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 April 25, 2024

	Species		n		N		Jan		Feb		Mar		Apr		May		Jun		Jul		Aug		Sep		Oct		Nov		Dec
Herring Gull	1	6750
Canada Goose	2	6697
American Robin	3	6620
Mallard	4	6489
American Black Duck	5	6487
Black-capped Chickadee	6	6337
American Crow	7	6308
Great Black-backed Gull	8	6281
Song Sparrow	9	6242
Northern Mockingbird	10	6080
Northern Cardinal	11	5745
European Starling	12	5644
Blue Jay	13	5604
Mourning Dove	14	5523
Gadwall	15	5374
Northern Harrier	15	5374
American Goldfinch	17	5104
Ring-billed Gull	18	5024
Green-winged Teal	19	4754
Double-crested Cormorant	20	4729
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
House Sparrow	21	4633
Common Loon	22	4588
Great Egret	23	4414
Greater Yellowlegs	24	4399
Rock Pigeon	25	4319
Gray Catbird	26	4223
Great Blue Heron	27	4160
Mute Swan	28	4133
Downy Woodpecker	29	4115
Common Eider	30	4082
White-winged Scoter	31	4035
Red-winged Blackbird	32	4018
House Finch	33	3842
Eastern Towhee	34	3802
Tree Swallow	35	3599
Snowy Egret	36	3564
Killdeer	37	3540
Red-breasted Merganser	38	3537
Common Grackle	39	3505
Black-bellied Plover	40	3418
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Osprey	41	3413
Cedar Waxwing	42	3384
Northern Pintail	43	3238
White-throated Sparrow	44	3237
Long-tailed Duck	45	3167
Brown Thrasher	46	3062
Sanderling	47	3053
Savannah Sparrow	47	3053
Black Scoter	49	3043
Bufflehead	50	2980
Dunlin	51	2944
Semipalmated Sandpiper	52	2892
Semipalmated Plover	53	2890
Marsh Wren	54	2874
Purple Finch	55	2870
Yellow-rumped Warbler	56	2777
Common Yellowthroat	57	2775
Red-tailed Hawk	58	2761
Peregrine Falcon	59	2729
American Tree Sparrow	60	2680
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Lesser Yellowlegs	61	2668
Barn Swallow	62	2625
Red-throated Loon	63	2580
Eastern Kingbird	64	2536
Horned Grebe	65	2508
Northern Flicker	66	2482
Yellow Warbler	67	2451
Northern Gannet	68	2422
Common Tern	69	2376
Turkey Vulture	70	2314
Wild Turkey	71	2313
Common Goldeneye	72	2309
Least Sandpiper	73	2305
Bobolink	74	2276
Red-breasted Nuthatch	75	2255
Willet	76	2252
Brown-headed Cowbird	77	2229
Purple Martin	78	2193
Short-billed Dowitcher	79	2181
Swamp Sparrow	80	2179
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Hooded Merganser	81	2171
Field Sparrow	82	2170
Merlin	83	2164
Dark-eyed Junco	84	2155
Piping Plover	85	2139
Least Tern	86	2126
Baltimore Oriole	87	2050
Bald Eagle	88	2041
Eastern Phoebe	88	2041
White-rumped Sandpiper	90	2031
Saltmarsh Sparrow	91	2029
American Wigeon	92	1934
American Redstart	92	1934
Surf Scoter	94	1893
Cooper's Hawk	95	1884
Black-crowned Night-Heron	96	1711
Hermit Thrush	97	1706
Red-eyed Vireo	98	1667
Horned Lark	99	1664
Bonaparte's Gull	100	1636
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Willow Flycatcher	101	1559
Spotted Sandpiper	102	1554
Golden-crowned Kinglet	103	1535
Red-necked Grebe	104	1530
Rough-legged Hawk	105	1481
Snowy Owl	106	1476
Northern Shoveler	107	1391
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	108	1360
Bank Swallow	109	1324
Carolina Wren	110	1289
Blue-winged Teal	111	1278
Snow Bunting	112	1262
Chipping Sparrow	113	1230
Brant	114	1168
Greater Scaup	115	1139
Great Crested Flycatcher	116	1135
Sharp-shinned Hawk	117	1081
Razorbill	118	1042
Black-and-white Warbler	118	1042
American Kestrel	120	1039
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Glossy Ibis	121	1020
Common Raven	122	982
Stilt Sandpiper	123	981
Pectoral Sandpiper	124	978
Belted Kingfisher	125	964
Seaside Sparrow	126	932
