Red-bellied Woodpecker – 5/4/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/4/24 Observation Time: 10:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Red-bellied Woodpecker Scientific Name: Melanerpes carolinus Comments: Primarily a bird of the southeast, where its rolling calls are familiar sounds in swamps and riverside woods. Omnivorous and adaptable, this woodpecker has also adjusted to life in suburbs and city parks, and in recent years it has […]

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Worm-eating Warbler 5/4/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/4/24 Observation Time: 9:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Worm-eating Warbler Scientific Name: Helmitheros vermivorum Comments: The worm-eating warbler is so-named because it eats caterpillars. It overwinters in Central America and Caribbean islands. Unlike most other warbler species that pass through Sharon on their spring and fall migrations to and from their breeding areas farther north, worm-eating warblers only […]

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Hermit Thrush – 5/4/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/4/24 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Hermit Thrush Scientific Name: Catharus guttatus Comments: This one was singing near a trail in the woods. I heard its song before I saw it. More Information: All About Birds

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Broad-winged Hawk – 5/4/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/4/24 Observation Time: 6:40 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. One of […]

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Barred Owl – 5/3/24

Observer: Dan O’Brien Observation Date: 5/3/24 Observation Time: 7:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Barred Owl Scientific Name: Strix varia Comments: This barred owl perched high in a tree near the trail. A short while after this photo was taken, the owl was heard making its familiar “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all?” call. More Information: All About Birds

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Black-throated Green Warbler – 5/3/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/3/24 Observation Time: 11:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Black-throated Green Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga virens Comments: The call of this colorful warbler sounds like: “zee-zee-zee-zoo-zee.”  It migrates through Sharon in early May. More Information: All About Birds

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Eastern Towhee – 5/3/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/3/24 Observation Time: 10:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Eastern Towhee (male & 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.” I heard this male and […]

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Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 5/3/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/3/24 Observation Time: 10:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blue-gray gnatcatcher Scientific Name: Polioptila caerulea Comments: Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are tiny – smaller than a chickadee. They are the northernmost-occurring species of gnatcatcher genus, and the only truly migratory one. Most other gnatcatcher species are resident in Central and South America. The nesting range of blue-gray gnatcatchers […]

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Nashville Warbler – 5/3/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/3/24 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Nashville Warbler Scientific Name: Leiothlypis ruficapilla Comments: It’s hard to get a good photo of a small bird in the top of a tall tree, especially on a cloudy day when the light is dim, but at least the bird in this photo is identifiable as […]

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Pileated Woodpecker – 5/3/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/3/24 Observation Time: 7:35 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Pileated Woodpecker Scientific Name: Dryocopus pileatus Comments: You will improve your chances of sighting one of these magnificent raven-size woodpeckers by learning their calls and the sound of their drumming, which is different from that of other smaller woodpeckers. More Information: Audubon Guide to N. American Birds

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Wood Thrush – 5/2/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/2/24 Observation Time: 8:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Wood thrush Scientific Name: Hylocichla mustelina Comments: The wood thrush’s melodic “ee-oh-lay” song is often heard in the woods. If you learn to recognize it, you can follow the sound to get a look at the bird. More Information: All About Birds

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Northern Waterthrush – 5/2/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/2/24 Observation Time: 7:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Northern Waterthrush Scientific Name: Parkesia noveboracensis Comments: The northern waterthrush is actually a type of warbler. It looks a lot like an ovenbird, which is also a type of warbler. This one was seen along the boardwalk through the wetlands at Moose Hill. More Information: All About Birds

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Scarlet Tanager – 5/1/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/1/24 Observation Time: 1:30 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Scarlet Tanager Scientific Name: Piranga olivacea Comments: Scarlet tanagers often unwittingly host eggs of the brown-headed cowbird, particularly where the forest habitat has been fragmented. When a pair of tanagers notices a female cowbird approaching, they aggressively drive her away. However, if the tanagers don’t notice, the cowbird […]

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Brown Creeper – 5/1/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/1/24 Observation Time: 1:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary 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 claws allow them to creep up […]

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White-tailed Deer – 5/1/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/1/24 Observation Time: 12:10 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: White-tailed Deer Scientific Name: Odocoileus virginianus Comments: White-tailed deer are common in Sharon due to the absence of top predators such as wolves and cougars. If the deer population becomes too high, they will starve. This doe was still gaunt from the privations of winter. She did […]

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Field Sparrow – 5/1/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/1/24 Observation Time: 11:45 a.m. Observation Location: Rocky Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Field Sparrow Scientific Name: Spizella pusilla Comments: Field sparrows have a relatively long tail, a thin white eye ring, and a pinkish conical bill. They have a gray face and a rust-colored cap. However, the best way to tell them apart from other sparrows is their song, […]

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Yellow-rumped Warbler – 4/29/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/29/24 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Yellow-rumped Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga coronata Comments: I spotted this yellow-rumped warbler in a flowering crabapple tree on the Billings Loop. Flowering trees oftern attract birds, especially those that feed on the insects attracted by the blossoms. The annual northward bird migration is getting started and a few colorful […]

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Lesser Periwinkle – 4/28/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/24 Observation Time: 11:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (The Trustees of Reservations) Common Name: Lesser Periwinkle Scientific Name: Vinca minor Comments: Also known as dwarf periwinkle and creeping myrtle, this non-native plant comes from Europe. It makes a good groundcover, and it produces lovely purple blossoms in spring and into summer, but once established it spreads and is hard […]

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Early Meadow Rue – 4/28/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/24 Observation Time: 10:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Early Meadow Rue Scientific Name: Thalictrum dioicum Comments: Early meadow-rue is a graceful, 8-30 in. perennial with long-stalked leaves divided into many delicate, lobed segments. Petal-less flowers have yellow stamens that hang like small tassels. The female tassel-like blossoms are purple and appear on separate plants. This flower blooms […]

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Savannah Sparrow – 4/28/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/24 Observation Time: 9:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Savannah Sparrow Scientific Name: Passerculus sandwichensis Comments: Savannah sparrows have distinctive yellow eyebrows. More Information: All About Birds   

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Northern Flicker – 4/28/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/28/24 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary 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 because of the yellow feathers on the underside of their tails. More Information: All About Birds

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White-throated Sparrow – 4/27/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/27/24 Observation Time:  5:45 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) 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.” The photos show two different white-throated sparrows, which I encountered in the same place. I assumed one was […]

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Wood Anemone – 4/27/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/27/23 Observation Time: 4:30 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Wood Anemone Scientific Name: Anemone quinquefolia Comments: Also called wood windflower, wood anemone is one of the earliest blooming flowers in the rich, moist forests of New England. Look for showy white flowers poking above the dissected leaves, only 3 inches (7 cm) tall. These offer food to […]

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Garlic Mustard – 4/27/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/27/24 Observation Time: 4:30 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (The Trustees of Reservations) Common Name: Garlic mustard Scientific Name: Alliaria petiolata Comments: Garlic Mustard is a biennial. First year plants are a rosette of 3 to 4 round, scallop edged leaves.  In second year the plant reaches height of 2 to 3 feet. Leaves on bolting stems are triangular […]

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Common Blue Violet – 4/27/24

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/27/24 Observation Time: 4:10 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (The Trustees of Reservations) Common Name: Common Blue Violet Scientific Name: Viola sororia Comments: The blossoms of common blue violets come in colors ranging from white to purple. The two plants shown in the photos were growing a few feet from each other.  More information: Wild Edible The pasture at Moose […]

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