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 May 22, 2017

	Species		n		N		Jan		Feb		Mar		Apr		May		Jun		Jul		Aug		Sep		Oct		Nov		Dec
Herring Gull	1	4361
Canada Goose	2	4360
American Robin	3	4284
American Crow	4	4231
American Black Duck	5	4209
Mallard	6	4157
Great Black-backed Gull	7	4031
Black-capped Chickadee	8	4001
Song Sparrow	9	3978
Northern Mockingbird	10	3901
European Starling	11	3665
Northern Harrier	12	3616
Northern Cardinal	13	3557
Gadwall	14	3545
Mourning Dove	15	3503
Blue Jay	16	3486
Ring-billed Gull	17	3263
American Goldfinch	18	3162
Double-crested Cormorant	19	3083
Green-winged Teal	20	3050
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Greater Yellowlegs	21	2921
Common Loon	22	2920
Great Egret	23	2864
House Sparrow	24	2765
Great Blue Heron	25	2748
Gray Catbird	26	2611
Rock Pigeon	27	2540
Mute Swan	28	2530
White-winged Scoter	29	2477
Common Eider	29	2477
Downy Woodpecker	31	2466
Eastern Towhee	32	2458
Red-winged Blackbird	33	2450
Snowy Egret	34	2401
Tree Swallow	35	2377
Red-breasted Merganser	36	2278
Black-bellied Plover	37	2245
Common Grackle	38	2230
Killdeer	39	2196
Osprey	40	2184
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cedar Waxwing	41	2156
Northern Pintail	42	2127
Savannah Sparrow	43	2088
Brown Thrasher	44	2076
House Finch	45	2031
White-throated Sparrow	46	2028
Long-tailed Duck	47	1910
Bufflehead	48	1874
Purple Finch	49	1847
Sanderling	50	1840
Semipalmated Sandpiper	51	1839
Semipalmated Plover	52	1838
Dunlin	53	1813
Marsh Wren	54	1775
Lesser Yellowlegs	55	1773
American Tree Sparrow	56	1766
Common Yellowthroat	57	1757
Red-tailed Hawk	58	1738
Black Scoter	59	1726
Peregrine Falcon	60	1718
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Red-throated Loon	61	1705
Barn Swallow	62	1682
Eastern Kingbird	63	1678
Northern Gannet	64	1632
Yellow Warbler	65	1622
Common Tern	66	1609
Yellow-rumped Warbler	67	1599
Horned Grebe	68	1592
Least Sandpiper	69	1516
Northern Flicker	70	1494
Bobolink	71	1489
Willet	72	1478
Merlin	73	1464
Brown-headed Cowbird	74	1448
Turkey Vulture	75	1438
Hooded Merganser	76	1410
Short-billed Dowitcher	77	1405
Purple Martin	78	1404
Least Tern	79	1375
Common Goldeneye	80	1374
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
American Wigeon	81	1360
Field Sparrow	82	1359
Dark-eyed Junco	83	1358
Bonaparte's Gull	84	1332
Red-breasted Nuthatch	85	1326
Wild Turkey	86	1316
Baltimore Oriole	87	1311
Eastern Phoebe	88	1306
Piping Plover	89	1293
White-rumped Sandpiper	90	1271
Saltmarsh Sparrow	91	1249
American Redstart	92	1195
Horned Lark	93	1150
Black-crowned Night-Heron	94	1132
Swamp Sparrow	95	1125
Red-necked Grebe	96	1104
Rough-legged Hawk	97	1078
Bald Eagle	98	1062
Surf Scoter	99	1055
Cooper's Hawk	100	1043
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Snowy Owl	101	1009
Blue-winged Teal	102	1008
Northern Shoveler	103	990
Willow Flycatcher	104	989
Golden-crowned Kinglet	105	968
Spotted Sandpiper	106	961
Hermit Thrush	107	917
Red-eyed Vireo	108	891
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	109	889
Bank Swallow	110	886
Snow Bunting	111	879
Sharp-shinned Hawk	112	811
Chipping Sparrow	113	774
American Kestrel	114	769
Brant	115	766
Glossy Ibis	115	766
Greater Scaup	117	728
Black-and-white Warbler	118	725
Northern Shrike	119	644
Great Cormorant	120	634
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Blackpoll Warbler	121	631
Pectoral Sandpiper	122	625
American Woodcock	123	615
Belted Kingfisher	123	615
