Sightings – Sharon Friends of Conservation

Catalpa Tree – 6/22/25

Observer: Kathy Farrell Observation Date: 6/22/25 Observation Time: 12:15 p.m. Observation Location: Off Bay Road Common name: Catalpa tree Scientific Name: Catalpa speciosa Comments: Beautiful catalpa tree flowers, remind me of foxglove. Wonderfully fragrant. Almost same date as last posted SFOC sighting (6/25/16). More Information: Arbor Day Foundation

Tall Meadow Rue – 6/21/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/25 Observation Time: 5:11 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Tall Meadow Rue Scientific Name: Thalictrum pubescens Comments: Meadow rue flowers have no petals; the conspicuous part of the flower is the white filaments of the stamens. More Information: Connecticut Botanical Society

Common Mugwort – 6/21/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/25 Observation Time: 5:10 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Common Mugwort Scientific Name: Artemesia vulgaris Comments: Common mugwort is used as a culinary herb and medicinally throughout the world. More Information: Botanical.com and Wikipedia

Eastern Bluebird – 6/21/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/25 Observation Time: 5:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Eastern Bluebird Scientific Name: Sialia sialis Comments: This male bluebird perched on a fence post by the road through the big pastures. More Information: All About Birds

Eastern Wood-Pewee – 6/21/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/25 Observation Time: 4:40 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Eastern Wood-Pewee Scientific Name: Contopus virens Comments: The unmistakable song of the wood-pewee (“pee-a-wee”) sounds like its name. It’s a member of the flycatcher family that is typically found in or near forested areas. I heard and then saw this one in the woods. You can find […]

Hay-scented Fern – 6/21/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/25 Observation Time: 4:30 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Hay-scented Fern Scientific Name: Dennstaedtia punctilobula Comments: Hay-scented fern is very common in Sharon’s woods. It is often found growing in large colonies, forming a green carpet on the forest floor. It can be identified by its lacy, light-green fronds. It can be confused with New York fern, […]

Interrupted Fern – 6/21/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/25 Observation Time: 4:25 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Interrupted fern Scientific Name: Osmunda claytonia Comments: The species name (claytoniana) is a tribute to John Clayton, an 18th century botanist and one of the earliest collectors of plant specimens in what later became the Commonwealth of Virginia. The common name (Interrupted Fern) is a reference to […]

Indigo Bunting – 6/21/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/25 Observation Time: 4:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) under the power lines Common Name: Indigo Bunting Scientific Name: Passerina cyanea Comments: Indigo buntings are actually black; the diffraction of light through their feathers makes them look blue. This explains why males can appear as various hues from turquoise to black. Indigo buntings are more common now than […]

Prairie Warbler – 6/21/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/25 Observation Time: 3:50 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Prairie Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga discolor Comments: Prairie warblers are found in scrubby fields and forest edges throughout the eastern and south-central United States. Unlike many other warblers that migrate through Sharon in spring and fall, prairie warblers nest in Sharon and stay around all summer. You can […]

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly – 6/21/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/25 Observation Time: 2:40 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (T.T.O.R.) Common Name: Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly Scientific Name: Papilio troilus Comments: I saw this spicebush swallowtail butterfly in a patch of flowering milkweed at Moose Hill Farm. Spicebush swallowtail butterflies are similar to black swallowtail butterflies. Spicebush swallowtails have a marking that looks like a comet among the row of […]

Great Blue Heron – 6/15/25

Observer: Judy Karlin Observation Date: 6/15/25 Observation Time: 1:10 p.m. Observation Location: Mattakesett Circle Common Name: Great Blue Heron Scientific Name: Ardea herodias Comments: I sighted this heron in my front yard. What a surprise! Adult great blue herons weigh about 5 lbs. They weigh more than great horned owls, which weigh about 3 lbs., but they are not the largest bird found in Sharon. […]

Black and White Warbler – 5/18/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/18/25 Observation Time: 10:15 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. The parallel stripes […]

Cedar Waxwing – 5/18/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/18/25 Observation Time: 8:40 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Cedar Waxwing Scientific Name: Bombycilla cedrorum Comments: These striking birds are typically seen in groups. Their tails look as if they were dipped in yellow paint. More Information: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing/id

