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

News Categories

Upcoming Field Trips

  • Nighthawk Watch at Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge

    Harvard - Oxbow NWR Tank Rd, Harvard, MA, United States

    Join us for a pleasant evening of watching nighthawk migration along the Nashua River valley. Bring a lawn chair or a camp stool. Rain date: Sunday August 30.

  • Belle Isle Marsh Reservation (Winthrop side)

    Winthrop - Belle Isle March and Marine Ecology Park Banks Street, Winthrop, MA, United States

    Join us to observe resident birds and fall migrants in a unique urban habitat that is a favorite for many bird species, including uncommon and rare birds. Birders of all levels will enjoy this walk. The trails are (generally) flat and easy to walk. A water bottle, water proof clothing including a hat, sunblock &

  • Plum Island

    Newburyport - Courthouse 188 State Street, Newburyport, MA, United States

    Beginners and those with limited mobility welcome. There is an entrance fee for Parker River NWR.

  • An Oasis for Birds at Belle Isle Marsh

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

    Join DCR park staff for a relaxed, one-mile bird walk through flat, easy terrain at this Massachusetts State Reservation and birding hot spot. At Belle Isle and at additional nearby locations— We’ll search for shorebirds during their peak in migration and passerines that are beginning their southerly migration. Participants are responsible for their own transportation

Go to Top