Date: 8/17/26 5:23 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 8/17 Marbled Godwit, Etc. Third Cliff in Scituate
high tide was at 3:30 p.m.. I birded here from 1:30-4:00. I believe the Marbled Godwit was flushed up out of the marsh by a Northern Harrier, due to the very close time proximity. The godwit flew around for about two minutes and then dropped into the marsh grass on the Marshfield side, but barely. This was about an hour before high tide.
Great Egret 25
Snowy Egret 7
Great Blue Heron 9
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 2 one twisted and dropped down to try to get a Horned Lark!
Killdeer 11
Semipalmated Plover 1,,000 ?, 2,000 ?
Piping Plover 4
Black-bellied Plover 15
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper hundreds
Least Sandpiper 150 70+40+40; mostly beautiful juveniles. Wow!
Greater Yellowlegs 4
MARBLED GODWIT 1 SEE ABOVE
Short-billed Dowitcher 20 several trying to find a place to land at high tide!
Willet 9
Roseate Tern 7 near tip
Least Tern 90
Common Tern 20
Laughing Gull 20
Tree Swallow 50 guess
Barn Swallow 10
Horned Lark 2
Common Raven 1
Pine Warbler 1
Date: 8/11/26 5:39 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 8/11 Third Cliff in Scituate Highlights
I birded here from 1:00-5:00. This was mid-tide to dead low tide. It is amazing how much water goes out from here between the two tides. Large expanses of mud exposed as the tide goes out. The entire cove becomes completely devoid of water
Great Blue Heron 11 seen from the observation platform along the Driftway (actual name of road) Snowy Egret 7 Great Egret 5 Osprey 1 Semipalmated Plover 300+ wild guess (I counted more than two-hundred in the cove alone Piping Plover 3 Black-bellied Plover 10 Killdeer 1 Scituate Country Club Least Sandpiper 30 Semipalmated Sandpiper 5+ (if I had been there at high tide, the birds would be roosting in large groups. They disperse to who knows where when the tide gets low Greater Yellowlegs 5 Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Ruddy Turnstone 7 Willet 4 Sanderling 5 Dowitcher sp. 8; two with absurdly long bills; feeding near ocean edge in pool Roseate Tern 5+ Forster's Tern 1 adult seen and heard; carrying sand lance Common Tern 200 impossible to get good count Least Tern 200 impossible to get a good count Laughling Gull 180
Date: 8/10/26 5:25 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 8/10 Fort Hill Roxbury Highlights
no binoculars
Red-tailed Hawk 2 Herring Gull 2 Chimney Swift 1 Mourning Dove 5 Downy Woodpecker 2 Eastern Kingbird 3 in tree; a surprise Blue Jay 2 American Crow 2 Black-capped Chickadee 2+ White-breasted Nuthatch 1+ Carolina Wren 2 American Robin 10 Gray Catbird 9 Northern Mockingbird 5+ European Starling 30 Chipping Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 5 House Finch 5 American Goldfinch 4 House Sparrow 30 Chickens 9 Skunk 2 one dead in road Koi Pond 2 Dawn FRedwood 3 Larch 1 Cabbage White 10
Date: 8/5/26 2:11 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 8/4 Things are TERNING out Very Well at Third Cliff in Scituate
This place never fails to deliver the goods. I was there from 12:45-3:45, which translates to mid-high tide. I did the usual loop, which is perhaps one and one-half miles long. It may feel longer due to having to walk on the sand and on some rocks.
Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 7 Snowy Egret 1 Black-bellied Plover 11 Piping Plover 12 Killdeer 2 Semipalmated Plover 200 guess (did have a group of one-hundred and fifty) Semipalmated Sandpiper 1,000 uncountable (getting flushed, too densely packed) Least Sandpiper 4 Willet 2 basic plumage Short-billed Dowitcher 1 Ruddy Turnstone 8 Sanderling 16 Forster's Tern 4 in mixed tern flock right in front of me on the beach at around 2:00 p.m.; repeatedly flushed but then went just a bit down the beach Roseate Tern 26 Common Tern 60 Least Tern 100 Horned Lark 2
Date: 8/2/26 11:38 am From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 7/31 Third Cliff Highlights
Back for round two. I birded here from 1:40-4:40 from high tide to mid-tide. I also did some butterflying at the Scituate Recyle and Solar Panel Farm area, off the Driftway. Quite disturbing too see all those dead animals near the solar panel farm (where the black Scituate Police amphibious? vehicle is always stationed. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE! Rhese animals are still rather fresh in appearance
Great Blue Heron 10
Great Egret 7
Snowy Egret 1
Osprey 2+
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Wild Turkey 1 next to the solar panels
Piping Plover 5
Killdeer 8 including five at Scituate Country Club
Black-bellied Plover 4
Semipalmated Plover 400 wild guess
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1,000 wild guess; uncountable
Least Sandpiper 40
Ruddy Turnstone 4
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Sanderling 4
Willet 5
ROSEATE TERN 2 gorgeous adult and juvenille
Least Tern 120
Common Tern 60
Belted Kingfisher the Driftway
Great Crested Flycatcher 3 the Driftway
Horned Lark 5
LEPIDS:
Monarch 11 See Above plus ones seen along my walk to Third Cliff
Common Wood-Nymph 4
Black Swallowtail 1
Tiger Swallowtail 2
Spring Azure 1
Orange Sulphur 3
Clouded Sulphur 1
Cabbabe White 40
DEAD ANIMALS:
RACCOON 2
SKUNK 1 laying atop one of the Raccoons SEE ABOVE
RED_TAILED HAWK !
Date: 7/29/26 12:05 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 7/28 Third Cliff in Scituate Highlights
A nice day to be at the shore, with nary a person in sight. This is most likely due to a low tide. Also, the fact that it was a tuesday.
I always get an excellent bird or more here whenever I visit. I birded from mid-tide to low, from 3:00-6:00
Common Loon 1
Snowy Egret 8
Great Egret 5
Red-tailed Hawk near the station
Bald Eagle 1 ad. flew right by me, scaring up all the birds
Piping Plover 9+
Killdeer 5
Semipalmated Plover 15
Black-bellied Plover 3+
Semipalmated Sandpiper x
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
RED KNOT 2
Sanderling 4+
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Willet 3
Ruddy Turnstone 2+
BLACK TERN 1 ad. roosting on sandbar with Common Terns; beautiful
ROSEATE TERN 2 ditto; calling too
Common Tern 100
Least Tern 300 wild guess
Laughing Gull 50
Great Black-backed Gull 40
Eastern Kingbird 3
Great Crested Flycatcher 2 conservation park (along The Driftway)
Red-eyed Vireo 1 ditto
Common Raven 2 at Third Cliff; later seen at the station (Greenbush Station)
HORNED LARK 4 ad. with three juv.
American Redstart 1 Conservation Park
Pine Warbler 1
LEPIDS:
Tiger Swallowtail 3 various places, including one at Third Cliff
Monarch 2
Cabbage White 5
butterfly sp. 1
P.S. Paul Bowers told me my friends could park in front of his house to bird at Third Cliff. He lives on Collier Rd. at the corner of Lincoln Rd. It's the house with the flagpole in the yard. This is a short walk from the Third Cliff entrance, whick is located where Collier Rd. meets Moorland Rd. (at the turn, and very difficult to see
Date: 7/26/26 1:23 pm From: 'Paul Peterson' via Boston Birds <bostonbirds...> Subject: [BostonBirds] 7/26 Fenway Victory Gardens
A beautiful day to bird watch. The BALD EAGLE and the OSPREY were seen within fifteen seconds of each other.
Great Blue Heron 1 Wood Duck 6 a surprise Bald Eagle 1 ad, Osprey 1 See Above Chimney Swift 2 Eastern Kingbird 2 Common Raven 1 Brookline Village Station House Wren 1 Italian Lizard 2 Monarch 2 Red Admiral 1 Cabbage White 4 Beautiful Flowers many
