Forest Beach and Conservation Lands, Chatham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, US

Aug 5, 2026 7:41 AM – 10:04 AM

Protocol: Traveling

1.09 mile(s)

Checklist Comments:    This was a walk of the Cape Cod Bird Club co-sponsored with the Brookline Bird Club. It was a clear, sunny, warm morning with a light breeze. This mixed habitat location (marsh, scrub, estuary, ocean beach)  provides a year-round home for some birds and a stopover for many migrating birds. This was certainly evidenced during the walk.

44 species

Common Eider  1

White-winged Scoter  1

Red-breasted Merganser  1

Mourning Dove  2

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1

American Oystercatcher  7

Semipalmated Plover  7

Piping Plover  5

Hudsonian Whimbrel  5

Marbled Godwit  1

Short-billed Dowitcher  11

Spotted Sandpiper  2

Willet  30

Greater Yellowlegs  5

Ruddy Turnstone  10

Sanderling  7

Least Sandpiper  7

Semipalmated Sandpiper  1

Laughing Gull  9

American Herring Gull  1

Great Black-backed Gull  1

Least Tern  8

Forster’s Tern  3

Common Tern  18

Double-crested Cormorant  7

Glossy Ibis  11    Clear view of bill and body. Seen multiple times

Snowy Egret  7

Green Heron  1

Great Egret  12

Great Blue Heron  1

Osprey  9

Northern Harrier  1

Downy Woodpecker  1

Northern Flicker  1

Blue Jay  1

American Crow  18

Barn Swallow  5

White-breasted Nuthatch  1

Northern Mockingbird  5

House Sparrow  19

House Finch  3

American Goldfinch  8

Saltmarsh Sparrow  6

Song Sparrow  4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S381947599

Belle Isle Marsh–John Joseph Kilmartin Pathway, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US

Aug 2, 2026 8:02 AM – 9:50 AM

Protocol: Traveling

0.672 mile(s)

Checklist Comments:    Brookline Bird Club walk, Neil Calabro and Mike McCarthy, co-leaders.

32 species

Mallard  14

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2

Mourning Dove  2

Chimney Swift  8

American Oystercatcher  1

Killdeer  1

Semipalmated Plover  6

Spotted Sandpiper  1

Greater Yellowlegs  2

Least Sandpiper  6

Semipalmated Sandpiper  3

American Herring Gull  2

Double-crested Cormorant  2

Black-crowned Night Heron  1    Immature

Snowy Egret  8

Great Egret  6

Osprey (American)  2    Each one feeding on a fish

Eastern Phoebe  1

Common Raven  1

Bank Swallow  1    Tracking the small brown-backed swallow through the scope. White below flying back and forth with some barn swallows over the channel and then the grasses showing the dark breast band.

Tree Swallow  3

Barn Swallow (American)  4

European Starling  300    Estimated

Gray Catbird  6

Cedar Waxwing  5

House Sparrow  8

House Finch  2

American Goldfinch  9

Song Sparrow (melodia/atlantica)  6

Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  8

Northern Yellow Warbler  1

Northern Cardinal  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S379554839

Short Beach, Winthrop, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US

Aug 2, 2026 9:52 AM – 10:39 AM

Protocol: Stationary

Checklist Comments:    Brookline Bird Club walk, Neil Calabro and Mike McCarthy, co-leaders.

