Friday, October 6, 2023

Especially notable sightings this week were a Townsend’s Warbler at Plum Island, a Prothonotary Warbler in Winchester, a LeConte’s Sparrow in Longmeadow, and several reports of Clay-colored Sparrows.  Also, Connecticut Warblers appeared in several scattered localities and a count of 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls together in Franklin County was possibly a high single count for that region.

Cape Cod luminaries were a Common Murre at the Wellfleet town pier, a Baird’s Sandpiper and a Long-tailed Jaeger at Race Point in Provincetown, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and a Blue-winged Warbler at Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary in S. Wellfleet, a Great Crested Flycatcher at Fort Hill in Eastham, 4 Black Skimmers in Chatham, a Horned Grebe and 6 Marbled Godwits at Forest Beach in Chatham, a Connecticut Warbler at Santuit Pond in Mashpee, and a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and a Common Gallinule at the Pogoreic Sanctuary in West Barnstable.

Bristol County hosted a Connecticut Warbler at Gooseberry Neck in Westport and a Chimney Swift at Rulon Farm in Westport, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Allens Pond Sanctuary in South Dartmouth, and a tardy Yellow Warbler at the Egypt Lane Ponds in Fairhaven.

Plymouth County highlights were 5 Sandhill Cranes at Burrage Pond Wildlife Area in Hanson, 2 Piping Plovers and a Hudsonian Godwit at Plymouth Beach, a Hooded Warbler at Manomet Bird Observatory in Manomet, and single Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in Kingston and Duxbury Beach.

Norfolk County notables were 2 American Oystercatchers at Blacks Creek in Quincy, an American Golden-Plover, 2 Caspian Terns, and a Clay-colored Sparrow at Passanagasset Park at Broad Meadows in Quincy, and a Sora at the Causeway Street marsh in Medfield.

Suffolk County was graced by a Hudsonian Godwit at Lewis Lake Park in Winthrop, 5 American Golden-Plovers at Fisherman’s Bend Beach in Winthrop, single Clay-colored Sparrows at the Arnold Arboretum, Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, and Deer Island in Boston Harbor, a Pileated Woodpecker at Arnold Arboretum, a Vesper Sparrow at the Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, and a tardy Least Flycatcher at Millennium Park in West Roxbury.

Middlesex County highlights were a Prothonotary Warbler at Sandy Beach at the Mystic Lakes in Winchester, 6 Bonaparte’s Gulls at the Mystic Lakes in Medford, single Clay-colored Sparrows at Danehy Park in Cambridge and the Horn Pond Recreation Area in Woburn, 5 Chimney Swifts and a Magnolia Warbler at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, a tardy Yellow-throated Vireo at Cousins Park in Concord, single Northern Waterthrushes at Horn Pond in Woburn and Fresh Pond in Cambridge, an Eastern Wood-Pewee and an Ovenbird in Ashland, single Prairie Warblers at Danehy Park in Cambridge and Burlington Landlocked Forest in Burlington, and tardy Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in Woburn and Natick.

Essex County notables were a Townsend’s Warbler at Plum Island where a Horned Grebe, 2 Piping Plovers, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, a Common Gallinule, and a Great Crested Flycatcher were also seen, single Connecticut Warblers were tallied at Lane’s Farm in Rockport and the Reynold’s and Proctor Woodland in Wenham, a Cackling Goose was seen at Wenham Lake in Wenham, and sightings at the North Shore Community Gardens in Middleton featured a Connecticut Warbler, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers, 3 Nashville Warblers, 3 Lincoln’s Sparrows, and a Grasshopper Sparrow.

Berkshire County highlights were a Green Heron at Cheshire Reservoir in Cheshire, a Sandhill Crane on Clayton Mill River Road in Southfield, a Wood Thrush at Jug End Reservation in Egremont, a Gray-cheeked Thrush at October Mountain State Forest in Washington, a Dickcissel at the Canoe Meadows Community Gardens in Pittsfield, and single Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in Hinsdale and Williamstown.

Franklin County was graced by the presence of 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Least Flycatcher, 3 Cape Mary Warblers, and a late Mourning Warbler all along Caldwell Road in Northfield.

Hampshire County birders were pleased with 3 Pink-footed Geese and a Cackling Goose at the UMass campus pond in Amherst, a Red-headed Woodpecker at Arcadia Sanctuary in Easthampton, an late Olive-sided Flycatcher in Belchertown, a Black-bellied Plover and a locally rare Ipswich Savannah Sparrow in the East Meadows in Northampton, and 3 tardy Wood Thrushes at Hadley Reservoir in the Holyoke Range State Forest.

Hampden County hosted a remarkably late flock of 60 Northern Rough-winged Swallows at the Longmeadow Flats in Longmeadow where other notable sightings included a LeConte’s Sparrow, a Nelson’s Sparrow, 6 Chimney Swifts, and a tardy Bank Swallow.

Worcester County luminaries were 5 Black Vultures at the Blackstone Gorge in Blackstone, a Black-billed Cuckoo, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a White-eyed Vireo, and a Connecticut Warbler at the Westboro Wildlife Area in Westboro, a Chestnut-sided Warbler and 4 Cape May Warblers at the Cass Meadow Conservation Area in Athol, and a Connecticut Warbler on Cedar Hill Street in Northboro.

Martha’s Vineyard highlights were 10 Black Skimmers in Edgartown, and a late Piping Plover, 2 Willets, and a Hudsonian Godwit seen at Little Beach in Edgartown.  Elsewhere on the Vineyard there was a tardy Eastern Kingbird at Lake Tashmoo, 2 Common Ravens at Oak Bluffs, and a Harlequin Duck, a Veery, and a Lark Sparrow at Aquinnah.

Nantucket continued to host 3 Northern Shovelers at the Coskata Wildlife Refuge and a Little Blue Heron at Eel Point.