Blackpoll Warbler	127	930
Ruddy Turnstone	128	908
Pied-billed Grebe	129	896
Palm Warbler	130	887
Northern Parula	131	884
Long-billed Dowitcher	132	881
Least Bittern	132	881
Orchard Oriole	134	880
Black-throated Green Warbler	135	876
Laughing Gull	136	840
American Woodcock	137	822
Great Cormorant	138	809
Magnolia Warbler	139	795
White-breasted Nuthatch	140	784
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Red Knot	141	779
Blue-headed Vireo	141	779
American Bittern	143	767
Northern Shrike	144	765
Pine Warbler	145	744
Virginia Rail	146	738
Lesser Scaup	147	729
Black-throated Blue Warbler	148	723
Whimbrel	149	721
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	150	699
Brown Creeper	150	699
American Pipit	152	685
House Wren	153	658
Short-eared Owl	154	646
White-crowned Sparrow	155	644
Northern Waterthrush	156	643
American Golden-Plover	157	631
Hairy Woodpecker	158	623
Chimney Swift	159	621
Eastern Meadowlark	160	619
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Tufted Titmouse	161	613
Ruddy Duck	162	606
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	163	578
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	164	575
Wilson's Warbler	165	558
American Coot	166	553
Nashville Warbler	167	542
Roseate Tern	168	520
Snow Goose	169	517
Ovenbird	170	516
Sora	171	506
Eastern Wood-Pewee	172	503
Chestnut-sided Warbler	173	475
Purple Sandpiper	174	469
Red-bellied Woodpecker	175	467
Common Merganser	176	462
Wood Duck	177	443
Swainson's Thrush	178	426
Blackburnian Warbler	179	425
Wilson's Snipe	180	417
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Black-legged Kittiwake	181	403
Green Heron	182	398
Alder Flycatcher	183	397
Canada Warbler	184	394
Hudsonian Godwit	185	380
Ring-necked Duck	186	377
Great Horned Owl	186	377
Least Flycatcher	186	377
Veery	189	375
Baird's Sandpiper	190	374
Lapland Longspur	191	370
Scarlet Tanager	191	370
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	193	364
Pine Siskin	194	363
Western Sandpiper	195	359
Common Redpoll	196	352
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	197	347
Black-billed Cuckoo	198	343
Warbling Vireo	199	337
Prairie Warbler	200	330
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Eastern Whip-poor-will	201	326
Bay-breasted Warbler	202	323
Fox Sparrow	203	294
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	204	284
Eurasian Wigeon	205	283
Forster's Tern	205	283
Philadelphia Vireo	207	261
Cape May Warbler	208	259
Lincoln's Sparrow	209	255
Solitary Sandpiper	210	252
Tricolored Heron	211	247
Wilson's Phalarope	212	242
American Avocet	213	234
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	214	233
Winter Wren	215	229
Lesser Black-backed Gull	216	228
Clay-colored Sparrow	216	228
Fish Crow	218	220
Barred Owl	219	217
Red Crossbill	220	215
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	221	211
Little Blue Heron	222	209
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	223	185
Wood Thrush	223	185
Caspian Tern	225	180
Common Gallinule	226	176
Tennessee Warbler	227	174
King Rail	228	166
Wilson's Storm-Petrel	229	159
Mourning Warbler	229	159
Cliff Swallow	231	157
Indigo Bunting	232	155
Iceland Gull	233	154
Redhead	234	153
Black Tern	235	147
Black Guillemot	236	146
Dickcissel	237	144
White-winged Crossbill	238	140
Nelson's Sparrow	239	135
Little Gull	240	124
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
King Eider	241	117
Orange-crowned Warbler	241	117
Blue-winged Warbler	243	114
Rusty Blackbird	244	109
Yellow-throated Vireo	245	105