17 species (+1 other taxa)

Common Eider (Dresser’s)  43    Including 3 chicks capturing spider crabs

White-winged Scoter  6

Black Scoter  2    2 drakes

American Oystercatcher  8

Semipalmated Plover  1

Spotted Sandpiper  1

Least Sandpiper  17

peep sp.  13

Ring-billed Gull  1

American Herring Gull  5

Great Black-backed Gull  4

Common Tern (hirundo/tibetana)  13

Common Loon  3    2 adults in summer plumage and one immature

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel  3    Continuing to fly low over the water back and forth between Short Beach and Nahant

Double-crested Cormorant  127    Minimum

Barn Swallow (American)  4

House Sparrow  7

House Finch  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S379554846

Castle Island and Pleasure Bay, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US

Aug 1, 2026 9:14 AM – 11:39 AM

Protocol: Traveling

2.262 mile(s)

24 species

Common Eider  2    A couple females or juvies

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  35

Mourning Dove  1

Killdeer  2

Semipalmated Plover  2

Ruddy Turnstone  4    Lifer! Awesome spot by DCR staff, quartet stood out against the green agae on rocks

Razorbill  1    Continuing, molting individual rafting and preening

Laughing Gull  4

Ring-billed Gull  35

American Herring Gull  50    Estimate

Great Black-backed Gull  2

Common Tern  7

Double-crested Cormorant  30

Great Egret  1    Fishing! Caught two rock gunnels :O

Osprey  4

Downy Woodpecker  1

Blue Jay  3

Barn Swallow  7

European Starling  15    Estimate

Northern Mockingbird  3    Territorial

American Robin  2

House Sparrow  60

Song Sparrow  1

Common Grackle  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S379350744

Mount Auburn Cemetery, Middlesex, Massachusetts, US

Aug 1, 2026 8:10 AM – 10:32 AM

Protocol: Traveling

1.136 mile(s)

29 species

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  3

Mourning Dove  4

Chimney Swift  4

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1

Ring-billed Gull  3

Great Blue Heron  3

Cooper’s Hawk  2

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Great Horned Owl  3

Red-bellied Woodpecker  1

Downy Woodpecker  5

Northern Flicker  4

Eastern Kingbird  1

Eastern Warbling Vireo  1

Red-eyed Vireo  1

Blue Jay  11

Black-capped Chickadee  8

Tufted Titmouse  9

White-breasted Nuthatch  3

Carolina Wren  1

Gray Catbird  6

Northern Mockingbird  1

American Robin  15

House Finch  3

American Goldfinch  7

Chipping Sparrow  2

Red-winged Blackbird  1

Common Grackle  1

Northern Cardinal  5

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S379350750

Plum Island–Parker River NWR & Sandy Pt. State Reservation, Essex, Massachusetts, US

Jul 28, 2026 7:20 AM – 11:42 AM

Protocol: Traveling

6.5 mile(s)

Checklist Comments:    Foggy to start, slowly clearing, humid.  Low tide at 7:30am.  Led BBC walk.

54 species

Canada Goose  20

Gadwall  4

Mallard  20

American Black Duck  2

Mourning Dove  3

Black-bellied Plover  1

Killdeer  2

Semipalmated Plover  75

Piping Plover  2

Hudsonian Whimbrel  1    main salt panne, great find by Rich.

Short-billed Dowitcher  48    16NP, 32 SIP

Long-billed Dowitcher  4    NP

Lesser Yellowlegs  60

Willet  1

Greater Yellowlegs  40

White-rumped Sandpiper  3

Least Sandpiper  6

Semipalmated Sandpiper  650

Ring-billed Gull  4

American Herring Gull  9

Great Black-backed Gull  1

Least Tern  40

Common Tern  75

Roseate Tern  18

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel  9    From parking lot 1 platform

Double-crested Cormorant  30

Least Bittern  1    SIP.  Thanks, Dave!