Red-breasted nuthatch 5/17/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/17/25 Observation Time: 11:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Red-breasted Nuthatch Scientific Name: Sitta canadensis Comments: The Red-breasted Nuthatch collects resin globules from coniferous trees and plasters them around the entrance of its nest hole. It may carry the resin in its bill or on pieces of bark that it uses as an applicator. The […]

Red-eyed vireo – 5/17/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/17/25 Observation Time: 9:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Red-eyed Vireo Scientific Name: Vireo olivaceus Comments: Red-eyed vireos are a common summer resident in Sharon. They sing all day long. Since they are notoriously hard to spot in the canopy, the mnemonic for their song is, “Here I am. Where are you?” Hear a recording at: […]

Northern Cardinal – 5/17/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/17/25 Observation Time: 8:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Northern Cardinal Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis Comments: One of the most common birds in Sharon, cardinals have a whistle-like voice, and sing strongly. Learn to recognize their various vocalizations at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_cardinal/sound Cardinals typically travel in pairs. The male is bright red and the female is mostly tan.

Blue-winged Warbler – 5/17/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/17/25 Observation Time: 8:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blue-winged warbler Scientific Name: Vermivora cyanoptera Comments: The blue-winged warbler’s song sounds like, “bee-buzz.” Note its distinctive black eye line. More Information: All About Birds

Dame’s Rocket – 5/17/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/17/25 Observation Time: 6:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Dame’s Rocket Scientific Name: Hesperis matronalis Comments: Dame’s rocket is a tall, short-lived perennial, which produces white, pink or purple flowers in the spring. Known for its colorful and fragrant blooms, the plant has been a traditional garden favorite. However, in recent years, Dame’s rocket has gone […]

Bobolink – 5/15/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/15/25 Observation Time: 3:15 p.m. Observation Location: The TrustMoose Hill Farm (formerly the Kendall Estate) Common Name: Bobolink Scientific Name: Dolichonyx oryzivorus Comments: The big pasture at the Trustees of Reservations’ Moose Hill Farm is ideal breeding habitat for bobolinks. Meadow habitat is not nearly as prevalent in Massachusetts since industry replaced agriculture, and forests grew back in former pasture lands. More […]

Bird’s Foot Violet – 5/14/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/14/25 Observation Time: 4:30 p.m. Observation Location: under power lines across the street from Ward’s Berry Farm Common Name: Bird’s Foot Violet Scientific Name: Viola pedata Comments: Bird’s foot violets are perennials with five-petaled flowers that bloom from March to June. The flowers are typically blue, but can range from white to purple. They spread by sending out rhizomes. The […]

Prairie Warbler – 5/14/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/14/25 Observation Time: 4:00 p.m. Observation Location: Under the power lines across the street from Ward’s Berry Farm Common Name: Prairie Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga discolor Comments: Prairie warblers are found in scrubby fields and forest edges throughout the eastern and south-central United States. Unlike many other warblers that migrate through Sharon in spring and fall, prairie warblers nest in Sharon […]

White Bog Violet – 5/14/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/14/25 Observation Time: 3:30 p.m. Observation Location: under power lines across the street from Ward’s Berry Farm Common Name: White Bog Violet Scientific Name: Viola lanceolata Comments: Viola lanceolata can be found growing in bogs, swamps, wet meadows and along shores in sandy soil. It is a perennial plant that blooms between May and June. More Information: Wikipedia

Yellow Woodsorrel – 5/14/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/14/25 Observation Time: 3:30 p.m. Observation Location: 4 Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Yellow Woodsorrel Scientific Name: Oxalis stricta Comments: All parts of the plant are edible,[5] with a distinct tangy flavor (common to all plants in the genus Oxalis). The leaves taste mild, with a similar taste to lemons. Lemon clover is often eaten while hiking or camping. However, […]

Starflower – 5/14/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/14/25 Observation Time: 10:55 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Starflower Scientific Name: Lysimachia borealis Comments: Formerly known as Trientalis borealis, it has been shuffled around to new species name Lysimachia borealis (same genus as the yellow Loosestrifes) and moved to the Myrsinaceae (Myrsine) family. This member of the primrose family likes moist woods. It blooms in […]

Veery – 5/14/25

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/14/25 Observation Time: 6:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (Billings Loop) Common Name: Veery Scientific Name: Catharus fuscescens Comments: Check out the veery’s ethereal song at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK1gaTqBRRk More Information: All About Birds

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