Forbush Bird Club 2008 Trip Reports
The following are highlights of selected field trips of the Forbush Bird Club, listed in reverse chronological order:
Hilights included a Barred Owl nest with newly hatched downy white Owlets, peeking out the nest cavity, near Gate 44, great looks at Louisiana Waterthrush inside gate 45, hundreds of swallows (95% Tree) migrating north over the "big water". Pileated Woodpeckers were vocal, we tallied 7 (all identified by call or drumming) at various points between gates 43 and 35 as well as a nice wave of ~150 Yellow-rumped Warblers along the shoreline of the Reservoir. Two pairs of adult Bald Eagles toward the day's end was fitting conclusion to the trip. Once again, we express our gratitude to the DCR for the privilege of allowing us to drive the back roads of Quabbin.
Species Number reported: Canada Goose 18 Wood Duck 15 Mallard 4 Hooded Merganser 4 Common Merganser 4 Ruffed Grouse 3 Wild Turkey 4 Common Loon 8 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Great Blue Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 16 Osprey 2 Bald Eagle 4 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Mourning Dove 2 Barred Owl 5 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2 Downy Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 7 Eastern Phoebe 8 Blue-headed Vireo 22 Blue Jay 16 American Crow 3 Tree Swallow 500 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 11 Black-capped Chickadee 17 Tufted Titmouse 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Brown Creeper 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Veery 1 Hermit Thrush 4 American Robin 28 Yellow Warbler 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 178 Black-throated Green Warbler 10 Blackburnian Warbler 1 Pine Warbler 18 Black-and-white Warbler 4 Ovenbird 2 Louisiana Waterthrush 2 Eastern Towhee 19 Chipping Sparrow 27 Field Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 2 Swamp Sparrow 1 Red-winged Blackbird 18 Common Grackle 10 Brown-headed Cowbird 7 Purple Finch 11 American Goldfinch 12(trip report from Tom Pirro).
For previous sightings, see
Trip Reports 2007
Trip Leader: Susan LaBree
Observers: 7
Weather: Wet, cloudy, cold 47 degrees at the beginning of trip, 41 degrees
at the end
- tough day!
The following 42 species were observed:
Canada Goose 7
Mallard 3
Common Merganser 10
Wild Turkey 4
Osprey 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Mourning Dove 4
Downy Woodpecker 2
Eastern Phoebe 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 6
Common Raven 2
Tree Swallow 130
Black-capped Chickadee 8
Tufted Titmouse 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Veery 2
American Robin 7
European Starling 14
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Black-throated Green Warbler 3
Pine Warbler 4
Ovenbird 2
Eastern Towhee 3
Chipping Sparrow 4
Field Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 6
Eastern Meadowlark 2
Common Grackle 6
Brown-headed Cowbird 12
Purple Finch 2
American Goldfinch 4
(trip report from Susan LaBree)
The Forbush Bird Club trip was lead by Paul Meleski, with 11
observers. It was overcast with intermittent
light rain, light wind, and temps in the 50's.
Highlights were: Spotted Sandpiper, Eastern Kingbird, Common Raven, Northern
Rough-winged Swallow, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird,
Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Black-and-White Warbler, Northern Waterthrush,
and Eastern Towhee. A Mink was also observed making a pair of Wood Duck
appear apprehensive.
The following species were recorded:
Canada Goose 7
Wood Duck 4
Mallard 7
Green-winged Teal 2 (pr)
Hooded Merganser 2 (pr) ( dead female hanging headfirst out of
Wood Duck box)
Ruffed Grouse 2
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 4
Killdeer 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Mourning Dove 4
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 4
Eastern Phoebe 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Blue Jay 9
American Crow 3
Common Raven 2
Tree Swallow 12
N. Rough-winged Swallow 6
Black-capped Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 8
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 2
House Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Eastern Bluebird 2 (pr)
American Robin 10
Gray Catbird 1
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler 24
Pine Warbler 4
Palm Warbler 12
Black-and-White Warbler 3
Northern Waterthrush 2
Eastern Towhee 3
Chipping Sparrow 6
Song Sparrow 8
Swamp Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 6
Red-winged Blackbird 8
Common Grackle 14
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 6
House Sparrow
Total of 49 Species.
(report from Paul Meleski).
Trip leader: Laura Lane
Observers: 5
Weather: A few sprinkles, but the heavy rains held off for us as we circled
the fields and visited two small ponds. As we gathered we heard the trills
of the Pine Warbler in a grove of pines next to the parking lot. The walk
ended with the "beent" of the numerous American Woodcocks in the fields .
Also seen was a beaver and muskrat and we heard a chorus of Spring Peepers.
Canada Goose
Ring-necked Duck
Great Blue Heron
American Kestrel
American Woodcock
Mourning Dove
American Robin
Pine Warbler
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
(trip report from Laura Lane).
Trip leader: Francis X. McMenemy
Observers: 4
Weather: Cloudy, temps 30’s to low 40’s with a northeast wind
Highlights: Glossy Ibis, Rusty Blackbirds, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs,
Solitary Sandpiper and Eastern Meadowlarks at Bolton Flats. Common Loons
and Common Goldeneyes at Wachusett Reservoir.
Trip list: 36 species
Canada Goose 7
Wood Duck 12
American Wigeon 1
American Black Duck 1
Mallard 38
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged T 30+
Ring-necked Duck 2
Common Goldeneye 7
Hooded Merganser 3
Common Merganser 5
Common Loon 3
Great Blue Heron 2
Glossy Ibis 9
Killdeer 7
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Wilson’s Snipe 11
Ring-billed Gull 50+
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 20+
Tree Swallow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
American Robin 65
European Starling 3
Song Sparrow 12
Northern Cardinal 3
Red-winged Blackbird 27
Eastern Meadowlark 2
Rusty Blackbird 2
Common Grackle 25
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
American Goldfinch 40
(trip report from Alan Marble)
Trip Leader: Francis X. McMenemy
Observers: 13
Weather: Cool (20's to 30's), clear, and slightly breezy
morning.
Highlights: This year's first Eastern Phoebes at East Brookfield River, the
large numbers of Common and Hooded Mergansers at Lake Lashaway, the Cedar
Waxwings feeding on the ground near Ceramic Pond also in East Brookfield,
the large variety of duck species at Slab City and the 3 Bald Eagles at Lake
Wickaboag in West Brookfield. The following 42 species were observed:
Canada Goose 55
Wood Duck 13
Gadwall 3 (2D, 1F)
American Wigeon 2 (pair)
American Black Duck 11
Mallard 110
Green-winged Teal 30
Ring-necked Duck 38
Greater Scaup 2 (Pair)
Bufflehead 1 F
Common Goldeneye 3 D
Hooded Merganser 48
Common Merganser 517
Pied-billed Grebe 2 (Lake Quaboag, Brookfield)
Great Blue Heron 2
Bald Eagle 3 (2 immature about 3 years, 1 almost adult plumage)
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull 1
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Brown Creeper 1
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin 86 (an estimate)
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing 32
Pine Warbler 1
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
(trip report from Joan Zumpfe)