Massachusetts Bird Sightings — Saturday, March 11, 2023
In addition to arriving Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles, the first migrant American Oystercatchers, Tree Swallows, and Eastern Phoebes were reported this week, along with continuing rarities that included Greater White-fronted Geese in several localities, 6 Ross’s Geese in Marion, a Common Gull at Nahant, and a Varied Thrush in Longmeadow.
Cape Cod highlights saw the arrival of 2 Ospreys at Cedar Pond in Orleans where 6 Black Vultures were also seen, an American Oystercatcher at Wild River Beach in North Falmouth, and a Tree Swallow at Bells Neck in Harwich. Other notable observations this week were single Glaucous Gulls at Craigville Beach in Barnstable, Dowses Beach in Osterville, and Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown. A continuing Pacific Loon was also seen at Race Point in Provincetown. A wintering Semipalmated Plover at Eugenia Fortes Beach in Barnstable, a Willet at Red River Beach in Harwich Port, and a Great Egret a Crowes Pasture in East Dennis were also among unusual wintering species still present this season. A Black-headed Gull was tallied at Craigville Beach in Barnstable.
Bristol County notables were 2 Greater White-fronted Geese and a Cackling Goose on Shaw Road in Fairhaven, and 2 more Cackling Geese on Mill Road in Fairhaven.
Plymouth County was graced by the continued presence of 6 Ross’s Geese and an American Oystercatcher at the Kittansett Club Golf Course in Marion, a Greater White-fronted Goose on Delano Road in Marion, a Barrow’s Goldeneye in Hingham, and 30 American Coots in Pembroke.
Norfolk County luminaries included a continuing Tufted Duck at Lake Pearl in Wrentham, a King Eider and an Iceland Gull at Black Rock Beach in Cohasset, and an Orange-crowned Warbler at Squantum Point Park in Squantum.
Suffolk County sightings of interest were a Barrow’s Goldeneye and a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Castle Island in Boston Harbor, a Canvasback and a Pileated Woodpecker at the Stony Brook Reservation in Boston, a Pied-billed Grebe at Jamaica Pond in Jamaica Plain, and 3 Black-bellied Plovers at Revere Beach.
Essex County highlights featured a Common Gull on the beach adjacent to the Nahant Causeway, continuing single Eared Grebes at Niles Beach in Gloucester and the Little Private Beach in Marblehead, a Thick-billed Murre at the Jodrey Fish Pier in Gloucester Harbor, and 4 Common Murres at Andrews Point in Rockport. Continuing Greater White-fronted Geese were seen at the grasslands off Argilla Road in Ipswich and the Appleton Farm elsewhere in Ipswich. A Canvasback was seen in the Merrimack River off River Road in West Newbury, a Baltimore Oriole in Middleton, and an Eastern Meadowlark at the Cox Reservation in Essex.
Middlesex County highlights were a wandering Barnacle Goose that was variously observed this week on School Street in Acton, Monument Street in Concord, and the Hutchins Farm in Concord. Two Redheads were seen on Hammond Pond in Newton, 2 Northern Shovelers at Horn Pond in Woburn, a Barrow’s Goldeneye on the Charles River at Broadmoor Sanctuary in South Natick, and an Eastern Phoebe, 7 Tree Swallows, and a Palm Warbler at Great Meadows Refuge in Concord. In Tewksbury, an Iceland Gull was tallied.
Berkshire County was graced by a small flock of 10 Bohemian Waxwings on Eagle Street in North Adams and a large flock of 60 Evening Grosbeaks on Windsor Bush Road in Windsor.
Hampshire County notables were single Cackling Geese on Great Pond in Hatfield and Paradise Pond on the Smith College Campus in Northampton, a Canvasback at the Oxbow Marina in Northampton, and 2 Rusty Blackbirds on the UMass campus in Amherst.
Hampden County continued to host a Varied Thrush at the Fannie Stebbins Refuge in Longmeadow along with a Greater White-fronted Goose and 6 early Tree Swallows.
Worcester County luminaries were 2 Sandhill Cranes at the Dexter Drumlin in Lancaster, a Canvasback at Coachlace Pond in Clinton, 30 Tree Swallows in South Grafton, 7 Black Vultures at Roosevelt Park in Blackstone, and the continued presence of 4 Trumpeter Swans in the Vicinity of Riverdale Street in Northbridge.
Martha’s Vineyard highlights were a Bald Eagle in Vineyard Haven, a continuing Townsend’s Solitaire near the Correllus State Forest headquarters in Edgartown, and a Cackling Goose on Field Club Road in Edgartown.