters, Eiders, Oldsquaw, Buffleheads close and many Eiders. Also there were a Goldeneye, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and 2 Common Loons. Eastern Point parking lot had good looks at Dovekie, with many Oldsquaw, Eiders, White-winged and Surf Scoters, plus a few Gadwall, Goldeneye, and Red-breasted Mergansers. Niles Pond was next and our car drove all the way out to brace Cove, where there was 15 Brant, Glaucous Gull, Goldeneye, White-winged Scoters and a Red-necked Grebe. On Niles Pond, we had a flock of mostly Greater and two Lesser Scaup, plus 50 Red-breasted Merganser. Atlantic Avenue had 10 Great Cormorant on rock, 40 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Black Guillemot, 2 Red-necked Grebe, Bufflehead, White-winged and Surf Scoter, Eiders, and a Surf Scoter.
After lunch went to Rockport, where Granite Pier gave us 2 Dovekie and a Thick-billed Murre in close, perhaps a view of a life-time. Also there were 20 Harlequins, 20 Purple Sandpipers, Iceland Gull, some Brant, many Common Loons and a Red-throated Loon. We had flocks of Eiders, White-winged Scoters, and Bufflehead and a few Red-breasted Mergansers and a Black Scoter. Cathedral Rocks had another Dovekie, 25 Harlequins, plus Eiders, Black and White-winged Scoters. Andrews Point was rough and crowded, but got more Harlequins, Eiders, and Black and White-winged Scoters. Also, we had a two Horned Grebe, one Red-necked Grebe, 8 Common Loons, and a Great Cormorant.
We stopped at Plum Cove, where most had brief looks at Razorbill and Dovekie, plus some White-winged and Black Scoters and Red-breasted Mergansers, but only one Common Loon. We drove north to Stackyard Road where Chris spotted a distant Snowy Owl. We checked in at Fairfield with 7 of us going to the Indian Food place again.
At 6:00 am we braved the wind and cold under threatening skies in Salisbury. Our reward was close looks at four Snowy Owls. Other good finds were 2 Harriers, 2 Guillemots, a few Red-throated and Common Loons, a Hooded Merganser and Black Scoter. There were 200 Eiders, 30-40 Oldsquaw, Red-breasted Merganser, and White-winged Scoters. We also had 20 Goldeneyes and Bufflehead. We returned for the breakfast buffet and checked out at 8:30 am. No Screech Owl was found in Newbury at Kent and Washington Streets. Cashman Park at 9:00 am had Goldeneyes and Buffleheads. We started down Plum Island in moderate rain, finding 2 more Snowy Owls. The Salt Pannes had Pintail, 15 Gadwall, 2 American Wigeon, Mute Swan and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers. The Bill Forward blind had 2 Pintail and Iceland Gull.
Seth Kellogg
The Rhode Island trip had 5 cars and ten people, leaving Ludlow at 6:30, arriving at Watchemocket Cove at 8:30 a.m. The wind was strong and cold most of day, but the sky was clear. The cove itself was mostly iced over, except at the far inlet, but the bigger arm on south side was covered with large flocks of Ring-billed Gulls, Geese, and 150 Brant. There was a mixed flock of 20 Lesser and 30 Greater Scaup, and a flock of 60 Wigeon. Scattered around and mixed in were 12 Red-breasted, 12 Hooded Mergansers, 20 Gadwall, 25 Mute Swan, and a few Blacks and Mallards. There was a single Coot and one Horned Grebe. A Kingfisher perched on a stick at the back edge of the smaller cove and a Peregrine flew in and spooked resting gulls, stopping to perch for a while on a stick in middle of ice.
We drove the long way to Tiverton. Just before turning off Rte. 77 we spotted a Black Vulture soaring with 2 Turkey Vultures. Chris spotted a Cooper’s Hawk on way. We arrived at Ruecker Sanctuary at 10:00 and noted a large flock 75-100 of Horned Larks whirling and then feeding on the plowed field across the street. Walking through brush and woods, we had Yellowrump, Robins, Catbird, Gc Kinglet, and 3 Titmice, then we stopped at the house for more feeder birds. The fields before the marsh had 2 hunting Harriers, and the coves around the bridge held Oldsquaw, Common Loon, 60 Brant and gulls. We went further south this time to Sakonett Point, but parking was difficult both there and at Round Pond, which did have some open water with 2 pairs of Redheads, 12 Gadwall, 6 Red-breasted and 6 Hooded Mergansers, 20 Bufflehead, a Coot, 2 Wigeon, 2 Goldeneye, 3 Great Cormorant and 8 Mute Swans, but no Tundra Swan. Stopped briefly at Pardon Gray on the way back, but only 2 Black Vultures were there. Coastal Roasters was very crowded, though still needed for a bathroom stop.
