Category: Sightings

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/1/26 Observation Time: 9:30 a.m. Observation Location: Near the foot bridge over Beaver Brook by the tennis courts Common Name: Brown Creeper Scientific Name: Certhia americana Comments: Brown creepers are tiny woodland birds with an affinity for the biggest trees they can find. Look for these little, long-tailed scraps of brown and white spiraling up stout trunks and main branches. Their curved […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/1/26 Observation Time: 8:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Mourning Dove Scientific Name: Zenaida macroura Comments: The mourning dove is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American bird species. It is also a leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/1/26 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (Billings Loop) Common Name: Palm Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga palmarum Comments: Palm warblers pass through Sharon in late April and early May on their northward migration. They sometimes mingle with other species of warblers. They are often seen in low branches rather than high in the treetops. I saw […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/1/26 Observation Time:  7:15 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. If you look at the dates of the white-throated sparrow sightings on this web site over the years, you will see that none are in summer. Its […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/29/26 Observation Time: 7:25 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Rd. Common Name: Ruby-throated Hummingbird (male) Scientific Name: Archilochus colubris Comments: Male ruby-throated hummingbirds usually arrive in New England in late April to early May. The females typically arrive a week or so later. These males arrive first to establish and defend breeding territories before the females arrive to select mates. […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/29/26 Observation Time:  10:05 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. If you look at the dates of the white-throated sparrow sightings on this web site over the years, you will see that none are in summer. Its […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/29/26 Observation Time: 10 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Wild Turkey Scientific Name: Meleagris gallopavo Comments: Wild turkeys are often seen near the headquarters building of the Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. They glean bird seed that spills from the bird feeders onto the ground. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/26 Observation Time: 11:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (The Trustees of Reservations Common Name: Field Sparrow Scientific Name: Spizella pusilla Comments: Field sparrows have a relatively long tail, a thin white eye ring, and a distinctive pinkish conical bill. They have a gray face and a rust-colored cap. However, the best way to tell them apart from other sparrows […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/26 Observation Time: 10:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (The Trustees of Reservations) 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. I found this one in the scrubby habitat under the high tension lines near Moose Hill Farm. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/26 Observation Time: 10:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (The Trustees of Reservations) 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 […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/26 Observation Time: 9:10 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (The Trustees of Reservations) Common Name: American Kestrel (a.k.a. sparrow hawk) Scientific Name: Falco sparverius Comments: This kestrel (a.k.a sparrow hawk) was in a tree by the big cow pasture. It was very far away so I could not get a good photo. Later I saw it hovering above the […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/26 Observation Time: 8:40 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blue Jay Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristata Comments: Blue jays are common in Sharon. They eat insects, nuts and seeds. They will also eat the eggs and nestlings of other birds if they get the chance. This pair was taking advantage of the suet feeder at Moose […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/27/26 Observation Time: 10:30 a.m. Observation Location: Beaver Brook Trail near train station Common Name: Pine Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga pinus Comments: Pine warblers are typically found in pine groves. Many warbler species migrate through Sharon in late April and May on their way to nesting areas farther north, but pine warblers nest here in Sharon, and can be found in […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/24/26 Observation Time: 10:35 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Redwing blackbird Scientific Name: Agelaius phoeniceus Comments: Redwing blackbirds are typically found near water, but this one was feeding at a bird feeder. Only the males have bright red and yellow epaulets on their wings. More Information: All about Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/24/26 Observation Time: 10:30 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. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/24/26 Observation Time: 8:50 am Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Ruby-crowned Kinglet Scientific Name: Corthylio calendula Comments: Ruby-crowned kinglets are tiny – even smaller than chickadees. They migrate through Sharon in spring en route to nesting areas in northern New England and Canada. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/23/26 Observation Time: 7:15 a.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: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/21/26 Observation Time: 8:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (Billings Loop) Common Name: Palm Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga palmarum Comments: Palm warblers pass through Sharon in late April and early May on their northward migration. They sometimes mingle with other species of warblers. This one was foraging for insects on the ground.You can monitor the bird migration in […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/21/26 Observation Time: 8:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (Billings Loop barn) Common Name: Phoebe Scientific Name: Sayornis phoebe Comments: The song of the Phoebe sounds like its name. You can find and play bird songs online. The more bird calls you memorize, the more bird species you will be able to identify in the field, where the birds themselves […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Obervation Date: 4/21/26 Observation Time: 8:10 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary 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. Its relatively […]