Category: Sightings

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/1/18 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audbon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Tufted Titmouse Scientific Name: Baeolophus bicolor Comments: Often seen in the company of chickadees. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Contact Information:  lauenstein@comcast.net   (781) 784-2986 Observation Date: 5/1/18 Observation Time: 8:45 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Eastern Bluebird Scientific Name: Sialia sialis Comments: This male bluebird caught a spider and brought it back to the nest to feed its young. More Information: All About Birds 

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Contact Information:  lauenstein@comcast.net   (781) 784-2986 Observation Date: 5/1/18 at 8:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blue-gray gnatcatcher Scientific Name: Polioptila caerulea Comments: A tiny, long-tailed bird of broadleaf forests and scrublands, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher makes itself known by its soft but insistent calls and its constant motion. It hops and sidles in dense outer foliage, foraging for insects and spiders. […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/30/18 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Common Name: Wild Turkey Scientific Name: Meleagris gallopavo Comments: Male (“tom”) turkeys display in springtime mating season to compete for status and the opportunity to mate. More Information: All About Birds  

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/27/18 Observation Time: 9:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Pileated Woodpecker Scientific Name: Dryocopus pileatus Comments: This large woodpecker (about the size of a crow) was peeling bark off a tree to get at the bugs underneath. Its tongue is visible in the last photo below. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Deb Radovsky Observation Date: 4/24/18 Observation Time: 5:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, near bird feeders Common Names: Chipping Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco Scientific Names: Spizella passerina and Junco hyemalis Comments: If you want to get an idea of what birds are around, spend some time watching the feeders at the Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. You’ll see everything from hummingbirds to wild turkeys. More […]

Observer: Deb Radovsky Observation Date: 4/23/18 Observation Time: 6:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Billings Loop Common Name: Eastern Towhee Scientific Name: Pipilo erythrophthalmus Comments: The Towhee’s song sounds like, “Drink your tea,” making it easy to remember when you’re in the woods. It’s call sounds like its name, “Toe-wee.” Eastern Towhees are often victims of the parasitic Brown-headed Cowbird. Female cowbirds lay eggs […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/21/18 Observation Time:  2:00 p.m. Observation Location: 4 Gavins Pond Road, Sharon Common Name: white-throated sparrow Scientific Name: Zonotrichia albicollis Comments: This species passes through Sharon in spring on its way to Canada. It’s distinctive song sounds like, “Oh, say, Canada Canada Canada.” More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Deb Radovsky Observation Date: 4/9/18 Observation Time: evening Observation Location: Cottage and Ames Streets Common Name: Red-shouldered Hawk Scientific Name: Buteo lineatus Comments: Although the American Crow often mobs the Red-shouldered Hawk, sometimes the relationship is not so one-sided. They may chase each other and try to steal food from each other. They may also both attack a Great Horned Owl and join forces to chase the […]

Observer: Faith Berkland Observation Date: 4/14/18 Observation Time: 3:30 p.m. Observation Location: 302 Mansfield Street Common Name: Eastern Bluebird Scientific Name: Sialia sialis More Information: All About Birds or Animalia  

Observer: Jeff Rose Observation Date: 3/10/18 Observation Time: 8:00 AM Observation Location: 302 Mansfield Street, Sharon, MA Common Name: Wood duck (drake) Scientific Name: Aix sponsa Comment: Male ducks are referred to as drakes. More Information: All About Birds    

Observer: Deb  Radovsky Observation Date: 2/27/18 Observation Time: afternoon Observation Location: Lake Massapoag Common Name: Canvasback duck Scientific Name: Aythya valisineria Comments: The species name of the Canvasback, Aythya valisineria, comes from Vallisneria americana, or wild celery, whose winter buds and rhizomes are its preferred food during the nonbreeding period. The oldest recorded Canvasback was a male and at least 22 years, 7 months old when he […]

Observer: Deb Radovsky Observation Date: 2/26/18 Observation Time: N/A Observation Location: Lake Massapoag Common Name: Common Merganser Scientific Name: Mergus merganser Comments: Common Mergansers are sometimes called sawbills, fish ducks, or goosanders. The word “merganser” comes from the Latin and roughly translates to “plunging goose”—a good name for this very large and often submerged duck. Young Common Mergansers leave their nest hole within a day or so of […]

Observer: Deb Radovsky Observation Date: 12/14/17 Observation Time: sunset Observation Location: Lake Massapoag Common Name: Lesser Scaup Scientific Name: Aythya affinis Comments: The peaked profile of the heads indicates that these are Lesser Scaups. Greater Scaups have a rounder head. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Deb Radovsky Observation Date: 10/27/17 Observation Time: early morning Observation Location: Lake Massapoag Common Name: Double-crested Cormorants Scientific Name: Phalacrocorax auritus Comments: The double-crest of the Double-crested Cormorant is only visible on adults during breeding season. The crests are white in cormorants from Alaska, and black in other regions. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Faith Berkland Observation Date: 10/8/17 Observation Time: 5:15 p.m. Observation Location: Fence of horse corral, Willow St, Foxboro Common Name: Eastern Bluebird Scientific Name: Sialia sialis Comments: 3 bluebirds were spotted here, 1 bright blue, one maybe an immature male because less bright, and one female. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Faith Berkland Observation Date: 9/26/17 Observation Location: 302 Mansfield Street Sharon Common Name: Black throated green warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga virens Comments: A nice collection of photos of black-throated green warblers can be found at: The Internet Bird Collection More Information: All About Birds