Category: Sightings

Observer: Daniel O’Brien Observation Date: 5/20/23 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Brewster’s Warbler (hybrid) Scientific Name: Vermivora chrysoptera x cyanoptera  Comments: Brewster’s warblers are actually a hybrid between golden-winged warblers and blue-winged warblers. These two species are 99.7% alike genetically. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Daniel O’Brien Observation Date: 5/20/23 Observation Time: 8:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Tennessee Warbler Scientific Name: Leiothlypis peregrina Comments: This warbler was spotted in a tree near the giant sugar maples known as George & Martha. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/18/23 Observation Time: 2:40 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (intersection of Deer and Kettle trails) 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

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/18/23 Observation Time: 2:30 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (Field Loop) Common Name: House Wren Scientific Name: Troglodytes aedon Comments: House wrens often fill bluebird nesting boxes chock full of twigs, presumably to prevent other birds from nesting in their territory. More Information: All About Birds.org

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/18/23 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Scarlet Tanager (female) Scientific Name: Piranga olivacea Comments: Scarlet tanagers are common in Sharon, but few people see these brilliantly colored birds because they live in the woods where they are concealed by foliage. If you learn their song, which sounds like a robin with a sore throat, you […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/18/23 Observation Time: 8:40 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Canada Warbler Scientific Name: Cardellina canadensis Comments: Canada Warblers migrate through Sharon in mid-May. They have a distinctive black collar and a white eye-ring. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/18/23 Observation Time: 6::25 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blackburnian Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga fusca Comments: These gorgeous warblers overwinter in South America. They tend to flit about high in tall trees, making them a challenge to photograph. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/18/23 Observation Time: 6:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Eastern Bluebird Scientific Name: Sialia sialis Comments: In 1972, DDT was banned (note that bluebirds eat insects), and in 1973, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act. Bluebirds were listed as a Species of Special Concern in several states. In 1973, the Camp Fire Girls began Project Save […]

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/17/23 Observation Time: 12:30 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Parkway Common Name: Ruby-throated Hummingbird Scientific Name: Archilochus colubris Comments: The throat of the hummingbird in the photo looks black, but when it catches the sunlight it flashes bright red. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only species of hummingbird commonly seen in New England. They overwinter in Costa Rica. When they migrate […]

Observer: Will Sweet Observation Date: 5/17/23 Observation Time: 10:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Hooded Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga citrina Comments: Hooded warblers are typically not found in Massachusetts. The northern extent of their range is reportedly southern Connecticut and Rhode Island. See: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Warbler/maps-range It will be interesting to see if this sighting is a harbinger of a northward shift in […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/17/23 Observation Time: 8:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Pileated Woodpecker Scientific Name: Dryocopus pileatus Comments: I heard this magnificent, large, red-crested woodpecker before I saw it near a dead tree where it had hollowed out a nesting cavity. I watched and photographed it as it made its way to the nest, went in, and then […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/16/23 Observation Time: 9:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary 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. You can find and play bird songs online. The more bird calls […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/16/23 Observation Time: 9:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary 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

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/16/23 Observation Time:  8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: White-throated Sparrow Scientific Name: Zonotrichia albicollis Comments: This sparrow passes through Sharon in spring on its way to Canada. Its distinctive song sounds like, “Oh, say, Canada Canada Canada.” More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/16/23 Observation Time: 7:50 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Tufted Titmouse Scientific Name: Baeolophus bicolor Comments: Tufted titmice are abundant in the woods in Sharon. They are often encountered in the company of chickadees. This one had caught a caterpillar. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5-16-23 Observation Time: 7:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Brown-headed Cowbird (fledgling) 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 […]