Black-throated Green Warbler	125	611
Ruddy Turnstone	126	601
Razorbill	127	598
American Bittern	128	595
Northern Parula	129	590
Seaside Sparrow	130	589
Stilt Sandpiper	131	586
Pied-billed Grebe	132	584
Palm Warbler	132	584
Laughing Gull	134	575
Eastern Meadowlark	134	575
Magnolia Warbler	136	567
Red Knot	137	563
Great Crested Flycatcher	138	557
Whimbrel	139	538
Virginia Rail	140	536
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Blue-headed Vireo	141	533
Carolina Wren	142	529
Black-throated Blue Warbler	143	526
Lesser Scaup	144	492
Snow Goose	145	489
American Pipit	146	487
White-breasted Nuthatch	147	486
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	148	473
Ruddy Duck	149	472
Brown Creeper	150	470
Short-eared Owl	151	448
Sora	152	446
Long-billed Dowitcher	153	440
Northern Waterthrush	153	440
American Golden-Plover	155	431
Least Bittern	155	431
White-crowned Sparrow	157	429
Chimney Swift	158	421
Wilson's Warbler	159	409
Nashville Warbler	160	385
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Orchard Oriole	161	381
Pine Warbler	162	378
House Wren	163	370
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	163	370
Black-legged Kittiwake	165	357
Ovenbird	166	352
Wilson's Snipe	167	344
Hairy Woodpecker	168	341
Tufted Titmouse	169	340
Chestnut-sided Warbler	170	334
Roseate Tern	171	320
Common Merganser	172	314
Purple Sandpiper	172	314
Lapland Longspur	174	312
Wood Duck	175	300
Blackburnian Warbler	176	294
American Coot	177	291
Green Heron	178	287
Eastern Wood-Pewee	179	285
Canada Warbler	180	280
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Great Horned Owl	181	274
Scarlet Tanager	182	270
Baird's Sandpiper	183	261
Swainson's Thrush	183	261
Hudsonian Godwit	185	259
Black-billed Cuckoo	185	259
Ring-necked Duck	187	257
Eurasian Wigeon	188	256
Common Redpoll	189	253
Forster's Tern	190	252
Least Flycatcher	191	250
Western Sandpiper	192	243
Veery	193	242
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	194	241
Warbling Vireo	195	240
Common Raven	196	239
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	197	233
Alder Flycatcher	198	229
Eastern Whip-poor-will	199	225
Pine Siskin	199	225
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Prairie Warbler	201	220
Red-bellied Woodpecker	202	211
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	203	207
Wilson's Phalarope	204	199
Tricolored Heron	205	178
Fox Sparrow	206	176
Bay-breasted Warbler	207	175
Philadelphia Vireo	208	170
Solitary Sandpiper	209	168
Winter Wren	209	168
Lincoln's Sparrow	211	162
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	212	160
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	212	160
Little Blue Heron	214	152
Redhead	215	151
Wood Thrush	216	146
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	216	146
Clay-colored Sparrow	218	139
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	219	133
White-winged Crossbill	220	131
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Barred Owl	221	127
Cliff Swallow	221	127
Little Gull	223	120
Cape May Warbler	223	120
King Rail	225	115
American Avocet	226	114
Mourning Warbler	226	114
Caspian Tern	228	113
Iceland Gull	229	111
Indigo Bunting	229	111
Lesser Black-backed Gull	231	109
Common Gallinule	232	107
Black Tern	233	99/15
Clapper Rail	234	88/9
Tennessee Warbler	234	88/15
Blue-winged Warbler	236	85/15
Wilson's Storm-Petrel	237	84/14
Black Guillemot	238	83/13
Red Crossbill	238	83/8
Marbled Godwit	240	78/14
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Fish Crow	240	78/14
