Elizabeth's Bird Life List

I started keeping a life list when we first moved to the Cape, but I didn't keep it up. Since I've rekindled an interest in birdwatching, I've dug out the list and added the new species that I've found in the last two months. I'm posting this here, so potential birders and Cape Cod visitors may get an idea of what sorts of birds you can expect to find on the Cape. These are not rare bird sightings, but birds that the average person will be able to discover in the right season and circumstances.

I've also found a neat web site put up by the National Biological Service. They keep statistics on many species, with charts and graphs, plus links to other sites of interest to birdwatchers. They also have pics of many birds and bird calls as well. I have linked the pictures at their site that correspond to the birds listed here, but be forewarned: the images may be as large as 30K. If you care to try out the calls, some of the sound files may be a big as 140K, which isn't bad for audio, but it may take a little while to transmit. Many of their pictures are of birds on a human hand, which I found very encouraging, since I would like the birds in my yard to become comfortable with me. There may be hope yet.

Species	Latin Name	Town	Locale	Date Seen
Common Loon	Gavia immer	South Orleans	Twinings Pond	10/22/95
Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Eastham	Great Pond	11/11/95
Northern Gannet	Morus bassanus	Eastham	First Encounter Beach Cape Cod Bay	11/9/95
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	Boston	Charles River, Longfellow Bridge	10/18/95
Double-crested Cormorant	Phalacrocorax auritus	Eastham	Fort Hill, Nauset Marsh	9/16/95
Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Eastham	Fort Hill, Nauset Marsh	9/16/95
Great Egret	Casmerodius albus	Harwich	Over Route 6	4/13/96
Snowy Egret	Egretta thula	Harwich	Bells Neck	10/14/95
Tricolored Heron	Egretta tricolor	Harwich	Bells Neck	10/13/95
Green-backed Heron	Butorides virescens	Eastham	Fort Hill, Nauset Marsh	9/16/95
Black-crowned Night-Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Eastham	Fort Hill, Nauset Marsh	9/16/95
Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Eastham	Herring Pond	10/9/95
Brant	Branta bernicla	Chatham	Fish Pier, Chatham Harbor	10/21/95
Canada Goose	Branta canadensis canadensis	Eastham	First Encounter Beach Cape Cod Bay	10/7/95
Canada Goose	Branta canadensis minima	Wellfleet	Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary	11/11/95
Wood Duck	Aix sponsa	Provincetown	Wood Duck Pond Beech Forest	5/1/96
American Black Duck	Anas rubipres	South Orleans	Little Quanset Pond	10/22/95
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Eastham	Fort Hill, Nauset Marsh	10/7/95
American Black-Mallard Hybrid		North Chatham	Salt Pond	12/25/95
Blue-winged Teal	Anas discors	Harwich	Bell's Neck	5/18/96
Gadwall	Anas strepera	South Orleans	Little Quanset Pond	11/22/95
American Wigeon	Anas americana	Eastham	Great Pond, Wiley Park	11/11/95
Canvasback	Aythya valisineria	Dennis	Swan Pond	3/18/96
Redhead	Aythya americana	North Chatham	Salt Pond	12/25/95
Greater Scaup	Aythya marila	Eastham	Herrring Pond	10/9/95
Lesser Scaup	Aythya affinis	Wellfleet	Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary	1/27/96
Common Eider	Somateria mollissima	Chatham	off Morris Island	11/12/95
Oldsquaw	Clangula hyemalis	Chatham	off Morris Island	1/14/96
Black Scoter	Melanitta negra	Harwich	Bells Neck	10/13/95
White-winged Scoter	Melanitta deglandi	Chatham	Cow Yard Lane	10/21/95
Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	North Chatham	Scatteree Road, Pleasant Bay	12/25/95
Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Eastham	Great Pond	11/9/95
Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Wellfleet	Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary	11/11/95
Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	Eastham	First Encounter Beach Cape Cod Bay	11/9/95
Ruddy Duck	Oxyura jamaicensis	Eastham	Great Pond, Wiley Park	11/11/95
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	Truro	Pilgrim Heights Area	5/1/96
Northern Harrier	Circus cyaneus	Orleans	Bridge Road Cape Cod Bay	10/9/95
Sharp-shinned Hawk	Accipiter striatus	South Orleans	Paw Wah Pond	10/22/95
Northern Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis	Brewster	Ocean Edge Resort	10/27/95
Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Truro	Pilgrim Heights Area	4/20/96
Broad-winged Hawk	Buteo platypterus	Truro	Pilgrim Heights Area	4/20/96
American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Wellfleet	Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary	11/11/95
Merlin	Falco columbarius	Harwich	My Backyard	12/26/95
Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Harwich	Bells Neck	10/13/95
Northern Bobwhite	Colinus virginianus	Harwich	My Backyard	4/4/87
Virginia Rail	Rallus limicola	Harwich	Bell's Neck	5/18/96
Clapper Rail	Rallus longirostris	Eastham	Herrring Pond	10/9/95
American Coot	Fulica americana	Eastham	Great Pond, Wiley Park	11/11/95
Black-bellied Plover	Pluvialis squatarola	Eastham	First Encounter Beach Cape Cod Bay	10/7/95
Semipalmated Plover	Charadrius semipalmatus	Harwich	Red River Beach Nantucket sound	9/1/96
Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanolueca	Eastham	First Encounter Beach Cape Cod Bay	10/7/95
Lesser Yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes	Wellfleet	Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary	11/11/95
Willet	Catoptrophorus semipalmatus	Chatham	Ryder's Cove	11/10/96
Ruddy Turnstone	Arinaria interpres	Harwich	Red River Beach Nantucket Sound	9/1/96
