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A field trip today co-sponsored by Athol Bird and Nature Club and the South Shore Bird Club yielded a wonderful variety of late winter, early spring migrants.

The Day started at Scusset Beach State Reservation where the winds were howling in excess of 30 mph and light snow was in the air.  Our group of 29 birders braved the elements and ventured out on the jetties. We were rewarded with the following birds in, around, and near the jetty area.

Scusset Beach
Red-Throated Loon 1
Common Loon 15
Horned Grebe 1
Red-necked Grebe 1
American Black Duck 25
Common Eider 300
Oldsquaw 2
Black Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Surf Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser 125
Northern Harrier 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Sanderling 6
Purple Sandpipers 25
Iceland Gull 2 (both 1W)
Glaucous Gull 1 (1W)
Black Guillemot 1
Large un-identified Alcid 1
Horned Lark 8
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5

At Manomet Point
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 25
Horned Grebe 25
Red-necked Grebe 1
Great Cormorant 2
Common Eider 250
Harlequin Duck 3 (2 drake, 1 hen)
Black Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Surf Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser 55
Razorbill 15
Black Guillemot 1

In Plymouth at Jenny's Pond
Pied-billed Grebes 2 (vocalizing)
Red-breasted Merganser 7
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
American Coot 5
Belted Kingfisher 1

At the Plymouth Beach  a raging gale with
Common Loon 18
Horned Grebe 12
Brant 65
All three Scoters
Common Eider
Red-breasted Merganser
Turkey Vulture 1
Tree Swallow 1 (inner side of Plymouth Beach)

At Plymouth Harbor/Nelson's Park
Lots of water fowl with a wonderful view of a 1st year Glaucous Gull.

At Cumberland Fields in Middleboro
Canada Geese
American Black Duck 400
Mallard 100
Northern Pintail 12
American Widgeon 1 drake
Northern Harrier 5
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 4
Rough-legged Hawk 1 light morph
Ring-necked Pheasant 2
American Woodcock 4
Short-eared Owl 7
Am. Tree Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbirds
Common Grackles
Eastern Meadowlark 2

All in all, we tallied 73 species and had a wonderful day.

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