Fruitlands Museum, Harvard, 100-132 Prospect Hill Road, Worcester, Massachusetts, US
Apr 5, 2025 7:00 AM – 9:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.25 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Low 40s, overcast, cold/damp but calm. Started in main parking lot and walked upper trail past Old Meadow and Pergolas Site down to the orange trail past New Meadow and back through the woods taking the lower yellow trail past the Willard Farm Site to the Fruitlands Farmhouse and returning to the main parking area. Highlights: Kestrel, Bald Eagle and Northern Harrier (a gray ghost). Overall, somewhat quiet.
36 species
Canada Goose 5
Mourning Dove 1
Double-crested Cormorant 3 F-O
Great Blue Heron 3 F-O
Turkey Vulture 1
Northern Harrier 1 Excellent sighting for all. A “gray ghost” male seen from upper, open trail.
Bald Eagle 1 A welcoming F-O shortly after our arrival. Adult.
Red-tailed Hawk 1 Perched on far side of New Meadow beyond red metal barn. A photo confirmed what a appeared to be a “black” raptor in the overcast light.
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 0 Evidence of activity in woods but no auditory or visual sightings.
Northern Flicker 1
American Kestrel 3 Excellent sightings on both sides of campus. One seen shortly at start heading east over Prospect Hill Rd. One perched atop pine, then deciduous below main parking area to the left of Visitor’s Center (being harassed by 2 annoyed blue jays). One on far side of New Meadow perched on an tall, orange stake.
Eastern Phoebe 6
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 5
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 6
Tree Swallow 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 0 Surprised not to hear or see any. Perhaps to cold.
Northern Mockingbird 4
Eastern Bluebird 2 Pair near Gift Shop/Cafe building.
American Robin 51 Probably a conservative count.
House Sparrow 10
House Finch 3
American Goldfinch 3
Dark-eyed Junco 3
White-throated Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 6
Red-winged Blackbird 11
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
Common Grackle 2
Palm Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 6
Northern Cardinal 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S223247491
And the Winner Is…
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 [...]
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming. What key field [...]
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]
Federal Bird Banding Lab Needs Support Now
Federal Bird Banding Lab Needs Support Now Find contact information for your senators and representative. The following is from a letter from author Scott Weidensaul received on May 22: As some of you may be [...]
Threats to Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Endangered Species Act
Responding to Threats to Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Endangered Species Act John Nelson, chair of the BBC's Conservation Committee, recently sent an eloquent letter to Representative Seth Moulton and Massachusetts Senators Edward Markey and [...]
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers Do you have ideas for BBC webinar speakers? Would you like to be involved in planning club events such as our annual meeting, fall speaker, and winter member's meeting? Interested [...]
And the Winner Is…
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 [...]
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming. What key field [...]
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]
Federal Bird Banding Lab Needs Support Now
Federal Bird Banding Lab Needs Support Now Find contact information for your senators and representative. The following is from a letter from author Scott Weidensaul received on May 22: As some of you may be [...]
Threats to Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Endangered Species Act
Responding to Threats to Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Endangered Species Act John Nelson, chair of the BBC's Conservation Committee, recently sent an eloquent letter to Representative Seth Moulton and Massachusetts Senators Edward Markey and [...]
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers Do you have ideas for BBC webinar speakers? Would you like to be involved in planning club events such as our annual meeting, fall speaker, and winter member's meeting? Interested [...]
And the Winner Is…
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 [...]
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley
Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming. What key field [...]
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier
Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]
Federal Bird Banding Lab Needs Support Now
Federal Bird Banding Lab Needs Support Now Find contact information for your senators and representative. The following is from a letter from author Scott Weidensaul received on May 22: As some of you may be [...]
Threats to Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Endangered Species Act
Responding to Threats to Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Endangered Species Act John Nelson, chair of the BBC's Conservation Committee, recently sent an eloquent letter to Representative Seth Moulton and Massachusetts Senators Edward Markey and [...]
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers
BBC Programming Committee Seeks Volunteers Do you have ideas for BBC webinar speakers? Would you like to be involved in planning club events such as our annual meeting, fall speaker, and winter member's meeting? Interested [...]
News Categories
Upcoming Field Trips
Slow Birding at Revere Beach
Revere Beach 21 Revere Beach Blvd, Revere, MA, United StatesLed by DCR Park Staff. Come observe the beautiful details of birds and their behaviors and share observations with others in the group. Pose questions and memories that observations elicit. Birds we may see include Piping Plover, Manx Shearwater, resident gulls, with Common Tern arriving by May. Suitable for adults and children 8 years+. Children [...]
Ashby & Townsend
We will explore for nesting warblers, juncos, sapsuckers, and probably butterflies and dragonflies, possibly continuing into the afternoon. We will start in Willard Brook State Forest and probably continue to Townsend State Forest, Mt. Watatic, or the Squannacook River WMA. Some trails are steep and moderately uneven.
Belle Isle Marsh and Vicinity
East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United StatesLed by DCR staff. We will search on foot up to one mile on flat, easy terrain, for migrating or resident songbirds, raptors, shorebirds, and marsh birds at this birding hotspot and state park. This is a traveling program by car or bike. Prepare for ticks and mosquitoes. Ages: Adults and kids 8 years+ with [...]
Summer Solstice Saunter
Leader's ChoiceCelebrate the beginning of summer by birding favorite patches, locally and beyond. Contact leader for details. Call or email no later than June 19.
Maine – Rangeley Lakes
Maine - Rangeley Lakes 2459 Main St, Rangeley, ME, United StatesJoin us for a seven-day exploration of mountains and lakes of western Maine! As always, this trip will concentrate on Maine’s boreal specialties including Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Olive-sided and Yellow-bellied flycatchers, Philadelphia Vireo, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Bicknell’s Thrush and 20+ species of warbler. We also observe and enjoy flora and fauna along way. [...]