Halibut Point SP, Essex, Massachusetts, US
23-Dec-2023 12:01 – 13:59
Protocol: Traveling
1.539 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:    A Brookline Bird Club walk led by Shilo McDonald. Blue skies mostly. Slight breeze. ~40 ºF.
31 species (+2 other taxa)
Mallard  40    Estimate. In the quarry.
American Black Duck  5    With Mallards in the quarry.
Common Eider  5    Not as many as we expected.
Harlequin Duck  45    Estimate.
White-winged Scoter  30    Estimate. A few here. A few there.
Long-tailed Duck  30    Conservative estimate.
Red-breasted Merganser  16    Estimate.
Horned Grebe  1
Purple Sandpiper  3    At least 3. Difficult to count due to their location. They were staying mostly on the down slope side of the water facing rocks. A couple documentation photos attached.
Black Guillemot  0    Tried as we did, we could not find a Black Guillemot. Marking as quantity zero with this notation for record.
Razorbill  1    Scope views only.
Herring Gull  10    An immature bird seen chasing after an adult who was carrying a fresh catch. Photos attached.
Great Black-backed Gull  1    Flying by.
gull sp.  12    Distant.
Red-throated Loon  1    Flying by. Low to the water.
Common Loon  2
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Northern Flicker  1    Heard only, “Kyeer.”
Ash-throated Flycatcher  1    Spotted by Elaine. Seen perched in the thin island row of trees and bushes directly between the parking lot and the road. Looking quite a bit like a Great Crested Flycatcher, except overall smaller and paler. Photographs attached.
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  2
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  2
Carolina Wren  2
Gray Catbird  1
American Robin  20    Estimate. Most of these birds were seen flying together.
Cedar Waxwing  16    Estimate. Flying together.
House Sparrow  10    Estimate. Heard only. Chirping in the yard with the feeders.
House Finch  2    Heard only. Sharp cheeps.
American Goldfinch  2
White-throated Sparrow  3
Song Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  2
passerine sp.  1    Mimi and I both saw a small bird which quickly flew out of sight, while we were on the edge of the lookout. We agreed it was small and had yellow underneath, but beyond that neither of us were quite sure what it was. Marking as passerine with this notation as a matter of record.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S156991874

Nuttall Club special event with Peter Kaestner

Peter Kaestner in his Search for 10,000 Species of Birds in the World - A Special Event Sponsored by the Nuttall Ornithological Club Peter Kaestner after seeing his 10,000th world bird species in the Philippines.

BBC daily field trips to Mount Auburn are back!

It’s that time of year again! The Brookline Bird Club will be leading daily birding trips through Mount Auburn Cemetery, an oasis for migrating birds, this spring from Wednesday April 17th through Sunday May 26th

Nuttall Club special event with Peter Kaestner

Peter Kaestner in his Search for 10,000 Species of Birds in the World - A Special Event Sponsored by the Nuttall Ornithological Club Peter Kaestner after seeing his 10,000th world bird species in the Philippines.

BBC daily field trips to Mount Auburn are back!

It’s that time of year again! The Brookline Bird Club will be leading daily birding trips through Mount Auburn Cemetery, an oasis for migrating birds, this spring from Wednesday April 17th through Sunday May 26th

Nuttall Club special event with Peter Kaestner

Peter Kaestner in his Search for 10,000 Species of Birds in the World - A Special Event Sponsored by the Nuttall Ornithological Club Peter Kaestner after seeing his 10,000th world bird species in the Philippines.

BBC daily field trips to Mount Auburn are back!

It’s that time of year again! The Brookline Bird Club will be leading daily birding trips through Mount Auburn Cemetery, an oasis for migrating birds, this spring from Wednesday April 17th through Sunday May 26th

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Upcoming Field Trips

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    Hyannis - Pelagic - Helen H 137 Pleasant St, Hyannis, MA, United States

    Join the BBC on the Helen H out of Hyannis, MA to search for pelagic birds on an overnight trip to the Hydrographer Canyon area. For more information, fee, and registration info see: https://www.brooklinebirdclub.org/bbc-news/hydrographer-canyon-overnight-pelagics-registration/

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    East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United States

    Stops may include Belle Isle Marsh, The Key, Revere Beach, and Winthrop. Please be prepared for mosquitoes at our first two stops.

  • Charles River Esplanade (Early Birders Series)

    Boston – Charles River Esplanade (Edwin Upton Curtis Memorial meeting spot) Boston, MA, United States

    Join fellow birders in their 20s-30s as we visit the Charles River Esplanade for an evening bird walk! Located in the heart of Boston, the Esplanade is a 64-acre park along the south side of the Charles River. While serving as one of Boston’s staple common areas, it is also a good spot to observe

  • Hydrographer Canyon Overnight Pelagic (Trip #2)

    Hyannis - Pelagic - Helen H 137 Pleasant St, Hyannis, MA, United States

    Join the BBC on the Helen H out of Hyannis, MA to search for pelagic birds on an overnight trip to the Hydrographer Canyon area. For more information, fee, and registration info see: https://www.brooklinebirdclub.org/bbc-news/hydrographer-canyon-overnight-pelagics-registration/

  • Parker River Marsh Cruise

    Newburyport - Yankee Clipper Tours Waterfront Promenade Park, 36 Merrimac Street, Newburyport, MA, United States

    Explore Parker River National Wildlife Refuge from a new perspective on a cruise through the Parker River marshes! Join us on the Yankee Clipper docked in Newburyport Harbor for a leisurely cruise through the Refuge. Enjoy close views of shorebirds, gulls, terns, and Saltmarsh Sparrows on this tour. Group discount tickets are available by registering

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