Quarter-Month Status
Birds of Plum Island, Essex County, Massachusetts
Ordered by Number of Sightings

Compiled by Tom Wetmore

This table shows the quarter-month status of the birds of Plum Island. It is based primarily on data I have collected over the past five years. The species are listed in the order of their numbers of sightings. The column labeled ‘n’ orders the species. The column labeled ‘N’ shows the number of different days that each species has been reported on the island over the period of data collection. Birds that have been seen between two and 99 times have a second number in their ‘N’ column. This is the number of years that the species has been seen recorded. Cells in these two columns may be colored. Red cells indicate species that just moved up in the ordering. Blue cells indicate species that just moved down. Yellow cells indicate species that were seen on the last day of sightings.

Quarter-Month Status of the Birds of Plum Island — updated September 7, 2010

	Species		n		N		Jan		Feb		Mar		Apr		May		Jun		Jul		Aug		Sep		Oct		Nov		Dec
Canada Goose	1	2248
Herring Gull	2	2228
American Robin	3	2203
American Crow	4	2154
American Black Duck	5	2130
Mallard	6	2112
Great Black-backed Gull	7	2022
Black-capped Chickadee	8	2005
Song Sparrow	9	2003
Northern Harrier	10	1946
Northern Mockingbird	11	1930
Gadwall	12	1885
European Starling	13	1831
Mourning Dove	14	1752
Northern Cardinal	15	1686
Ring-billed Gull	16	1640
Blue Jay	16	1640
Double-crested Cormorant	18	1616
American Goldfinch	19	1604
Green-winged Teal	20	1555
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Greater Yellowlegs	21	1549
Great Egret	22	1487
Common Loon	23	1434
Gray Catbird	24	1393
Great Blue Heron	25	1382
Mute Swan	26	1374
Snowy Egret	27	1314
Red-winged Blackbird	28	1312
Tree Swallow	29	1293
Eastern Towhee	30	1272
White-winged Scoter	31	1246
Common Grackle	32	1175
Killdeer	33	1166
Savannah Sparrow	34	1153
Common Eider	35	1147
Red-breasted Merganser	36	1138
House Sparrow	37	1133
Osprey	38	1132
Cedar Waxwing	39	1128
Brown Thrasher	40	1115
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Black-bellied Plover	41	1113
Northern Pintail	42	1073
Downy Woodpecker	43	1063
White-throated Sparrow	44	1040
Rock Pigeon	45	1017
Marsh Wren	46	1012
House Finch	47	958
Semipalmated Sandpiper	48	957
American Tree Sparrow	49	938
Semipalmated Plover	50	936
Common Yellowthroat	51	935
Lesser Yellowlegs	52	934
Eastern Kingbird	53	929
Long-tailed Duck	54	909
Yellow Warbler	55	898
Yellow-rumped Warbler	56	878
Common Tern	57	873
Bufflehead	58	869
Purple Finch	59	866
Barn Swallow	60	852
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Bobolink	61	836
Least Sandpiper	62	833
Red-throated Loon	63	831
Brown-headed Cowbird	64	828
Peregrine Falcon	65	825
Northern Gannet	66	817
Sanderling	67	816
Purple Martin	68	815
Black Scoter	69	810
Willet	70	806
Merlin	71	757
Horned Grebe	72	743
Dunlin	73	740
Short-billed Dowitcher	74	739
Field Sparrow	75	716
Saltmarsh Sparrow	76	707
Hooded Merganser	77	703
Blue-winged Teal	78	700
Least Tern	79	699
Common Goldeneye	80	686
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Turkey Vulture	81	675
Horned Lark	82	664
Bonaparte's Gull	82	664
Baltimore Oriole	84	658
White-rumped Sandpiper	85	655
Dark-eyed Junco	86	651
Northern Flicker	87	638
American Redstart	88	623
Eastern Phoebe	89	619
American Wigeon	90	605
Red-tailed Hawk	91	600
Snowy Owl	92	592
Piping Plover	93	581
Black-crowned Night-Heron	94	560
Red-breasted Nuthatch	95	545
Willow Flycatcher	96	533
Red-necked Grebe	97	531
Spotted Sandpiper	98	492
