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 August 21, 2025

	Species		n		N		Jan		Feb		Mar		Apr		May		Jun		Jul		Aug		Sep		Oct		Nov		Dec
Herring Gull	1	7222
Canada Goose	2	7168
American Robin	3	7093
Mallard	4	6957
American Black Duck	5	6933
Black-capped Chickadee	6	6803
Great Black-backed Gull	7	6733
Song Sparrow	8	6705
American Crow	9	6704
Northern Mockingbird	10	6523
Northern Cardinal	11	6206
European Starling	12	6068
Blue Jay	13	6041
Mourning Dove	14	5963
Gadwall	15	5772
Northern Harrier	16	5725
American Goldfinch	17	5511
Ring-billed Gull	18	5412
Green-winged Teal	19	5132
Double-crested Cormorant	20	5108
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
House Sparrow	21	5055
Common Loon	22	4987
Great Egret	23	4766
Greater Yellowlegs	24	4741
Rock Pigeon	25	4644
Gray Catbird	26	4557
Great Blue Heron	27	4497
Common Eider	28	4482
Mute Swan	29	4470
Downy Woodpecker	30	4464
Red-winged Blackbird	31	4365
White-winged Scoter	32	4292
House Finch	33	4243
Eastern Towhee	34	4144
Tree Swallow	35	3891
Killdeer	36	3876
Snowy Egret	37	3872
Common Grackle	38	3825
Red-breasted Merganser	39	3779
Osprey	40	3742
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Black-bellied Plover	41	3647
Cedar Waxwing	42	3639
White-throated Sparrow	43	3447
Northern Pintail	44	3429
Long-tailed Duck	45	3401
Brown Thrasher	46	3325
Sanderling	47	3317
Black Scoter	48	3314
Savannah Sparrow	49	3237
Dunlin	50	3187
Bufflehead	51	3171
Semipalmated Plover	52	3159
Semipalmated Sandpiper	53	3155
Marsh Wren	54	3151
Purple Finch	55	3115
Common Yellowthroat	56	3047
Red-tailed Hawk	57	2917
Yellow-rumped Warbler	58	2907
Lesser Yellowlegs	59	2906
Peregrine Falcon	59	2906
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Barn Swallow	61	2894
American Tree Sparrow	62	2820
Northern Flicker	63	2792
Eastern Kingbird	64	2777
Red-throated Loon	65	2768
Yellow Warbler	66	2705
Horned Grebe	67	2654
Common Tern	68	2629
Northern Gannet	69	2601
Wild Turkey	70	2554
Least Sandpiper	71	2529
Turkey Vulture	72	2527
Willet	73	2498
Swamp Sparrow	74	2485
Bobolink	75	2481
Common Goldeneye	76	2448
Purple Martin	77	2437
Red-breasted Nuthatch	78	2421
Brown-headed Cowbird	78	2421
Piping Plover	80	2375
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Short-billed Dowitcher	81	2372
Field Sparrow	82	2360
Merlin	83	2350
Least Tern	84	2343
Hooded Merganser	85	2313
Dark-eyed Junco	86	2307
Baltimore Oriole	87	2284
Saltmarsh Sparrow	88	2245
Bald Eagle	89	2231
White-rumped Sandpiper	90	2197
Eastern Phoebe	91	2187
American Redstart	92	2176
Surf Scoter	93	2084
Cooper's Hawk	94	2034
American Wigeon	95	2028
Black-crowned Night-Heron	96	1895
Red-eyed Vireo	97	1888
Hermit Thrush	98	1858
Willow Flycatcher	99	1737
Horned Lark	100	1728
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Bonaparte's Gull	101	1720
Spotted Sandpiper	102	1711
Golden-crowned Kinglet	103	1639
Red-necked Grebe	104	1615
Carolina Wren	105	1571
Snowy Owl	106	1524
Rough-legged Hawk	107	1511
Northern Shoveler	108	1465
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	109	1447
Bank Swallow	110	1428
Chipping Sparrow	111	1355
Great Crested Flycatcher	112	1338
Blue-winged Teal	113	1336
Snow Bunting	114	1313
Brant	115	1262
Greater Scaup	116	1218
Common Raven	117	1164
Black-and-white Warbler	118	1150
Sharp-shinned Hawk	119	1143
Glossy Ibis	120	1135
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Razorbill	121	1114
American Kestrel	122	1097
Stilt Sandpiper	123	1091
Belted Kingfisher	124	1060
Orchard Oriole	125	1049
Seaside Sparrow	126	1039
Least Bittern	127	1038
Pectoral Sandpiper	128	1032
