Category: Animal

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

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 8/21/12 Observation Time: 5:30 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Common Name: Great Egret Scientific Name: Ardea alba Comments: The great egret, symbol of the National Audubon Society, is almost as big as a great blue heron, but it is pure white. The legs are black and the beak is yellow. They summer in North America, where they nest, and winter in Central and […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/26/10 Observation Time: 3:10 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Great Blue Heron Rookery Scientific Name: Ardea herodias Comments: Comments: The great blue heron nest shown in the photos below was part of a rookery consisting of many heron nests clustered in a pine grove. While walking in the woods on a summer afternoon, we heard […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/26/10 Observation Time: 5:15 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Common Name: Great Blue Heron Scientific Name: Ardea herodias Comments: Great blue herons primarily feed on small fish, but they are opportunistic feeders and will eat whatever comes within striking distance. They occasionally snack on shrimp, crabs, small mammals, amphibians, small birds, rodents, and insects. More Information: All About Birds