Friday, November 17, 2023

There were a number of unusual species recorded this week including a Lark Bunting banded in Brewster, two different Townsend’s Solitaires, a Western Tanager, a Bohemian Waxwing, 3 continuing Pink-footed Geese, a Hammond’s Flycatcher, a White-winged Dove, and a Yellow-throated Warbler. Perhaps most remarkable of all was an amazing concentration of more than 8000 Razorbills off the backside of Cape Cod in the Eastham/Orleans area mid-week.

Cape Cod enjoyed an impressive movement of several species of seabirds on the outside of the Cape mid-week that included a tally off North Beach in East Orleans that included 8200 Razorbills, 710 Great Shearwaters, 48 Manx Shearwaters, 630 Red-throated Loons, 3500 Herring Gulls, 630 Bonaparte’s Gulls, 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Black-headed Gulls. Most unusual was the fact that most of the birds were moving north up the coast instead of in the more expected southerly direction. Other interesting Cape Cod sightings were a Lark Bunting banded at Wing Island in Brewster, a continuing Yellow-headed Blackbird at several different locations in Truro and Provincetown, a Little Gull at Chapin Beach in Dennis, a lingering Ruby-throated Hummingbird in Cummaquid, a Black-and-white Warbler at Fort Hill in Eastham, and 40 Pine Siskins in flight over the Nauset Beach parking lot in Orleans.

Bristol County highlights were a Barrow’s Goldeneye at West Island in Fairhaven, and 5 Clapper Rails at the Egypt Lane ponds in Fairhaven.

Plymouth County was visited by a Townsend’s Solitaire and a Western Tanager at the Manomet Bird Observatory in Manomet, where a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a Black-throated Blue Warbler were also seen. A lingering Osprey was still present in the vicinity of the Billington Sea in Plymouth, and a Clay-colored Sparrow was tallied at the Nemasket Trail area in Plympton.

Norfolk County luminaries were 2 Sandhill Cranes in flight over the Stony Brook Audubon Sanctuary in Norfolk, a Barrow’s Goldeneye at Great Pond in Randolph, a lingering Wilson’s Warbler at Hall’s Pond in Brookline, and 3 Lapland Longspurs Five Station Beach in Quincy.

Suffolk County featured several single sightings of Black-headed Gulls at Crystal Cove in Winthrop, Constitution Park, the Belle Isle Reservation, and Bayswater Street Park in Orient Heights. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was noted at the Boston fish pier, an Ovenbird and a Lincoln’s Sparrow in Post Office Square, a Greater White-fronted Goose at the Forest Hills Cemetery, a Lark Sparrow at the Saint Joseph’s Cemetery in West Roxbury, 2 Long-billed Dowitchers the Belle Isle Reservation, a Pileated Woodpecker at the Stony Brook Reservation, and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the Arnold Arboretum.

Middlesex County hosted a Townsend’s Solitaire at Pine Banks Park in Malden, a Greater Yellowlegs and a Lesser Yellowlegs at the Arlington Reservoir in Arlington, an Orange-crowned Warbler, a Yellow-breasted Chat, and a Lincoln’s Sparrow at Mary Cummings Park in Burlington, 2 Blue-winged Teal at the Hager Land property in Boxborough, single Orange-crowned Warblers at Dunback Meadow in Lexington, Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Torbert McDonald Park in Medford, North Point Park in Cambridge. A Virginia Rail was tallied at Great Meadows Refuge in Concord, and a late Baltimore Oriole was spotted at Drumlin Farm Sanctuary in Lincoln.

Essex County was visited by a single Bohemian Waxwing at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation, 3 Great Egrets, a Pectoral Sandpiper, and Common Gallinule at Plum Island, and a late Ruby-throated Hummingbird at a feeder on Bond Street in Gloucester, where a Nashville Warbler and a Prairie Warbler were also seen.

Berkshire County was graced by a Red-throated Loon, a Northern Shoveler, and a soaring Golden Eagle at Lake Pontoosuc in Pittsfield.

Franklin County luminaries included 5 Green-winged Teal at Hell’s Kitchen in Northfield, 2 White-crowned Sparrows on Russell Street in Sunderland, and 8 Red Crossbills at Mt. Grace in Warwick.

Hampshire County highlights were a Cattle Egret at the Northampton Airport, 3 continuing Pink-footed Geese and a Cackling Goose at Paradise Pond near the Smith College Campus in Northampton, another Cackling Goose at the UMass campus pond in Amherst, a Wilson’s Warbler on the Mt. Holyoke campus in South Hadley, a Clay-colored Sparrow at the Honey Pot in Hadley, and 5 Black Vultures at the Hickory Ridge Conservation Area in Amherst.

Hampden County featured a Tufted Duck at the Whiting Street Reservoir in Holyoke, single lingering Ospreys at the Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke and the Longmeadow Flats in Longmeadow, and a Brown Thrasher and a Lincoln’s Sparrow at the Fannie Stebbins Refuge in Longmeadow.

Worcester County was visited by a Hammond’s Flycatcher the Crane Swamp Conservation Area in Northborough, a Golden Eagle at Lake Wompanoag Sanctuary in Gardner, a Redhead on South Meadow Road in Clinton, an American Bittern near the Quaboag River Bridge in Brookfield, a Blue-winged Teal and a Dunlin at Wickaboag Pond in West Brookfield, single Great Egrets at Dorothy Pond in Millbury and Coes Reservoir in Worcester, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at the Westboro Wildlife Area in Westborough.

Martha’s Vineyard was highlighted by a Yellow-throated Warbler near Upper Lagoon Pond in Oak Bluffs, a Little Gull and 3 Bald Eagles at the Aquinnah Land Trust in Aquinnah, a Lark Sparrow and 65 Tree Swallows at Squibnocket Beach in Chilmark, and 4 Lapland Longspurs at Katama Farm in Edgartown.

Nantucket hosted a Western Kingbird on private property, a White-winged Dove and a Cape May Warbler near Lily Pond Park, a Cattle Egret at the Nantucket Airport, 3 Northern Shovelers at the Coskata Wildlife Refuge, a continuing Hudsonian Godwit at Smith Point, 2 Common Gallinules at Miacomet Pond.