Blackpoll Warbler	129	1006
Ruddy Turnstone	130	995
Long-billed Dowitcher	130	995
Northern Parula	132	970
Laughing Gull	133	964
Palm Warbler	134	947
White-breasted Nuthatch	135	946
Black-throated Green Warbler	135	946
Pied-billed Grebe	137	935
American Woodcock	138	874
Magnolia Warbler	139	869
Great Cormorant	140	850
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Blue-headed Vireo	140	850
Red Knot	142	826
House Wren	143	824
Virginia Rail	144	814
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	145	789
Black-throated Blue Warbler	146	788
American Bittern	147	787
Northern Shrike	148	778
Lesser Scaup	149	776
Pine Warbler	150	772
Whimbrel	151	766
Brown Creeper	152	741
American Pipit	153	724
Chimney Swift	154	706
Northern Waterthrush	155	705
Short-eared Owl	156	702
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	157	694
American Golden-Plover	158	692
Tufted Titmouse	159	689
Hairy Woodpecker	160	682
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
White-crowned Sparrow	161	676
Ruddy Duck	162	645
Eastern Meadowlark	163	634
Eastern Wood-Pewee	164	626
Ovenbird	164	626
Roseate Tern	166	625
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	167	620
Wilson's Warbler	168	604
American Coot	169	599
Nashville Warbler	170	591
Snow Goose	171	551
Chestnut-sided Warbler	172	530
Sora	173	526
Red-bellied Woodpecker	174	513
Purple Sandpiper	175	491
Common Merganser	176	484
Swainson's Thrush	177	471
Blackburnian Warbler	178	469
Wood Duck	179	467
Wilson's Snipe	180	451
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Alder Flycatcher	181	446
Canada Warbler	182	431
Least Flycatcher	183	425
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	184	422
Green Heron	185	418
Veery	186	413
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	186	413
Scarlet Tanager	188	410
Black-legged Kittiwake	189	405
Hudsonian Godwit	190	397
Black-billed Cuckoo	191	389
Great Horned Owl	192	386
Pine Siskin	192	386
Ring-necked Duck	194	385
Baird's Sandpiper	194	385
Lapland Longspur	196	380
Eastern Whip-poor-will	197	379
Warbling Vireo	198	377
Bay-breasted Warbler	199	365
Western Sandpiper	200	364
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Prairie Warbler	201	363
Common Redpoll	202	353
Forster's Tern	203	316
Fox Sparrow	204	312
Fish Crow	205	303
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	206	302
Eurasian Wigeon	207	296
Cape May Warbler	208	292
Barred Owl	209	286
Tricolored Heron	210	279
Lincoln's Sparrow	211	278
Solitary Sandpiper	212	273
Philadelphia Vireo	213	269
Lesser Black-backed Gull	213	269
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	215	258
Wilson's Phalarope	216	254
Winter Wren	217	245
Black Guillemot	218	244
Clay-colored Sparrow	219	239
American Avocet	220	234
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Little Blue Heron	221	223
Red Crossbill	222	218
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	223	215
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	224	209
Wood Thrush	225	207
Tennessee Warbler	226	196
King Rail	227	188
Caspian Tern	228	187
Common Gallinule	229	181
Mourning Warbler	230	180
Wilson's Storm-Petrel	231	172
Indigo Bunting	232	170
Cliff Swallow	233	166
Nelson's Sparrow	234	161
Iceland Gull	235	158
Black Tern	236	155
Dickcissel	237	154
Redhead	238	153
Clapper Rail	239	148
White-winged Crossbill	239	148
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Orange-crowned Warbler	241	131
White-eyed Vireo	242	126
Little Gull	243	125
King Eider	244	122
Blue-winged Warbler	245	120
Rusty Blackbird	246	115