Sanderling	Calidris alba	Harwich	Red River Beach Nantucket Sound	10/29/95
Least Sandpiper	Calidris minutilla	Harwich	Bell's Neck	5/12/96
Dunlin	Calidris alpina	Dennis	Corporation Beach Cape Cod Bay	3/21/96
Laughing Gull	Larus atricilla	Orleans	Tonset Landing Nauset Marsh	11/24/95
Bonaparte's Gull	Larus philadelphia	Harwich	Red River Beach Nantucket Sound	10/29/95
Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Eastham	Fort Hill, Nauset Marsh	9/16/95
Herring Gull	Larus argentatus	Eastham	Fort Hill, Nauset Marsh	9/16/95
Iceland Gull	Larus glaucoides	North Chatham	Fish Pier	12/25/95
Glaucous Gull	Larus hyperboreus	Harwich	Thompson's Field	3/2/97
Great Black-backed Gull	Larus marinus	Eastham	First Encounter Beach Cape Cod Bay	10/7/95
Black-legged Kittiwake	Rissa Tridactyla	Orleans	Nauset Beach	11/22/95
Common Tern	Sterna hirundo	Orleans	Rock Harbor	9/2/96
Least Tern	Sterna antillarum	Harwich	Bell's Neck	5/12/96
Thick-billed Murre	Uria lomvia	Truro	Head of the Meadow Beach	4/20/96
Rock Dove	Columba livia	Barnstable	Route 6 Rest Stop	10/11/95
Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Harwich	My Yard	1/1/87
Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus	Harwich	Thompson's Field	3/2/87
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Archilochus colubris	Harwich	My backyard	6/10/95
Belted Kingfisher	Ceryle alcyon	Harwich	Bells Neck	10/14/95
Downy Woodpecker	Picoides pubescens	Harwich	My backyard	10/8/95
Hairy Woodpecker	Picoides villosus	Harwich	My backyard	9/20/95
Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Eastham	Herring Pond	10/9/95
Great Crested Flycatcher	Myiarchus crinitus	Harwich	My Yard	5/17/96
Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Harwich	My neighbor's yard	10/8/95
Tree Swallow	Iridoprocne bicolor	Eastham	First Encounter Beach Cape Cod Bay	10/7/95
N. Rough-winged Swallow	Stelgidopteryx serripennis	Truro	Pilgrim Hieghts Area	10/7/95
Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Harwich	My backyard	4/5/87
American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Eastham	Fort Hill, Nauset Marsh	10/7/95
Fish Crow	Corvus ossifragus	Provincetown	Beech Forest	5/1/96
Black-capped Chickadee	Parus atricapillus	Harwich	My backyard	1/1/87
Tufted Titmouse	Parus bicolor	Harwich	My backyard	9/15/95
Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensisr	Harwich	My backyard	9/15/95
White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Harwich	My backyard	9/15/95
Brown Creeper	Certhia familiaris	Harwich	My backyard	9/15/95
Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Harwich	My backyard	11/24/95
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon	Harwich	My backyard	7/31/95
Marsh Wren	Cistothorus palustris	Harwich	Bells Neck	10/13/95
Wood Thrush	Hylocichla mustelina	Harwich	My backyard	9/22/95
American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Harwich	My backyard	6/7/95
Gray Catbird	Dumetella carolinensis	Eastham	Fort Hill, Nauset Marsh	10/7/95
Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Eastham	Fort Hill, Nauset Marsh	10/7/95
Red-eyed Vireo	Vireo olivaceus	Orleans	Paw Wah Pond	5/11/96
Solitary vireo	Vireo solitarius	Truro	Pilgrim Heights Area	4/20/96
Yellow Warbler	Dendroica petechia	Harwich	Bell's Neck	5/12/96
Chestnut-sided Warbler	Dendroica pensylvanica	Harwich	Bell's Neck	5/18/96
Magnolia Warbler	Dendroica magnolia	Harwich	Bell's Neck	5/18/96
Yellow-rumped Warbler	Dendroica coronata	Eastham	Herrring Pond	10/9/95
Pine Warbler	Dendroica pinus	Truro	Pilgrim Heights Area	4/20/96
Palm Warbler	Parula americana	Eastham	Herrring Pond	10/9/95
Blackpoll Warbler	Dendroica striata	Eastham	Herrring Pond	10/9/95
Common Yellowthroat	Geothylpis trichas	Harwich	Bell's Neck	5/18/96
Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Harwich	My backyard	4/19/87
Rufous-sided Towhee	Pipilo erythrophthalmus	Harwich	My backyard	9/17/95
Indigo Bunting	Passerina cyanea	Harwich	My Yard	5/17/96
Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina	Harwich	My backyard	9/16/95
Field Sparrow	Spizella pusilla	Harwich	My backyard	9/15/95
Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	Harwich	My backyard	9/17/95
Sharp-tailed Sparrow	Ammospiza candacuta	Eastham	First Encounter Beach Cape Cod Bay	10/7/95
Seaside Sparrow	Ammospiza maritima	South Orleans	Quanset Town Landing	10/22/95
Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	Harwich	My backyard	9/16/95
Swamp Sparrow	Melospiza georgiana	Orleans	Tonset Landing Nauset Marsh	11/24/95
White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	South Orleans	Paw Wah Pond	10/22/95
White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophyrs	Truro	Pilgrim Hieghts Area	4/20/96
Snow Bunting	Plectrophenax nivalis	North Chatham	Cow Yard Lane	12/25/95
Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	Harwich	My backyard	11/13/95
Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	Harwich	My backyard	6/7/95
Eastern Meadowlark	Sturnella magna	Truro	Pilgrim Heights Area	4/20/96
Common Grackle	Quiscalus quiscula	Harwich	My backyard	9/20/95
Brown-headed Cowbird	Molothrus ater	Harwich	My backyard	4/20/87
Northern Oriole	Icterus galbula	Harwich	My backyard	5/17/96
Purple Finch	Carpodacus purpureus	Harwich	My backyard	9/16/95
House Finch	Carpodacus mexicanus	Harwich	My backyard	9/16/95
Common Redpoll	Carduelis flammea	Harwich	My backyard	12/23/95
Pine Siskin	Carduelis pinus	Harwich	My backyard	1/22/96
American Goldfinch	Carduelis tristis	Harwich	My backyard	8/31/95
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Harwich	My backyard	9/15/95

