Sightings – Page 16 – Sharon Friends of Conservation

Eastern Towhee (female) – 5/6/22

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 5/6/22 Observation Time: early morning Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Eastern Towhee (female) Scientific Name: Pipilo erythrophthalmus Comments: A strikingly marked, oversized sparrow of the East More Information: All About Birds

Eastern Towhee (male) – 5/5/22

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 5/5/22 Observation Time: early morning Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Eastern Towhee (male) Scientific Name: Pipilo erythrophthalmus Comments: A strikingly marked, oversized sparrow of the East More Information: All About Birds

Veery – 5/2/22

Observer: Deb Radovsky Observation Date: 5/2/22 Observation Time: early morning Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary boardwalk 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

Great Horned Owl (juvenile) – 4/28/22

Observer: Julia Tavares Observation Date: 4/28/22 Observation Time: 6:30 p.m. Observation Location: Pine Grove Ave. Common Name: Great Horned Owl (juvenile) Scientific Name: Bubo virginianus Comments: We first saw this juvenile Great Horned Owl on our back porch. Then it moved to the front yard. At first we thought it was a snowy owl, but we found out later that it was a juvenile Great […]

Broad-winged Hawk – 4/28/22

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 4/28/22 Observation Time: early evening Observation Location: Moose Hill, near nature center Common Name: Broad-winged hawk Scientific Name: Buteo platypterus Comments: A small, stocky raptor with black-and-white bands on the tail, the Broad-winged Hawk is a bird of the forest interior and can be hard to see during the nesting season. Its call is a piercing, two-parted whistle. One of the […]

Red Trillium – 4/27/22

Observer: Susan Drisko Observation Date: 4/27/2022 Observation Time: 3:25 p.m. Observation Location: Town-owned conservation land near Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Red Trillium Scientific Name: Trillium erectum Comments: Native to eastern North America, the red trillium (Trillium erectum) is found on forest floors. Its components surface in groups of three as pointed triple leaves, giving way to three-petalled flowers. Red trillium is mildly toxic to […]

Green False Hellebore – 4/27/22

Observer: Susan Drisko Observation Date: 4/27/2022 Observation Time: 3:35 p.m. Observation Location: Town-owned conservation land near Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Green False Hellebore Scientific Name: Veratrum viride Comments: Green false hellebore, or giant false-helleborine, is native to eastern and western (but not central) North America. It is extremely toxic, and is considered a pest plant by farmers with livestock. The species has acquired a large number […]

Marsh Marigold – 4/27/2022

Observer: Susan Drisko Observation Date: 4/27/2022 Observation Time: 1:45 p.m. Observation Location: headwaters of Beaver Brook Common Name: Marsh Marigold Scientific Name: Caltha palustris Comments: Caltha palustris, known as marsh-marigold and kingcup, is a small to medium size perennialherbaceousplant of the buttercup family, native to marshes, fens, ditches and wet woodlands in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It typically flowers between April and August. More […]

Flying Squirrel – 4/4/22

Observer: Richard Kramer Observation Date: 4/4/22 Observation Time: 9:22 p.m. Observation Location: Beach St. Common Name: Northern flying squirrel Scientific Name: Glaucomys sabrinus Comments: Click the link below to see a very short (but very cool!) video of a flying squirrel taking flight from a flying squirrel nesting box installed by Kurt Buermann and Richard Kramer. They also installed a video camera to see and record flying squirrel […]

Yellow-Spotted Salamander – 3/13/22

Observer: Bruce Lewis Observation Date: 3/13/22 Observation Time: 4:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill St. near TTOR’s Moose Hill Farm Common Name: Yellow Spotted Salamander Scientific Name: Ambystoma maculatum Comments: It’s generally best not to handle amphibians, so I left it alone. Salamanders typically do not emerge until “Big Night” – the first rainy night after the snow melts in late March. This specimen was crawling around while it was snowing. More […]

Fisher – 2/27/22

Observer: Faith Berkland Observation Date: 2/27/22 Observation Time: 5:30 pm Observation Location: 302 Mansfield St., Sharon Common Name: Fisher Scientific Name: Pekania pennanti Comments: I was on phone with daughter looking into the woods in my back yard. It ran to the left about 10 feet then back to the right then to the left again. We have a huge woodpile and a drainage ditch out there. […]

Bobcat tracks – 2/26/22

Observer: Richard Kramer Observation Date: 2/26/22 Observation Time: 3:00 pm Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon WIldlife Sanctuary Common Name: Bobcat Scientific Name: Lynx rufus Comments: Here’s a link to compare cougar, coyote and bobcat tracks: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79135_79218_79619_84911-146656–,00.html More Information: Wikipedia

Yellow Spotted Salamander – 2/17/22

Observer: Faith Berkland Observation Date: 2/17/22 Observation Time: 4:20 p.m. Observation Location: 359 Mansfield Street, Sharon Common Name: Yellow Spotted Salamander Scientific Name: Ambystoma maculatum Comments: Although it’s generally best not to handle amphibians, it was on the street so I picked it up and put it under some leaves across the street before a car came. Unfortunately I did not get a photo. Salamanders typically do not emerge until “Big Night” […]

