Minute Man National Historical Park, Middlesex, Massachusetts, US

Aug 30, 2019 5:00 PM – 7:10 PM

Comments:    BBC – Nighthawks over Minute Man NHP – Leader: Kathy Dia – We walked from the Elm Brook lot to the Bloody Angle. Birds were quiet on the way out, then in a wooded section  of the trail with only partial clearing above , one of the participant spotted the first Nighthawk. At least 10 streamed by (hard to count with the trees but this is conservative). We then returned to the boardwalk where a couple more were spotted and perhaps the most interesting bird of the day, a Virginia Rail was heard. On the return trip Jonathan spotted an unusual baby snake, yet to be ID’d and bats flying in the Brooks Village field.

30 species (+5 other taxa)

Canada Goose  19

Mallard  3

teal sp.  1    Small duck with Mallards

Wild Turkey  6

Mourning Dove  55

Common Nighthawk  12

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  3

Virginia Rail  1    What a treat. Immature rail squeals heard from marsh right next to the Elm Brook boardwalk. My first rail at this spot.

heron sp.  1    Distant and brief silouette

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Red-bellied Woodpecker  2

Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)  3

Hairy Woodpecker (Eastern)  1

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  1

Eastern Wood-Pewee  1    Calling

Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill’s Flycatcher)  1    Perching and flycatching at Elm Brook

flycatcher sp. (Tyrannidae sp.)  1

Blue Jay  20

Black-capped Chickadee  5

White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern)  3

Carolina Wren  1

European Starling  80

Gray Catbird  3

Northern Mockingbird  1

American Robin  154

Cedar Waxwing  50

House Finch  4

American Goldfinch  12

Song Sparrow  2

Baltimore Oriole  5    All in one tree. Family group?

Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  20

Common Grackle  50

blackbird sp.  30

Common Yellowthroat  2

Northern Cardinal  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60628085