Go to the Backyard Feeder

This is a log of Recent Observations. Only a couple of days are kept here.

Old Backyard Feeder Logs are kept here.

The longer Trip Reports have their own page.

Here is a collection of the latest postings to the Birdchat - East email list, for your perusal.

Here is the Hypermail version of the BIRDEAST Mailing List.

Check here for the latest Massachusetts Regional Rare Bird Alerts

Back to the Cape Cod Connection!

http://www.capecodconnection.com/capecod/birds/lifelist.htm Last Updated: 7/7/97 5:40:36 PM Copyright © 1997, 1996 mikron Computer Consultants
Please send your comments to: Elizabeth Volpicelli, <lamb@pobox.com>, Member of the HTML Writers Guild or call during business hours (508) 432-4693 mikron Computer Consultants 3 Russell Drive, Harwich, MA 02645

The Cape Cod Connection

Elizabeth's Bird Life List

http://www.capecodconnection.com/capecod/birds/lifelist.htm Last Updated: 7/7/97 5:40:36 PM Copyright © 1997, 1996 mikron Computer Consultants

Please send your comments to: Elizabeth Volpicelli, <lamb@pobox.com>, Member of the HTML Writers Guild or call during business hours (508) 432-4693 mikron Computer Consultants 3 Russell Drive, Harwich, MA 02645

http://www.capecodconnection.com/capecod/birds/lifelist.htm Last Updated: 7/7/97 5:40:36 PM
Copyright © 1997, 1996 mikron Computer Consultants

Please send your comments to:
Elizabeth Volpicelli, <lamb@pobox.com>,
Member of the HTML Writers Guild
or call during business hours (508) 432-4693
mikron Computer Consultants
3 Russell Drive, Harwich, MA 02645