Barred Owls and Northern Lapwing

Barred Owl

A few years ago, there were a number of barred owls that showed up in Boston proper.  In fact, one was around Faneuil Hall Marketplace.  This year, again, a number of barred owls have been showing up around Boston.  On Thanksgiving, we drove up to Boston to see if we could locate the barred owls that present in the Public Gardens.  Despite searching every tree around the pond and speaking to fellow birder's, we were unable to locate any owls.  With the inability to locate any of the owls, we decided to leave and return home to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner

Since the owls were still being reported In the Public Gardens, So on Sunday we returned up to Boston and thanks to a fellow birder, we located one of the barred owls in a weeping willow tree.  We were able to get many decent pictures of the barred owl.

Barred Owl in the weeping willow tree

Barred Owl

Barred Owl

On the way home, we decided to stop by the fields in Bridgewater for another look at the northern lapwing.  On arriving at the fields, there was one other photographer present observing and photographing this beautiful bird.  The lapwing was roaming the fields closer to us this time, then it did the last time that I was there.  I enhance the photos of the northern lapwing to demonstrate all colors that are present on its body.

Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing

Friday's Birding

"Yawn"

Harlequin Duck

From left to right, juvenile Great Cormorant, adult Great Cormorant, juvenile Great-crested Cormorant

Because last Thursday was Thanksgiving, I did not go out with Doug for a usual Thursday birding trip.  However, we did bird on Friday.  We first went to the summer Street fields in Bridgewater, with Doug finally got to see the Northern Lapwing.  The biggest problem was that it was extremely foggy and you could barely make out the bird due to the fog.  In fact, I didn't even bother taken my camera out of the car.

We then traveled down to Plymouth, Massachusetts, where we stopped at Jenny's Pond and was surprised since there were so few birds around.  We then traveled down to Plymouth beach, where they are still working on the seawall and did cite a number of different duck species offshore, but again too far out for photographs.

Our next stop was Manomet Point, with the sun was now finally out.  Looking over the rocks, there were a good number of harbor seals resting on the rocks.  Both Great and Double-crested Cormorants, the usual gulls species and some beautiful Harlequin ducks swimming and feeding in the water.  All the seals were making a racket.

We then traveled down to the Cape Cod Canal Visitors Center, in Sandwich, Massachusetts and walking down along the canal we observed a large number of Common Loons feeding.  In fact, at one point, one of the loons started calling flapping its wings and running over the water, looking like was going to take off, went into the air and landed across on the other side of the canal.

Common Loon

Feeding among the rocks and seaweed was one of the brightest song sparrow's that I have seen, it had such gorgeous color, that it took a moment to identify the bird as a song sparrow.

Song Sparrow

 Off of the mouth of the canal around one of the furthest green buoys Razorbills were feeding and there was a flyby by a pair of Dovekie's.

We finished off our trip to the Cape Cod Canal by traveling back to the other side of the canal in Bourne, where we sighted some horned larks in the field.  On the lower rocks a herring gull was eating a starfish.

Horned Lark

Herring Gull eating a starfish

Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing in the setting sun

We decided on our way home to go back to see if we could get a better look at the Northern Lapwing.  On arriving at the Summer Street fields, we joined a number of birders and photographers who were observing the lapwing at the top end of the field in the corn stubble.  A much better outlook the early this morning.

So ended another great day of birding.

Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)

Today I saw on my 640th life bird –  Northern Lapwing and I did not have to travel to the island of Nantucket to see it.  I was sitting at my computer, when an email came in from Massbird stating that the Lapwing was observed on the four Street fields at Cumberland's important bird area.  I got my gear together, grabbed my son and off we went to see if we could find this rarity.
The Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) is a shorebird in the plover family.  It is normally found throughout the temperate area of Eurasia and is highly migratory.  It is a casual vagrant to the East Coast of the United States.  In fact, this year is a great year for this bird.  There have been two northern lapwing's found on Nantucket and many birders have traveled by ship over to Nantucket to see them.  I explored the data are on eBird and found that the one I saw at Cumberland's, in Hanover Massachusetts on Fuller Street is the first known record for this location.
As we drove down Fuller Street, ahead of us.  We saw a number of cars parked on both sides the road and groups of people with cameras and spotting scopes, looking out into the field.  I stopped and parked the car, first I went over and asked one of the gentlemen if I look through his scope to see the bird, just in case it flew away.  After I had my peek at this lovely bird, I got out my camera, lens and tripod and took a number of pictures.  The Lapwing mainly stayed out in the field, looking around and eating, until a pair of Harriers came over and caused the bird to fly around, but he returned to the same location that the Lapwing was originally, when the birds left.  He was also harassed by a Red-tailed Hawk and flew further down the the field, but again returned to its original location, giving everybody a good view of this bird.
Hopefully, this bird will stay around for a period of time and allow other people to come and view it.  Fuller Street runs from route 105 in Middleborough to East and South Street in Halifax.  The fields that the Lapwing was seen in is just prior to Wood Street.