Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape for the week came in on Monday, Dec. 21, a day ahead of the usual report, which is prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. That means there are only six days of bird counting included here. On the other hand, one of those days was a big one.
The Lower Cape Cod Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, covering Harwich to Eastham. So, we can’t know which of these sightings actually happened in Eastham, but counters’ highlights included an Ash-Throated Flycatcher, a Rufous Hummingbird, a Western Tanager, multiple Painted Buntings, a Snow Goose, several Northern Saw-Whet Owls, 3 Red Knots, several Yellow-Breasted Chats, and a Common Yellowthroat.
Separately, someone dropped a dime on Painted Buntings seen visiting feeders in Eastham this week.
Up to 65 Evening Grosbeaks continued to hang around in Wellfleet.
There were 4 Tree Swallows in Truro.
Sightings from Race Point in Provincetown included 2 Pacific Loons, 11 Red-Necked Grebes, 2 Pomarine Jaegers, a Dovekie, 34 Common Murres, 425 Razorbills, a Black Guillemot, 2 Great Shearwaters, 145 Black-Legged Kittiwakes, 3 Iceland Gulls, and a Snowy Owl.
If you have questions about these sightings, or want to report a sighting, call the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary at 508-349-2615 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
