Ludlow G's Excellent Adventure: Concord Birds 2013 Wrap-up

2013 was a virtual Big Year for our intrepid and omnipresent field companion, Ludlow G., who attempted to see as many birds (and assemble a deep database) in Concord and immediately adjacent areas.  Our task was in some ways quite different from a true Big Year like Neil Hayward’s, which involved extensive travel and substantial resources; Ludlow G. kept it local, with a focus on patch birding and extensive surveys of under-birded areas.  Above all, ours was a collaborative effort, with as many eyes on birds in as many places at as many times as possible.  Think of it as a year-long town CBC, with eBird as the reporting tool and Ludlow G. as the compiler, with yours truly as the impresario and secretary.

As a proof-of-concept, we succeeded well beyond our goals.  Based on a the usual total of about 200 birds encountered in Middlesex County in a given year, and on town patch totals of around 170 species by a few individuals, we set a modest goal of 200 birds for the year, hoping perhaps for a few more and the participation of perhaps a dozen birders.  By the end of June we had reached 190 birds, and passed 200 in August, with dozens of birders contributing eBird and field lists to Ludlow (and keeping me very busy during migration!).  As of December 24th, with a stunning Red-Throated Loon found on the Concord River by the Great Meadows Survey team, Ludlow G. finishes the year with a round 225 species, with 950 checklists contributed by some three dozen individuals and groups.  See a full summary (in draft) here.

While 200 birds in Concord is still within the reach of highly motivated birders (Cole Winstanley finished with 190; I finished with 188), it takes many eyes to find a string of rarities like we had this fall: American Golden Plover (Jim McCoy); Buff-Breasted Sandpiper (Lucas Hale); Grey-Cheeked Thrush and Red Headed Woodpecker (Willy Hutcheson); Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Cackling Goose, Lapland Longspur (Cole and Jalen Winstanley); Olive Sided Flycatcher, Connecticut Warbler, Western Kingbird (David Sibley); Black Scoter (David Swain); Roughleg/Rough-Legged Buzzard/Hawk (Bob Stymeist); Snowy and Short-Eared Owls (Simon Perkins); and Red-Throated Loon (GMNWR Survey).  

It has been a pleasure and vicarious thrill to receive and read every report, get your text messages from the field, and track your observations on MassBird or using the BirdTrax tool on my blog, BirdingwithLudlow.blogspot.com.  I hope I have acknowledged and thanked you for them all.  I take this opportunity to thank my friends in Concord and the extended MassBird community for their interest and support of this project.

Good Birding in 2014!

David Swain and Ludlow G.

Concord, MA

Ludlow's End-Game: Theoretical Birds for Fall and Winter

Back in late August, before my day-job brought all things birding to a virtual halt, my collaborator on Concord Birds 2013, Cole Winstanley, and I compared theoretical lists of remaining birds for fall and winter.  At that point Ludlow G. was at 204 birds.  Our dream list was pretty predictable:

Winter geese:  Greater White-Fronted, Barnacle, Pink-Footed, Brant (hoping for a fly-over or a one-day wonder at Great Meadows).

aythya ducks:  Redhead, Scaup, and Canvasback (we needed a stronger report than one spring sighting)

Long-Tailed duck

Black Scoter (most likely of the scoters; in 2012 we had a one-day flock at Great Meadows)

Golden Eagle (why not dream?)

Goshawk (maybe, maybe)

Shorebirds:  White-Rumped and Baird’s

Black Tern, Common (we needed a hurricane)

Northern Saw-Whet Owl

Olive-Sided Flycatcher (a real one! not a molting phoebe)

Ash-Throated (why not dream?)

Western Kingbird (we are due)

Philadelphia Vireo

White-Eyed Vireo

Bicknell’s Thrush (night-time flight calls)

Gray-Cheeked (flight calls

Bohemian Waxwing (long shot, given the finch forecast)

Orange-Crowned Warbler

Connecticut Warbler

Mourning Warbler

Chat

Blue Grosbeak

Dickcissel (good sightings)

Clay-Colored Sparrow

Lark Sparrow

Grasshopper Sparrow

Nelson’s Sparrow

Lapland Longspur

Hoary Redpoll (unlikely given the finch forecast)

We estimated that of this list, maybe 17-19 were actually possibly, which might get Ludlow to the low-to-mid 220s. Since those estimates,  quite a number have fallen into place:

Mourning Warbler (heard by David Sibley at Kaveski, Aug. 13)

Dickcissel (heard by David Swain at Great Meadows, Aug. 15)

American Golden Plover (seen by many at Great Meadows for a week after Aug. 23)

Little Blue Heron (Great Meadows; seen by many and now annual)

Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher (found by the Winstanleys at their home, Aug. 27)

Buff-Breasted Sandipiper (2 found at Kaveski Farm by Lucas Hale on Sept. 2)

White-Rumped Sandiper (solid report from Great Meadows on Sept. 2)

Grey-Cheeked Thrush (at Middlesex School by Willy Hutcheson, Sept. 8)

Red-Headed Woodpecker (also by Willy on Sept. 8)

Baird's Sandpiper (several sightings on Sept. 8 at Great Meadows)

Olive-Sided Flycatcher (seen by David Sibley at Barrett's Farm on Sept. 14)

Philadelphia Vireo (seen by the Winstanley brothers, Sept. 15, at Estabrook Woods)

Connecticut Warbler (seen by David Sibley at Annursnac Conservation Land on Sept. 20)

Orange-Crowned Warbler (photographed by Christian Gras at Kaveski Farm, Sept. 25)
Dunlin (found by the Great Meadows survey crew on Oct. 14)
Lapland Longspur (heard and recorded by Jalen Winstanley at Great Meadows, Oct. 14)
Greater White-Fronted Goose (found by Will Martens in the Concord Rotary fields, Oct. 19)
Cackling Goose (photographed over Kaveski Farm by Jalen Winstanley, afternoon of Oct. 19)

These bring Ludlow to 220 birds, and there might still be some ammodramus sparrows to be found as well as ducks and other vagrant geese.