Yellow-throated Vireo	247	110
Yellow-breasted Chat	248	108
Marbled Godwit	249	100
Olive-sided Flycatcher	250	96/23
Common Nighthawk	251	95/23
American Oystercatcher	252	89/21
Cory's Shearwater	253	86/13
Ring-necked Pheasant	254	85/13
Black Skimmer	254	85/15
Red-shouldered Hawk	256	79/19
Broad-winged Hawk	257	78/20
Lark Sparrow	258	76/20
Manx Shearwater	259	75/22
Western Grebe	260	71/7
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Eastern Bluebird	261	67/21
Connecticut Warbler	261	67/24
Parasitic Jaeger	263	62/21
Hooded Warbler	264	61/20
Harlequin Duck	265	59/13
Great Shearwater	266	58/15
Vesper Sparrow	267	57/19
Dovekie	268	54/17
Glaucous Gull	269	52/17
Gray-cheeked Thrush	269	52/20
Summer Tanager	271	46/15
Thick-billed Murre	272	45/20
Gull-billed Tern	273	44/8
Northern Goshawk	273	44/17
Northern Saw-whet Owl	275	43/14
Red-necked Phalarope	276	42/15
Black-headed Gull	277	40/13
Arctic Tern	277	40/16
Royal Tern	277	40/13
Western Kingbird	277	40/10
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Barrow's Goldeneye	281	35/7
Long-eared Owl	282	33/14
Worm-eating Warbler	283	32/14
Red Phalarope	284	30/9
Cattle Egret	285	27/9
Greater White-fronted Goose	286	26/2
Ruff	286	26/11
Curlew Sandpiper	286	26/6
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	286	26/3
Sooty Shearwater	290	25/15
Grasshopper Sparrow	290	25/9
White-faced Ibis	292	23/8
Canvasback	293	21/8
Black-necked Stilt	293	21/3
Upland Sandpiper	293	21/12
Kentucky Warbler	293	21/10
Common Murre	297	19/11
Black Rail	298	18/1
Bohemian Waxwing	298	18/11
Pacific Loon	300	17/8
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Pine Grosbeak	300	17/5
Prothonotary Warbler	300	17/10
Acadian Flycatcher	303	16/12
Evening Grosbeak	303	16/6
Hoary Redpoll	303	16/7
Blue Grosbeak	303	16/6
Ross's Goose	307	14/4
Ash-throated Flycatcher	308	13/3
Pomarine Jaeger	309	12/8
Eastern Screech-Owl	309	12/8
Green-tailed Towhee	309	12/1
Black-tailed Godwit	312	11/1
Leach's Storm-Petrel	312	11/7
Swainson's Hawk	312	11/3
Cave Swallow	312	11/7
Yellow-throated Warbler	312	11/6
Louisiana Waterthrush	317	10/10
Black Vulture	318	9/7
Cackling Goose	319	8/3
Common Ringed Plover	319	8/3
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
American White Pelican	319	8/7
Golden Eagle	319	8/7
Golden-winged Warbler	319	8/5
Cerulean Warbler	319	8/6
Sandhill Crane	325	7/7
Red-headed Woodpecker	325	7/4
Gyrfalcon	325	7/5
Swainson's Warbler	325	7/1
Wilson's Plover	329	6/3
Red-necked Stint	329	6/2
Atlantic Puffin	329	6/4
Sandwich Tern	329	6/2
Northern Fulmar	329	6/4
Say's Phoebe	329	6/4
Yellow-headed Blackbird	329	6/5
Pacific Golden-Plover	336	5/1
Franklin's Gull	336	5/4
Brown Pelican	336	5/1
Sedge Wren	339	4/4
Northern Wheatear	339	4/2
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Chuck-will's-widow	341	3/3
Mississippi Kite	341	3/3
Pileated Woodpecker	341	3/3
Loggerhead Shrike	341	3/1
Western Tanager	341	3/1
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	346	2/2
Tundra Swan	346	2/1
Eared Grebe	346	2/1
Ringed Turtle-Dove	346	2/1
Northern Lapwing	346	2/2
Long-tailed Jaeger	346	2/2
Sabine's Gull	346	2/2
Little Egret	346	2/2
Western Meadowlark	346	2/1
White-winged Dove	355	1
Purple Gallinule	355	1
Elegant Tern	355	1
Neotropic Cormorant	355	1
White Ibis	355	1
Prairie Falcon	355	1
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Monk Parakeet	355	1
Fork-tailed Flycatcher	355	1
Yellow-green Vireo	355	1
Sage Thrasher	355	1
Townsend's Solitaire	355	1
Bicknell's Thrush	355	1
Chestnut-collared Longspur	355	1
Lark Bunting	355	1
Black-throated Gray Warbler	355	1