Happy New Year!

Yesterday, Mark Burns and I led our 26th Annual New Year’s Day Birding Trip
for the Brookline Bird Club (BBC)! At 9:00AM, 24 BBCers met at Cashman Park
in Newburyport where we toasted in the New Year with sparkling apple cider,
introduced ourselves, and reported on where we traveled from and what our
first bird of the New Year was. We had splendid weather with clear sky,
sunshine, light breezes, and warm temps (hi of 55df). We birded Salisbury
Beach State Reservation, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Ipswich, and
called it a day at 4:30PM at Jodrey Fish Pier in Gloucester. We tallied 58
species.

Red-throated Loon – 3

Common Loon – 14

Horned Grebe – 9

Red-necked Grebe – 4

Great Cormorant – 2

Canada Goose – 44

Mute Swan – 2

Gadwall – 6

American Black Duck – 87

Mallard – 111

Northern Pintail – 20

Common Eider – 163

Surf Scoter – 10

White-winged Scoter – 62

Black Scoter – 13

Long-tailed Duck – 14

Bufflehead – 8

Common Goldeneye – 3

Hooded Merganser – 7

Common Merganser – 4

Red-breasted Merganser – 12

Bald Eagle – 2

Northern Harrier – 4

Copper’s Hawk – 11

Red-tailed Hawk – 5

Merlin – 1

Peregrin Falcon – 1

Wild Turkey – 6

Sanderling – 14

Purple Sandpiper – 37

Herring Gull – 120

Ring-billed Gull – 30

Great Black-backed Gull – 16

Black-legged Kittiwake – 3

Razorbill – 23

Dovekie – 7

Rock Pigeon – 32

Mourning Dove – 5

Snowy Owl – 1

Red-headed Woodpecker – 1 (seen by a splinter group in Appleton Farm)

Red-bellied Woodpecker – 4

Downy Woodpecker – 5

Hairy Woodpecker – 2

Pileated Woodpecker – 1

American Crow – 9

Black-capped Chickadee – 21

Tufted Titmouse – 5

Red-breasted Nuthatch – 3

White-breasted Nuthatch – 4

Eastern Bluebird – 8

American Robin – 2

Northern Mockingbird – 3

American Tree Sparrow – 4

Snow Bunting – 40

Northern Cardinal – 2

Red-winged Blackbird – 14

American Goldfinch – 10

NORTHERN LAPWING – 1 (seen by the group at Maplecroft Farm)!

Wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy, and Birdy 2023!

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Upcoming Field Trips

3rd 2025 – Parker River NWR Marsh Cruise, Yankee Clipper

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

Our third and final Marsh Cruise for this year. 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, raptors, and sparrows on [...]

The Quiet Beauty of Birding at Winthrop Beach

Winthrop - DCR Winthrop Beach Reservation - Sturgis St 59 Winthrop Shore Drive, Winthrop, MA, United States

Join DCR park staff for a leisurely walk across sandy stretches and areas of loose rocks at this Massachusetts State Reservation, a well-known hot spot for birdwatching. We'll be on the lookout for shorebirds, waterbirds, and gulls. Binoculars are recommended. Suitable for adults and children ages 8 and up (with an accompanying adult). Sponsored by [...]

Shorebirds, Herons, Swallows, & More at Parker River NWR

Parker River NWR - Lot #4 Newbury, MA, United States

Shorebirds, Herons, & Swallows. Bring a chair, bug spray, and water. Trip runs until dark. Note that an entrance fee or pass is required. Restroom available.

Plum Island PRNWR

Parker River NWR - Lot #1 Refuge Rd., Newbury, MA, MA, United States

Enjoy the late afternoon colors and birds at PRNWR at a slow and easy pace as we search refuge hotspots for shorebirds and waders, as well as tree swallows and other regular species. Short walks on flat trails. Insect repellents highly recommended. Entrance fee or pass is required. Restrooms available.

Great Meadows NWR, Concord

Concord - Great Meadows Concord Unit, Entrance Rd, Concord, MA, United States

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