Stay tuned!

Fall Migration Underway

Ludlow G. cleared 200 birds in Concord during 2013 nearly two weeks ago with a Snowy Egret, several of which are now being seen daily at Great Meadows in Concord.  Joining them is an elusive juvenile Little Blue Heron.  But the star of the show, so to speak, was an American Golden Plover which arrived over the weekend and has attracted a lot of attention, as it appears to be the only one seen so far in Massachusetts. (this has since changed, with small flocks appearing along the coast).  AGPL usually leaves its last staging area in eastern Canada and heads out over the Atlantic for its very long migration to southern South America, but some stay inland a bit longer and touch down in New England before heading out.

The count since 200 looks like this:

201:  a fly-over, calling dickcissel at Great Meadows

202:  American Golden Plover, still in breeding plumage (last reported on 8/26, with rumored re-sightings)

203:  Little Blue Heron, juvenile, associating with Snowies

and just this morning,

204:  a hatch-year Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher

and this afternoon (8/27), much to my chagrin,

"205":  a juvenile Olive-Sided Flycatcher, or so it seemed to my desiring eyes.  It was, in fact, an adult phoebe undergoing heavy molt.  Use your imagination!

In our next post we will forecast a theoretical total for 2013 based on current needs and what has historically shown up during fall and early winter in Concord.

Ludlow G. makes 200

With the Great Meadows survey sighting of a Snow Egret on Monday, August 12, Ludlow G. has reached his putative year goal of 200 birds during 2013 in Concord, Massachusetts.  Clearly, his original goal was conservative, and with the bulk of fall migration still to come, how high will he go?

Thanks to all who have contributed their field lists and shared their eBird reports as we have built this collaborative Big Year in Concord in 2013.

Shorebird Season at Great Meadows, Concord (August 2013)

For the first time in several years, a good variety of shorebirds are visiting the mud-flat (such as it is) at Great Meadows.  So far there have been concentrations of Least Sandpipers (20-30) and a surprising number (for an inland location) of Semipalmated Sandpipers, which on some counts have outnumbered Leasts. Killdeer have been joined by Semipalmated Plovers in small numbers (under 10).  Solitary Sandpipers have actually outnumbered Spotteds on most counts.  Since August 5 one or two early Pectorals have been seen most days, but are still scarce.

Lesser Yellowlegs have been fairly regular since the beginning of August, with the occasional Greater. Several observers have seen the occasional pair (or more) of Short-billed Dowitchers.  On August 9th a cold front passed through the area and immediately afterward Willy Hutcheson found 17 Stilt Sandpipers preening on the mud, but as soon as the rain stopped, they flew out.  No word yet on whether they have returned.

With at least 8 species of shorebird seen most days, this bodes well for the rest of August.  Fingers crossed for a Baird's, or a Whimbrel, or some phalaropes.

Fall Migration Update: 200 and Up

With late July has come relief from the blistering heat of the first three weeks.  Ludlow G. doesn't take the heat well any longer, so he's in a fall mood.  Sure enough, we have had some fall-like days, and with them a first influx of shorebirds and dispersal of post-breeding egrets and ibis.  For two weeks now small groups of Least Sandpipers have been at Great Meadows, and all the ones I have been able to see up close have been worn adults.  This morning (July 30) I found three worn Leasts with a very tattered Pectoral, looking for all the world like their bigger brother.  Two Blue-Winged Teal have been seen my many, and a single immature Green-Winged has been spotted by a few.  Immature Black-Crowned Night Herons arrived last week, along with (briefly) an adult and an immature Glossy Ibis. Also last week, for two days small flocks of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs were using the shallow pools along the north side of the lower impoundment.  That is, until the water level rose.

Water levels at Great Meadows went down with the drainage almost two weeks ago, but the heavy rains last Friday seemed to have raised it back part way.  But there is another problem:  beavers have rapidly closed off the drainage to the lower impoundment, and the USFWS was going to clear it.  We'll see how that goes!

Incredibly, we had thought our initial goal of 200 species this year was ambitious, but even by the end of May it was looking easily attainable.  And indeed, as of July 30 Ludlow G. has crowd-sourced a list of 198 species.

You read it right: 198 species!  We still have real shorebird season to come (although my expectations aren't high for many rarities), sparrow and vagrant season, and a Concord specialty, errant geese.  I have been thinking it, but now I'll say it: I think we can beat the de-facto local checklist of 220 species.

So, an incentive for 200.  I will send whomever reports #200 their choice of either Ludlow Griscom's Birds of Concord or Griscom and Snyder's Birds of Massachusetts.  Share your birds, all of them, with "Ludlow G." on eBird.

Happy (early) Fall migration.

More Rails!

On the day following the session with the Sora, I did some wading to a dry section along the back dikes where a family of Virginia Rails have been active.  I saw one juvenile and an adult.  Some pictures.