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.
Here is the count by county:
- Essex – 136 Species
- Plymouth – 135 Species
- Suffolk – 126 Species
- Middlesex – 122 Species
- Barnstable – 99 Species
- Bristol – 84 Species
- Berkshire – 84 Species
- Worcester – 74 Species
- Norfolk – 74 Species
- Nantucket – 62 Species
- Hampshire – 57 Species
- Hampden – 30 Species
- 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.
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Parker River Marsh Cruise
Newburyport - Yankee Clipper Tours Waterfront Promenade Park, 36 Merrimac Street, Newburyport, MA, United StatesExplore Parker River National Wildlife Refuge from a new perspective on a cruise through the Parker River marshes! Join us on the Yankee Clipper docked in Newburyport Harbor for a leisurely cruise through the Refuge. Enjoy close views of shorebirds, gulls, terns, and Saltmarsh Sparrows on this tour. Group discount tickets are available by registering
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Great Meadows NWR, Concord
Concord - Great Meadows Concord Unit, Entrance Rd, Concord, MA, United StatesWe will walk slowly along the dike looking for rails, shorebirds, and wading birds. The we will continue to an adjacent site where we have permission to enter private property, to look for Night-Herons. On our return, we will look for migrating Common Nighthawks! Note that entrance fee or pass is required. Loaner binoculars available;
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Early migrants at Drumlin Farm and Van Leer Swamp
Lincoln - Drumlin Farm 208 S Great Rd, Lincoln, MA, United StatesJoin us for a late summer bird walk at Drumlin Farm and Van Leer Swamp, two hotspots in Lincoln where early spring migrants often show up. We expect to see Killdeers, Indigo Buntings, several species of raptors, and hopefully a variety of early migrant Warblers. If we are lucky, we might find a Waterthrush at
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Shorebirds, Herons, Swallows, & More at Parker River NWR
Parker River NWR - Lot #4 Newbury, MA, United StatesShorebirds, Herons, & Swallows. Bring a chair, bug spray, and water. Trip runs until dark. Note that an entrance fee or pass is required. Restroom available.
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Hydrographer Canyon Overnight Pelagic (Trip #1)
Hyannis - Pelagic - Helen H 137 Pleasant St, Hyannis, MA, United StatesJoin the BBC on the Helen H out of Hyannis, MA to search for pelagic birds on an overnight trip to the Hydrographer Canyon area. For more information, fee, and registration info see: https://www.brooklinebirdclub.org/bbc-news/hydrographer-canyon-overnight-pelagics-registration/