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 29, 2026

	Species		n		N		Jan		Feb		Mar		Apr		May		Jun		Jul		Aug		Sep		Oct		Nov		Dec
Herring Gull	1	7431
Canada Goose	2	7373
American Robin	3	7295
Mallard	4	7148
American Black Duck	5	7140
Black-capped Chickadee	6	7006
Great Black-backed Gull	7	6922
Song Sparrow	8	6895
American Crow	9	6888
Northern Mockingbird	10	6711
Northern Cardinal	11	6405
European Starling	12	6243
Blue Jay	13	6232
Mourning Dove	14	6154
Northern Harrier	15	5934
Gadwall	16	5909
American Goldfinch	17	5678
Ring-billed Gull	18	5588
Green-winged Teal	19	5256
Double-crested Cormorant	20	5223
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
House Sparrow	21	5203
Common Loon	22	5149
Great Egret	23	4875
Greater Yellowlegs	24	4833
Rock Pigeon	25	4815
Gray Catbird	26	4665
Common Eider	27	4643
Downy Woodpecker	28	4642
Great Blue Heron	29	4593
Mute Swan	30	4548
Red-winged Blackbird	31	4453
White-winged Scoter	32	4445
House Finch	33	4423
Eastern Towhee	34	4254
Tree Swallow	35	3947
Snowy Egret	36	3937
Killdeer	37	3928
Red-breasted Merganser	38	3914
Common Grackle	39	3881
Osprey	40	3787
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cedar Waxwing	41	3783
Black-bellied Plover	42	3742
White-throated Sparrow	43	3613
Northern Pintail	44	3568
Long-tailed Duck	45	3529
Sanderling	46	3454
Black Scoter	47	3448
Brown Thrasher	48	3374
Dunlin	49	3328
Savannah Sparrow	50	3314
Bufflehead	51	3292
Semipalmated Plover	52	3246
Semipalmated Sandpiper	53	3239
Purple Finch	54	3222
Marsh Wren	55	3200
Common Yellowthroat	56	3096
Yellow-rumped Warbler	57	3078
Peregrine Falcon	58	2991
Red-tailed Hawk	59	2976
Lesser Yellowlegs	60	2962
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
American Tree Sparrow	61	2948
Barn Swallow	62	2924
Northern Flicker	63	2901
Red-throated Loon	64	2866
Eastern Kingbird	65	2798
Horned Grebe	66	2765
Yellow Warbler	67	2730
Northern Gannet	68	2677
Common Tern	69	2652
Wild Turkey	70	2641
Turkey Vulture	71	2598
Red-breasted Nuthatch	72	2588
Least Sandpiper	73	2577
Common Goldeneye	74	2560
Swamp Sparrow	75	2544
Willet	76	2516
Bobolink	77	2499
Dark-eyed Junco	78	2456
Purple Martin	79	2440
Brown-headed Cowbird	80	2435
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Merlin	81	2421
Short-billed Dowitcher	82	2412
Piping Plover	83	2408
Field Sparrow	84	2395
Hooded Merganser	85	2386
Least Tern	86	2350
Bald Eagle	87	2335
Baltimore Oriole	88	2314
Saltmarsh Sparrow	89	2283
White-rumped Sandpiper	90	2278
Eastern Phoebe	91	2245
American Redstart	92	2207
Surf Scoter	93	2199
Cooper's Hawk	94	2138
American Wigeon	95	2095
Red-eyed Vireo	96	1935
Black-crowned Night-Heron	97	1923
Hermit Thrush	98	1917
Horned Lark	99	1823
Bonaparte's Gull	100	1743
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Willow Flycatcher	101	1739
Spotted Sandpiper	102	1732
Golden-crowned Kinglet	103	1694
Red-necked Grebe	104	1675
Carolina Wren	105	1665
Snowy Owl	106	1567
Rough-legged Hawk	107	1533
Northern Shoveler	108	1507
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	109	1470
Bank Swallow	110	1433
Chipping Sparrow	111	1392
Snow Bunting	112	1373
Great Crested Flycatcher	113	1351
Blue-winged Teal	114	1344
Common Raven	115	1303
Brant	116	1300
Greater Scaup	117	1285
Sharp-shinned Hawk	118	1177
Black-and-white Warbler	119	1173
Razorbill	120	1152
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Glossy Ibis	121	1141
Stilt Sandpiper	122	1117
American Kestrel	123	1100
Belted Kingfisher	124	1092
Pectoral Sandpiper	125	1069
Orchard Oriole	126	1051
Seaside Sparrow	127	1041
Least Bittern	128	1039
Long-billed Dowitcher	129	1036
Blackpoll Warbler	130	1025
Ruddy Turnstone	131	1006
Laughing Gull	132	997
Northern Parula	133	994
White-breasted Nuthatch	134	983
Palm Warbler	135	968
Black-throated Green Warbler	136	967
Pied-billed Grebe	137	957
American Woodcock	138	900
Magnolia Warbler	139	896
Blue-headed Vireo	140	873
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Great Cormorant	141	871
Red Knot	142	849
House Wren	143	837
Virginia Rail	144	819
Lesser Scaup	145	808
Black-throated Blue Warbler	146	806
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	147	803
American Bittern	148	793
Whimbrel	149	792
Brown Creeper	150	781
Northern Shrike	151	778
Pine Warbler	152	775
American Pipit	153	770
Hairy Woodpecker	154	761
Short-eared Owl	155	745
American Golden-Plover	156	730
Tufted Titmouse	157	724
Chimney Swift	158	710
Northern Waterthrush	159	709
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	160	699
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
White-crowned Sparrow	161	695
Ruddy Duck	162	645
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	163	643
Eastern Meadowlark	164	638
Eastern Wood-Pewee	165	631
