Brookline Bird Club – America’s most active bird club!

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts, US
29-Apr-2023 06:00 – 08:30
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:    BBC – Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield – Leader: Bruce Bolnick substituting for Peter Vale – Unexpectedly fine weather this morning, partly cloudy, light breeze, temperature in the 50s. With BirdCast showing very low migration rates the past three nights, it was not a surprise to find a dearth of spring warblers. Nonetheless, the woods and marshes were replete with bird song, and we did have some excellent sightings. Note that bird counts for common species are approximation
42 species
Canada Goose  25
Wood Duck  2
Mallard  5
Mourning Dove  8
Virginia Rail  2    Heard clearly in wetlands along South Esker trail, and again very nearby from Innermost boardwalk.
Killdeer  1
Double-crested Cormorant  2
Great Blue Heron  3
Bald Eagle  1    Immature, perched in a tree in the distance across the wetlands east of South Esker trail. Identification confirmed from blurry zoomed photos taken by two group members.
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker  2
Merlin  1    Small, brown-backed raptor with longish tail zooming across our path in woodlands above Bunker Meadow viewing platform. Identification based on very rapid flight, color, and shape/jizz. Definitely not a buteo, accipiter, or owl.
Eastern Phoebe  1
Blue Jay  12
Fish Crow  4
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  18
Tufted Titmouse  16
Tree Swallow  50
White-breasted Nuthatch  14
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  3
House Wren  2
Marsh Wren  3
Carolina Wren  6
European Starling  4
Eastern Bluebird  6
American Robin  15
House Sparrow  10
Purple Finch  1
American Goldfinch  2
Chipping Sparrow  12
White-throated Sparrow  5
Song Sparrow  8
Swamp Sparrow  12
Red-winged Blackbird  70
Brown-headed Cowbird  2
Common Grackle  18
Yellow Warbler  1
Pine Warbler  4
Northern Cardinal  8
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S135528979

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