Sacred Heart Park Summer Birds

House Sparrows in the hedgerow 7-31-12

In the past year Sacred Heart Park has become a favorite place for me to bird. I love the quiet Shawsheen River as it slips by, and the contrast of open field and river woodland. Since it is just a short walk from my house, I can get there easily on foot or by car. I often take my little dog there for her walk and bring my binoculars along as well, accomplishing two goals at once. Blossom never chases the birds and she is so small they don’t seem to mind her, but it is a bit awkward to try to hold her leash and hold my bins steady at the same time. Then I resort to the leash between the legs method so I can use both hands!

Eastern Kingbird in tree over soccer field 7-3-12

Earlier this year I decided to add Sacred Heart Park as a location for an eBird Site Survey. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, they accepted my request to list it as an eBird Hotspot! At the beginning of spring I only had a list of 37 species for this location. Since making it a Site Survey and birding here on a regular basis that list has now grown to 57 species as of August 13th. That is when I saw a Ruby-throated hummingbird eating insects off the trees on the woodland path down to the river! Shortly thereafter I spotted an American Redstart in the tree canopy above! If you are ever in Andover, this is a sweet place to bird!

Eastern Kingbird in flight

 

House Wren in deep shade on the woodland path 7-3-2012

 

Eastern Cottontail in Soccer Field 7-31-12

 

House Wren on Fence Post 7-3-12

Birds Seen at Sacred Heart Park this Spring and Summer 2012:

1. Canada Goose (seen year round)
2. Mallard (seen year round)
3. Wood Duck (fall and spring)
4. Great Blue Heron 3-27-12
5. Turkey Vulture 5-2-12*
6. Red-tailed Hawk (seen year round)
7. Cooper’s Hawk (seen year round)*
8. Ring-billed Gull (seen year round)
9. Herring gull (seen year round)
10. Rock Pigeon (seen year round)
11. Mourning Dove (seen year round)
12. Ruby-throated hummingbird 8-13-12
13. Chimney Swift 5-9-12
14. Red-bellied woodpecker (seen year round)
15. Downy Woodpecker (seen year round)
16. Hairy woodpecker (seen year round)*
17. Northern flicker (seen year round)
18. Eastern Phoebe 3-22-12*
19. Eastern Kingbird 6-21-12*
20. American Crow (seen year round)
21. Northern Rough-winged swallow 6-5-12*
22. Tree Swallow 6-29-12*
23. Barn Swallow 6-29-12*
24. Blue Jay (seen year round)
25. Black-capped chickadee (seen year round)
26. Tufted Titmouse (seen year round)
27. White-breasted Nuthatch (seen year round)
28. Carolina Wren 7-31-2012
29. House Wren 5-9-12*
30. American Robin (seen year round)
31. European Starling 3-27-12
32. Cedar Waxwing 5-2-12
33. American Redstart 5-12-12*
34. Yellow Warbler 6-5-12*
35. Palm Warbler 4-16-12*
36. Wilson’s Warbler 5-14-12*
37. Chipping Sparrow 4-17-12
38. Savannah sparrow 4-16-12*
39. Fox sparrow 3-30-12*
40. Song sparrow (seen year round)
41. White-throated Sparrow (last seen in May)
42. Dark-eyed Junco (last seen in April)
43. Northern Cardinal (seen year round)
44. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5-14-12*
45. Red-winged Blackbird 3-27-12
46. Common Grackle 3-13-12
47. Brown-headed Cowbird 6-21-12*
48. Baltimore oriole 5-6-12*
49. House Finch (seen year round)
50. American Goldfinch (seen year round)
51. House Sparrow (seen year round)

*New this year

Note: These are the birds I recorded at the park just this spring and summer but over the course of the two years I have been here I have observed 57 species here at the park. Sacred Heart Park is the first place I ever counted birds in Andover, MA.