Successful Hydrographers Canyon Overnight Pelagic

The Brookline Bird Club was able to run an overnight pelagic this past Monday and Tuesday after both of our late August trips were cancelled. The main birding highlights were a Barolo Shearwater, only the 8th Massachusetts record of the species (though the 3rd found on one of these trips), and a spectacular show of migrating birds that passed above the boat overnight. 

You can view the entire eBird Trip Report that includes many photos and descriptions of the birds and marine wildlife we saw and heard aboard the Helen H here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/416714

October 24 Half Day Pelagic from Gloucester

Leaders: Steve Mirick, Max Chalfin-Jacobs

BBC trip organizers: John Edmondson, Cliff Cook, Marilyn Tillinghast, Naeem Yusuff, Sebastian Jones

eBird lists and trip report by M. Chalfin-Jacobs

https://ebird.org/tripreport/425873

On a brisk but sunny October 24th morning, the Privateer IV left the 7 Seas Whale Watch dock within the calm Gloucester Harbor. With guidance from Captain Jay, the decision was made to head south for Stellwagen Bank rather than north, in hopes of encountering larger congregations of seabirds after reported scarcity on Jeffrey’s Ledge. This turned out to be an excellent decision, as birders on board were treated to exceptional looks at exciting feeding flocks containing 100s of gannets and dolphins, dozens of shearwaters, interrupted only by a few daring Pomarine Jaegers.

On the return trip to Gloucester we encountered a lone Northern Fulmar, a species we were worried would be challenging further South, and definitely a highlight of the trip. There was also the occasional buzz when a migrating passerine would zip past the boat, including a Dark-eyed Junco that followed us for 30 minutes, and a brief appearance from a Yellow-rumped Warbler. Other marine wildlife included 100+ Atlantic White-sided Dolphin, 10 Common Dolphin, and 30 Harbor Porpoise.

Parker River NWR Marsh Cruise

This August the BBC sponsored three cruises around the marshes of Parker River NWR aboard the Yankee Clipper departing from downtown Newburyport.

On the evening of Sunday the 17th we had a beautiful cruise and even made it back just before the rain! We started the trip by heading upstream on the Merrimack to the Rt 1 bridge. Once there Captain Fred directed us to great views of a pair of Peregrine Falcons known to hang out under the harbor bridge!

After cruising downstream through the harbor we turned south to the channel passing under the Plum Island Turnpike bridge. Just before the bridge we began to see groups (!) of Seaside Sparrows flying around the spartina grasses lining the edges of the channel. For this writer the sparrow show was one of the most impressive parts of the trip. We easily saw over a combined 50 Seaside and Saltmarsh Sparrows during the cruise.

Our overall list included 36 species. In addition to the falcons and sparrows, worthy mentions go to Bobolinks scattered around the marsh, a Harrier just north of the Wardens, a Black-Crowned Night Heron that put in a brief appearance, and an immature Lesser Black-Backed Gull on the north jetty at Salisbury.

Many thanks to Captain Fred and First Mate Charity for a pleasant and relaxing trip!

Check out the eBird list for the trip and see our photos.

Ellisville Harbor SP Shorebird Field Trip with Lisa Schibley

The weather could not have been more beautiful for our shorebird trip led by Lisa Schibley at Ellisville Harbor State Park in Plymouth. Everyone was excited about the trip, especially after hearing Lisa speak so enthusiastically about shorebirds the previous night during our Members Only Webinar: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification. Lisa is the North American Coordinator for the International Shorebird Survey at Manomet Conservation Sciences and her expertise showed abundantly. The trip was like a master class for shorebirding—Lisa is an amazing teacher. Joining Lisa was Soheil Zendah, the author of the New England Shorebird Guide website.

The ten of us introduced ourselves and indicated what we hoped to see, and Lisa explained what to expect during the trip. We walked about a mile toward the beach along a paved road that hugged the marsh. As the marsh became visible on our left, we saw several Great Egrets, an Osprey carrying fish to its young, a couple of Great Blue Herons, a Northern Harrier flying low, and a Green Heron that seemed to challenge us by staring towards us as it walked closer and raised its head feathers. These sightings were a great prelude to the shorebirds to come.

As we approached the beach, we felt the cool breeze of the ocean and soon saw our first shorebirds along the water’s edge. Lisa had us study the birds in detail and discuss what we were seeing. She asked us what features we noticed: What kind of bill does it have? What color are its legs? Does that make it a juvenile or an adult? Are you noticing the warm colors? Soheil Zendah brought up the New England Shorebird Guide website several times on one of our phones and showed us photos of the bird’s details to compare them with what we were actually seeing in the field, teaching us how to make the final ID.

