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.
Check out the latest bird sightings at Hall’s Pond on eBird: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L209594/recent-checklists.
at 1:33 pm
E. Tiger Swallowtail, 1 Amory canopy
Red Admiral, 1 Amory parking lot
Cabbage White, 1 Amory softball field
Azure, sp. 1 pond grass margin
Hall’s Pond Formal Garden sit included several bright skippers:
Zabulon Skipper, 3
bright skipper, 2+
dark skipper, 1 (Dusted?)
at 12:33 pm
The Eastern Phantom Crane Flies have returned. May 29, 2024
at 12:31 pm
The Great Blue Heron enjoys a tasty meal
at 6:31 pm
Hall’s Pond and Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
May 6, 2024 10:40 AM – 11:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling 0.8 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: 68F, sunny. 28 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolina) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 5
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 3
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 5
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 4
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 12
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 10
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 1
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 2
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 1
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 10
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 1
Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla) 2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1 deck reed-patch
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 5 1 seen, four more heard
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S172450406
at 9:31 pm
Migration is slow in coming, but there are rewards:
4/24–my first Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher at H.P., well-seen and heard.
4/22–Lots of drama around the Canada Geese couple.
4/22—A tiny drama around Great Blue Heron, then 2 turtles, all trying to perch on an unanchored log, which kept rolling them off
at 2:43 pm
My first bird walk at Hall’s Pond since the fall. The Wood Ducks are back!!!
Hall’s Pond and Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Feb 27, 2024 7:30 AM – 7:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
20 species
Canada Goose 3
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 3
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 3
Great Blue Heron 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 2
House Sparrow 5
American Goldfinch 2
Dark-eyed Junco 2
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Northern Cardinal 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S163085809
at 8:27 pm
Hall’s Pond and Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Feb 26, 2024 12:00 PM — 12:24 PM
Protocol: Traveling 0.6 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Sunny, 50F. No birds on the ground except two dog-chased robins.
11 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 7
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 2 1120 beacon
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1 hunkered in the reeds by the willow deck
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1 sky-high
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 1
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 3 amory street edge, calling like tree-frogs
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 2
passerine sp. (Passeriformes sp.) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S163020226
at 7:43 pm
Happy 2024, Halls Pond Naturalists!
Unseasonably warm weather has kept around a few favorites (Great Blue Heron, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker), and old friend Barry Barred Owl has been seen in the huge spruce in the uplands since Christmas. Drop by, say hi, but don’t annoy him, please.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S157699218
at 2:13 am
Hall’s Pond & Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Nov 7, 2023 10:58 AM – 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling 0.9 mile(s)
Comments: Sunny, 62F, quiet. HERPS on cormorant log: 4 E. Painted Tortoise, 1 Red-eared Slider.
9 species
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 6 1060 Beacon St
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1 fide (ie, observed by) John Shreffler
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1 Amory St
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 6
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 10 1100 Beacon St
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S153988349
at 1:25 pm
Sapsucker alert! Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have long been visitors and residents, historically along Amory Street entrance. Family group spotted by a visitor yesterday. https://ebird.org/checklist/S153540319
at 12:07 am
This Great Blue Heron is looking regal as it hunts along the edges of Hall’s Pond.