Bill Marquardt started 2024 in style by photographing a male Vermilion Flycatcher at Burrage Pond, Hanson, on January 1. Apparently the fifth state record, it was never seen again after Bill’s discovery.
A Common Gull—formerly Mew—of the Kamchatka subspecies has visited the beaches around Lynn and Swampscott during several recent winters. A Common Gull has also recurred on the eastern end of Nantucket, where Skyler Kardell found it on December 27. It was resighted erratically through January 19. Suzanne Sullivan found one (above) at Lynn Harbor a week later, on January 26.
Eared Grebe is another rarity that tends to show up at the same locations in our state for several consecutive winters. One showed up in Marblehead for the fourth year in a row, first reported on January 27 by Pamela Mansfield-Loomis, and hung around through February 22. Jacquelyn Papale found another grebe in Nantucket on November 24, 2023; it was last reported February 18, sharing its pond for a time with a drake Tufted Duck. Shilo McDonald took the photograph.
Two different Western Grebes continued to winter in our state. One returned to its previous year’s haunt atMashpee Pond, first detected there during the area’s CBC in December 2022. This year it was noticed on January 7. Winthrop hosted the other grebe, which was first found around the end of January 2023. It reappeared on December 12 after several months absence and was still being seen through press time. Emily Szczypek took the photograph.
A Townsend’s Warbler, originally photographed and posted to eBird anonymously on January 20, spent the rest of the winter along the bike path in Alewife; it was still being reported as recently as March 10. David Swain took the photograph.
Race Point seemed to host fewer Pacific Loons this year compared to recent winters, but at least one overwintered there. It was photographed on December 5 by Aidan Place and seen sporadically through February 25. Paul McPartland took the photograph.