Next Bear Creek, Saugus, walk on Sunday November 23, 9 am; report for November 16 walk
sohz...@gmail.com
Folks,
The next walk at Bear Creek Sanctuary in Saugus is on Sunday, November 23 at 9 am. Details at the end of this email.
The walk on November 16 was attended by over 25 people. The morning started out lovely with mild temperatures but soon a sharp southwest wind kicked up. Thereafter it was hard to keeps optics focused and certainly hard to photograph wildlife. Cammy Kaynor, who contributed the majority of photos to the ebird list (see below) managed to heroically provide recognizable images of some of the birds we saw.
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=cM7FpqzsPK4kuJxtbllQ9w==&s=t
Bear Creek Sanctuary (restricted access), Essex, Massachusetts, US
Nov 16, 2025 9:16 AM - 12:05 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.072 mile(s)
40 bird species
Canada Goose 20
American Black Duck 30
Bufflehead 20
Common Goldeneye 2
Red-breasted Merganser 40
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 20
Mourning Dove 10
Wilson's Snipe 1
American Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Black-crowned Night Heron 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Short-eared Owl 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
American Kestrel 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 4
Common Raven 1
Horned Lark 120 Regular flock
Carolina Wren 2
European Starling 200
Northern Mockingbird 3
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 6
Cedar Waxwing 6
House Sparrow 4
American Goldfinch 12
Lapland Longspur 1
Snow Bunting 50
American Tree Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 8
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 7
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Northern Cardinal 8
View this checklist online at
https://ebird.org/checklist/S284845699
Here are details for attending the walk at this property on November 23:
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