Our group sighted ten shorebird species, including 300 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 4 Short-billed Dowitchers, 11 Black-bellied plovers, 6 Greater Yellowlegs, and most notably one Pectoral Sandpiper that napped off and on for quite some time. The tide was going out and we enjoyed approximately two hours of observations of the birds, mostly at rest or feeding. The entire experience was educational; the birds were so close that we had great views. As we were leaving the beach we heard the haunting calls of a Common Loon. Does it get any better than this?

View the eBird list from the trip.

Upcoming October 11 Big Day!

This May the BBC conducted its first “Big Day”. Despite some terrible weather, club members recorded a total of 186 species across Massachusetts. We’re sure we can beat that next year, but how many species can we find in October?

To find our we’re planning another all club count on October 11 to coincide with Cornell’s October Big Day event and World Migratory Bird Day.

Taking part is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

• Go birding anytime on the 11th anywhere in Massachusetts, either on your own, with friends, or on a BBC trip. You can go to your local patch, plan your own big day, or anything in between. Take just a couple hours or head out before dawn for the day. We’re interested in all of it. Most importantly, invite a friend and have fun. (Our trip schedule for that day will soon be posted both here and on our October event calendar.)
• Share your eBird trip report with us. Share your eBird report either from the phone app or on your laptop with the eBird account BBCBigDay. (NB: This is different from the eBird account used to collect trip lists.) As well as a species list, feel free to include comments about your day.
• Send us your photos: Send us your photos. This could be a team photo of you and your birding friends, bird photos, or fun shots from the day. Email photos to our Communications Coordinator Lara Kazo at socialmedia@brooklinebirdclub.org.

We’ll combine everyone’s sightings into a club-wide species total and share the highlights. Photos will be featured in our recap and on our website/newsletter — so this is your chance to see your birding adventure shared with the whole club! Whether you spot 10 species or 100, every bird and every birder counts. Let’s make this Big Day a celebration of the joy of birding and the strength of our community.

For more information contact Club Statistician David Scott at dscott@brooklinebirdclub.org.

BBC trips planned for October 11:

• Fresh Pond, Cambridge, 7:00AM (rescheduled from 1–/12)
• October Big Day Kickoff at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Concord with TBD Optional Second Stop, 7:30 AM
• October Big Day Kickoff at Roslindale Wetlands Urban Park, 7:30AM – 8:30AM
• Cold Spring Park, Newton, 8:AM – 9:30AM
• Birding Sketch Crawl – Fall Series, 8:00AM – 12:00PM
• Early Birders @ Mystic River Reservation (Young Adult Birding Series), 9:00AM
• October Big Day Hawk Watch from Pinnacle Rock, 9:00AM
• Afternoon Bird Walk at Fruitlands, 2:00PM – 3:30PM
• October Big Day Afternoon Stop at Arlington Reservoir, 3:30PM – 4:30PM

Member Only Webinar October 9: Sparrow Identification!

It will soon be time for the southbound migration of sparrows! Join longtime BBC board member Glenn d’Entremont on October 9 to learn field marks, shapes, and sounds of these fascinating birds of our fields and forests. This presentation will cover most of the sparrows with records in Massachusetts. 

There will be an accompanying limited participation field trip on October 11 for those who attend the webinar. Details will be announced during the webinar, including location, meeting time, and how to register.

Presenter Bio:

Glenn d’Entremont has been birding for a half century.  He participates in breeding bird surveys, runs numerous BBC trips annually, coordinates Christmas Bird Counts, and keeps accurate records for data input into eBird.  A past president of the BBC, Glenn is currently Board Secretary.

To register for the webinar first login to your member account.

Already logged in? Go right to Member Resources.

BBC Global Big Day Count Follow Up

On May 10 the BBC sponsored a club-wide Global Big Day Count. While the weather was tough that day with off and on rain, raw wind, and cool temps, many club members still managed to get out in the field. All in all, approximately 40 members submitted lists with 186 species. The first bird reported was a Barred Owl at Hammond Pond in Newton at 2:20 AM and the last was a Whip-poor-will at Wachusett Reservoir at 8.45 PM. You can find a map below with all locations for which we received eBird lists.

If you did not get a chance to participate on May 10 we hope to have another opportunity coming up this fall. We are looking at planning a follow up event for the BBC that would the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology next Big Day planned for October 11.

