Eleven birders had a great day exploring Cape Ann together, and although we didn't find every single species hoped for, we were happy with 37 species and we did see.  Especially, the Thick-billed Murres, up close, and the King Eiders and Redheads were real treats.  Beyond the birds, it was a beautiful day in a beautiful area with a congenial group of enthusiastic birders.   Thanks to Don Heitzman for a wonderful and well organized day! 

From OSBC Facebook posting:  On OSBC walk this morning (1/23) at Sachuest Point (and 3rd Beach) with 3 other hardy souls, highlights were 2 Iceland gulls and 1 Glaucous gull and approx 90 N. Gannets diving, a large flock Purple Sandpipers, all 3 scoters, and 4 Green Wing Teal at 3rd Beach marsh. 
 
Sachuest Point NWR, Newport, Rhode Island, US Jan 23, 2016 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.5 mile(s)
Comments: Ocean State Bird Club walk,  Leader Leslie Bostrum, with Jana Hesser, Hugh Markey and Alex Allardt

27 species
Canada Goose  25
Greater Scaup  50
Lesser Scaup  2
Common Eider  5
Harlequin Duck  32
Surf Scoter  10
White-winged Scoter  3
Black Scoter  24
Bufflehead  80
Common Goldeneye  20
Red-breasted Merganser  54
Red-throated Loon  7
Common Loon  24
Horned Grebe  6
Northern Gannet  85
Great Cormorant  15
Ruddy Turnstone  2
Sanderling  10
Purple Sandpiper  40
Ring-billed Gull  X
Herring Gull  X
Iceland Gull  2
Glaucous Gull  1
Great Black-backed Gull  30
American Crow  5
European Starling  X
Song Sparrow  1

Location: Walker Farm, Barrington, RI
​Leader: Leslie Bostrom
Participants: 11
Species Total: 27

• 15 Bufflehead
• 1 Great Blue Heron
• 1 Greater Yellowlegs
• 1 Laughing Gull
• 1 Herring Gull
• X gull sp.
• 5 Mourning Dove
• 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
• 4 Downy Woodpecker
• 2 Northern Flicker
• 8 Blue Jay
• 5 American Crow
• 2 Black-capped Chickadee
• 2 Carolina Wren
• 25 American Robin
• 5 Northern Mockingbird
• 19 European Starling
• 25 Cedar Waxwing
• 2 Savannah Sparrow
• 18 Song Sparrow
• 2 Swamp Sparrow
• 6 White-throated Sparrow
• 3 Dark-eyed Junco
• 2 Northern Cardinal
• 4 Red-winged Blackbird
• 52 House Finch
• 26 American Goldfinch

Location: Brickyard Pond, Bristol, Rhode Island, US
Date: Oct 23, 2015 8:06 AM - 10:06 AM
Distance: 2.0 mile(s)
Leader: Mike Kieron
Participants: 8
Total Species: 25 

• Canada Goose  8
• Mute Swan  2
• Mallard  16
• Bufflehead  3
• Double-crested Cormorant  28
• Great Blue Heron  2
• Bald Eagle  1
• Red-tailed Hawk  2
• Herring Gull  15
• Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
• Downy Woodpecker  2
• Eastern Phoebe  1     Heard.
• Red-eyed Vireo  1     Late bird, very well seen by multiple observers. Small vireo with dark eye line, white brow and blue-gray crown.
• Blue Jay  5
• American Crow  5
• Fish Crow  1
• Black-capped Chickadee  10
• Tufted Titmouse  3
• White-breasted Nuthatch  3
• Golden-crowned Kinglet  2
• Palm Warbler (Yellow)  1
• Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  6
• White-throated Sparrow  3
• Song Sparrow  6
• Northern Cardinal  3

Location: Ninigret NWR, Washington County, Rhode Island, US
Date: Sat Oct 17, 2015 7:30 AM
Party Size: 6
Duration: 3 hour(s), 30 minute(s)
Distance: 4.0 mile(s)
Leader: Dylan Pedro
Comments: OSBC walk at Ninigret. Conditions: Cool (~45-50F), partly cloudy, fair wind from NNW. Decent sized morning flight upon arrival at parking lot
Species: 47 species (+1 other taxa) total

• 215 Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
• One flyover flock of about 110 around 1030, a few other flyovers, and approximately 100 on Ninigret Pond. No Greats in these groups that I could pick out
• 2 Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias 
• 2 Great Egret Ardea alba 
• 2 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 
• 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus 
• 1 Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii 
• 3 Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca 
• Vocal flyovers coming from the pond around 830
• 1 Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla 
• Probably an undercount
• 45 Herring Gull Larus argentatus 
• Approximate. Many gull sp. seen very distantly out on the pond.
• 15 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 
• Minimum mixed in with the gull sp.
• 110 gull sp. Larinae sp. 
• 2 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura 
• 3 Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens 
• 2 Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus 
• 18 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) Colaptes auratus auratus/luteus 
• 1 American Kestrel Falco sparverius 
• 5 Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe 
• 21 Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata 
• 8 American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos 
• 18 Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor 
• 9 Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus 
• 3 Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor 
• 0 Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis 
• One possibly heard by Scott
• 2 White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis 
• 7 Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa 
• 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula 
• 1 Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis 
• Vocal flyover in morning flight
• 3 Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus 
• 85 American Robin Turdus migratorius 
• Many flyovers throughout the late morning. Very few on the ground.
• 10 Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis 
• 1 American Pipit Anthus rubescens 
• Flushed from airstrip
• 14 Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum 
• Morning flight
• 1 American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla 
• Late female, overall gray with yellow-orange markings under wings and on tail, which was typically fanned out.
• 3 Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata 
• A couple in morning flight, at least one perched nicely for us.
• 1 Palm Warbler (Yellow) Setophaga palmarum hypochrysea 
• 150 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) Setophaga coronata coronata 
• Conservative estimate. Omnipresent. Several dozen in morning flight.
• 2 Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina 
• 6 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis 
• 1 White-crowned Sparrow (leucophrys) Zonotrichia leucophrys leucophrys 
• Immature
• 18 White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis 
• 17 Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia 
• 15 Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana 
• 6 Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus 
• 6 Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 
• 18 Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus 
• Mostly flyovers, a few in morning flight
• 3 Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula 
• Morning flight
• 45 House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus 
• 0 Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus 
• Probably undercounted
• 1 Pine Siskin Spinus pinus 
• Vocal (presumably) flyover around 1050 at the Kayak Launch. Heard upsweeping "zreeeeeep!" much harsher and longer-lasting than that of an American Goldfinch
• 3 American Goldfinch Spinus tristis