Category: Bird

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 10/31/12 Observation Time: 1:00 p.m. Observation Location: Wolomolopoag Pond Common Name: Ross’s Goose Scientific Name: Chen rossii Comments: Tight crop, some light dodging and burning to allow black tail to be seen a little better against the background. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 11/12/12 Observation Time: 5:05 p.m. Observation Location: Wolomolopoag Pond Common Name: Ross’s Goose Scientific Name: Chen rossii Comments: The Ross’s goose resembles a snow goose, but smaller, and with a shorter neck. It is snow white with black wing tips. This individual was seen among dozens of Canada geese on their way south for the winter, and attracted a number of bird watchers […]

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 6/25/11 Observation Time: 1:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Rose-breasted Grosbeak Scientific Name: Pheucticus ludovicianus Comments: A female just after a bath. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 6/25/11 Observation Time: 1:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Purple Finch Scientific Name: Carpodacus purpureus Comments: Probably decreased in Northeast in late 19th century after introduction of House Sparrow. In recent decades has declined further in that area, possibly owing to competition with House Finch. More Information: audubon.org or All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 10/9/14 Observation Time: 4:00 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond soccer field Common Name: Eastern Bluebird Scientific Name: Sialia Sialis Comments: This bluebird was still hanging around Sharon in October. Bluebirds actually overwinter in Sharon, feeding on seeds. On cold nights they huddle in groups inside nesting boxes to keep warm. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/14/14 Observation Time: 2:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Phoebe Scientific Name: Sayornis phoebe Comments: The song of the Phoebe sounds like its name. You can find and play bird songs online. The more bird calls you memorize, the more bird species you will be able to identify in the field, where the birds themselves are often concealed […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 8/1/10 Observation Time: 7:50 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Road soccer field Common Name: Phoebe Scientific Name: Sayornis phoebe Comments: Phoebes are flycatchers. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 10/11/09 Observation Time: 4:20 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Common Name: Northern Shoveler duck Scientific Name: Anas clypeata Comments: This duck gets its name from its large bill. More Information: All About Birds.org

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 1/20/10 Observation Time: 3:55 p.m. Observation Location: on the ice at Knifeshop Pond, Ames Street Common Name: Muscovy Duck Scientific Name: Cairina moschata Comments: The Muscovy Duck is a large duck native to Mexico and Central and South America. A small wild population reaches into the United States in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. There also are feral breeding […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 9/28/14 Observation Time: 4:50 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Common Name: Wood Duck Scientific Name: Aix sponsa Comments: Wood ducks are often seen in Gavins Pond in the fall. They are quite shy, so getting close enough to get a good photo of these spectacular ducks is a challenge. Note that the female has drab plummage compared to the gaudy drake. More […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/2/11 Observation Time: 4:50 p.m. Observation Location: near Gavins Pond Common Name: Northern mockingbird Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos Comments: As both the common name and the scientific name suggest, the northern mockingbird mimics other birds and other sounds in its environment. If you are familiar with bird songs, you can sometimes get clues about what other bird species might be around by listening to […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/6/10 Observation Time: 4:15 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Common Name: Northern mockingbird Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos Comments: Mockingbirds repeat whatever they are mocking 3 or 4 times. That differentiates them from the other two mimics found in Sharon, brown thrashers (that repeat twice), and catbirds (that repeat only once). More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 1/20/10 Observation Time: 3:55 p.m. Observation Location: Knifeshop Pond, Ames Street Common Name: Mallard Scientific Name: Anas platyrhynchos Comments: The Mallard is a rare example of both Allen’s Rule and Bergmann’s Rule in birds. Bergmann’s Rule, which states that polar forms tend to be larger than related ones from warmer climates, has numerous examples in birds. Allen’s Rule says that […]

Observer: Liam Waters Observation Date: 5/13/14 Observation Time: 6:50 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Lincoln’s sparrow Scientific Name: Melospiza lincolnii Comments: This unusual sparrow was spotted on a morning walk at Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. These walks take place at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in May. Dawn walks at Moose Hill are memorable experiences due to the diversity of […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/13/13 Observation Time: 6:15 p.m. Observation Location: Field near Gavins Pond Dam Common Name: American Kestrel Scientific Name: Falco sparverius Comments: I was puzzled that five of the six bluebird houses that I checked were empty in mid-April when nesting should have been in full-swing. Then I saw a kestrel (a.k.a sparrow hawk) in a tree by the field. You can tell it’s […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/18/11 Observation Time: 11:25 a.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Common Name: Dark-eyed Junco Scientific Name: Junco hyemalis Comments: Juncos are a type of sparrow commonly seen around Sharon in winter. This individual will soon be heading north for summer. More Information: Cornell Lab of Ornithology “All About Birds”

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 1/1/09 Observation Time: 2:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Parkway Common Name: Dark-eyed Junco Scientific Name: Junco hyemalis Comments: This and the titmouse and wren photos were all taken with a Canon 50D and a Canon 500mm f4 lens from the comfort of my kitchen on Moose Hill Parkway. We have feeders that attract lots of birds who land on a nearby […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/17/13 Observation Time: 4:30 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond area Common Name: House Finch Scientific Name: Setophaga discolor Comments: Male house finches have reddish coloration on their head and breast. Females are brown. Both have a heavy, conical beak for cracking seeds open. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 11/20/07 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Parkway Common Name: Sharp-Shinned Hawk Scientific Name: Accipiter striatus Comments: Male is much smaller than the female. The female is about the size and appearance of a Cooper’s hawk. This web page is helpful for distinguishing between these two species of hawks: https://feederwatch.org/learn/tricky-bird-ids/coopers-hawk-and-sharp-shinned-hawk/ More Information: Cornell Lab of Ornithology “All About Birds”

Observer: Keevin Geller Observation Date: 8/5/13 Observation Time: 5:00 p.m. Observation Location: Saw Mill Pond, Sharon Common Name: Green Heron Scientific Name: Butorides virescens Comments: Green Herons are common breeders in coastal and inland wetlands. They nest along swamps, marshes, lakes, ponds, impoundments, and other wet habitats with trees and shrubs to provide secluded nest sites. They may even nest in dry woods and orchards […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 1/20/10 Observation Time: 4:30 p.m. Observation Location: Ward’s Berry Farm Common Name: Greater White-fronted Goose Scientific Name: Anser albifrons Comments: Note the white at the base of the beak, the mottled breast and the orange legs that differentiate the white-fronted goose from the Canada geese with which it was mingling. More Information: All About Birds: Greater White-fronted Goose

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 12/14/09 Observation Time: 1:50 p.m. Observation Location: Wolomolopoag Pond Common Name: Greater White-fronted Goose Scientific Name: Anser albifrons Comments: White-fronted geese, barnacle geese, and snow geese, which summer in the arctic, depend on Sharon’s open spaces for winter refuge. Catching a glimpse of one is a reminder of the role Sharon’s open spaces play in global ecosystems. Scan flocks of […]

Observer: Will Sweet Observation Date: 2/22/09 Observation Time: 9:30 a.m. Observation Location: Ward’s Fields Common Name: Greater White-fronted Goose Scientific Name: Anser albifrons Comments: The Greater White-fronted Goose I saw was with about 180 Canada Geese. This is at least the second individual this winter. The other one was seen from November to mid December More Information: All About Birds: Greater White-fronted Goose