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