Black-crowned Night Heron  3    1 BFP, 2 SIP

Snowy Egret  32

Great Egret  5

Great Blue Heron  4

Osprey  2

Northern Harrier  4    From NPO

Peregrine Falcon  1

Willow Flycatcher  2

Eastern Kingbird  5

Tree Swallow  350

Purple Martin  14

Barn Swallow  2

Marsh Wren  9

European Starling  25

Gray Catbird  11

Northern Mockingbird  3

American Robin  4

Cedar Waxwing  2

House Sparrow  4

American Goldfinch  4

Saltmarsh Sparrow  2

Song Sparrow  3

Eastern Towhee  12

Red-winged Blackbird  6

Common Grackle  3

Common Yellowthroat  1

Northern Yellow Warbler  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S378760577

Belle Isle Marsh–John Joseph Kilmartin Pathway, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US

Jul 26, 2026 8:00 AM – 9:59 AM

Protocol: Traveling

1.087 kilometer(s)

Checklist Comments:    Mass Audubon and Brookline Bird Club collaborative walk. Neil Calabro, Sam Harris, Mike McCarthy, co-leaders.

38 species (+2 other taxa)

Canada Goose  12

Mallard  1

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  25    18 flying around Orient Heights

Mourning Dove  8

Chimney Swift  2

Killdeer  9

Short-billed Dowitcher (griseus)  1

Spotted Sandpiper  2

Willet (Eastern)  2

Lesser/Greater Yellowlegs  9

Least Sandpiper  5

Semipalmated Sandpiper  6

peep sp.  25    Looked like Semis in Belle Isle pannes.

American Herring Gull  2

Least Tern  1

Common Tern  4

Double-crested Cormorant  7

Snowy Egret  10

Great Egret  2

Great Blue Heron (Great Blue)  3

Osprey (American)  2

Red-shouldered Hawk  1    First Cycle Juvenile (FCJ). Feathers are fresh, no wing molt evident. Where could this youngster have come from? Cropped & lightened photos show their slender body, chest striations, primary crescents, and black-tipped primaries.

Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)  2    Heard

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  3

Blue Jay  2

Tree Swallow  3

Barn Swallow (American)  3

Carolina Wren  1    Singing from behind overlook

European Starling  230    Estimate

Gray Catbird  2

Northern Mockingbird  2

American Robin  44

Cedar Waxwing  2

House Sparrow  15    Albino Adult

House Finch  5

American Goldfinch  6

Song Sparrow (melodia/atlantica)  3

Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  10

Northern Yellow Warbler  2

Northern Cardinal  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S378766056

Short Beach, Winthrop, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US

Jul 26, 2026 9:57 AM – 10:15 AM

12 species

Common Eider (Dresser’s)  45    Estimated. Many Juveniles.

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  5

American Oystercatcher  6    5 headed to Winthrop, 1 on Wavebreaker

Ring-billed Gull  2

American Herring Gull  7

Great Black-backed Gull  1    Adult swimming with Eiders off Wavebreaker

Common Tern  16

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel  7    *4 following a Blue Lobster boat within Broad Sound, while 3 circled N of another boat between Nahant & Winthrop. Unmistakable tiny swallow size, swallow-like flight, brown plumage, white rumps & black tails. Scope required.

Double-crested Cormorant  100    Estimated. Majority on Wavebreaker.

Great Egret  1

Barn Swallow (American)  2

House Sparrow  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S378766077

Arnold Arboretum–Bussey Meadow, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US

Jul 25, 2026 7:59 AM – 9:45 AM

Protocol: Traveling

1.248 mile(s)

Checklist Comments:    Brookline Bird Club – Early Birders @ Arnold Arboretum

17 species

Mourning Dove  4

Chimney Swift  7

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1

Downy Woodpecker  2

Northern Flicker  1

Blue Jay  4

Black-capped Chickadee  5

European Starling  1

Gray Catbird  6

American Robin  10

House Sparrow  2

House Finch  1

American Goldfinch  8

Chipping Sparrow  1

Song Sparrow  5

Common Grackle  1

Northern Cardinal  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S378761409

Great Meadows NWR–Concord Unit, Middlesex, Massachusetts, US

Jul 23, 2026 6:41 AM – 10:15 AM

Protocol: Traveling

1.934 mile(s)

