Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon), Essex, Massachusetts, US
Jul 20, 2024 7:00 AM – 8:55 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.774 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: BBC walk led by Davey Walters. 63-75°F, clear skies. Low tide 05:59, high tide 11:28. From Sawyer’s Island, we watched the tide come in, covering the banks of the creek and fingers of Plum Island River, pushing shorebirds toward us and the shallower inshore pannes.
61 species (+2 other taxa)
Mallard 1
Mourning Dove 3
Virginia Rail (Virginia) 1 Grunting from treestand in marsh.
Killdeer 3
Semipalmated Plover 22
Short-billed Dowitcher 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 38
Willet (Eastern) 8
Greater Yellowlegs 13
Lesser/Greater Yellowlegs 5
Least Sandpiper 35
Semipalmated Sandpiper 25
Herring Gull (American) 16
Least Tern 10 Several juveniles.
Common Tern (hirundo/tibetana) 18 Several juveniles.
Double-crested Cormorant 15
Snowy Egret 1
Great Egret 9
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 10
Glossy Ibis 1
Osprey (carolinensis) 7 Nest with 3 young just off Sawyer’s Island; adult brought a fish at long interval.
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern) 2
Hairy Woodpecker (Eastern) 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Eastern Phoebe 3 One seeming to attempt morning flight off Sawyer’s Island.
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 2
Warbling Vireo (Eastern) 4
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 2
Bank Swallow 4
Tree Swallow 400 Largely hatch years.
Barn Swallow (American) 8 Mostly hatch years.
White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern) 4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (caerulea) 2
Marsh Wren (palustris Group) 2
Carolina Wren 5 Family group on Sawyer’s Island.
European Starling 75 Flocks of hatch years in marsh.
Gray Catbird 4
Eastern Bluebird 5 Adults feeding juveniles on power line.
American Robin 10 A few hatch years.
Cedar Waxwing 13
House Finch 3
American Goldfinch 6
Chipping Sparrow 1
Saltmarsh Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow (melodia/atlantica) 6
Bobolink 1 At least one in morning flight.
Orchard Oriole 1 Male seen briefly
Baltimore Oriole 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 26
Common Grackle (Bronzed) 21
Common Yellowthroat 4
Yellow Warbler (Northern) 2
Northern Cardinal 3
Indigo Bunting 2 Countersinging males on territories in field by lot.
bird sp. 1 Likely Great Horned Owl seen in flight very briefly near parking lot.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S189388227
News Categories
Upcoming Field Trips
Field Trips / Events
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Birding Sketch Crawl – Fall Series
Leader's ChoiceCome and bird/sketch favorite patches around Essex and Middlesex Counties.
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Plum Island
Parker River NWR - Lot #1 Refuge Rd., Newbury, MA, MA, United StatesWe will be walking the North Pool dike as well as visiting other spots. Note that an entrance fee or pass is required. Restrooms available.
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Barretts Mill Farmland
Concord - Barretts Mill Farmland Barrett's Mill Road, Concord, MA, United StatesThis is often a great place for fall sparrows including Savannah, Field, and White-crowned, as well as Pipit and occasional Dickcissel. Loaner binoculars available; please email trip leader to reserve a pair! If the weather doens't look good, contact the leader to check status.
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Hellcat at Parker River NWR
Parker River NWR - Lot #4 Newbury, MA, United StatesDuring the past few years the refuge has opened the dike to hiking during National Wildlife Refuge Week. We will plan to do that hike if the dike is again open this year. Otherwise we hike the boardwalk and normal dike area.
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Fruitlands Museum, Harvard
Harvard - Fruitlands Museum 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, MA, United StatesCosponsored with Boxborough Birders. We will look for fall migrants and resident birds. Expect to walk about 2 miles on trails through meadow and woods, with some steep sections. Heavy rain cancels the trip.