Great Meadows NWR – 5/29/16

Great Meadows NWR–Concord Unit, Middlesex, Massachusetts, US
May 29, 2016 6:30 AM – 9:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments:     BBC – MBC – Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Concord – Leader: Jason Forbes – 58, cloudy. Down to left to bench then looped around to right.
44 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  6
Mute Swan  7
Wood Duck  6
Mallard (Northern)  2
Hooded Merganser  2     3?
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Virginia Rail (Virginia)  2     1 called once to left of bench, 1 called once at start of path heading right
Killdeer  1
Mourning Dove  3
Chimney Swift  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)  3
woodpecker sp.  1     Pileated-ish call
Eastern Wood-Pewee  2
Willow Flycatcher  2
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Eastern Kingbird  6
Warbling Vireo (Eastern)  5
Red-eyed Vireo  1
American Crow  2
Tree Swallow  10
Barn Swallow (American)  2
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern)  1
House Wren  1     entrance
Marsh Wren (palustris Group)  8     min
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (caerulea)  4
American Robin  4
Gray Catbird  2
Cedar Waxwing  75     min, multiple groups of 25 or so flying around plus smaller numbers
Ovenbird  1
Northern Waterthrush  1     singing near bench to left
Prothonotary Warbler  1     **rare, singing along river, briefly seen
Picked up by song at the river opening, although just odd enough that I didn’t want to call it. Eventually it flew across and perched for a few seconds (on the dead branches directly opposite the channel opening). Shouted and a couple of people in the group were able to get on it (the rest heard the shout as Solitary and started scanning the banks). Bird flew back to the Great Meadows side and was lost. We continued down and were able to hear it, eventually as far as the bench but never got another view (canoe/kayak anyone?)

Bright yellow warbler, blue wings, slightly greener at shoulder, white lower belly/undertail. Song wasn’t quite what I think of as a Prothonotary, series of single notes, with a very slight buzziness (barely audible at just after 1 second and at 12 seconds in the recording)
Common Yellowthroat  4
Yellow Warbler (Northern)  5
Chipping Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow (melodia/atlantica)  6
Swamp Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  30
Common Grackle (Bronzed)  40
Baltimore Oriole  4
American Goldfinch  2

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S30022580