White-eyed Vireo	246	104
Clapper Rail	247	102
Marbled Godwit	248	100
Yellow-breasted Chat	249	98/17
Common Nighthawk	250	90/21
Ring-necked Pheasant	251	85/13
Olive-sided Flycatcher	251	85/21
Black Skimmer	253	80/13
Lark Sparrow	254	75/19
Western Grebe	255	71/7
Red-shouldered Hawk	256	68/18
Manx Shearwater	257	67/20
Connecticut Warbler	258	65/23
Eastern Bluebird	259	60/20
Parasitic Jaeger	260	59/19
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Hooded Warbler	260	59/19
Harlequin Duck	262	58/12
American Oystercatcher	263	56/19
Broad-winged Hawk	263	56/19
Great Shearwater	265	54/14
Dovekie	266	53/16
Vesper Sparrow	266	53/17
Glaucous Gull	268	51/16
Gray-cheeked Thrush	269	50/19
Cory's Shearwater	270	45/12
Summer Tanager	270	45/14
Gull-billed Tern	272	44/8
Northern Goshawk	272	44/17
Thick-billed Murre	274	43/18
Northern Saw-whet Owl	274	43/14
Black-headed Gull	276	40/13
Royal Tern	276	40/13
Western Kingbird	276	40/10
Red-necked Phalarope	279	38/13
Barrow's Goldeneye	280	35/7
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Arctic Tern	281	33/14
Long-eared Owl	281	33/14
Red Phalarope	283	30/9
Worm-eating Warbler	284	29/12
Cattle Egret	285	27/9
Greater White-fronted Goose	286	26/2
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	287	25/2
Grasshopper Sparrow	287	25/9
Curlew Sandpiper	289	24/5
White-faced Ibis	290	22/7
Canvasback	291	21/8
Sooty Shearwater	291	21/13
Kentucky Warbler	291	21/10
Upland Sandpiper	294	19/10
Black Rail	295	18/1
Common Murre	295	18/10
Ruff	297	17/9
Bohemian Waxwing	297	17/10
Pine Grosbeak	297	17/5
Prothonotary Warbler	297	17/10
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Pacific Loon	301	16/7
Acadian Flycatcher	301	16/12
Evening Grosbeak	301	16/6
Hoary Redpoll	301	16/7
Ross's Goose	305	14/4
Ash-throated Flycatcher	306	13/3
Blue Grosbeak	306	13/5
Pomarine Jaeger	308	12/8
Eastern Screech-Owl	308	12/8
Green-tailed Towhee	308	12/1
Black-tailed Godwit	311	11/1
Leach's Storm-Petrel	311	11/7
Black-necked Stilt	313	10/2
Cave Swallow	313	10/6
Yellow-throated Warbler	313	10/5
Black Vulture	316	9/7
Louisiana Waterthrush	316	9/9
Cackling Goose	318	8/3
American White Pelican	318	8/7
Golden Eagle	318	8/7
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Golden-winged Warbler	318	8/5
Common Ringed Plover	322	7/2
Red-headed Woodpecker	322	7/4
Gyrfalcon	322	7/5
Swainson's Warbler	322	7/1
Cerulean Warbler	322	7/5
Sandhill Crane	327	6/6
Wilson's Plover	327	6/3
Red-necked Stint	327	6/2
Atlantic Puffin	327	6/4
Sandwich Tern	327	6/2
Northern Fulmar	327	6/4
Say's Phoebe	327	6/4
Yellow-headed Blackbird	327	6/5
Pacific Golden-Plover	335	5/1
Franklin's Gull	335	5/4
Brown Pelican	335	5/1
Sedge Wren	338	4/4
Northern Wheatear	338	4/2
Chuck-will's-widow	340	3/3
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Swainson's Hawk	340	3/2
Loggerhead Shrike	340	3/1
Western Tanager	340	3/1
Tundra Swan	344	2/1
Eared Grebe	344	2/1
Ringed Turtle-Dove	344	2/1
Northern Lapwing	344	2/2
Long-tailed Jaeger	344	2/2
Sabine's Gull	344	2/2
Little Egret	344	2/2
Mississippi Kite	344	2/2
Western Meadowlark	344	2/1
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	353	1
Elegant Tern	353	1
Neotropic Cormorant	353	1
White Ibis	353	1
Pileated Woodpecker	353	1
Prairie Falcon	353	1
Monk Parakeet	353	1
Fork-tailed Flycatcher	353	1
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Yellow-green Vireo	353	1
Sage Thrasher	353	1
Townsend's Solitaire	353	1
Bicknell's Thrush	353	1
Chestnut-collared Longspur	353	1
Black-throated Gray Warbler	353	1