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 20, 2026

	Species		n		N		Jan		Feb		Mar		Apr		May		Jun		Jul		Aug		Sep		Oct		Nov		Dec
Herring Gull	1	7575
Canada Goose	2	7514
American Robin	3	7439
Mallard	4	7292
American Black Duck	5	7265
Black-capped Chickadee	6	7146
Great Black-backed Gull	7	7061
Song Sparrow	8	7039
American Crow	9	7003
Northern Mockingbird	10	6851
Northern Cardinal	11	6547
European Starling	12	6387
Blue Jay	13	6351
Mourning Dove	14	6298
Northern Harrier	15	6072
Gadwall	16	6052
American Goldfinch	17	5822
Ring-billed Gull	18	5710
Green-winged Teal	19	5381
Double-crested Cormorant	20	5367
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
House Sparrow	21	5343
Common Loon	22	5254
Great Egret	23	5019
Greater Yellowlegs	24	4964
Rock Pigeon	25	4898
Gray Catbird	26	4783
Common Eider	27	4756
Downy Woodpecker	28	4737
Great Blue Heron	29	4715
Mute Swan	30	4689
Red-winged Blackbird	31	4597
House Finch	32	4567
White-winged Scoter	33	4514
Eastern Towhee	34	4389
Tree Swallow	35	4083
Killdeer	36	4072
Snowy Egret	37	4068
Red-breasted Merganser	38	4029
Common Grackle	39	4025
Osprey	40	3931
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cedar Waxwing	41	3886
Black-bellied Plover	42	3823
White-throated Sparrow	43	3672
Long-tailed Duck	44	3588
Northern Pintail	45	3578
Black Scoter	46	3511
Sanderling	47	3509
Brown Thrasher	48	3483
Savannah Sparrow	49	3394
Dunlin	49	3394
Semipalmated Plover	51	3344
Bufflehead	52	3339
Purple Finch	53	3338
Semipalmated Sandpiper	53	3338
Marsh Wren	55	3316
Common Yellowthroat	56	3204
Yellow-rumped Warbler	57	3133
Lesser Yellowlegs	58	3051
Barn Swallow	59	3046
Red-tailed Hawk	60	3025
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Peregrine Falcon	61	3023
Northern Flicker	62	2972
American Tree Sparrow	63	2959
Red-throated Loon	64	2920
Eastern Kingbird	65	2906
Yellow Warbler	66	2846
Horned Grebe	67	2790
Common Tern	68	2760
Wild Turkey	69	2754
Northern Gannet	70	2708
Turkey Vulture	71	2683
Least Sandpiper	72	2677
Swamp Sparrow	73	2651
Red-breasted Nuthatch	74	2649
Willet	75	2635
Bobolink	76	2590
Common Goldeneye	77	2578
Purple Martin	78	2570
Brown-headed Cowbird	79	2560
Piping Plover	80	2537
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Short-billed Dowitcher	81	2497
Dark-eyed Junco	82	2484
Merlin	83	2474
Field Sparrow	84	2463
Least Tern	85	2452
Hooded Merganser	86	2403
Baltimore Oriole	87	2402
Bald Eagle	88	2388
Saltmarsh Sparrow	89	2373
White-rumped Sandpiper	90	2343
American Redstart	91	2311
Eastern Phoebe	92	2310
Surf Scoter	93	2238
Cooper's Hawk	94	2192
American Wigeon	95	2100
Red-eyed Vireo	96	2023
Black-crowned Night-Heron	97	1994
Hermit Thrush	98	1960
Horned Lark	99	1826
Willow Flycatcher	100	1824
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Spotted Sandpiper	101	1800
Bonaparte's Gull	102	1769
Carolina Wren	103	1734
Golden-crowned Kinglet	104	1723
Red-necked Grebe	105	1679
Snowy Owl	106	1567
Rough-legged Hawk	107	1534
Northern Shoveler	108	1531
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	109	1508
Bank Swallow	110	1484
Chipping Sparrow	111	1480
Great Crested Flycatcher	112	1437
Blue-winged Teal	113	1389
Snow Bunting	114	1374
Common Raven	115	1350
Brant	116	1344
Greater Scaup	117	1301
Glossy Ibis	118	1233
Black-and-white Warbler	119	1216
Sharp-shinned Hawk	120	1201
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Razorbill	121	1152
Stilt Sandpiper	121	1152
American Kestrel	123	1142
Belted Kingfisher	124	1134
Orchard Oriole	125	1129
Least Bittern	126	1112
Pectoral Sandpiper	127	1085
Long-billed Dowitcher	128	1062
Seaside Sparrow	129	1061
Blackpoll Warbler	130	1048
Ruddy Turnstone	131	1038
Laughing Gull	131	1038
Northern Parula	133	1028
White-breasted Nuthatch	134	1027
Palm Warbler	135	1000
Black-throated Green Warbler	136	999
Pied-billed Grebe	137	966
American Woodcock	138	936
Magnolia Warbler	139	924
House Wren	140	914
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Blue-headed Vireo	141	904
Great Cormorant	142	872
Red Knot	143	868
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	144	844
Virginia Rail	145	831
Black-throated Blue Warbler	146	830
Lesser Scaup	147	815
American Bittern	148	810
Brown Creeper	149	808
Pine Warbler	150	805
Hairy Woodpecker	151	803
Whimbrel	152	802
Tufted Titmouse	153	795
Northern Shrike	154	778
American Pipit	155	772
Short-eared Owl	156	745
Chimney Swift	157	744
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	158	743
Northern Waterthrush	159	740
American Golden-Plover	160	732
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
White-crowned Sparrow	161	702
Roseate Tern	162	698
Ovenbird	163	695
Eastern Wood-Pewee	164	676
