This was a fun trip to the North Shore. Everyone saw a life bird. For Pete it was a RAZORBILL which brought his state list to 345. For Heather and Chris it was the EURASIAN WIGEON at Joppa Flats. Other birds of note included: Snowy Owl (Plum Island); Purple Sandpipers, Harlequin Ducks, Black Guillemots (Halibut Point); Coots, Ruddy Ducks, Wood Ducks, Greater Scaup, and Ring-necked Ducks (West Boxford); Great Cormorant (Gloucester). There were a lot of Buffleheads, all three Scoters, and Common Eiders throughout. At Joppa we saw a few American Wigeon and a nice look at a Common Snipe. All told a good trip and a lot of fun. We missed the following: Eared Grebe, Barrow's Goldeneye and King Eider.

We started off in the East Meadows where there were many Horned Larks in the fields. A single Lapland Longspur was also observed. Next we sighted a Sharp-shinned Hawk perched in a tree near the sewage plant. We then headed over to Haydenville to try to see a Fox Sparrow that has been frequenting Bob Packard's feeder. No luck, but we did hear a Red-bellied Woodpecker. We then checked out Nash Hill Place and saw many American Robins. From there we headed by Graves Farm and the Northampton Reservoir to the Whately Wildlife Management Area where we heard a Northern Flicker and a Golden-crowned Kinglet. A Ruffed Grouse was also observed at this location. Heading back on Bridge Street a Cedar Waxwing was observed.

Other birds included:  Canada Goose, Red-tail Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, Chickadee, Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch, Cardinal, Blue Jay, Crow, Mourning Dove, House Sparrow and Starling. 

This trip started with a stop in Boston to see the Gyrfalcon that had been reported a few days earlier. The mighty bird was seen perched on the corner of the Boston Design Center in South Boston. Next stop was Salisbury beach where we had good looks at both Red & White-winged Crossbills, Snowy Owl, Short-eared Owls and American Kestrels. A stop at Plum Island produced Snow Geese, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintails, and a Red-necked Grebe. We planned to continue on to Cape Ann but decided to head home instead.

Other birds seen: Double-crested Cormorant, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Black Duck, Mallard, Common Eider, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-billed, Herring, Great Black-backed Gull(s), Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mockingbird, Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Cardinal, House Finch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow.

This was a cold blustery day. In the Arcadia Marsh there were a dozen Mallards, a Black Duck and five American Wigeons. In the old orchard area we saw Cedar Waxwings, White-throated Sparrows, a Carolina Wren, and Eastern Bluebirds. We then made a visit to Ned's Ditch area of the West Meadows where we got a nice look at a Great Horned Owl on the nest. The great blue herons haven't returned to the rookery yet. We got a nice look at a flock of Rusty Blackbirds and heard a Red-bellied Woodpecker. The wind was keeping a lot of birds down. The last bird we saw was a Bald Eagle flying down river.

Other birds seen: Common Merganser, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-billed, Herring & Great Black-back Gull(s), Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, White=breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Common Grackle, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

From the parking lot we heard a Carolina wren . Along the main path to the boardwalk we saw a ruby-crowned kinglet, a brown creeper, and eastern phoebes. From the boardwalk we observed red-winged blackbirds, tree swallows, and a double-crested cormorant. On the path to the dam we encountered a yellow-bellied sapsucker and a few myrtle warblers. A snapping turtle was seen on the dam. En route to the blind a few pine warblers and a killdeer were heard. At the blind we observed two cooperative Virginia rails, wood ducks, a swamp sparrow, song sparrows, a chipping sparrow and a very dark red-tailed hawk. A possible red-shouldered hawk was heard calling. 

Other birds seen: turkey vulture, Canada goose, mallard, ruffed grouse (drumming throughout), mourning dove, belted kingfisher, red-bellied woodpecker, northern flicker, blue jay, American crow, black-capped chickadee, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, American robin, white-throated sparrow, northern cardinal, common grackle, cowbird, goldfinch, and house sparrow.

