Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: The proverbial March Lion came in roaring on the second day of the month.Flooding rains saturated Greater Boston with nearly two inches of rain, and in western Massachusetts heavy snow was noted.Rainfall totaled 4.31 inches in Boston, just 0.5 inch over normal but 3.75 inches over last year's very dry March.The month on the whole was quite sunny, and the temperature averaged 37.5 o in Boston, 1.4 o below average.The high in Boston was 68 o on March 14 and the low was a very cold 5 o on March 9. Snowfall totaled 10.2 inches in Boston, 1.9 inches above average.The biggest snow of the season occurred on St. Patrick's Day; this storm ended as heavy rain, saturating the snow pack, making it hard to handle, and causing numerous flooding problems.April in Boston was very cold, wet, and cloudy, not the weather birders look for in the first big month of migration.Cold temperatures dominated the first twenty days, then some warm southwesterly wind came on April 21 and 22, and the temperature soared to 86 o on April 23, 18 o warmer than average for that date.Birders recorded high numbers of Hermit Thrushes at Plum Island, Marblehead Neck, and Mount Auburn Cemetery on that day.Winds returned to the northwest, and, after that, we had only one other day with a southerly wind.Rainfall fell on fifteen days and totaled 6.71 inches, 3.11 inches above average for April.A nor'easter on April 15-16 brought heavy rain and storm-driven birds.At Andrew's Point in Rockport Northern Fulmars, Leach's Storm-Petrels, and high numbers of kittiwakes and razorbills were noted. R. Stymeist WATERFOWL THROUGH ALCIDSGreater White-fronted Geese were well reported during the latter half of March, with as many as nine individuals including a flock of four in Northfield on March 23.The increasing regularity of this species in the state is impressive.Prior to 1999 there were only three records for western Massachusetts!The species has been reported every year since then, often in multiples.Two reports of Barnacle Geese (unaccompanied by details) in Deerfield and Hadley were probably of the same individual.The Hadley bird was seen in a flock with two Cackling Geese.Other Cackling Geese reports from around the state included one from Fairhaven, one from Sunderland, and another in Townsend, all within a ten-day period in late March.A Tundra Swan was reported during the last few days of March in East Bridgewater.A hybrid Eurasian X American Wigeon was discovered at Nine Acre Corner in Concord on March 26 and rediscovered at Great Meadows NWR the following day.While this hybrid combination is not uncommon, it has been rarely reported in Massachusetts.As many as six Eurasian Wigeon were found elsewhere in the state.Eurasian Teal were nearly as well reported, with a total of five discovered at five widely scattered sites.Pacific Loons were seen at three different locations during the reporting period.These included an individual in Provincetown, which stayed for most of April.A mixed flock of White-winged and Black Scoters at Granville was unusual for western Massachusetts.The Eared Grebe at Gloucester was last reported on April 21.A nor'easter in mid-April brought a good number of pelagics.Andrew's Point produced the lion's share, with forty-nine Northern
Language: English
Topic: Avian ecology and behavior
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7209709279