Nearing Sachuest, we had a Coyote, and near the very crowded parking lot were some deer. We began the walk to lookouts at 2:00 pm finding two huge flocks of 600 Black and Surf Scoters mixed and 350 Greater Scaup and 50 Lesser Scaup together. Eider flocks were smaller and scattered. Other species were widely scattered, 6 Harlequins, 20 Bufflehead, 12 Goldeneye, 20 Red-breasted Mergansers, and a Horned Grebe. Shorebirds were on one of the big rock islands, but took off and split up, returning occasionally in smaller numbers. Peak counts were 35 Purple Sandpipers, 80 Sanderlings, and 4 Ruddy Turnstones. Checked in to Howard Johnson Motel at 5-5:30, bird log was at 6 pm, and dinner was at Rheas just south on Rte. 138. It was casual and not crowded. Food was very good, but they were out of most seafood.
We ate a good breakfast at 6:00 am in the motel and we left at 7:00, stopping for gas at Shell on rotary. We crossed the bridge and then went south to Beavertail. Chris got another Cooper’s Hawk. We attempted to do Beavertail in light rain 7:45-9:00 am. We were able to study a smaller flock of scoters just off point, 200 Black with 20 White-winged and 50 Surf. Scattered were 30 Harlequin Ducks, 100 Eiders, 25 Oldsquaw, 10 Horned Grebe, 6 Common and one Red-throated Loon, 5 Bufflehead and a Guillemot flyby from Chris. We studied a Merlin that flew in and perched on pole behind main building.
On the way north we counted 50 Brant. The marsh at Zeek’s Creek had a close Red-necked Grebe we all studied plus Red-breasted Merganser and Kingfisher. There were plenty of blacks and Mallards plus huge flock of 500 geese landing in the close cove with a loud chorus of honking. One car left us here. Rain persisted as we crossed second bridge and took Rte. 1 south to Rte. 108 through Narragansett, arriving at Point Judith where another large mixed Scoter flock of 500 awaited. Two hundred Eider and 6 Goldeneye were nearby. Two more cars left us after a rest stop at Dunkin, but we continued to Trustom as the rain slowed and the fog increased. It was just too much, so at noon we headed west on Rte. 1 to Rte. 95, then Rte. 85, then the deserted Rte. 11 and Rte. 2 to Hartford. We got to Springfield at 12:15 pm. We ended with 65 species on the list, including 39 waterbirds and raptors.
Seth Kellogg and Janice Zepko
This trip, originally scheduled for January 6th, finally got off the ground two weeks later. We met at McDonald’s in Ludlow at 6:30 am and eleven of us left for the South Shore. Doing the reverse of our usual route, we stopped at Cumberland Farms first to pick up Rough-legged Hawks (4) that had been reported. Also there were 4 Redtails, 3 Harriers, 30 Cowbirds and 200 Canada Geese. Next stop was at a park overlooking Duxbury Harbor, where we picked up 25 Surf Scoters, 20 Eider, 3 Black Duck, 5 Bufflehead and a Horned Grebe. On to Duxbury Beach by Gurnett Road. It did not disappoint with a close in Snowy Owl.
North Plymouth at the pumping station of Chuck Carroll Investment Pond we got 2 Gadwall, 2 Hooded Mergs, 30 Mallards and a Black Duck, as well as 3 Mute Swans, 25 Ring-billed and 6 Herring Gulls. Plymouth Harbor added 150 Black Ducks, 40 Surf and 12 White-winged Scoters, 100 Eider, 1 Oldsquaw, 1 Horned Grebe, 1 RB Merg and a Great Blue Heron. By1:30 we were at Jenny’s Pond for 2 Turkeys, a Mute Swan, 10 Gadwall, 25 mallard, 3 Bufflehead, and a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Plymouth Long Beach added Oldsquaw, 5 RB Mergs, 30 Eider, 25 Surf Scoters, 3 Common and 1 Red-throated Loon, 1 Horned Grebe and 1 Bonaparte’s Gull.
