Friday, June 30, 2023
The two most notable sightings this week were a an American White Pelican at Big Pond in Otis in the Berkshires and a Masked Booby photographed at the edge of the continental shelf near Hydrographer Canyon by researchers doing marine research on a NOAH vessel. The Masked Booby sighting is one of only 3-4 Masked Booby records in Massachusetts waters.
Cape Cod highlights featured a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at the Red River Marsh in Harwich, 3 Arctic Terns at Race Point in Provincetown, an Acadian Flycatcher at the Heritage Gardens in Sandwich, a White-eyed Vireo at the Falmouth Town Forest, and 2 Blue Grosbeaks at the Crane WMA in Falmouth.
Bristol County notables were 6 Great Shearwaters and 3 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels at Gooseberry Neck in Westport, and 6 late Ruddy Ducks a South Watuppa Pond in Fall River.
Plymouth County luminaries were a Royal Tern at Plymouth Beach, 2 Acadian Flycatchers at Wompatuck State Park in Hingham and single individuals at Manomet Bird Observatory and Norwell, a Black Vulture in Scituate, a Great Cormorant at Manomet Bird Observatory, an American Bittern at Burrage Pond WMA in Hanson, a Least Bittern at the Daniel Webster Sanctuary in Marshfield, and 3 Northern Parulas at Betty’s Neck in Lakeville.
Norfolk County birders spotted 2 Gadwalls in Squantum, 2 Clapper Rails at the Squantum Marshes, and single Acadian Flycatchers at Buck Hill in Quincy and Houghton’s Pond in Milton.
Suffolk County was visited by 10 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels off Deer Island in Boston Harbor, a Blue-winged Teal at Belle Isle Marsh in East Boston, a Purple Martin at Millennium Park in West Roxbury, and an Indigo Bunting in the Arnold Arboretum.
Middlesex County continued to host a nesting pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers at the Minute Man Park in Lincoln, and an American Bittern at Pine Bank Park in Malden.
Essex County highlights at Plum Island included a Caspian Tern, a Black Tern, 2 Royal Terns, a Glaucous Gull, and a possible hybrid Little Egret x Snowy Egret. Single Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were seen at the Ipswich Town Wharf and Perkins Park in Newburyport, a late Harlequin Duck at Straitsmouth Island in Rockport, a Common Murre in East Gloucester, and a Black Tern at Crane Beach in Ipswich.
Berkshire County was visited by an American White Pelican at Big Pond in Otis, 2 Merlins in Dalton, a Least Bittern in the marsh off Town Beach Road in Richmond, and single Hooded Warblers in the Hopkins Memorial Forest in Williamstown and the Dry Hill Reservation in New Marlborough.
Franklin County hosted a late Ring-necked Duck at Barton’s Cove in Gill and 3 Sandhill Cranes off Plainfield Road in Ashfield.
Hampshire County observers saw single Blue Grosbeaks at the Honey Pot in Hadley and at the Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area also in Hadley.
Hampden County luminaries featured a Black-crowned Night-Heron at Forest Park in Springfield, an Upland Sandpiper off the Perimeter Road in Ludlow, and a Blue Grosbeak at the Southwick WMA in Southwick.
Worcester County continued to host a Brewster’s Warbler at the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, a Clay-colored Sparrow in Hardwick in the Upper Church Street fields, 4 Evening Grosbeaks in Royalston, and several Red Crossbills at the Wampanoag Bog in Ashburnham and several more on Mt. Watatic in Ashburnham.
Martha’s Vineyard highlights were a Royal Tern at the Joseph Sylvia State Beach in Edgartown, a Acadian Flycatcher at the Waskosim Woods in Chilmark, a Glaucous Gull at Norton Point in Edgartown, and a calling Chuck-will’s-widow at Lobsterville in Aquinnah.
Nantucket made news by an offshore report of a Masked Booby at the edge of the continental shelf near Hydrographer Canyon, a Common Raven at Low Beach, a Glaucous Gull at Great Point, and Iceland Gull at Coskata, and a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and a Clapper Rail in the marsh by the UMass Field Station.