Bank Swallow	98	492
Eastern Meadowlark	100	481
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Swamp Sparrow	101	479
Golden-crowned Kinglet	102	474
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	103	465
Surf Scoter	104	460
American Kestrel	105	454
Snow Bunting	106	450
Glossy Ibis	107	439
Cooper's Hawk	108	434
Rough-legged Hawk	109	433
Northern Shrike	109	433
Sharp-shinned Hawk	111	426
Brant	112	417
Hermit Thrush	113	402
Black-and-white Warbler	114	398
Snow Goose	115	392
American Bittern	116	385
Virginia Rail	117	378
Red-eyed Vireo	117	378
Northern Shoveler	119	372
Sora	120	366
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Carolina Wren	121	362
Whimbrel	122	340
Black-throated Green Warbler	123	334
Pectoral Sandpiper	124	330
Ruddy Turnstone	125	327
American Woodcock	126	325
Blackpoll Warbler	127	323
Chipping Sparrow	127	323
Magnolia Warbler	129	306
Northern Parula	130	303
Least Bittern	131	302
Belted Kingfisher	131	302
Greater Scaup	133	299
Palm Warbler	133	299
American Pipit	135	298
Black-throated Blue Warbler	136	295
Long-billed Dowitcher	137	292
Great Cormorant	138	290
Seaside Sparrow	138	290
Laughing Gull	140	287
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Stilt Sandpiper	141	283
Short-eared Owl	142	279
Pied-billed Grebe	143	278
Bald Eagle	144	272
Red Knot	145	267
Blue-headed Vireo	146	262
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	147	241
Northern Waterthrush	148	239
Wilson's Warbler	149	228
Chimney Swift	150	224
American Golden-Plover	150	224
White-crowned Sparrow	152	223
Great Crested Flycatcher	153	220
Wilson's Snipe	154	208
Purple Sandpiper	155	207
Razorbill	156	203
Nashville Warbler	156	203
House Wren	158	201
Black-legged Kittiwake	159	200
Brown Creeper	159	200
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Lapland Longspur	161	190
Great Horned Owl	162	185
Wood Duck	163	181
Ovenbird	163	181
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	165	180
Common Merganser	166	178
Green Heron	167	177
Ruddy Duck	168	172
Chestnut-sided Warbler	169	168
Lesser Scaup	170	157
Blackburnian Warbler	170	157
Canada Warbler	172	155
Orchard Oriole	172	155
Baird's Sandpiper	174	152
Eastern Wood-Pewee	175	148
American Coot	176	143
Hairy Woodpecker	176	143
Black-billed Cuckoo	178	140
Least Flycatcher	179	136
Wilson's Phalarope	180	134
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Roseate Tern	181	132
Western Sandpiper	182	131
Ring-necked Duck	183	130
Common Redpoll	183	130
Scarlet Tanager	185	129
Pine Warbler	186	127
Veery	187	125
Tricolored Heron	188	124
Swainson's Thrush	189	120
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	190	118
Alder Flycatcher	190	118
King Rail	192	114
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	193	110
Pine Siskin	193	110
Prairie Warbler	195	108
Warbling Vireo	196	107
Hudsonian Godwit	197	106
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	197	106
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	199	105
Red-bellied Woodpecker	200	100
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Little Blue Heron	201	98/9
Little Gull	202	97/7
White-breasted Nuthatch	203	96/9
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	204	95/9
Common Moorhen	205	93/7
Winter Wren	205	93/9
Bay-breasted Warbler	205	93/9
Philadelphia Vireo	208	91/10
Wood Thrush	208	91/9
Clapper Rail	210	86/8
Solitary Sandpiper	210	86/8
Lincoln's Sparrow	210	86/10
Iceland Gull	213	85/9
Tufted Titmouse	213	85/8
Forster's Tern	215	81/8
Eurasian Wigeon	216	77/8
Cliff Swallow	216	77/9
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	218	73/9
Fox Sparrow	219	69/9
