Pleasure Bay, South Boston shorebirds
sohz...@gmail.com
Folks,
John Edmondson and I led a hardy group of birders around Castle Island and Pleasure Bay, South Boston, yesterday. Temperatures were in the teens but the wind was relatively mild so overall conditions were decent. There was great light and excellent birding to be had. The highlight was, of course, the Snowy Owl on top of the Castle. But encountering three species of shorebirds, particularly 25 Purple Sandpipers – a relatively high count for this location – with the snow and ice and cold temperatures was a blast too.
If you’re curious about where the shorebirds are (usually), here are some hints:
Purples are usually near the beginning of the causeway around Pleasure Bay (starting near the Castle). Yesterday they kept coming back to a pebbly beach on the left (open bay) side of the causeway. Sometimes they perched on the rocks near the first sluiceway.
The Sanderling was on the same pebbly patch.
Dunlins typically, nearly always, roost on the rocks on the outer side of the causeway near the Sugarbowl – that is the structure halfway out on the causeway. They were not easy to see due to the ice and snow.
Thanks to John for maintaining the list. If you were on the trip, use this link to share yesterday’s list:
https://ebird.org/checklist/email?subID=S297357234#share-checklist-form
Castle Island and Pleasure Bay, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US
Jan 31, 2026 9:04 AM - 11:04 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.059 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: BBC trip. Forgot to count. about 10 plus two leaders. Very cold. Wind was moderate but created biting wind chill becasue it was about 10F and less at the start. Sunny.
26 bird species + one seal – undetermined species
Brant 58
Canada Goose 17
American Black Duck 23
Common Eider 53
Surf Scoter 6
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 1
Long-tailed Duck 2
Bufflehead 4
Common Goldeneye 10
Red-breasted Merganser 18
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 15
Sanderling 1
Dunlin 27
Purple Sandpiper 25 Careful count, multiple observers.
Ring-billed Gull 3
American Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Snowy Owl 1
Horned Lark 7 definite ID, one small flock.
Snow Bunting 9
Song Sparrow 1
Pine Warbler 1 Pic may be coming. ID'd carefully. That certain citrus yellow that only Pine Warnlers have. Strong contrast between darker cheeks and yellow throat.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S297357234
Soheil Zendeh
Littleton, MA
Cliff Cook
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