Please share your reports of interesting happenings at Hall’s Pond Sanctuary and enjoy reading others’ posts. Click on any photo to enlarge it.
Some ideas of things to share: animals, birds, flowers, trees, a cool rock, a tree shape, a strange fungus; a change you noticed from one visit to the next or over a period of time; snippets of overheard conversation about the Sanctuary; kids’ reactions. Write up something you find curious or awesome. Ask questions about something you saw or heard, or anything that HPS make you wonder about.
Things that cannot be posted: “Sightings” is meant to share our appreciation of Hall’s Pond Sanctuary nature: flora, fauna and landscape. We cannot post photos of people, even if their faces aren’t visible, and even if it’s a selfie. There are too many thorny issues arising from internet postings. Also, please no photos of political campaign items.
You can add a photo to your post by clicking on the “Choose File” button below the text box of your post. (The page can accommodate only one photo per post, so start a new post if you want to share more than one.)
Please share the date and time of your visit to HPS if it’s about something that happened on that day.
at 5:12 pm
Great Blue Heron walking on two turtles. 9/17/2023
at 12:48 pm
No sign of the Wood Ducks this morning. But a Solitary Sandpiper put in an appearance (see photo)
Hall’s Pond & Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Aug 29, 2023 7:10 AM – 7:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
24 species
Mallard 1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 3
Mourning Dove 4
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay 6
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 2
House Wren 1
European Starling 3
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
American Robin 13
Cedar Waxwing 3
House Sparrow 3
American Goldfinch 2
Common Grackle 4
Northern Cardinal 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S148367568
at 7:32 pm
The two juvenile Wood Ducks (brother and sister?) who have been at the Pond for several months are still paddling about. The third sibling is nowhere to be found, and the parents were not seen this morning. An unusual sighting was an immature Black-crowned Night Heron (see photo). The eBird report is below.
Hall’s Pond & Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Aug 21, 2023 7:00 AM – 7:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
23 species
Wood Duck 2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 3
Mourning Dove 2
Chimney Swift 3
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Kingbird 1
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 1
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling 5
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
American Robin 11
House Sparrow 5
Common Grackle 2
Northern Cardinal 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S147842802
at 7:01 am
Here’s a close-up of the juvenile female WODU
at 7:00 am
Here’s a close-up of the juvenile male WODU
at 6:57 am
The three Wood Duck ducklings that have spent their entire lives at Hall’s Pond have been joined by two more ducklings. The adult male and female ducks are also at the Pond; their ducklings have started to develop secondary sexual characteristics and are almost as large as their parents. The posted photo shows the five juvenile ducklings: 3 females and two males.
Hall’s Pond & Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Jul 24, 2023 7:00 AM – 7:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
30 species
Wood Duck 7
Mallard 2
American Black Duck 3
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5
Mourning Dove 2
Chimney Swift 3
Herring Gull 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Kingbird 2
Warbling Vireo 2
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
European Starling 5
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
American Robin 5
House Sparrow 6
American Goldfinch 2
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 2
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Common Grackle 4
Yellow Warbler 2
Northern Cardinal 3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S145530010
at 2:22 pm
This keen birder with sharp instincts has become a reliably steady monitor of sightings around Hall’s Pond.
https://ebird.org/profile/MzIzMTYwOQ/US-MA
at 1:55 pm
June 20 Last duckling…the snappers started it but this turtle finished.
at 1:58 pm
Here’s a careful observer’s census of the pond’s birdlife mid-June: https://ebird.org/checklist/S141761509
at 5:17 pm
From week to week, one can see the three Wood Duck ducklings grow- yet they are still very cute. And they are not shy!
Hall’s Pond & Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Jun 1, 2023 6:50 AM – 7:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
25 species
Canada Goose 3
Wood Duck 5
Mallard 2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5
Mourning Dove 2
Chimney Swift 4
Herring Gull 2
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Kingbird 2
Warbling Vireo 3
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 4
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 4
European Starling 5
American Robin 7
Cedar Waxwing 2
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 3
Baltimore Oriole 2
Red-winged Blackbird 5
Common Grackle 9
Ovenbird 1
Northern Cardinal 3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S140122409
at 7:44 am
Wood duck with two of her three ducklings (May 30, 2023)
at 7:43 am
Wood duck (female), posing for photos on May 30, 2023
at 3:29 pm
Bird Walk on Tuesday May 30 2023 with Friends of Hall’s Pond, led by Neil Calabro and Thomas Michel
eBird report:
Hall’s Pond & Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
May 30, 2023 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Friends of Hall’s Pond Bird walk
28 species
Canada Goose 3
Wood Duck 4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5
Mourning Dove 4
Chimney Swift 4
Herring Gull 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Least Flycatcher 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Warbling Vireo 3
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 3
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling 6
Gray Catbird 4
American Robin 9
Cedar Waxwing 3
House Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 3
Baltimore Oriole 2
Red-winged Blackbird 5
Common Grackle 9
Northern Waterthrush 1
Northern Cardinal 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S139893464
at 3:04 pm
Had never been acquainted with Wood Ducks before coming to Hall’s Pond! My bird education continues…
at 7:16 pm
another glorious morning at Hall’s Pond. See my eBird list below. The Wood Duck ducklings are paddling around the pond, sticking close to their mother.
Hall’s Pond & Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
May 18, 2023 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.4 mile(s)
35 species
Canada Goose 2
Wood Duck 4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 4
Mourning Dove 2
Herring Gull 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Warbling Vireo 3
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 2
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling 4
American Robin 5
House Sparrow 4
American Goldfinch 2
White-throated Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 3
Baltimore Oriole 2
Red-winged Blackbird 4
Common Grackle 6
Ovenbird 4
Northern Waterthrush 1
Nashville Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
American Redstart 3
Magnolia Warbler 2
Yellow Warbler 4
Chestnut-sided Warbler 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Canada Warbler 2
Northern Cardinal 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S138237417
at 8:42 pm
Ovenbird, May 16,2023. Hall’s Pond Bird Walk
at 8:41 pm
Black-throated Blue Warbler, May 16,2023. Hall’s Pond Bird Walk
at 8:38 pm
Wood Ducks Fledged, May 16,2023. Hall’s Pond Bird Walk
at 12:32 pm
Only one photo per post is allowed, but I wanted to show the proud dad as well as the mom and their three ducklings (previous post).