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 March 18, 2019

	Species		n		N		Jan		Feb		Mar		Apr		May		Jun		Jul		Aug		Sep		Oct		Nov		Dec
Herring Gull	1	4956
Canada Goose	2	4925
American Robin	3	4864
American Crow	4	4777
American Black Duck	5	4773
Mallard	6	4720
Black-capped Chickadee	7	4576
Great Black-backed Gull	8	4571
Song Sparrow	9	4488
Northern Mockingbird	10	4422
European Starling	11	4141
Northern Cardinal	12	4061
Northern Harrier	13	4019
Blue Jay	14	4006
Mourning Dove	15	3951
Gadwall	16	3897
Ring-billed Gull	17	3684
American Goldfinch	18	3629
Double-crested Cormorant	19	3480
Green-winged Teal	20	3402
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Common Loon	21	3307
Greater Yellowlegs	22	3289
Great Egret	23	3224
House Sparrow	24	3195
Great Blue Heron	25	3071
Gray Catbird	26	2988
Rock Pigeon	27	2964
Common Eider	28	2857
Downy Woodpecker	29	2851
Mute Swan	30	2813
White-winged Scoter	31	2811
Eastern Towhee	32	2775
Red-winged Blackbird	33	2772
Snowy Egret	34	2705
Tree Swallow	35	2680
Red-breasted Merganser	36	2569
Black-bellied Plover	37	2568
Common Grackle	38	2503
Killdeer	39	2484
Osprey	40	2482
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cedar Waxwing	41	2473
House Finch	42	2373
Northern Pintail	43	2335
Brown Thrasher	44	2313
Savannah Sparrow	45	2312
White-throated Sparrow	46	2270
Long-tailed Duck	47	2182
Semipalmated Plover	48	2130
Semipalmated Sandpiper	49	2125
Sanderling	50	2103
Purple Finch	51	2098
Bufflehead	52	2092
Dunlin	53	2076
Black Scoter	54	2028
Marsh Wren	55	2020
Common Yellowthroat	56	2013
Red-tailed Hawk	57	2002
American Tree Sparrow	58	1992
Lesser Yellowlegs	59	1979
Peregrine Falcon	60	1973
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Barn Swallow	61	1920
Eastern Kingbird	62	1897
Red-throated Loon	63	1893
Yellow-rumped Warbler	64	1859
Northern Gannet	65	1828
Yellow Warbler	66	1826
Common Tern	67	1794
Horned Grebe	68	1784
Least Sandpiper	69	1715
Bobolink	70	1700
Northern Flicker	71	1681
Willet	72	1660
Turkey Vulture	73	1641
Red-breasted Nuthatch	74	1611
Brown-headed Cowbird	74	1611
Merlin	76	1609
Short-billed Dowitcher	77	1605
Purple Martin	78	1597
Common Goldeneye	79	1581
Wild Turkey	80	1575
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Least Tern	81	1567
Hooded Merganser	82	1550
Dark-eyed Junco	83	1542
Field Sparrow	84	1523
Baltimore Oriole	85	1510
American Wigeon	86	1500
Piping Plover	87	1485
White-rumped Sandpiper	88	1476
Eastern Phoebe	89	1475
Saltmarsh Sparrow	90	1449
Bonaparte's Gull	91	1430
American Redstart	92	1388
Swamp Sparrow	93	1314
Black-crowned Night-Heron	94	1277
Bald Eagle	95	1255
Horned Lark	96	1232
Rough-legged Hawk	97	1228
Red-necked Grebe	98	1207
Cooper's Hawk	98	1207
Snowy Owl	100	1203
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Surf Scoter	101	1200
Willow Flycatcher	102	1133
Spotted Sandpiper	103	1126
Golden-crowned Kinglet	104	1102
Hermit Thrush	105	1083
Red-eyed Vireo	106	1077
Northern Shoveler	107	1076
Blue-winged Teal	108	1038
Bank Swallow	109	999
Snow Bunting	110	995
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	111	992
Chipping Sparrow	112	879
Glossy Ibis	113	868
Sharp-shinned Hawk	114	861
Brant	115	852
American Kestrel	116	808
Black-and-white Warbler	117	795
Greater Scaup	118	765
Blackpoll Warbler	119	708
Stilt Sandpiper	120	707
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Pectoral Sandpiper	121	702
Razorbill	122	695
Belted Kingfisher	123	689
Great Crested Flycatcher	124	686
Ruddy Turnstone	125	682
