Category: Bird

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/23 Observation Time: 8:20 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Northern Parula Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga americana Comments: Northern parula warblers pass through Sharon in late April and early May on their northward migration. They are typically seen high in the trees, so it helps to look for them at the end of April and the […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/23 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Palm Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga palmarum Comments: Palm warblers pass through Sharon in late April and early May on their northward migration. They sometimes mingle with other species of warblers. This one was in the company of a northern parula warbler and a black-and-white warbler. You can […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/23 Observation Time: 6:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Brown-headed Cowbird (male) Scientific Name: Molothrus ater Comments: Brown-headed Cowbirds parasitize other bird species. Female Cowbirds forgo building nests and instead lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, abandoning their young to foster parents, usually at the expense of at least some of the […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/6/23 Observation Time: 7:50 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Yellow-rumped Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga coronata Comments: The western sub-species of yellow-rumped warbler has a bright yellow throat. The eastern sub-species, also known as a myrtle warbler, has a white throat. I photographed this individual in one of the huge sugar maples near the barn on the Billings Loop […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/5/23 Observation Time: 12:35 pm Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blue-gray gnatcatcher Scientific Name: Polioptila caerulea Comments: The blue-gray gnatcatcher is the northernmost-occurring species of gnatcatcher, and the only truly migratory one. Most members of its genus are resident in Central and South America. The nesting range of blue-gray gnatcatchers has been shifting northward since the early twentieth […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/5/23 Observation Time: 7:25 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Northern Waterthrush Scientific Name: Parkesia noveboracensis Comments: The northern waterthrush is actually a type of warbler. It looks a lot like an ovenbird, which is also a warbler. This one was seen along the boardwalk through the wetlands at Moose Hill. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/5/20 Observation Time: 7:05 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Black-and-white warbler Scientific Name: Mniotilta varia Comments: Black and white warblers make a high-pitched squeaking sound like a turning wheel that needs to be oiled. They are most often found scurrying up and down tree trunks and branches looking under the bark for insect larvae. More Information: All […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/5/23 Observation Time: 6:50 am Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Tree Swallow Scientific Name: Tachycineta bicolor Comments: Tree swallows compete with bluebirds for nesting boxes. This pair was sitting on the post of a nesting box. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/4/23 Observation Time: 7:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Scarlet Tanager Scientific Name: Piranga olivacea Comments: Scarlet tanagers often play host to eggs of the brown-headed cowbird, particularly where the forest habitat has been fragmented. When a pair of tanagers notices a female cowbird approaching, they aggressively drive her away. If they don’t notice, the cowbird gets […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/23 Observation Time: 11:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Hermit Thrush Scientific Name: Catharus guttatus Comments: This one was singing near a trail in the woods. I was able to identify its song before I saw it. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/23 Observation Time: 9:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Brown Creeper Scientific Name: Certhia americana Comments: Brown creepers are tiny woodland birds with an affinity for the biggest trees they can find. Look for these little, long-tailed scraps of brown and white spiraling up stout trunks and main branches. Their curved claws allow them to creep up […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/23 Observation Time: 8:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Brown-headed Cowbird Scientific Name: Molothrus ater Comments: Brown-headed Cowbirds parasitize other bird species. Female Cowbirds forgo building nests and instead lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, abandoning their young to foster parents, usually at the expense of at least some of the host’s […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/23 Observation Time: 7:40 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Chipping Sparrow Scientific Name: Spizella passerina Comments: Chipping sparrows are very common in Sharon. They have a distinctive reddish cap above a white eyeline. Their song is described as a reedy trill that sounds a lot like the songs of the pine warbler and the junco. More Information: […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/27/23 Observation Time: 3:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: American Kestrel (a.k.a. sparrow hawk) Scientific Name: Falco sparverius Comments: This kestrel (a.k.a sparrow hawk) was in a tree by the big cow pasture. It flew down and disappeared in the grass. I think it might have caught a mouse. Then it flew off. Kestrels are the […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/27/23 Observation Time: 6:45 am Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Ruby-crowned Kinglet Scientific Name: Corthylio calendula Comments: Ruby-crowned kinglets are tiny – even smaller than chickadees. They migrate through Sharon in spring en route to nesting areas in northern New England and Canada. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/26/23 Observation Time: 6:25 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (boardwalk) Common Name: Swamp Sparrow Scientific Name: Melospiza georgiana Comments: The Swamp Sparrow has longer legs than other sparrows, which allows it to wade in shallow water to forage. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/26/23 Observation Time: 6:00 am Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blue-gray gnatcatcher Scientific Name: Polioptila caerulea Comments: The blue-gray gnatcatcher is the northernmost-occurring species of gnatcatcher, and the only truly migratory one. Most members of its genus are resident in Central and South America. The nesting range of blue-gray gnatcatchers has been shifting northward since the early twentieth […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/25/23 Observation Time: 1:15 pm Observation Location: Gavins Pond Rd (my back yard) 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: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/25/23 Observation Time: 8:51 am Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Tree Swallow Scientific Name: Tachycineta bicolor Comments: Tree swallows compete with bluebirds for nesting boxes. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/25/23 Observation Time: 8:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Pine Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga pinus Comments: Pine warblers are typically found in pine groves. Many warbler species migrate through Sharon in May on their way to nesting areas farther north, but pine warblers nest here in Sharon, and can be found here all summer. Although they typically […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/3/20 Observation Time: 6:51 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (Billings Loop) Common Name: Palm Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga palmarum Comments: Palm warblers pass through Sharon in late April and early May on their northward migration. They sometimes mingle with other species of warblers. You can monitor the bird migration in spring by keeping an eye on the live […]

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 1/4/23 Observation Time: 3:15 Observation Location: Massapoag Ave, near Massapoag Lane, in a tree on edge of lake Common Name: Bald Eagle Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus Comments: This is a juvenile, between 3-4 years of age. Bald eagles can live a long time. The oldest recorded bird in the wild was at least 38 years old when it was hit and killed […]

Observer: Vin Zollo Observation Date: 10/16/22 Observation Time: nighttime Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Center Common Name: Northern Saw-whet Owl Scientific Name: Aegolius acadicus Comments: This bird was captured as part of a banding program to learn more about this common owl, which is seldom seen because it is nocturnal. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 6/14/22 Observation Time: morning Observation Location: In tree along edge of lake, Massapoag Ave near Potter Avenue Common Name: Bald Eagle Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus Comments: Bald eagles can live a long time. The oldest recorded bird in the wild was at least 38 years old when it was hit and killed by a car in New York in 2015. It […]

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 6/4/22 Observation Time: 7:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Sanctuary, in tree on edge of meadow, near Billings Barn. Common Name: Yellow-throated vireo Scientific Name: Vireo flavifrons Comments: Not only does this bird have a bright yellow throat, it looks as if it’s wearing bright yellow spectacles. While the Yellow-throated Vireo is associated with forest edge habitat, it actually requires […]