Bolton Flats WMA , Worcester, Massachusetts, US
May 20, 2017 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.0 mile(s)
Comments:     BBC – Canoe/Kayak Bolton Flats – Nickilas Paulson – Unattended trip covering: Kayaking the Still River marsh, then other Rt 110 entrances. The main 117 entrance, then S entrance of 117. Then a long hike Pine Hill Section up to the river edge section to the train bridge and back.
90 species

Canada Goose  32
Mute Swan  1
Wood Duck  13
Mallard  15
Blue-winged Teal  2
Double-crested Cormorant  2
American Bittern  2     Only 1 still singing, other called in flight.
Least Bittern  3     Local breeder. One calling near canoe launch. Another seen in flight over the one calling. Another calling in marsh from main entrance. Both calling coo coo coo song, lower than cuckoo.
Great Blue Heron  10
Green Heron  4
Osprey  3
Cooper’s Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  3
Virginia Rail  6     Spread out.
Common Gallinule  3     Local breeder. 1 near farm pond. 2 others heard from north beyond flooded field section. All via kayak.
Killdeer  2
Least Sandpiper  26
Spotted Sandpiper  5
Solitary Sandpiper  10     3 main field, 7 spread through corn fields.
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Lesser Yellowlegs  7
Mourning Dove  12
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  4
Black-billed Cuckoo  5
Chimney Swift  6
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  2
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
Pileated Woodpecker  1
American Kestrel  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  2
Alder Flycatcher  1
Willow Flycatcher  22     Throughout, many seen, calling throughout.
Least Flycatcher  1
Eastern Phoebe  6
Great Crested Flycatcher  8
Eastern Kingbird  19     7 via kayak, 3 fields, 4 pine hill, 5 along river
Yellow-throated Vireo  5
Blue-headed Vireo  1
Warbling Vireo  9
Red-eyed Vireo  8
Blue Jay  13
American Crow  12
Common Raven  3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  7
Purple Martin  1     Flying around over Still River, larger and longer winged than other swallows, flying high, all dark above, mostly dark below save for lighter patch around the belly.
Tree Swallow  26
Bank Swallow  15
Barn Swallow  17
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
House Wren  13
Marsh Wren  21     All over this year, 2, 8, 5, 3, 2, 1. Counts by area. Mostly in any cattail group. A few in sedge areas.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  6
Eastern Bluebird  2
Veery  18
Bicknell’s Thrush  1     Singing from wooded marsh mixed in with several singing Veery. Raspy notes leading into nasal rolling whistled descending phrases. Compared with xeno canto to confirm.
Wood Thrush  1
American Robin  22
Gray Catbird  26
European Starling  5
Cedar Waxwing  8
Ovenbird  8
Northern Waterthrush  1
Tennessee Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  25
American Redstart  11
Yellow Warbler  22     Undercounted
Pine Warbler  8
Prairie Warbler  13     Pine Hill section, dry upland woods and along train tracks. Single males singing and 2 pairs.
Grasshopper Sparrow  3     Pair at Pine Hill section. 1 singing at Red Barn area. I have not had one there in many years.
Chipping Sparrow  22
Field Sparrow  4
Vesper Sparrow  2     One singing at start of Pine Hill section, another about a third of the way out running along ground.
Song Sparrow  19
Swamp Sparrow  25
Eastern Towhee  9
Scarlet Tanager  7
Northern Cardinal  6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  5
Indigo Bunting  3
Red-winged Blackbird  48
Common Grackle  36
Brown-headed Cowbird  4
Baltimore Oriole  17
American Goldfinch  7
House Sparrow  6

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37051733