Manomet Point was our next stop, where we found 60+ Harbor Seals and birds too, including 10 Oldsquaw, 2 Great Cormorants, 50 RB Mergs, 6 WW Scoters and 3 Bufflehead. On to Long Pond and a second stop at its south end for 7 Bufflehead, 4 Goldeneye, 3 RB Mergs and a Great Cormorant.
An overlook of Great Herring Pond from Eagle Hill Rd gave us a Bald Eagle, 13 Lesser and 7 Greater Scaup, 35 Red-breasted and 10 Common Mergs, 25 Goldeneye and 80 Crows probably going to roost.
Finally, we arrived at Horizons Restaurant on Town Neck Rd in Sandwich, where the parking lot and beach give us close up views of waterfowl. There we counted 300 White-winged 20 Black and 6 Surf Scoters, 500 Eider, RB Merg, Horned Grebe, Blk-backed Gull, and a Common Loon. Also, Holly added 4 Sanderlings and a Song Sparrow to the list, after we sent her, by accident, to Scusset Beach where we spotted her with scope from our position across the sea water.
Seth Kellogg
There were again 10 teams but only 17 observers, two fewer than in 2016 and the fewest in 20 years. Conditions and numbers were not quite ideal after a legacy of late December storms and cold snaps probably drove a lot of wintering birds farther south. The morning was very cold, but it warmed to just above freezing by mid-day. Skies were partly cloudy with snow showers and light wind with a layer of ice and snow still covering the ground.
Teams and Highlights
Westfield-SW: Joanne Fortin, five hours, 29 species, including feeder report from Elethea Goodkin: 4 Turkeys, 3 Sapsuckers, 85 Chickadees, a Carolina Wren, 8 Bluebirds, 7 Robins, 15 Waxwings, 110 Juncos
Blandford and Westfield: Kathy and Myles Conway, 7 hours, 26 species, Mute Swan, 8 Turkeys, a Red-shouldered Hawk, a Raven, a Brown Creeper, 4 Golden-crowned Kinglet, a Raven, a Purple Finch 15 Cedar Waxwing
Russell and Westfield: Tom Swochak, 8 hours plus 1.5 owling, 35 species, 4 Snow Geese, a Barnacle Goose, 1500 Canada Goose, 14 Black Duck, a Hooded Merganser, 2 Common Merganser, a Screech Owl, a Sapsucker, 2 Flickers, 3 Carolina Wren, 4 Golden-crowned Kinglet, a Hermit Thrush, and a Catbird
North Granby and West Granville: John Weeks, Chris Chinni, 5 hours plus 1.5 owling 28 species, 4 Turkeys, a Cooper’s Hawk, 2 Great Horned Owl, 3 Barred Owl, a Raven, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Brown Creeper, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a Carolina Wren, 5 Bluebird, a Hermit Thrush
East Granville: Mary Felix, 6.5 hours, a Red-shouldered Hawk, a Pileated Woodpecker, a Raven, 3 Bluebird
Southwick: Janice Zepko, Seth Kellogg, 8 hours plus 1.2 owling, 37 species, 17 Black Duck, 30 Turkeys, a Bald Eagle, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Red-shouldered Hawk, a Great Horned Owl, a Pileated Woodpecker, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Brown Creeper, 2 Carolina Wren, 19 Robins, 20 Cedar Waxwings, 2 Cowbird
Westfield and Montgomery: Al and Lois Richardson, 5 hours, 32 species, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Cooper’s Hawk, a Sapsucker, 3 Raven, 2 Carolina Wren, 16 Bluebird, 20 Cedar Waxwing, a Merlin
Westfield: Dave McLain, 8 hours plus 2.5 owling, 41 species, 7 Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 10 Screech Owl, a Barred Owl, a Flicker, a Brown Creeper, 4 Carolina Wren, 6 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 6 Bluebird, 38 Cedar Waxwing a Cowbird
Westfield: George Kingston, Jean Delaney, 2.5 hours, 20 species, a Ring-billed Gull, 12 Horned Lark 8, Bluebird
Southwick-SW: Bambi Kenny and April Kenney, 6 hours plus 1.25 owling, 24 species, 2 Flicker, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet, a Robin
The 63 hours was the fewest ever and well below average. The 58 species recorded were below the 26-year average of 63 and the fourth fewest ever. No species showed significantly high numbers. There were above average counts of Mallard, Turkey, Mourning Dove, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Sapsucker, Carolina Wren, Song Sparrow, Junco, and Cardinal. The Snow Goose and Barnacle Goose were species new to the count. It was the third year for Merlin and the fourth for Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Click below to view or download complete count results.