Warblers seen included: Blue-winged, Nashville, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, magnolia, black-throated blue, black-throated green, yellow-rumped, bay-breasted, black-and-white, American redstart, ovenbird, common yellowthroat, and Wilson's. 

Other birds seen included: great blue heron, green heron, Canada goose, wood duck, mallard, osprey, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper's hawk (on nest), red-bellied woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker, downy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, least flycatcher, great crested flycatcher, blue-headed vireo, blue jay, American crow, tree swallow, northern rough-winged swallow, barn swallow, black-capped chickadee, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, blue-gray gnatcatcher, eastern bluebird, veery, wood thrush, cedar waxwing, scarlet tanager, eastern towhee, chipping sparrow, song sparrow, Lincoln's sparrow, swamp sparrow, white-throated sparrow, northern cardinal, rose-breasted grosbeak, red-winged blackbird, common grackle, brown-headed cowbird, Baltimore oriole, American goldfinch.

We next went to Graves Farm in Williamsburg where we saw the following warblers: yellow, magnolia, yellow-rumped, black-throated green, black-and-white, ovenbird, and Northern waterthrush. Other birds included: brown creeper, house wren, American robin and bobolink. There were no cliff swallows observed.

We then went over to Fitzgerald Lake to observe the Cooper's Hawk nest. There are three chicks in the nest. The adult birds were not seen. Additional birds seen there included: cowbird, pheobe, black-throated green warbler, grackles 5, tree swallow 5, red-winged blackbird 5, yellow warbler, chestnut-sided warbler.

We rode our bikes through the East Meadows looking for whatever birds we could find. Some parts of the road were very dusty and tough to ride on, and it got hot toward the end of the ride, but it was pretty smooth riding most of the time.
Great Blue Heron 3, Turkey Vulture 4, Mallard 10, OSPREY 1, Killdeer 5/3-imm, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift 6, Belted Kingfisher 4, Downy Woodpecker 2, Northern Flicker 8, Empidinox Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo 3/2-imm, Blue Jay 2, American Crow 5, Tree Swallow 5, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird 5/3-imm, American Robin 5, Gray Catbird 8, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing 2, Yellow Warbler 3, American Redstart pair, VESPER SPARROW 1 singing, Song Sparrow 15, Northern Cardinal 5, Indigo Bunting 1, Red-winged Blackbird 2, Common Grackle 10+, Baltimore Oriole 2, House Finch, American Goldfinch 10, House Sparrow.

Later we went over to the west meadows where we saw a few additional birds including 1 kestrel, 7 turkey vultures, 2 red-tailed hawks, a cooper's & a sharp-shinned hawk chasing each other, an Eastern phoebe, several song and savannah sparrows, 40 tree swallows, a catbird, and a great egret and great blue heron. Also seen - a spicebush swallowtail.

We also bumped into Herman D'Entremont and Oakes Spaulding. Herman said that they had heard a lark sparrow near where the Say's Phoebe was, but we couldn't locate it.

Total Species: 39

Participants: Ted Zervas, Stefan Rayer, Marylee Bomboy, John Van de Graaff, Heather McQueen and Chris Gentes