Ovenbird	166	627
Roseate Tern	167	625
American Coot	168	622
Wilson's Warbler	169	616
Nashville Warbler	170	610
Snow Goose	171	555
Red-bellied Woodpecker	172	540
Chestnut-sided Warbler	173	536
Sora	174	528
Purple Sandpiper	175	507
Common Merganser	176	506
Wood Duck	177	480
Swainson's Thrush	178	479
Blackburnian Warbler	179	475
Wilson's Snipe	180	466
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Alder Flycatcher	181	446
Least Flycatcher	182	433
Canada Warbler	182	433
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	184	429
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	185	420
Green Heron	186	418
Veery	187	416
Scarlet Tanager	188	415
Pine Siskin	189	407
Black-legged Kittiwake	190	406
Hudsonian Godwit	191	405
Lapland Longspur	192	398
Ring-necked Duck	193	394
Great Horned Owl	194	393
Baird's Sandpiper	195	391
Black-billed Cuckoo	196	389
Eastern Whip-poor-will	197	385
Warbling Vireo	198	384
Bay-breasted Warbler	199	379
Western Sandpiper	200	368
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Prairie Warbler	201	366
Common Redpoll	202	354
Fox Sparrow	203	326
Forster's Tern	204	325
Eurasian Wigeon	205	317
Cape May Warbler	206	310
Fish Crow	207	308
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	208	302
Tricolored Heron	209	297
Lincoln's Sparrow	210	295
Lesser Black-backed Gull	211	287
Barred Owl	211	287
Philadelphia Vireo	213	285
Solitary Sandpiper	214	276
Wilson's Phalarope	215	260
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	216	258
Winter Wren	217	253
Clay-colored Sparrow	217	253
American Avocet	219	252
Black Guillemot	220	244
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Little Blue Heron	221	233
Red Crossbill	222	218
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	223	217
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	224	211
Wood Thrush	225	207
Tennessee Warbler	226	205
Caspian Tern	227	195
King Rail	228	188
Mourning Warbler	229	182
Common Gallinule	230	181
Indigo Bunting	231	174
Wilson's Storm-Petrel	232	172
Dickcissel	233	170
Nelson's Sparrow	234	168
Cliff Swallow	235	166
Iceland Gull	236	165
Black Tern	237	155
Redhead	238	153
Clapper Rail	239	151
White-winged Crossbill	240	148
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Orange-crowned Warbler	241	140
White-eyed Vireo	242	127
Little Gull	243	125
King Eider	244	122
Blue-winged Warbler	245	120
Rusty Blackbird	246	119
Yellow-throated Vireo	247	110
Yellow-breasted Chat	247	110
Marbled Godwit	249	100
Common Nighthawk	250	96/23
Olive-sided Flycatcher	250	96/23
American Oystercatcher	252	92/21
Cory's Shearwater	253	87/14
Ring-necked Pheasant	254	85/13
Black Skimmer	254	85/15
Red-shouldered Hawk	256	81/20
Broad-winged Hawk	257	78/20
Lark Sparrow	258	77/21
Manx Shearwater	259	76/22
Connecticut Warbler	260	73/25
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Western Grebe	261	71/7
Eastern Bluebird	261	71/22
Harlequin Duck	263	63/14
Parasitic Jaeger	264	62/21
Hooded Warbler	264	62/21
Great Shearwater	266	58/15
Vesper Sparrow	266	58/19
Dovekie	268	55/18
Glaucous Gull	269	52/17
Gray-cheeked Thrush	269	52/20
Thick-billed Murre	271	50/21
Northern Goshawk	272	48/18
Summer Tanager	272	48/15
Red-necked Phalarope	274	45/15
Gull-billed Tern	275	44/8
Northern Saw-whet Owl	276	43/14
Western Kingbird	276	43/11
Black-headed Gull	278	40/13
Arctic Tern	278	40/16
Royal Tern	278	40/13
			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
Bohemian Waxwing	285	29/12
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	286	28/4
Ross's Goose	287	27/5
Cattle Egret	287	27/9
Greater White-fronted Goose	289	26/2
Ruff	289	26/11
Curlew Sandpiper	289	26/6
Sooty Shearwater	292	25/15
Grasshopper Sparrow	292	25/9
White-faced Ibis	294	23/8
Canvasback	295	22/9
Upland Sandpiper	295	22/12
Black-necked Stilt	297	21/3
Prothonotary Warbler	297	21/11
Kentucky Warbler	297	21/10
Blue Grosbeak	300	20/7
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Common Murre	301	19/11
Black Rail	302	18/1
Pacific Loon	303	17/8
Pine Grosbeak	303	17/5
Acadian Flycatcher	305	16/12
Evening Grosbeak	305	16/6
Hoary Redpoll	305	16/7
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
Black Vulture	317	10/8
Louisiana Waterthrush	317	10/10
Golden Eagle	319	9/8
Cackling Goose	320	8/3
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Common Ringed Plover	320	8/3
American White Pelican	320	8/7
Golden-winged Warbler	320	8/5
Cerulean Warbler	320	8/6
Sandhill Crane	325	7/7
Northern Fulmar	325	7/5
Red-headed Woodpecker	325	7/4
Gyrfalcon	325	7/5
Swainson's Warbler	325	7/1
Wilson's Plover	330	6/3
Red-necked Stint	330	6/2
Atlantic Puffin	330	6/4
Sandwich Tern	330	6/2
Say's Phoebe	330	6/4
Yellow-headed Blackbird	330	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