Category: Sightings

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/20/20 Observation Time: 4:26 p.m. Observation Location: high tension lines opposite Ward’s Berry Farm Common Name: Red-tailed Hawk Scientific Name: Buteo jamaicensis Comments: Red-tailed hawks are often harassed by songbirds. This one was engaged in a dogfight with a redwing blackbird. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/20/20 Observation Time: 2:35 p.m. Observation Location: wetlands under high tension lines across the street from Ward’s Berry Farm Common Name: Yellow Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga petechia Comments: The yellow warbler is typically found near wetlands. It has a song that sounds like, “sweet-sweet-sweet-little more sweet.” More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/19/20 Observation Time: 11:10 a.m. Observation Location: under the high tension lines across the street from the Gavins Pond soccer fields Common Name: Baltimore Oriole Scientific Name: Icterus galbula Comments: The oriole’s flutelike call is quite distinctive, once you know what to listen for. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/19/20 Observation Time: 9:50 a.m. Observation Location: field near Gavins Pond dam Common Name: Eastern kingbird Scientific Name: Tyrannus tyrannus Comments: Kingbirds are members of the flycatcher family. The tip of the tail looks like it was dipped in white paint. Their call has been likened to the sound of arcing electricity. In summer kingbirds eat mostly flying insects. Pairs […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/18/20 Observation Time: 10:25 a.m. Observation Location: under the power lines across the street from the Gavins Pond soccer fields 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 hangs around […]

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/18/20 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Rose-breasted Grosbeak Scientific Name: Pheucticus ludovicianus Comments: The male rose-breasted grosbeak is one of Sharon’s more photogenic songbirds, especially on a sunny morning. The female is drab brown. Its song has a melodic, flute-like quality. If you listen to a recording of its song and learn to recognize it, you […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/17/20 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: wooded trail near Gavins Pond Common Name: American redstart Scientific Name: Setophaga ruticilla Comments: Redstarts are members of the warbler family. Their song is variable, and can be confused with the songs of some other warblers. See: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Redstart/id More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/16/20 Observation Time: 7:35 a.m. Observation Location: parking area at Gavins Pond soccer fields Common Name: Baltimore Oriole (female) Scientific Name: Icterus galbula Comments: I spotted this female oriole as I was about to get into the car and leave. Nature finds you if you spend time outside, especially in a town like Sharon with plenty of natural open spaces and trails. The oriole’s flutelike call […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/16/20 Observation Time: 7:10 a.m. Observation Location: near the soccer field parking lot at Gavins Pond Common Name: Blue-winged warbler Scientific Name: Vermivora cyanoptera Comments: The blue-winged warbler’s song sounds like, “bee-buzz.” Note the distinctive mask-like black line through its eyes. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/16/20 Observation Time: 7:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Eastern Towhee (female) Scientific Name: Pipilo erythrophthalmus Comments: Towhees are common birds in Sharon, especially along edges between woods and open fields, but they are heard more than seen. The male’s song sounds like he’s singing, “Drink your tea.” They are often seen scratching among dead leaves on the ground, looking […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/16/20 Observation Time: 6:45 a.m. Observation Location: near Gavins Pond Common Name: Olive-sided flycatcher Scientific Name: Contopus cooperi Comments: I encountered this bird perched about 30 feet up in a leafless tree on the right side of the trail leading from the soccer fields to Gavins Pond dam, where the trail emerges from the woods and bends left toward the dam. […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/15/20 Observation Time: 9:35 a.m. Observation Location: Flume house near the Lake Massapoag boat ramp Common Name: American Goldfinch (male) Scientific Name: Carduelis tristis Comments: This common finch travels in groups. Its song sounds like “per-chick-o-ree, per-chick-o-ree” interspersed with an occasional mewing sound. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/15/20 Observation Time: 9:30 a.m. Observation Location: parking area by Lake Massapoag boat ramp 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: 5/15/20 Observation Time: 9:20 a.m. Observation Location: Conservation land near Lakeview & Morse Sts. Common Name: Northern Flicker Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus Comments: Flickers are woodpeckers, but they are unusual in that they eat ants and beetles on the ground. They are sometimes called yellow-shafted flickers. More Information: All About Birds