Great Egret - 1 - Flew from Ned's Ditch to Arcadia Marsh
Great Blue Heron - 1 - On dock at marina
Ring-billed Gull - 5
Mallard - 45 - Put up off marsh, 6 in oxbow.
Black Duck - 5
Canada Goose - 43 A few flocks in the distance flying
Cooper's Hawk - 1 - Flew over fields
Bald Eagle - 1 ad. - Perched in tree in Ned's Ditch. Later seen flying along tree line (might have been a 2nd bird)
Northern Harrier - 1 imm.
Kestrel - 2
Mourning Dove - 5
Rock Dove - 1
Starling - 65+ - many on wires of Pynchon Meadow Road
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Flicker - 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
Eastern Phoebe - 12 - Seen throughout area
Eastern Bluebird - 10+ - On wires.
Robin - 10
Carolina Wren - 1 - heard at beginning of walk
White-breasted Nuthatch - 3
Tufted Titmouse - 5
Crow - 75 - Mobbing something in Ned's Ditch
Bluejay - 10
Grackle - 32 a few flocks overhead
Palm Warbler - 2
Field Sparrow - 1
Song Sparrow - 15
Swamp Sparrow - 5
Savannah Sparrow - 10
White-crowned Sparrow - 2
White-throated sparrow - 40
Junco - 10
Red-winged Blackbird - 5
Northern Cardinal - 2
Goldfinch - 3
House Finch - 10

This census was initially scheduled as a one-day event. The participants scouted out areas on Saturday - some of these number were included in the census if the location was not visited again on Sunday. A bufflehead was observed on November 8 at Willard's Pond.

10 species of waterfowl were observed in 25 different locations, all within the city limits of Northampton.
The Connecticut River was particularly barren of waterfowl - only a few mallards and a pied-billed grebe were seen in it. Since this is the first year of conducting this survey we do not have any past data to compare these results to.

Mute Swan (2)
Seen in usual place off Route 5 in Oxbow.

December 15, 2002 Sunday

Participants included: Bob Packard, Bruce Hart, Ilene Goldstein, Bill Packard, Stefan Rayer, Heather McQueen, and Chris Gentes.

We observed 39 species - second highest for Williamsburg. Not bad considering that the major bodies of water were frozen solid. An unidentified duck was heard quacking at one spot. This year we had excellent coverage. Bob, Bruce, and Ilene went owling and took their traditional trek over the mountain, while Chris and Heather went in from Route 9 onto the ridge and golf course. Meanwhile Stefan was at The Whately Wildlife Management Area and Bill Packard checked out North Farms Road. The afternoon was spent searching for birds near the reservoir - this proved to be very productive. Afternoon birds in this area included flicker, turkey, bald eagle, and swamp sparrow.

New species to the area: Bald Eagle (1), Hermit Thrush (1), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) and Swamp Sparrow (2).

New high counts for the area: Red-tailed Hawk (5), Blue Jay (60), Carolina Wren (2), Song Sparrow (5), and American Goldfinch (75).

Here is the complete list:

Bald Eagle 1 - New for Williamsburg
Cooper's Hawk 1
Sharp-shined Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 5 - High count for Williamsburg
Wild Turkey 1
Herring Gull 1
Ring-Billed Gull 1
Gull species 3
Rock Dove 6
Mourning Dove 64
Great-horned Owl 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 8
Hairy Woodpecker 5
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker 1 Only one seen on count - New for Williamsburg
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay 60 - High count for Williamsburg
American Crow 52
Black-Capped Chickadee 84 - Highest on count
Tufted Titmouse 11
Red-Breasted Nuthatch 2 - Tied for highest on count
White-Breasted Nuthatch 19 - Tied for high count for Williamsburg
Golden-Crowned Kinglet 6
Carolina Wren 2 - High count for Williamsburg
Eastern Bluebird 17
American Robin 1 - Low numbers on Count
Hermit Thrush 1 - New for Williamsburg
Northern Mockingbird 2
Cedar Waxwing 22
Eastern Starling 215 - High count for Williamsburg
Northern Cardinal 12
American Tree Sparrow 28
Song Sparrow 5 - High count for Williamsburg
Swamp Sparrow 2 - New for Williamsburg
White-throated Sparrow 12
Dark-Eyed Junco 58
House Finch 16
American Goldfinch 75 - High count for Williamsburg
House Sparrow 12

Total # of birds 819

Red Squirrel-2
Gray Squirrel-1
Chipmunk-2 - High count for Williamsburg
mouse-1
Cottontail-1
Whitetail-3
Mink-1- New for Williamsburg
Total-7 species-new high!