48 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  14

Wood Duck  3

Mallard  2

Wild Turkey  9    2 adult 7 young

Mourning Dove  2

Chimney Swift  3

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  11

Least Sandpiper  2

Green Heron  1

Great Egret  1

Great Blue Heron  7

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Red-bellied Woodpecker  2

Downy Woodpecker  5

Northern Flicker  1

Eastern Wood-Pewee  2

Willow Flycatcher  7

Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill’s Flycatcher)  2

Eastern Phoebe  1

Great Crested Flycatcher  2

Eastern Kingbird  2

Eastern Warbling Vireo  2

Blue Jay  3

American Crow  1

Common Raven  1

Tufted Titmouse  2

Tree Swallow  45

Barn Swallow  13

White-breasted Nuthatch  3

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  4

Northern House Wren  2

Marsh Wren  6

Carolina Wren  3

Gray Catbird  9

Eastern Bluebird  1

American Robin  5

Cedar Waxwing  3

American Goldfinch  20

Chipping Sparrow  3

Song Sparrow  12

Swamp Sparrow  8

Red-winged Blackbird  66

Common Grackle  11

Ovenbird  2

Northern Waterthrush  1

Common Yellowthroat  7

Northern Yellow Warbler  3

Northern Cardinal  2

Rose-breasted Grosbeak  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S378761433

Birch Hill WMA, Worcester, Massachusetts, US

Jul 19, 2026 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Protocol: Traveling

2.2 mile(s)

Checklist Comments:    BBC/Athol Bird & Nature Club trip; Glenn d’Entremont & Ernie LeBlanc leaders; 9 participants

43 species

Wood Duck  3

Mourning Dove  11

Great Blue Heron (Great Blue)  1

Turkey Vulture  2

Osprey (American)  2

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  4

Red-bellied Woodpecker  2

Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)  2

Hairy Woodpecker (Eastern)  3

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  6

Eastern Wood-Pewee  1

Eastern Phoebe  7

Eastern Kingbird  11

Red-eyed Vireo  4

Blue Jay  50    large group of 40 moving through Priest Brook not quietly; likely undercounted

American Crow  1

Common Raven  1

Black-capped Chickadee  7

Barn Swallow (American)  11

White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern)  2

Red-breasted Nuthatch  6

Northern House Wren  1

European Starling  X

Gray Catbird  4

Eastern Bluebird  2

Hermit Thrush  1

American Robin  8

Cedar Waxwing  11

Purple Finch (Eastern)  1

American Goldfinch  1

Chipping Sparrow  25

Field Sparrow  12

White-throated Sparrow  1

Song Sparrow  11

Swamp Sparrow  1

Eastern Towhee  18

Baltimore Oriole  5

Common Grackle  53

Common Yellowthroat  6

Pine Warbler  4

Prairie Warbler  2

Scarlet Tanager  2

Rose-breasted Grosbeak  1    female or juv

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S378762609

Halibut Point SP, Essex, Massachusetts, US

Jul 19, 2026 8:01 AM – 10:36 AM

Protocol: Traveling

0.971 mile(s)

Checklist Comments:    BBC – Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, Morning – Leader: Peter Van Demark – mostly clear, NE breeze, high 69s: lovely day for birding!

25 species

Mallard  2

Common Eider  11

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1

American Herring Gull  7

Great Black-backed Gull  2

Double-crested Cormorant  5

Black-crowned Night Heron  1

Osprey  1

Downy Woodpecker  1    Heard only

Northern Flicker  3    Family

Eastern Kingbird  1

Blue Jay  3

American Crow  3

Tree Swallow  50    Grouped on power lines, many juveniles, with more adults in dead tree near quarry

Gray Catbird  2

Northern Mockingbird  1

American Robin  2

House Sparrow  1

House Finch  1

American Goldfinch  4

Song Sparrow  1

Eastern Towhee  2    Heard only

Baltimore Oriole  1

Brown-headed Cowbird  1

Northern Cardinal  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S378762600