BBC Massachusetts Big Day Count Follow Up

BBC members birded every county and every corner of the state this year, recording a total of 193 species. (See the eBird trip report.)Essex County led the way over Plymouth, but only by a single species. Suffolk was third, helped by a couple of county Big Day efforts. The first birds of the day were reported from Savery Pond in Plymouth County (Whip-poor-will, Eastern Screech Owl and Great Horned Owl), with an American Woodcock at Marconi Station on Cape Cod the last to be added to our list.

2026 Massachusetts Big Day Checklist Location Map
2026 BBC Massachusetts Big Day Checklist Locations

Here is the count by county:

  1. Essex – 136 Species
  2. Plymouth – 135 Species
  3. Suffolk – 126 Species
  4. Middlesex – 122 Species
  5. Barnstable – 99 Species
  6. Bristol – 84 Species
  7. Berkshire – 84 Species
  8. Worcester – 74 Species
  9. Norfolk – 74 Species
  10. Nantucket – 62 Species
  11. Hampshire – 57 Species
  12. Hampden – 30 Species
  13. Dukes – 9 Species

Highlights include

  • Summer Tanager (Mt Auburn Cemetery)
  • American Golden-Plover (Scituate)
  • Razorbill (Stellwagen whale watch)
  • Wilson’s Phalarope (Plum Island)
  • White-faced Ibis (Scotland Road, Newbury)
  • Little Blue Heron (Nantucket)
  • Sandhill Crane (Burrage Pond)
  • Prothonatory Warbler (Wompatuck)

Top 10 reported species by number of checklists:

  • 1st -American Robin
  • 2nd -Song Sparrow
  • 3rd – Gray Catbird
  • 4th – Red-winged Blackbird
  • 5th – Northern Cardinal
  • 6th/7th – Blue Jay, American Goldfinch (tie)
  • 8th – Common Grackle
  • 9th – Baltimore Oriole
  • 10th – Mourning Dove

Species appearing on a single checklist or at a single location:

  • Black-billed Cuckoo
  • Whimbrel
  • American Woodcock
  • Wilson’s Snipe
  • Purple Sandpiper
  • Manx Shearwater
  • American Bittern
  • Least Bittern
  • Black Vulture
  • Eastern Screech-Owl
  • Winter Wren
  • Pine Siskin
  • Lincoln’s Sparrow
  • Worm-eating Warbler
  • Canada Warbler
  • Cerulean Warbler

What did we miss? Not much, but Broad-winged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Hooded Merganser, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Sora, Horned Lark and Blue-winged Teal would have taken us to 200 for the day. Saltmarsh Sparrow and Eastern Wood-Pewee reached the state in decent numbers just a day or two later.

Blue Book Survey

Are you a BBC Member? Do you have 5 minutes? Tell us what you think about the Blue Book! We want to hear your input on our Brookline Bird Club Bulletins, mailed to members each

Blue Book Survey

Are you a BBC Member? Do you have 5 minutes? Tell us what you think about the Blue Book! We want to hear your input on our Brookline Bird Club Bulletins, mailed to members each

Blue Book Survey

Are you a BBC Member? Do you have 5 minutes? Tell us what you think about the Blue Book! We want to hear your input on our Brookline Bird Club Bulletins, mailed to members each

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Upcoming Field Trips

  • Mount Auburn Cemetery

    Mount Auburn Cemetery 536 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA, United States
  • Roslindale Wetlands Urban Park

    Roslindale Wetlands Urban Park 23 Coniston Rd, Roslindale, MA, United States

    A small but mighty urban wild that offers a variety of habitat. Expect to see a variety of woodpeckers, resident birds, warblers, and other migratory species, as well as a surprise or two. The path is flat with a mix of gravel and dirt surfaces with newly added boardwalks on the wetter sections. Boots are

  • Late Spring Migrants at Minute Man NHP

    Minute Man NHP - Hartwell Tavern 101-103 N Great Rd, Lincoln, MA, United States

    Join me at this wonderful birding spot which hosts many nesting species and migrants. Blue-winged Warbler, American Redstart, and Indigo Buntings are regular nesters. Each year brings a few surprises in late May. In past years, around this date, these have included Alder Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Kentucky Warbler, and both cuckoos. This is a one-mile

  • Mount Auburn Cemetery

    Mount Auburn Cemetery 536 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA, United States
  • Charles River Esplanade

    Boston - Charles River Esplanade MA, United States

    We will walk along the Charles River Esplanade from the Longfellow Bridge upriver looking for birds on both land and water. We hope to see a range of spring migrants as well as year round residents and birds setting up their breeding territories. Cosponsored with the Charles River Esplanade Association. Loaner binoculars available. Preregister on

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