Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary
Birding Community Newsletter
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A PUBLICATION OF NORTHEAST WETLAND RESTORATION
Issue 2022-02 | March 22, 2022 | 3,594 Subscribers
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Held at bay by an enduring shoulder of prevailing southwesterlies, The Old Man yields his descent, for the season's advance is lost until the sun dips low on the horizon once more.
Abandoning their kingdoms, Winter Monarchs pardon their subjects and fade from the melting bounds they once kept.
Impassioned by The Call, forthfaring Travelers ready their wares for the quarrel to come in the open meadows of the Rumney Marshes.
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People Watching
We are entertaining characters afterall
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Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary
Saugus, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
February 6, 2022
9:28 AM - 12:12 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.82 Mile(s)
32 Bird Species
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Canada Goose 200
Mute Swan 4
American Black Duck 3
Bufflehead 2
Wild Turkey 5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 40
Mourning Dove 4
Herring Gull 60
Great Black-backed Gull 10
Northern Harrier 4
Cooper's Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Short-eared Owl 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
American Crow 2
Horned Lark 120
Regular flock
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling 40
Northern Mockingbird 1
American Robin 4
Cedar Waxwing 4
House Sparrow 4
Lapland Longspur 7
Snow Bunting 20
American Tree Sparrow 15
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Continuing around the parking lot/ feeders. Pics
White-throated Sparrow 6
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 12
Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich) 1
Song Sparrow 20
Red-winged Blackbird 30
Northern Cardinal 3
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A Sure Sign of Spring
Red-winged Blackbirds
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Gorgeous
White-throated Sparrow
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Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary
Saugus, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
February 13, 2022
9:17 AM - 12:27 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.82 Mile(s)
37 Bird Species
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Canada Goose 30
Mallard 4
American Black Duck 20
Bufflehead 1
Common Goldeneye 1
Red-breasted Merganser 8
Wild Turkey 5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 50
Mourning Dove 6
Killdeer 1
Repeatedly calling. Flew over head once, pics
Herring Gull 50
Great Black-backed Gull 12
Common Loon 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Northern Harrier 4
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Snowy Owl 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 2
American Crow 3
Horned Lark 80
Regular flock
European Starling 40
American Robin 2
House Sparrow 4
American Goldfinch 5
Snow Bunting 10
American Tree Sparrow 20
White-crowned Sparrow 3
Continuing around the parking lot. Pics
White-throated Sparrow 6
Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 8
Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich) 1
Song Sparrow 12
Swamp Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird 30
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Northern Cardinal 5
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Nice Mohawk
American Tree Sparrow
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Stunning
Young Male Northern Harrier
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Success
The Northern Harrier above taking his prize with him
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Unmistakable Silhouette
Short-eared Owl
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He's Bad and he knows it.
Cooper's Hawk
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Sharp Looking
Lapland Longspur
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Grey Ghost
Mature Male Northern Harrier
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Making Good with the Neighbors
Coyote
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Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary
Saugus, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
February 20, 2022
9:14 AM - 12:07 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.96 Mile(s)
35 Bird Species
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Snow Goose 3
2 ad, 1 juv
Canada Goose 40
American Black Duck 25
Surf Scoter 4
White-winged Scoter 2
Bufflehead 3
Common Goldeneye 2
Red-breasted Merganser 8
Wild Turkey 5
Mourning Dove 1
Killdeer 1
Calling, presumably same individual as last week
Herring Gull 120
Great Black-backed Gull 12
Common Loon 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Northern Harrier 3
Cooper's Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
American Crow 4
Horned Lark 80
Regular flock
European Starling 40
American Robin 3
House Sparrow 2
Lapland Longspur 4
Snow Bunting 1
American Tree Sparrow 20
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Continuing 1st winters
White-throated Sparrow 6
Savannah Sparrow 8
Song Sparrow 10
Swamp Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird 15
Northern Cardinal 3
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Eye to the Sky
Song Sparrow
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Walking Like a T-rex
Savannah Sparrow
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Things A-fowl
American Black Ducks and Canada Geese
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Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary
Saugus, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
March 6, 2022
9:15 AM - 12:06 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.82 Mile(s)
32 Bird Species
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Canada Goose 40
Mallard 10
American Black Duck 15
Common Goldeneye 2
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 40
Mourning Dove 12
Killdeer 2
Herring Gull 80
Iceland Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 4
Northern Harrier 2
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Snowy Owl 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Horned Lark 120
Regular flock
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling 20
Northern Mockingbird 1
American Robin 15
House Sparrow 8
Snow Bunting 60
American Tree Sparrow 15
White-crowned Sparrow 2 Continuing
White-throated Sparrow 4
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 12
Red-winged Blackbird 30
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Common Grackle 1
Pine Warbler 1
Pics
Northern Cardinal 4
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Nice Looking Family
Snow Geese
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Motley Looking Crew
Four species of Sparrows and a Mourning Dove
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Why are you looking nervously over your shoulder? |
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Oh, Now I Know Why...