Clay-colored Sparrow	220	68/9
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mourning Warbler	221	67/9
Wilson's Storm-Petrel	222	63/9
Wild Turkey	223	60/9
Ring-necked Pheasant	224	58/9
Cape May Warbler	224	58/8
White-winged Crossbill	226	55/4
Indigo Bunting	227	54/9
Caspian Tern	228	51/9
Lesser Black-backed Gull	229	50/8
Marbled Godwit	230	47/8
Black Tern	230	47/9
Common Nighthawk	230	47/8
Tennessee Warbler	233	44/8
Rusty Blackbird	234	43/9
Orange-crowned Warbler	235	42/8
Manx Shearwater	236	41/8
Blue-winged Warbler	236	41/8
Connecticut Warbler	238	36/9
Yellow-breasted Chat	238	36/6
Barrow's Goldeneye	240	33/6
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Nelson's Sparrow	240	33/9
Black-headed Gull	242	30/8
Northern Goshawk	243	28/10
Olive-sided Flycatcher	243	28/8
Fish Crow	243	28/7
Dickcissel	243	28/8
Vesper Sparrow	247	26/7
Glaucous Gull	248	25/5
Black Guillemot	248	25/8
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	250	22/1
Hooded Warbler	250	22/8
Eastern Bluebird	252	21/8
King Eider	253	20/4
Lark Sparrow	253	20/6
Eastern Whip-poor-will	255	19/1
Redhead	256	18/4
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	256	18/6
Broad-winged Hawk	256	18/6
Black Rail	256	18/1
Dovekie	256	18/5
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Long-eared Owl	256	18/6
Yellow-throated Vireo	256	18/7
Red Crossbill	256	18/3
American Oystercatcher	264	17/7
Harlequin Duck	265	16/6
American Avocet	265	16/4
Parasitic Jaeger	265	16/7
Worm-eating Warbler	265	16/5
Western Grebe	269	15/4
White-eyed Vireo	269	15/7
Red-necked Phalarope	271	14/5
Arctic Tern	271	14/5
Upland Sandpiper	273	12/5
Red Phalarope	273	12/4
Thick-billed Murre	273	12/6
Barred Owl	273	12/4
Northern Saw-whet Owl	273	12/5
Green-tailed Towhee	273	12/1
Pine Grosbeak	273	12/2
Black-tailed Godwit	280	11/1
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Common Raven	280	11/4
Gray-cheeked Thrush	280	11/6
Kentucky Warbler	280	11/5
Sooty Shearwater	284	10/6
Cattle Egret	284	10/4
Red-shouldered Hawk	284	10/5
Ruff	284	10/5
Western Kingbird	284	10/3
Leach's Storm-Petrel	289	9/5
Royal Tern	289	9/4
Cory's Shearwater	291	8/3
White-faced Ibis	291	8/2
Common Murre	291	8/4
Hoary Redpoll	291	8/4
Ross's Goose	295	7/1
Cackling Goose	295	7/2
Gull-billed Tern	295	7/2
Prothonotary Warbler	295	7/4
Swainson's Warbler	295	7/1
Grasshopper Sparrow	295	7/3
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Canvasback	301	6/2
Gyrfalcon	301	6/4
Black Vulture	303	5/3
Pacific Golden-Plover	303	5/1
Thayer's Gull	303	5/1
Pomarine Jaeger	303	5/4
Atlantic Puffin	303	5/3
Ash-throated Flycatcher	303	5/1
Cave Swallow	303	5/3
Bohemian Waxwing	303	5/3
Louisiana Waterthrush	303	5/5
Summer Tanager	303	5/4
Blue Grosbeak	303	5/2
Franklin's Gull	314	4/3
Red-headed Woodpecker	314	4/2
Acadian Flycatcher	314	4/3
Cerulean Warbler	314	4/3
Northern Fulmar	318	3/2
Golden Eagle	318	3/2
Black Skimmer	318	3/3
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Eastern Screech-Owl	318	3/2
Say's Phoebe	318	3/2
Loggerhead Shrike	318	3/1
Golden-winged Warbler	318	3/2
Yellow-throated Warbler	318	3/3
Eared Grebe	326	2/1
American White Pelican	326	2/2
Sandhill Crane	326	2/2
Chuck-will's-widow	326	2/2
Northern Wheatear	326	2/1
Pacific Loon	331	1
Eurasian Kestrel	331	1
Wilson's Plover	331	1
Curlew Sandpiper	331	1
Sabine's Gull	331	1
Sandwich Tern	331	1
Long-tailed Jaeger	331	1
Sedge Wren	331	1
Bicknell's Thrush	331	1
Sage Thrasher	331	1
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Chestnut-collared Longspur	331	1
Yellow-headed Blackbird	331	1
Evening Grosbeak	331	1