Orange-crowned Warbler	242	74/14
Western Grebe	243	70/6
Dickcissel	243	70/13
Common Nighthawk	245	69/15
Yellow-breasted Chat	246	67/12
Rusty Blackbird	247	66/14
White-eyed Vireo	248	62/14
Ring-necked Pheasant	249	60/10
Nelson's Sparrow	249	60/14
Olive-sided Flycatcher	251	57/15
Black Skimmer	252	53/8
Manx Shearwater	253	52/14
Connecticut Warbler	254	49/16
Yellow-throated Vireo	255	46/14
Lark Sparrow	255	46/12
Hooded Warbler	257	45/14
Parasitic Jaeger	258	44/12
Red-shouldered Hawk	258	44/11
Northern Goshawk	260	43/16
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Glaucous Gull	261	41/11
Vesper Sparrow	262	40/13
Great Shearwater	263	39/10
Black-headed Gull	264	38/11
Summer Tanager	265	37/9
Eastern Bluebird	266	36/14
Broad-winged Hawk	267	35/13
Gull-billed Tern	268	34/7
Barrow's Goldeneye	269	33/6
Northern Saw-whet Owl	270	30/12
American Oystercatcher	271	29/13
Dovekie	272	28/12
Arctic Tern	272	28/10
Gray-cheeked Thrush	272	28/13
Worm-eating Warbler	275	27/11
Thick-billed Murre	276	26/13
Long-eared Owl	276	26/11
Red-necked Phalarope	278	25/9
Royal Tern	278	25/8
Cory's Shearwater	278	25/8
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	278	25/2
King Eider	282	24/7
Curlew Sandpiper	282	24/5
Harlequin Duck	284	23/8
Red Phalarope	284	23/6
Cattle Egret	284	23/6
Western Kingbird	284	23/7
Kentucky Warbler	288	19/8
Grasshopper Sparrow	288	19/7
Canvasback	290	18/6
Black Rail	290	18/1
White-faced Ibis	290	18/6
Upland Sandpiper	293	17/8
Sooty Shearwater	293	17/9
Ruff	295	16/8
Pine Grosbeak	295	16/4
Ross's Goose	297	13/3
Common Murre	297	13/7
Hoary Redpoll	299	12/6
Green-tailed Towhee	299	12/1
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Blue Grosbeak	299	12/4
Black-tailed Godwit	302	11/1
Pomarine Jaeger	302	11/7
Pacific Loon	302	11/4
Leach's Storm-Petrel	302	11/7
Ash-throated Flycatcher	302	11/2
Bohemian Waxwing	302	11/6
Prothonotary Warbler	302	11/8
Black-necked Stilt	309	10/2
Eastern Screech-Owl	309	10/6
Acadian Flycatcher	309	10/8
Cave Swallow	309	10/6
Cackling Goose	313	8/3
Black Vulture	313	8/6
Yellow-throated Warbler	313	8/4
Red-headed Woodpecker	316	7/4
Gyrfalcon	316	7/5
Louisiana Waterthrush	316	7/7
Golden-winged Warbler	316	7/4
Swainson's Warbler	316	7/1
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cerulean Warbler	316	7/5
Sandwich Tern	322	6/2
American White Pelican	322	6/5
Pacific Golden-Plover	324	5/1
Atlantic Puffin	324	5/3
Franklin's Gull	324	5/4
Thayer's Gull	324	5/1
Northern Fulmar	324	5/3
Say's Phoebe	324	5/3
Sandhill Crane	330	4/4
Common Ringed Plover	330	4/1
Golden Eagle	330	4/3
Evening Grosbeak	330	4/3
Loggerhead Shrike	334	3/1
Western Tanager	334	3/1
Greater White-fronted Goose	336	2/1
Eared Grebe	336	2/1
Ringed Turtle-Dove	336	2/1
Chuck-will's-widow	336	2/2
Red-necked Stint	336	2/1
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Long-tailed Jaeger	336	2/2
Sabine's Gull	336	2/2
Sedge Wren	336	2/2
Northern Wheatear	336	2/1
Yellow-headed Blackbird	336	2/2
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	346	1
Northern Lapwing	346	1
Wilson's Plover	346	1
Elegant Tern	346	1
Little Egret	346	1
White Ibis	346	1
Mississippi Kite	346	1
Swainson's Hawk	346	1
Pileated Woodpecker	346	1
Eurasian Kestrel	346	1
Prairie Falcon	346	1
Fork-tailed Flycatcher	346	1
Yellow-green Vireo	346	1
Townsend's Solitaire	346	1
Bicknell's Thrush	346	1
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sage Thrasher	346	1
Chestnut-collared Longspur	346	1