Parker River NWR–Hellcat, Essex, Massachusetts, US
Aug 21, 2026 5:16 PM – 8:16 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Weather: 70°F, Overcast, Calm.
It was an amazing experience to see the thousands of Tree Swallows go to roost at Hellcat – and – hear Whip-Poor-Will serenade us as we drove off island.♡
40 species
Canada Goose 1
Mallard 5
Mourning Dove 2
Eastern Whip-poor-will 17 Heard singing from Hellcat parking lot and as we drove off island.
Killdeer 5
Semipalmated Plover 125
Short-billed Dowitcher 4
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Solitary Sandpiper 1 Seen feeding and preening on the north side of the dike at Hellcat.
Lesser Yellowlegs 12
Greater Yellowlegs 34
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper 40
Ring-billed Gull 1
American Herring Gull 7
Common Tern 8
Double-crested Cormorant 21
Glossy Ibis 3
Yellow-crowned Night Heron 2 Seen sitting on the marsh on the north side of the dike at Hellcat.
Black-crowned Night Heron 1
Snowy Egret 7
Great Egret 11
Great Blue Heron 2
Osprey 1
Northern Harrier 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Eastern Kingbird 1
Tree Swallow 230000 Thousands upon thousands of swallows coming in to roost at Hellcat.
Purple Martin 24
Barn Swallow 15000 Thousands upon thousands of swallows coming in to roost at Hellcat.
Marsh Wren 1
European Starling 5
Cedar Waxwing 4
Eastern Towhee 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Female cowbird hopping along the dike hunting for insects.
Common Grackle 2
Common Yellowthroat 1
Northern Cardinal 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S386814572
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Spring 2026 Conservation Alerts Important conservation issues directly affecting birds and birders are pending in front of the Massachusetts legislature. Please demonstrate your commitment to Massachusetts bird life by taking action now. Mass Ready Act [...]
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News Categories
Upcoming Field Trips
Field Trips / Events
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Westboro Wildlife Management Area
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Webinar: Introduction to Nocturnal Flight Call (NFC) Recording
Most birders experience migration through the birds that arrive, depart, or pass overhead by day -- but throughout the night, another migration is unfolding largely out of sight. This presentation will introduce nocturnal flight calls and the recordists who use them to experience and study that hidden movement. We will draw on examples from the [...]
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Fall migrants at Roslindale Wetlands Urban Park
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Fresh Pond, Cambridge (rescheduled to Sept. 27)
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Rock Meadow, Belmont
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