Seaside Sparrow	126	679
Great Cormorant	127	678
Black-throated Green Warbler	128	672
American Woodcock	129	653
Northern Shrike	129	653
Northern Parula	131	643
Palm Warbler	132	631
American Bittern	133	625
Red Knot	134	623
Laughing Gull	134	623
Magnolia Warbler	136	619
Pied-billed Grebe	137	617
Carolina Wren	138	600
Blue-headed Vireo	139	586
Whimbrel	140	583
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Eastern Meadowlark	141	580
Black-throated Blue Warbler	142	573
Virginia Rail	143	556
American Pipit	144	530
Lesser Scaup	145	520
Long-billed Dowitcher	146	516
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	147	513
Least Bittern	148	506
Ruddy Duck	149	503
White-breasted Nuthatch	149	503
Brown Creeper	151	500
Orchard Oriole	152	498
Snow Goose	153	495
Northern Waterthrush	153	495
White-crowned Sparrow	155	493
American Golden-Plover	156	481
Short-eared Owl	157	480
Pine Warbler	158	469
Chimney Swift	159	460
Sora	160	456
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Wilson's Warbler	161	447
Hairy Woodpecker	162	433
Nashville Warbler	163	422
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	164	414
Tufted Titmouse	165	391
Ovenbird	166	390
House Wren	167	388
Purple Sandpiper	168	370
Roseate Tern	169	366
Chestnut-sided Warbler	170	364
Black-legged Kittiwake	171	361
Wilson's Snipe	172	359
Lapland Longspur	173	332
Common Raven	174	330
Wood Duck	175	328
Common Merganser	176	327
Blackburnian Warbler	177	322
American Coot	178	319
Eastern Wood-Pewee	179	317
Canada Warbler	180	307
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Black-billed Cuckoo	181	304
Green Heron	182	303
Baird's Sandpiper	183	299
Great Horned Owl	184	297
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	185	295
Swainson's Thrush	186	289
Scarlet Tanager	187	288
Hudsonian Godwit	188	284
Common Redpoll	189	276
Eurasian Wigeon	190	270
Least Flycatcher	190	270
Ring-necked Duck	192	269
Western Sandpiper	193	265
Veery	194	263
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	195	259
Red-bellied Woodpecker	196	258
Forster's Tern	197	256
Warbling Vireo	198	254
Alder Flycatcher	199	251
Pine Siskin	200	244
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Prairie Warbler	201	241
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	202	239
Eastern Whip-poor-will	203	238
Wilson's Phalarope	204	210
Bay-breasted Warbler	205	200
Tricolored Heron	206	197
Fox Sparrow	207	196
Philadelphia Vireo	208	191
Lincoln's Sparrow	209	183
Solitary Sandpiper	210	182
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	211	180
Clay-colored Sparrow	211	180
Winter Wren	213	178
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	214	176
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	215	173
Little Blue Heron	216	167
Barred Owl	217	158
Redhead	218	151
Cape May Warbler	219	148
Wood Thrush	220	147
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	221	144
Lesser Black-backed Gull	222	142
Cliff Swallow	223	135
White-winged Crossbill	224	131
Little Gull	225	123
Mourning Warbler	225	123
Caspian Tern	227	121
American Avocet	228	119
Indigo Bunting	228	119
Iceland Gull	230	118
King Rail	231	116
Common Gallinule	232	111
Black Tern	232	111
Tennessee Warbler	234	100
Wilson's Storm-Petrel	235	98/16
Fish Crow	236	97/15
Dickcissel	237	93/15
Blue-winged Warbler	238	90/16
Clapper Rail	239	88/9
Marbled Godwit	239	88/16
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Orange-crowned Warbler	239	88/16
Black Guillemot	242	87/15
Red Crossbill	243	84/9