Eastern Bluebird – 2/14/22

Observer: Steven Woolner Observation Date: 2/14/22 Observation Time: 2:00 p.m. Observation Location: Osprey Road Common Name: Eastern Bluebird Scientific Name: Sialia sialis Comments: Delighted to see Bluebirds at my feeder for the first time in 25+ years! I use Lyric Waste Free feed. They have also been visiting my birdbath 20 feet away, which luckily had water instead of ice, due to the recent warm spell. […]

Fisher – 1/23/22

Observer: Deborah Gilden Observation Date: 1/23/22 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Manns Pond & Billings St. Common Name: Fisher Scientific Name: Pekania pennanti Comments: Fishers are sometimes referred to as fisher cats, but they do not fish and they are not cats. They are the second largest member of the weasel family in Massachusetts. Among members of the weasel family found in Massachusetts, only otters grow larger. […]

Peregrine Falcon – 12/11/21

Observer: Colin Barbera Observation Date: 12/11/21 Observation Time: afternoon Observation Location: Tolman St. Common Name: Peregrine falcon Scientific Name: Falco peregrinus Comments: “Powerful and fast-flying, the Peregrine Falcon hunts medium-sized birds, dropping down on them from high above in a spectacular stoop. They were virtually eradicated from eastern North America by pesticide poisoning in the middle 20th century. After significant recovery efforts, Peregrine Falcons have made […]

Red Fox – 11/30/21

Observer: Deborah Radovsky Observation Date: 11/30/21 Observation time: 3:45 a.m. Observation Location: Rock Ridge Cemetery Common Name: Red fox Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpes Comments: Red foxes and gray foxes have both been sighted in Sharon. They are only distant cousins, belonging to different genera in the family Canidae. Gray foxes can climb trees but red foxes cannot. More Information: National Wildlife Federation

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug – 11/11/21

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 11/11/21 Observation Time: 2:10 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Rd. (my back yard) Common Name: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (adult) Scientific Name: Halyomorpha Halys Comments: Stink bugs molt several times before reaching maturity. Each phase is referred to as an instar. More Information: Featured Creatures

Bear’s Head Tooth Fungus – 10/6/21

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 10/6/21 Observation Time: 3:00 p.m. Observation Location: Near the footbridge over Beaver Brook near the outbound train station Common Name: Bear’s Head Tooth Fungus (a.k.a. Lion’s Mane or Comb Tooth) Scientific Name: Hericium americanum Comments: While driving very slowly along the dirt road from the outbound train station parking lot to the footbridge over Beaver Brook, I almost drove past this […]

Flying Squirrel – 9/7/21

Observer: Richard Kramer Observation Date: 9/17/21 Observation Time: 10:00 p.m. Observation Location: Beach St. Common Name: Northern flying squirrel Scientific Name: Glaucomys sabrinus Comments: Both northern and southern flying squirrels are found in Massachusetts. Northern flying squirrels are larger than southern flying squirrels. Note the long tails in the photo. Flying squirrels don’t actually fly like a bird. They glide. Long tails help flying squirrels steer themselves when […]

White Perch – 8/16/21

Observer: Steven D’Addieco Observation Date: 8/15/21 Observation Time: 8:30 p.m. Observation Location: Lake Massapoag Common Name: White Perch Scientific Name: Morone Americana Comments: There are lots of white perch in Lake Massapoag. White perch are good to eat. White perch are not a true perch but, rather, belong to the bass family, Moronidae. More Information: Wikipedia

Spotted Lanternfly – 8/7/21

Observer: John Baur Observation Date: 8/7/21 Observation Time: 10:09 p.m. Observation Location: Old Wolomolopoag Street Common Name: Spotted Lanternfly Scientific Name: Lycorma delicatula Comments: I photographed a Spotted Lanternfly at my garage. I submitted it to iNaturalist. You can see the photo here:https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90398980. I also reported this invasive pest species to the state. The Spotted Lanternflyis native to China and was first detected in Pennsylvania […]

Wild Turkey – 7/14/21

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 7/14/21 Observation Time: 2:45 p.m. Observation Location: my back yard (4 Gavins Pond Rd.) Common Name: Wild Turkey Scientific Name: Meleagris gallopavo Comments: I photographed this hen and her chicks out my bedroom window. More Information: All About Birds

Grapevine Beetle – 7/10/21

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 7/10/21 Observation Time: 12:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Grapevine Beetle (a.k.a Spotted June Beetle) Scientific Name: Pelidnota punctata Comments: This is a large and beautiful beetle in the Scarab family. Its dark legs indicate this is a northern variety of this beetle. More Information: Wikipedia 12

House wren – 7/6/21

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 7-6-21 Observation Time: 12:50 p.m. Observation Location: 4 Gavins Pond Rd. 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. This year a pair of house wrens raised their chicks in a bird house we placed on the back deck. We watched […]

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