Category: Sightings

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/13/23 Observation Time: 5:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Parkway Common Name: Black-and-white warbler Scientific Name: Mniotilta varia Comments: Black and white warblers make a high-pitched squeaking sound like a turning wheel that needs to be oiled. They are most often found scurrying up and down tree trunks and branches looking under the bark for insect larvae. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/13/23 Observation Time: 4:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Parkway Common Name: Baltimore Oriole Scientific Name: Icterus galbula Comments: Baltimore Orioles seek out ripe fruit. Cut oranges in half and hang them from trees to invite orioles into your yard. Special oriole feeders filled with sugar water supplement the flower nectar that Baltimore Orioles gather. You can even put out small […]

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/13/23 Observation Time: 11:00 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

Observer: Punitha Hanumantha Observation Date: 5/13/23 Observation Time: 9:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary – Billings Loop Common Name: Yellow Warbler (female) Scientific Name: Setophaga petechia Comments: Yellow warblers are 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: 5/12/23 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blackburnian Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga fusca Comments: These gorgeous warblers overwinter in South America. They tend to flit about high in tall trees, making them a challenge to photograph. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/12/23 Observation Time: 7:20 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Chestnut-sided Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga pensylvanica Comments: Dazzling woodland warblers migrate through Sharon every spring on their way from South and Central America to Canada. Catching sight of one leaves an indelible impression. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/12/23 Observation Time: 6:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Nashville Warbler Scientific Name: Leiothlypis ruficapilla Comments: Nashville Warblers don’t breed anywhere near Nashville, Tennessee, although they do migrate through. The species got its name because Nashville was where Alexander Wilson first saw it in 1811, and went on to name it. More Information: All About […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/12/23 Observation Time: 6:05 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon WIldlife Sanctuary (Billings Loop near the barn) Common Name: Baltimore Oriole Scientific Name: Icterus galbula Comments: A pair of orioles has woven a hanging nest in one of the two huge sugar maple trees near the Billings Loop barn. Those two sugar More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/11/23 Observation Time: 9:55 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (near Billings Loop barn) Common Name: Pine Siskin Scientific Name: Spinus pinus Comments: Every couple of years, Pine Siskins make unpredictable movements called irruptions into southern and eastern North America. Though they’re erratic, these movements may not be entirely random. Banding data suggest that some birds may fly west-east […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/11/23 Observation Time: 9:30 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

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/11/23 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary 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: 5/11/23 Observation Time: 7:00 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

Observer: Deb Radovsky Observation Date: 5/9/23 Observation Time: 7:00 p.m. Observation Location: Paul Revere Rd., Sharon Common Name: White-crowned sparrow Scientific Name: Zonotrichia leucophrys Comments: White-crowned sparrows migrate through Sharon every spring en route to their nesting grounds farther north. More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/9/23 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Palm Warbler Scientific Name: Setophaga palmarum Comments: Palm warblers pass through Sharon in late April and early May on their northward migration. May 9 is near the end of the time during which palm warblers can be seen in Sharon. You can monitor the bird migration in […]

Observer: Deb Radovsky Observation Date: 5/9/23 Observation Time: 8:00 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 birds by learning their calls and the sound of their drumming, which is different from that of other smaller woodpeckers. You can use a cell phone app called Merlin […]