Rusty Blackbird	244	81/16
White-eyed Vireo	245	79/15
Nelson's Sparrow	246	77/16
Common Nighthawk	247	73/16
Western Grebe	248	70/6
Yellow-breasted Chat	249	69/13
King Eider	249	69/9
Ring-necked Pheasant	251	60/10
Manx Shearwater	251	60/16
Olive-sided Flycatcher	251	60/16
Black Skimmer	254	57/9
Red-shouldered Hawk	255	56/12
Connecticut Warbler	255	56/18
Lark Sparrow	257	51/14
Hooded Warbler	257	51/16
Great Shearwater	259	48/12
Yellow-throated Vireo	259	48/14
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Parasitic Jaeger	261	46/14
Glaucous Gull	262	44/12
Northern Goshawk	262	44/17
Vesper Sparrow	262	44/14
Black-headed Gull	265	38/11
Summer Tanager	265	38/10
Cory's Shearwater	267	37/10
Eastern Bluebird	267	37/15
Dovekie	269	36/13
Broad-winged Hawk	270	35/13
Gull-billed Tern	271	34/7
Gray-cheeked Thrush	271	34/14
Barrow's Goldeneye	273	33/6
American Oystercatcher	274	32/14
Northern Saw-whet Owl	275	31/12
Thick-billed Murre	276	29/14
Arctic Tern	277	28/10
Long-eared Owl	277	28/12
Royal Tern	279	27/9
Worm-eating Warbler	279	27/11
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Red-necked Phalarope	281	25/9
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	281	25/2
Curlew Sandpiper	283	24/5
Red Phalarope	283	24/7
Cattle Egret	283	24/7
Western Kingbird	283	24/8
Grasshopper Sparrow	283	24/8
Harlequin Duck	288	23/8
Canvasback	289	20/7
White-faced Ibis	290	19/6
Kentucky Warbler	290	19/8
Black Rail	292	18/1
Upland Sandpiper	293	17/8
Sooty Shearwater	293	17/9
Pine Grosbeak	293	17/5
Ruff	296	16/8
Common Murre	297	15/8
Prothonotary Warbler	297	15/9
Pacific Loon	297	15/6
Ross's Goose	300	14/4
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Bohemian Waxwing	301	13/7
Hoary Redpoll	302	12/6
Green-tailed Towhee	302	12/1
Blue Grosbeak	302	12/4
Black-tailed Godwit	305	11/1
Pomarine Jaeger	305	11/7
Leach's Storm-Petrel	305	11/7
Eastern Screech-Owl	305	11/7
Acadian Flycatcher	305	11/9
Ash-throated Flycatcher	305	11/2
Black-necked Stilt	311	10/2
Cave Swallow	311	10/6
Cackling Goose	313	8/3
Black Vulture	313	8/6
Evening Grosbeak	313	8/4
Louisiana Waterthrush	313	8/8
Golden-winged Warbler	313	8/5
Yellow-throated Warbler	313	8/4
American White Pelican	319	7/6
Red-headed Woodpecker	319	7/4
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Gyrfalcon	319	7/5
Swainson's Warbler	319	7/1
Cerulean Warbler	319	7/5
Atlantic Puffin	324	6/4
Sandwich Tern	324	6/2
Northern Fulmar	324	6/4
Pacific Golden-Plover	327	5/1
Franklin's Gull	327	5/4
Thayer's Gull	327	5/1
Brown Pelican	327	5/1
Golden Eagle	327	5/4
Say's Phoebe	327	5/3
Sandhill Crane	333	4/4
Common Ringed Plover	333	4/1
Loggerhead Shrike	335	3/1
Western Tanager	335	3/1
Greater White-fronted Goose	337	2/1
Eared Grebe	337	2/1
Ringed Turtle-Dove	337	2/1
Chuck-will's-widow	337	2/2
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Red-necked Stint	337	2/1
Long-tailed Jaeger	337	2/2
Sabine's Gull	337	2/2
Sedge Wren	337	2/2
Northern Wheatear	337	2/1
Yellow-headed Blackbird	337	2/2
Western Meadowlark	337	2/1
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	348	1
Northern Lapwing	348	1
Wilson's Plover	348	1
Elegant Tern	348	1
Little Egret	348	1
White Ibis	348	1
Mississippi Kite	348	1
Swainson's Hawk	348	1
Pileated Woodpecker	348	1
Prairie Falcon	348	1
Fork-tailed Flycatcher	348	1
Yellow-green Vireo	348	1
Townsend's Solitaire	348	1
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Bicknell's Thrush	348	1
Sage Thrasher	348	1
Chestnut-collared Longspur	348	1