Here are some highlights from this spring’s event:

• Acadian Flycatcher – Herb Hadfield Conservation Area, Westport
• Black Guillemot – Manomet Point
• Clapper Rail – Winsegansett Ave Marsh and Egypt Lane Ponds, Fairhaven
• Cliff Swallow – Topsfield Fairgrounds
• Common Murre – Gap Cove, Rockport
• Eastern Whip-poor-will – Pine Hill Grasslands and Wachusett Reservoir
• Glaucous Gull – Lieutenant Island Causeway, Wellfleet
• Grasshopper Sparrow – Pine Hill Grasslands and Crane WMA
• Sandhill Crane – Burrage Pond, Hanson
• Snow Goose – Bolton Flats and Topsfield Fairground
• Sooty Shearwater – Nauset Light Beach, Eastham
• Tricolored Heron – Wellfleet Bay Audubon
• White-eyed Vireo – Mosher Pond/Brook, Westport
• Wilson’s Storm-Petrel – Nauset Light Beach, Eastham

Top species reported by number of checklists:

1. Song Sparrow
2. Red-winged Blackbird
3. American Robin
4. Gray Catbird
5. Northern Cardinal
6. Common Grackle
7. Blue Jay
8. American Goldfinch
9. Black-capped Chickadee
10. Yellow Warbler, Baltimore Oriole

Most numerous – more fun because it’s highly arbitrary!:

1. Double-crested Cormorant – 1092 (600 MacMillan Wharf, Provincetown)
2. Red-winged Blackbird – 666
3. Northern Gannet – 480 (200 Marconi Station)
4. Common Grackle – 463
5. American Robin – 406
6. Herring Gull – 396
7. Canada Goose – 317
8. Chimney Swift – 314
9. Gray Catbird – 307
10. Laughing Gull – 303

Locations reporting most species:

1. Parker River NWR – 71
2. Bolton Flats WMA – 49
3. Herb Hadfield, Westport – 48
4. Ipswich River Audubon – 46
5. High Ridge WMA – 44
6. Pine Hill Road Grasslands – 42
7. Great Meadows, Concord – 41
8. High Head, Pilgrim Heights – 41
9. Mt Auburn Cemetery – 40
10. Shifting Lots Preserve, Ellisville – 39

Overnight Pelagic Trip from Hyannis, MA to Hydrographer Canyon area

Our new September 2025 pelagic trip is now open for registration!

Our August trips were canceled by Hurricane Erin and so we are giving it another try.

The BBC will be running a single overnight trip on Monday-Tuesday September 29-30, 2025.

Join the BBC on the Helen H out of Hyannis, MA to search for pelagic birds. We expect to reach warm Gulf Stream influenced waters far offshore to see shearwaters, storm-petrels, jaegers and more! Possible targets include White-faced Storm-petrels, Band-rump Storm-petrel, Audubon’s Shearwater. A fabulous chance to spend some time at sea looking for seabirds.

– Timing: Depart at 6:00am Day 1, return 5:00pm Day 2
– Cost: BBC Members: $340.00. Non-members: $380.00.
– Capacity: 50 participants each trip. We will maintain a wait list if interest exceeds capacity.

To register for the pelagic trip, please follow the link below:

September 29-30, 2025  trip registration: https://www.brooklinebirdclub.org/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=315

We look forward to seeing you on this late September trip!

Kids Walk at Great Meadows in Concord

Trip leader Kathy Dia and special guest Dr. Bryan Windmiller, from Zoo New England, led a bird and turtle walk at the Great Meadows NWR impoundments in Concord. Bryan set several live traps in the marsh before the walk, and though no turtles were caught, participants saw lots of wildlife! Pictured participants are observing leopard froglet (no longer a tadpole and not yet a frog), dragonfly nymph and other marsh creatures.

Twenty-three bird species were seen or heard, including Marsh Wren, Swamp Sparrow, Wood Duck ducklings, Cedar Waxwings, and Osprey. Participants observed various insects, including firefly and damselfly, and stopped to smell the common milkweed!

Dr. Bryan told participants about the endangered Blanding’s turtles, which make their home at Great Meadows. Since 2008, a sampling of hatchlings have been  “headstarted” (cared for so they can grow to a less vulnerable size) and released in a program that involves local fourth graders. Females are radio tagged and tracked. The population at Great Meadows has increased from an estimated 80 to about 500, Blanding’s turtles reach sexual maturity at about age fifteen. On June 25, the first nesting by one of these headstarted females was confirmed! This conservation success story builds on the efforts of both school children and local residents and farmers whose land provides turtle nesting sites.

And the Winner Is…

Congratulations to Kate McHugh, who has won the Migration Madness Membership Drive!

Kate will receive their choice of a pair of binoculars or two tickets for one of our summer water series trips (soon to be announced)!

Thank you to all new members who joined during this event!

We have scheduled a “New Members” walk to welcome you to the club on June 29 at 7:00 AM at Fresh Pond in Cambridge. Loaner binoculars will be available. All are welcome – bring a friend! For more details see the BBC website field trips page.