Next Bear Creek, Saugus, walk on Sunday November 16, 9 am; report for November 9 walk
sohz...@gmail.com
Folks,
The next walk at Bear Creek Sanctuary in Saugus is on Sunday, November 16 at 9 am. Detail at the end of this email.
The walk on November 9 was attended by 9 people who initially found few if any passerine migrants – sparrow numbers very low (except for Whitethroats) and warblers practically non-existent. But eventually some of the normally expected late fall and winter passerines (Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, American Pipits, Eastern Meadowlark) put in an appearance and a Short-eared Owl flushed from underfoot – thank you Jamie!
We ended up watching the Shorty at a moderate distance for a while – it landed on a raised dirt pile in plain view after flying over our heads. A few crows apparently saw it fly by and arrived on the scene, hoping to harass it, as is their custom – they’re playful and in the past we have watched Shorties playing air games with them. It’s not clear that the Shorties enjoy it, but who knows.
In this case, the crows initially did not see where the Shorty had landed, but by flying back and forth, they located it and two or three of them landed on the same dirt pile. Everybody was looking at each other quizzically. There were no audible sounds from any of the participants. The crows kept looking at the owl as though they were puzzled – “why aren’t you flying so we can play?” The owl was hunched down and kept looking at them and then around but just would not give them the satisfaction. Eventually, all the crows left and the owl stayed behind, still on its dirt mound.
I posted a couple of owl-crow images to the eBird list:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S283899472
Speaking of playing around (or raptor harassment?), large murmurations of starlings were in the sky a number of times, harassing or being harassed by the resident Cooper’s Hawk. I’m hoping one of the walk participants got photo images they can share.
Thanks to Brendan Burke for fulfilling list-keeping duties. If you were there yesterday, the following link will allow you to share the list:
https://ebird.org/mychecklists?subID=YPaWDHUT-pG1w0VF_08uNA==&s=t
One other thing: Some weeks ago, our intrepid cinematographer, Mat Clark, was with us and later submitted this YouTube video he wanted me to share with y’all:
https://youtu.be/I-PniRVzc7A?si=HxGJPygNWENEqQL4
Bear Creek Sanctuary (restricted access), Essex, Massachusetts, US
Nov 9, 2025 9:16 AM - 12:13 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.415 mile(s)
37 (bird) species
Canada Goose 40
American Black Duck 6
Bufflehead 25
Red-breasted Merganser 40
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 10
Mourning Dove 11
Wilson's Snipe 3
American Herring Gull 80
Great Black-backed Gull 4
Common Loon 2
Double-crested Cormorant 40
Great Blue Heron 1
Osprey 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Short-eared Owl 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
American Crow 5
Horned Lark 75
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling 800
Northern Mockingbird 4
American Robin 40
House Sparrow 5
American Pipit 15
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 5
Snow Bunting 40
White-throated Sparrow 10
Savannah Sparrow 6
Song Sparrow 6
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Red-winged Blackbird 30
Northern Cardinal 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S283899472
Here are details for attending the walk at this property on November 16:
Bear Creek is an upland sanctuary built on the WINWaste (formerly Wheelabrator) landfill at the northeast corner of Rumney Marsh in Saugus and Revere. Access information is below. Wear waterproof walking shoes and be prepared to hike 3 – 4 miles. The property is mostly very open, so be prepared for sun, wind and weather.
This walk is free and open to the public, but also note that this property is accessible by invitation only and visitors need to be chaperoned at all times. Please allow roughly 4 hours for this field trip. The actual length of the trip depends on conditions and the birds present. It's usually difficult to break up the party if you need to be somewhere in the early afternoon. Come prepared to stay with the group.
WINWaste company has graciously stocked up on some extra pairs of binoculars, so if you or someone you know wants to learn about birds and birding, come on down. Please let Geoff Wilson s2...@comcast.net know you're coming so we can have a head count.
Bear Creek Sanctuary access is via the WINWaste plant, 100 Salem Turnpike (Rte 107), Saugus. The rotary at the intersection of Rtes 60 and 107 is about 1½ miles southwest of the plant and about 1 mile east of Rte 1 exit on Rte 60. When traveling northeast on 107, if you go over the Ballard Street bridge (just after a set of lights) you’ve gone too far — turn back. Here is a link to google maps:
When you arrive, drive through the plant gates, park in the parking lot immediately and wait for the group. Please do not drive farther into the property without an escort.
Soheil Zendeh
Littleton, MA
