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.
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Please share the date and time of your visit to HPS if it’s about something that happened on that day.
at 12:06 am
4/28/21-A big influx of warblers this morning: yellow-rumped, black-and-white, palm, and northern parula.
at 3:16 pm
Hall’s Pond & Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Apr 28, 2021 7:00 AM – 9:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling 1.1 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Friends of Hall’s Pond birdwalk. Drizzle to gray to p/c, 48-54F. First warbler wave strikes through damp Amory-side canopy. Others reported Hermit Thrush and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. This week, more species [28] than participants [14] !
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 2 on pond and bank, not nest
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 4 boys’ club
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 1 heard from ivy street
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 3
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 3
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 4
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 3
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) 1 seen by group near gazebo
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 22
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 3
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 3
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 3
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 2 post-walk; pair foraging by garden overlook
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 2 Type A and B males by main overlook
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 13
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 3
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 3 seen and heard by many
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) 3 silhouettes characterized by tail-bobbing
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 18
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S86565211
at 11:20 pm
Wood duck
at 2:56 pm
Friends of Hall’s Pond
at 7:52 pm
Great Blue Heron
at 7:49 pm
Wood Ducks
at 3:07 pm
A very successful first of the year official FOHB Birding Tour. We had an ENORMOUS NUMBER of participants: 20 to 25!! Thanks to all Board Members who posted announcements in many places, especially social media, especially the Town Facebook page. We viewed about the same number of bird species as we had human participants. Early spring migrants are starting to come through. New sightings in the past few days include Hermit Thrush, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Swamp Sparrow, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker and Eastern Towhee. Red-Bellied Woodpecker was observed in a likely tree nesting cavity in Amory Woods. A Red-Tailed Hawk was coursing and stooping back and forth in pursuit of prey. Wood duck couple is still here, and are considering the nesting box. In the woods, the Lesser Celandine ground cover (“green and gold”) is absolutely spectacular right now.
at 12:09 pm
Red-bellied woodpecker seen April 21,2021, near western end of boardwalk (near Amory Street).
at 7:55 pm
Sanguinaria canadensis, bloodroot
at 7:33 pm
Jeffersonian dyphylla, twinleaf named for Thomas Jefferson
at 7:31 pm
Asarum canadense, American ginger just emerging
at 1:11 pm
Great day for a stroll in the sanctuary. Sun shining ad LOTS of people
Wood ducks present
at 1:35 am
It took nearly 10 minutes before the heron was able to swallow this fish.
at 11:47 pm
hey folks!
meredith’s turtles [below] were not in evidence early in this chilly day.
we are of the same mind that we hope the wood ducks stay to nest.
here is the scorecard for the first of five consecutive wednesday bird-walks at the pond. expect warblers!
let’s not forget some blooms: scilla, daffodils, dandelions, mica mushrooms, lesser celandine (widespread in Amory Woods), fawn lilies (uplands), skunk cabbage…
if you see something…. say something [right here]!
fred bouchard
Hall’s Pond & Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Apr 14, 2021 6:50 AM – 8:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling 1.3 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: P/C, 48F, light E breeze. FOHP Dry Run Spring Walk: N. Calabro, N. Gore, J. Shreffler, A. List, F. Bouchard, late invite to Meredith & Betsy.
27 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 7 resident pair chases off 5 interlopers
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 2 in trees and on pond — but inhabiting the box?
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 4 pairs on pond and in amory swale
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 2 1120 beacon
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2 flew out from pond trees towards charles
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 3
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 4
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 4
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 3 formal garden, pond side, amory apples
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 20 dodging ball-field dogs by 7:30
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 4 ivy school parking lot
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 0
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 3 high in amory buds
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 2 individuals at amory swale and upland
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2 boardwalk reed denizens
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 2
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 1
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 22 chuckling everywhere!
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S85538138
at 5:20 pm
A box turtle was relaxing on a log at one end of the pond, painted turtle across the way. Great Blue Heron was making the way around the pond. The Canada Goose continues nesting and the pair of wood ducks are continuing- they even came up onto the grass by the back gate with the daffodils and blooming trees. Several rabbits were hopping about. It is a lot of nature in one small area. I am also hoping the wood ducks will stay and breed at Hall’s Pond!
at 7:32 pm
Beautiful day at the Sanctuary today; many signs of spring: turtles are sunning, cormarants are cormoranting. Bluebells coming up rapidly in the garden, one is almost blooming.
There are a pair of Wood Ducks, coexisting peacefully with the nesting Canada Goose. Maybe this will give them an idea? Let’s all keep an eye on the Wood Duck nesting box this spring.
at 2:45 pm
thanks, sharon! is that lenten rose (hellebore)? pussy willows and those yellow things should be out next…
at 9:06 pm
Signs of spring…
at 4:35 pm
Hall’s Pond & Amory Woods, Norfolk, Massachusetts, US
Feb 26, 2021 7:40 AM – 8:00 AM
Checklist Comments: Sunny, 28F. Three dog walkers, two joggers, three body-building women.
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 13 parading along Amory St., shepherded along by puffed-up Tom
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 3
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 14 mobbing and/or socializing in big spruce @ ivy street school
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 3
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 2 one loud singer over frozen pond; #2 echoing from uplands
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S82427507
at 3:51 pm
Hello, Hallsponders! Recent e-Bird reports from the sanctuary include: Carolina Wrens (perhaps nesting again?), Hermit Thrush, Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Downy and Redbellied Woodpeckers. Check the pines for possible return of Barred Owl and Screech Owl.