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	165	647
Ruddy Duck	166	645
Eastern Meadowlark	167	641
Wilson's Warbler	168	639
Nashville Warbler	169	625
American Coot	170	623
Red-bellied Woodpecker	171	571
Chestnut-sided Warbler	172	563
Snow Goose	173	556
Sora	174	532
Common Merganser	175	530
Purple Sandpiper	176	520
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	177	500
Blackburnian Warbler	178	499
Wilson's Snipe	179	496
Swainson's Thrush	180	494
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Wood Duck	181	489
Alder Flycatcher	182	466
Least Flycatcher	183	455
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	184	453
Canada Warbler	185	447
Veery	186	434
Green Heron	187	430
Scarlet Tanager	188	427
Ring-necked Duck	189	416
Warbling Vireo	190	410
Pine Siskin	191	409
Black-legged Kittiwake	192	407
Hudsonian Godwit	193	405
Black-billed Cuckoo	194	404
Lapland Longspur	195	400
Eastern Whip-poor-will	196	399
Baird's Sandpiper	197	397
Great Horned Owl	198	395
Bay-breasted Warbler	199	393
Prairie Warbler	200	385
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Western Sandpiper	201	368
Common Redpoll	202	354
Forster's Tern	203	340
Fish Crow	204	338
Fox Sparrow	205	335
Eurasian Wigeon	206	317
Cape May Warbler	207	314
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	208	311
Tricolored Heron	209	304
Lincoln's Sparrow	209	304
Lesser Black-backed Gull	211	289
Barred Owl	212	287
Philadelphia Vireo	212	287
Solitary Sandpiper	214	286
Wilson's Phalarope	215	274
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	216	267
Winter Wren	217	257
Black Guillemot	218	254
Clay-colored Sparrow	218	254
American Avocet	220	252
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
King Rail	221	245
Little Blue Heron	222	243
Wood Thrush	223	237
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	224	219
Red Crossbill	225	218
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	226	217
Tennessee Warbler	227	215
Wilson's Storm-Petrel	228	211
Clapper Rail	229	202
Caspian Tern	230	198
Mourning Warbler	231	188
Indigo Bunting	232	183
Common Gallinule	233	181
Cliff Swallow	234	171
Nelson's Sparrow	234	171
Dickcissel	234	171
Iceland Gull	237	166
Black Tern	238	162
Redhead	239	153
White-winged Crossbill	240	148
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Orange-crowned Warbler	241	141
White-eyed Vireo	242	137
Little Gull	243	125
Blue-winged Warbler	244	123
King Eider	245	122
Rusty Blackbird	246	121
Yellow-throated Vireo	247	120
American Oystercatcher	248	118
Yellow-breasted Chat	249	112
Marbled Godwit	250	104
Olive-sided Flycatcher	251	98/24
Common Nighthawk	252	96/23
Red-shouldered Hawk	253	89/20
Black Skimmer	254	87/16
Cory's Shearwater	254	87/14
Ring-necked Pheasant	256	85/13
Lark Sparrow	257	81/22
Manx Shearwater	258	79/23
Broad-winged Hawk	258	79/21
Connecticut Warbler	260	73/25
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Eastern Bluebird	261	72/22
Western Grebe	262	71/7
Harlequin Duck	263	63/14
Hooded Warbler	263	63/22
Parasitic Jaeger	265	62/21
Vesper Sparrow	266	60/20
Great Shearwater	267	58/15
Dovekie	268	55/18
Glaucous Gull	269	53/18
Gray-cheeked Thrush	270	52/20
Thick-billed Murre	271	50/21
Northern Goshawk	272	48/18
Summer Tanager	272	48/15
Red-necked Phalarope	274	46/16
Gull-billed Tern	275	44/8
Northern Saw-whet Owl	276	43/14
Western Kingbird	276	43/11
Arctic Tern	278	42/17
Royal Tern	279	41/14
Black-headed Gull	280	40/13
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Barrow's Goldeneye	281	35/7
Long-eared Owl	282	34/15
Worm-eating Warbler	283	33/15
Ruff	284	30/12
Red Phalarope	284	30/9
Bohemian Waxwing	286	29/12
Sooty Shearwater	287	28/16
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	287	28/4
Ross's Goose	289	27/5
Cattle Egret	289	27/9
Greater White-fronted Goose	291	26/2
Curlew Sandpiper	291	26/6
White-faced Ibis	291	26/9
Grasshopper Sparrow	294	25/9
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	297	21/8
			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
Black Vulture	308	13/9
Ash-throated Flycatcher	308	13/3
Pomarine Jaeger	310	12/8
Eastern Screech-Owl	310	12/8
Green-tailed Towhee	310	12/1
Black-tailed Godwit	313	11/1
Leach's Storm-Petrel	313	11/7
Swainson's Hawk	313	11/3
Cave Swallow	313	11/7
Louisiana Waterthrush	313	11/11
Yellow-throated Warbler	313	11/6
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
Pileated Woodpecker	339	4/4
Sedge Wren	339	4/4
			Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Northern Wheatear	339	4/2
Chuck-will's-widow	342	3/3
Mississippi Kite	342	3/3
Loggerhead Shrike	342	3/1
Western Tanager	342	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