I'd run from an eagle too if I were you.
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What's Up With The Geese?
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Oh, More Eagle Troubles
Talons Up
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Wet and Swampy
Snowy Owl fresh off the marsh
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Lots of Geese
Canada Geese
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Where are the other four?
Mute Swans
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Taking a snooze
Song Sparrow taking a cat nap.
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A Pair of Peregrine Falcons Coming In Hot
This is a stunning chase scene of a breeding pair of Peregrine Falcons trying their luck on an unsuspecting flock of pigeons.
We don't want to give away the ending, but no pigeons were harmed in this episode of
You Never Know What You Will See On A Sunday Morning Birdwalk.
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The Charge
The smaller male falcon tucks his wings back and swoops in to break up the flock of pigeons. The pigeons know the drill and scatter as they quickly gain altitude to reduce the attack angle of the female coming in a few seconds behind the male.
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The Chase
The female picks a likely target and gives chase. The male having missed his mark in a lightning fast swoop low to the deck, needs to swing-round and regain altitude. He will hear about that later tonight.
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Closing The Gap
The female keeps chase, inching closer and closer to the helpless pigeon. Or, is it actually a Stool Pigeon tiring out the large bodied falcon by making her give chase on a long level run. Decoying the falcon into thinking she still has a chance while getting so close as to lose her ability to react to the pigeon's evasive move.
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Back In The Game
In a flash the male swoops back in with a lateral attack angle.
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Better Luck Next Time Kids
The Pigeon knows this number and busts a move like a rockstar.
Clever Pigeon, the evasive move draws the pair of falcons into a collision course causing both birds of prey to pull back and end the chase.
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Where did the saying 'Stool Pigeon' come from again? |
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A Wary Eye
Snow Goose on watch
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Ipswich
Ipswich Savannah Sparrow
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They're Everywhere
Canada Geese
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Never Get Tired of These Guys
Snowy Owl
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Somebody Is In There
Long-eared Owl
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A Flash of Lightning in a Snowstorm
A Merlin Falcon blasting across the grasslands in a snow squall
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People Watching is a thing for birds too
Lapland Longspur
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A Flock of Lapland Longspurs?
I Know, Right?
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Sunday March 27th at 9:00am
Sunday April 3rd at 9:00am
To be added to our birdwalk announcement list
please email us at
NOTE: The Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary is open to the public for guided tours only. If you would like to visit the sanctuary, please attend one of our regularly scheduled nature walks, or contact us to arrange a private tour. Thank you.
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Special thanks as always go out to Soheil, Mark, Cammy, Brendan, Kathy, Jay, Bruce, Linda, Susan, Marjory, Cliff, David, Nancy, Paul, Judy, Patricia, Nancy, Christian, Pat, Greg, Paul, Dorian, Fran, Justine, Laura, Thomas, Erin, and Linda.
Without your help, this publication could not be produced.
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American Black Ducks photobombing Our Favorite View of the
Diamond Creek Marshes
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ABOUT BEAR CREEK WILDLIFE SANCTUARY |
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The Wheelabrator Saugus Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary is a 370-acre property abutting a 2,274-acre estuary on the outskirts of Boston, located in the heart of the Rumney Marshes ACEC. Maintained and managed grasslands, salt marshes, shrublands and maturing woodlands combine as one of the largest bird migration staging areas on the North Shore and a habitat for nearly 200 bird species, as well as other wildlife such as coyotes, foxes, raccoons and snakes. Visitors can enjoy the more than 14,000 feet of walking trails that permeate the site, a half-acre exhibit garden, and meeting and lecture areas, which are scattered throughout nine of the restored ecosystems. Situated directly behind Wheelabrator Saugus, the Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary is maintained and managed by Geoff Wilson of Northeast Wetland Restoration. Follow along with us as the birds change with each passing season! |
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2018 PAST ISSUES
2019 Past Issues
2019 Saltmarsh Sparrow Initiative
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2020 Saltmarsh Sparrow Initiative
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2021 Saltmarsh Sparrow Initiative |
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