Report for Bear Creek, Saugus, walk on Sunday, May 17

[sohz...@gmail.com]

Folks, this is the last report for walks at this property for this spring and summer. Ground breeding birds are on territory and we have therefore suspended public walks until the end of the nesting season.

 

On Sunday, May 17, 5 of us enjoyed several hours of watching Bobolinks flying and tumbling and chattering over endless fields of waving grass. Savannah Sparrows are also settling down to business but still not in full song.

 

Warblers and other passerine migrants were plenty noisy as we walked through the garden spot -- this is the middle of May, after all. Shorebirds too, though not numerous, were present in some variety. Spotted Sandpipers, Killdeer and Eastern Willets nest on the property. Of the others, Least Sandpiper and Short-billed Dowitcher are regular migrants at mid-May .

 

The Wilson's Snipe sighting, however, gave us pause. Snipes are early migrants and usually through our area by mid-April. The Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas (MassAudubon 2003) documents the closest breeding site for snipe in Massachusetts: spots in western Middlesex County, northern Essex County, as well as a couple of sites in Plymouth County and Bristol County. Otherwise, most snipe nest further west or in northern New England and eastern Canada. Some may still be migrating in May, but the presence of two together in May in a swampy spot in the middle of Bear Creek Sanctuary was cause for speculation.

 

Doug Banks was list keeper for the day. Here is the shared list link:

https://ebird.org/mychecklists?subID=79hADvBIYD_wNiZwSms0Jg==&s=t

 

Bear Creek Sanctuary (restricted access), Essex, Massachusetts, US

May 17, 2026 9:10 AM - 12:17 PM

Protocol: Traveling

0.994 mile(s)

43 bird species

 

Canada Goose  9

Mallard  2

Chimney Swift  4

Killdeer  7

Short-billed Dowitcher  1     In detention basin with several spotted and least sandpipers

Wilson's Snipe  2     Seen clearly from 15 feet away in drainage swale and then flying off.

Spotted Sandpiper  10

Willet  2

Least Sandpiper  4     In water filled detention basin

American Herring Gull  162

Great Black-backed Gull  2

Common Tern  7

Double-crested Cormorant  1

Snowy Egret  1

Great Egret  1

Great Blue Heron  2

Osprey  7

Red-tailed Hawk  2

Northern Flicker  2

Blue Jay  2

American Crow  6

Common Raven  2

Tree Swallow  10

Northern Rough-winged Swallow  4

Barn Swallow  3

Northern House Wren  2

European Starling  50

Gray Catbird  10

Northern Mockingbird  2

Hermit Thrush  2

American Robin  8

House Sparrow  2

House Finch  2

American Goldfinch  2

Savannah Sparrow  48

Song Sparrow  6

Bobolink  36

Red-winged Blackbird  50

Common Yellowthroat  6

American Redstart  1

Northern Yellow Warbler  10

Wilson's Warbler  1

Northern Cardinal  2

 

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S342311803

 

Soheil Zendeh

Littleton, MA