Sightings – Page 2 – Sharon Friends of Conservation

Black Bear – 6/5/24

Observer: Steven Kraus Observation Date: 6/5/24 Observation Time: 4:00 a.m. Observation Location: Arboro Dr. Common Name: American Black Bear Scientific Name: Ursus Americanus Comments: Multiple black bear sightings have been reported in Sharon over the past few years. It could be the same individual. Black bears are not normally aggressive unless their cubs are threatened, but they can run considerably faster than an Olympic sprinter and […]

Spicebush Swallowtail – 6/4/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/4/24 Observation Time: 1:00 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 feeding on a flowering beauty bush beside the driveway leading into Moose Hill Farm. Spicebush swallowtail butterflies are similar to black swallowtail butterflies. Spicebush swallowtails have a marking that looks like a comet […]

Indigo Bunting – 6/4/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/24/24 Observation Time: 11:50 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon WIldlife Sanctuary 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 when the pilgrims first […]

Carolina Allspice – 6/4/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/4/24 Observation Time: 9:05 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Carolina Allspice Scientific Name: Calycanthus floridus Comments: Also known as Carolina Sweetshrub, this plant deserves its name. The blossoms are fragrant and the leaves are aromatic when bruised. More Information: Wikipedia and North Carolina Native Plant Society

Acadian Flycatcher – 6/2/24

Observer: Barry Dulong Observation Date: 6/2/24 Observation Time: 10:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Acadian flycatcher Scientific Name: Empidonax virescens Comments: Picked up call on Merlin. Easy to spot chasing flying insects. More Information: All About Birds (The attached photo comes from the internet)

Norway Maple tree – 5/29/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/29/24 Observation Time: 12:20 p.m. Observation Location: High Street, Sharon Common Name: Norway Maple tree Scientific Name: Acer Platanoides Comments: The Norway maple is native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia, from France east to Russia, north to southern Scandinavia and southeast to northern Iran. It was brought to North America in the mid-1700s as a shade tree. It […]

Eastern Hemlock tree – 5/29/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/29/24 Observation Time: 12:15 p.m. Observation Location: High Street, Sharon Common Name: Eastern Hemlock tree Scientific Name: Tsuga canadensis Comments: Hemlocks are currently threatened by the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), a sap-sucking bug introduced from East Asia to the United States in 1924, and first found in the native range of eastern hemlock in the late 1960s. The adelgid has spread very […]

Black Raspberry – 5/29/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/29/24 Observation Time: 11:35 a.m. Observation Location: Sharon Historical Society, High Street, Sharon Common Name: Black Raspberry Scientific Name: Rubus occidentalis Comments: The black raspberry is related to the red raspberry Rubus idaeus and Rubus strigosus, sharing the white underside of leaves, and fruit that readily detaches from the carpel. Black raspberry grows in disturbed areas and in meadows, often near streams […]

Black Locust tree – 5/29/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/29/24 Observation Time: 11:00 a.m. Observation Location: High Street, Sharon Common Name: Black Locust tree Scientific Name: Robinia pseudocacia Comments: The blossoms of black locust trees are edible, but beware of the thorns. More Information: The Foraged Foodie

Mulberry tree – 5/29/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/29/24 Observation Time: 10:40 a.m. Observation Location: High Street, Sharon Common Name: Mulberry tree Scientific Name: Morus (family) Comments: Mulberry is a tree belonging to the Moraceae family (also including the fig, jackfruit, and other fruits). Generally, the genus has 64 subordinate taxa, three of which are well-known and are ostensibly named for the fruit color of the best-known cultivar: […]

Dogwood – 5/27/24

Observer: Deborah Gilden Observation Date: 5/27/24 Observation Time: late afternooon Observation Location: Deborah Sampson and Billings corner “In memory of John Lowden…” Common Name: Dogwood Scientific Name: Cornus (genus) Comments: Cornus is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods or cornels, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. More Information: […]

Red-tailed Hawk – 5/23/24

Observer: Bruce Lewis Observation Date: 5/23/24 Observation Time: N/A Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Billings Loop Common Name: Red-tailed Hawk Scientific Name: Buteo jamaicensis Comments: Mammals make up the bulk of most red-tailed hawk meals. Frequent victims include voles, mice, wood rats, rabbits, snowshoe hares, jackrabbits, and ground squirrels. The hawks also eat birds, including pheasants, bobwhite, starlings, and blackbirds; as well as snakes […]

