North side of Wachusett Reservoir, Worcester, Massachusetts, US

May 25, 2025 6:30 AM – 9:36 AM

Protocol: Traveling

4.7 mile(s)

Checklist Comments:    BBC trip looking for species of interest to the state.  Leader continued to Kristoff Farm alone afterwards and didn’t see any conservation target species.  Highlights from 18 minutes (1013-1031) of birding at Kristoff: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Bobolink, Indigo Bunting, and Blue-winged Warbler.

49 species (+3 other taxa)

Canada Goose  10

Mallard  6

Wild Turkey  3

Chimney Swift  100    not a careful count.  swirling across a large section of the sky over grass, water, and cemetery island at fairly low altitude.  Also a number of other groups of small numbers and at least two other groups of 10-20+ at other points in the trip.

Killdeer  6

Spotted Sandpiper  3

Ring-billed Gull  5

gull sp.  15    probably mostly or all ring-billed

Common Loon  4    low number.  could have searched harder, but this is still less than I expected to see based on previous visits.

Double-crested Cormorant  5

Turkey Vulture  7

Osprey  1

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Red-bellied Woodpecker  1

American Kestrel  0

Eastern Wood-Pewee  1    i may have forgot to note some of the other flycatchers

Great Crested Flycatcher  1

Yellow-throated Vireo  1

Blue-headed Vireo  1

Warbling Vireo  1

Red-eyed Vireo  6

Blue Jay  6

American Crow  1

crow sp.  3

Bank Swallow  12

Tree Swallow  25

Northern Rough-winged Swallow  15

swallow sp.  75    this count and the count for the other swallow species may be undercounts.  Couldn’t or didn’t bother to put much time into identifying the many swallows over the water

White-breasted Nuthatch  1

European Starling  12

Gray Catbird  3

Northern Mockingbird  6

Eastern Bluebird  4

American Robin  3

Cedar Waxwing  4

House Sparrow  3

House Finch  3

American Goldfinch  2

Grasshopper Sparrow  0

Chipping Sparrow  6

Savannah Sparrow  14

Song Sparrow  4

Eastern Towhee  1

Bobolink  2

Eastern Meadowlark  0

Baltimore Oriole  2

Red-winged Blackbird  20

Brown-headed Cowbird  1

Common Grackle  3

Ovenbird  3

Black-and-white Warbler  1

Pine Warbler  6    this may be and undercount, and I may have forgot to record some other warbler species.

Scarlet Tanager  1

Northern Cardinal  2

Indigo Bunting  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S242623523

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming.  What key field [...]

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming.  What key field [...]

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming.  What key field [...]

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]

News Categories

Upcoming Field Trips

Quabbin Reservoir

Quabbin Reservoir - Gate 10 235 Daniel Shays Hwy, Pelham, MA, United States

Join Glenn on a 5-to-6-mile walk through a very birdy area with species ranging from Broad-winged Hawk to Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-headed Vireo, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, and lots of stuff in between. (Maybe a moose or a bobcat!) Co-sponsored with the South Shore Bird Club.

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 [...]

Fruitlands Museum, Harvard

Harvard - Fruitlands Museum 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, MA, United States

All the nesting birds will still be around, with good views of young out of the nest being fed by parents: Veery, Indigo Bunting, Catbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Tree Swallow, Bobolink, Wood Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, and Warblers. Expect to walk about 2 miles on trails through meadow and woods with some steep sections. Heavy rain cancels [...]

Birch Hill WMA

Royalston - Birch Hill WMA Royalston, MA, United States

Includes three to five miles of walking relatively flat terrain. Might include some bushwacking. Driving on hard packed dirt roads. Co-sponsored with the Athol Bird & Nature Club.

Southwick WMA

Southwick WMA - Suffield WMA entrance Point Grove Road, Suffield, CT, United States

We will hike the fields focusing on grassland breeders, particularly Eastern Meadowlark and Grasshopper Sparrow.

Go to Top