Eastern Box Turtle – 5/22/24

Observer: David Dearborn Observation Date: 5/22/24 Observation Time: 9:35 a.m. Observation Location: 104 Mountain St. Common Name: Eastern Box Turtle Scientific Name: Terrapene carolina Comments: Spotted this Eastern Box Turtle checking out our cellar window this morning. The little guy was moving pretty quickly, it seemed, for a turtle, walking towards our back yard, headed who knows where but in the direction of Sucker Brook which […]

Common Yellowthroat – 5/9/24

Observer: Joe Blansfield Observation Date: 5/9/24 Observation Time: 12:30 p.m. Observation Location: Bay Road, Sharon (on the deck) Common Name: Common Yellowthroat Scientific Name: Geoothlypis trichas Comments: This guy crashed into my sliding glass door as I was reading the paper. He was temporarily stunned, but he recovered and went on his merry way! Common yellowthroats are typically found in or near wetlands. They are a type […]

Gray Fox – 5/7/24

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/7/24 Observation Time: 1:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Parkway Common Name: Gray Fox Scientific Name: Urocyon cinereoargenteus Comments: One of two passing through the yard… The gray fox has rounded ears, a dark-tipped tail and hooked claws. Unlike a red fox, the gray fox can climb, and will occasionally forage for food or rest in a tree. The gray fox’s ability […]

Mouse-ear Chickweed – 5/7/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/24 Observation Time: 11:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Mouse-ear chickweed Scientific Name: Cerastium fontanum Comments: Mouse-ear chickweed is a herb. Herbs are broad-leaved, herbaceous (non-woody) plants. Herbaceous plants are also known as forbs or wildflowers. More Information: Kansas Native Plants

Great Crested Flycatcher – 5/7/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/24 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Great Crested flycatcher Scientific Name: Myiarchus crinitus Comments: The great-crested flycatcher has a pale yellow breast. The underside of its tail is reddish brown. The memory hook I use to remember its call is “weep, weep, weep.” More Information: All About Birds

Common Yellowthroat – 5/7/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/24 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (boardwalk) Common Name: Common Yellowthroat Scientific Name: Geoothlypis trichas Comments: Common yellowthroats are typically found in or near wetlands. They are a type of warbler, with a distinctive black mask that is reminiscent of a raccoon. Their song sounds like, “witchety, witchety, witchety.” More Information: All About Birds

Black-throated Blue Warbler – 5/7/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/7/24 Observation Time: 8:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Black-throated Blue Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga caerulescens Comments: Black-throated blue warblers pass through Sharon in early May on their northward migration. Learn to recognize their buzzy “zree–zree–zreeeee” song to improve your chances of seeing one. Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPKuQB1bEqs. You can monitor the bird migration in spring by keeping an […]

Blue-winged Warbler – 5/6/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/6/24 Observation Time: 11:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blue-winged warbler Scientific Name: Vermivora cyanoptera Comments: I saw this blue-winged warbler catch a huge caterpillar. Check out the last photo below. The blue-winged warbler’s song sounds like, “bee-buzz.” Note its distinctive mask-like black eye line. More Information: All About Birds

Pink Earth lichen – 5/6/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/6/24 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Pink Earth lichen Scientific Name: Dibaeis baeomyces Comments: It’s been a rainy spring, which might stimulate these colorful lichens. More Information: Naturally curious with Mary Holland

Eastern Bluebird – 5/5/24

Observer: Jean Zaniewski Observation Date: 5/5/24 Observation Time: 3:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary near the barn on the Billings loop Common Name: Eastern Bluebird Scientific Name: Sialia sialis Comments: I am a new bluebird monitor this year (through Friends Of Conservation). After stealthily checking a dozen boxes once a week since March, I was really thrilled on May 5 to finally see […]

Red Admiral butterfly – 5/4/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/4/24 Observation Time: 10:40 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (Trustees of Reservations) Common Name: Red Admiral butterfly Scientific Name: Vanessa atalanta Comments: Mating usually occurs in late fall or early winter following collective migration to southern regions with a warmer climate. The red admiral’s main host plant, stinging nettle, is most abundant during this migration. Larval development proceeds through […]

Azure Bluets – 5/4/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/4/24 Observation Time: 11:40 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Azure Bluet Scientific Name: Houstonia caerulea Comments: Azure bluets are also know as Quaker ladies. More Information: Wikipedia

Prairie Warbler – 5/4/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/4/24 Observation Time: 11:20 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) – under the power lines 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, the prairie warbler nests in Sharon and […]

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