{"id":5980,"date":"2015-08-18T14:36:10","date_gmt":"2015-08-18T18:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=5980"},"modified":"2015-08-18T14:36:10","modified_gmt":"2015-08-18T18:36:10","slug":"last-month-in-birding-july-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/last-month-in-birding-july-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Last Month in Birding: July 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

In July, Massachusetts birders enjoyed another month of unusual sightings. Here are five of the most exciting of these observations as suggested by our experts.<\/p>\n

Bridled tern (Onychoprion anaethetus<\/i>)<\/h3>\n

A bird of tropical and subtropical oceans, the bridled tern is similar in size to our common tern, but is stouter and has striking black and white facial markings. Outside of the breeding period it spends most of its time over the open ocean, hovering over the surface and dipping its beak into the water to snag fish and other small sea creatures. A bridled tern was sighted in Nantucket in July.<\/p>\n

\"Bridled

Bridled tern in Nantucket \u00a9 Lee H. Dunn<\/p><\/div>\n

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax<\/span><\/em>)<\/h3>\n

A ruff observed on Plum Island last month was a long way from home: the species is native to parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, breeding in the north and overwintering in the south. Though female and non-breeding male ruffs have an unremarkable appearance, during the breeding season the males display large feathery “ruffs” and battle vigorously for dominance on special display areas called leks. The species\u2019 scientific name means “pugnacious lover of battle”.<\/p>\n

\"Ruff

Ruff at Plum Island \u00a9 Steve Arena<\/p><\/div>\n

White-winged dove (Zenaida asiatica<\/span><\/em>)<\/h3>\n

This species looks somewhat like a mourning dove, but it has a chunkier body and a tail that is square rather than pointed. Though primarily a species of southern deserts, it is equally comfortable in suburban areas and frequently wanders quite far. Through the years its range has been gradually expanding northward; it often takes advantage of backyard feeders. One bird was briefly observed in Newburyport.<\/p>\n

\"White-winged

White-winged dove in Florida (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0<\/a>) Kenneth Cole Schneider<\/p><\/div>\n

Fea’s petrel (Pterodroma feae<\/span><\/em>)<\/h3>\n

This relatively rare seabird was named for Italian artist and zoologist Leonardo Fea, and its name is pronounced FAY-ah<\/em>. It is a member of the tubenose order of birds (Procellariformes<\/em>), and like other members of this group has the ability to excrete excess salt through tubes on its bill from special salt glands located above of its eyes. This petrel breeds on just a few islands in the Eastern Atlantic. When not nesting, it spends all of its time at sea. One bird was spotted over Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary\u2014only the second record ever in Massachusetts and one of very few for North America!<\/p>\n

\"Fea's

Fea’s Petrel off Truro \u00a9 Steve Arena<\/p><\/div>\n

Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis<\/em>)<\/h3>\n

It’s easy to remember what a sandwich tern looks like: its beak has a yellow tip, which gives it the appearance of having been dipped in mustard. Juveniles may lack the yellow marking\u2014perhaps they haven’t yet developed a taste for Dijon? The species is native to the southeastern US and the coasts of Central and South America. However, one wandered north to Nauset Marsh in Eastham this past month.<\/p>\n

\"Sandwich

Sandwich Tern in Mexico (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0<\/a>) Sergey Yeliseev<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In July, Massachusetts birders enjoyed another month of unusual sightings. Here are five of the most exciting of these observations as suggested by our experts. Bridled tern (Onychoprion anaethetus) A bird of tropical and subtropical oceans, the bridled tern is similar in size to our common tern, but is stouter and has striking black and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[160,28,162],"class_list":["post-5980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature-notes","tag-bird-sightings","tag-birds","tag-last-month-in-birding"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-1ys","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5790,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/last-month-in-birding-june-2015\/","url_meta":{"origin":5980,"position":0},"title":"Last Month in Birding: June 2015","author":"Rosemary","date":"July 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"It was another interesting month in Massachusetts birding. Let's\u00a0take a look at a few of the most exciting bird sightings as suggested by our experts. \"Brewster\u2019s warbler\" (Vermivora pinus x chrysoptera) This beautiful animal\u00a0is the fertile hybrid of two closely-related birds, the blue-winged warbler (Vermivora pinus) and the golden-winged warbler\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/07\/ycnh1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/07\/ycnh1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/07\/ycnh1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7415,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-8-most-difficult-birds-to-spot-during-bird-a-thon\/","url_meta":{"origin":5980,"position":1},"title":"The 8 Most Difficult Birds to Spot During Bird-a-thon","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"April 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"On May 13 at 6 pm, teams across the state will begin a 24-hour effort to record the most bird species in Massachusetts as part of Bird-a-thon, an annual fundraiser that raises money to support our sanctuaries and programs. Last year, Team Drumlin Farm squeaked out a win over Team\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/04\/long-eared-owl_matt-knoth_cropped.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/04\/long-eared-owl_matt-knoth_cropped.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/04\/long-eared-owl_matt-knoth_cropped.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13299,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-thats-a-mouthful\/","url_meta":{"origin":5980,"position":2},"title":"Take 5: That’s a Mouthful!","author":"Ryan D.","date":"November 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk with your mouth full? Apparently, these birds never got the memo. Here are five photos of birds that may or may not have bitten off more than they can chew, all submitted in the past to our annual Picture This: Your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Least Tern \u00a9 Sandy Selesky","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/11\/514SandySelesky5313.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/11\/514SandySelesky5313.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/11\/514SandySelesky5313.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/11\/514SandySelesky5313.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10849,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-splish-splash-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":5980,"position":3},"title":"Take 5: Splish Splash","author":"Ryan D.","date":"April 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Remember the simple joy of splashing in mud puddles or the bathtub when you were a kid? You may still partake of this simple pleasure, particularly if you have kids or grandkids of your own! Our wildlife friends may or may not splash about for pleasure, but it sure does\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Least Tern \u00a9 Dennis Durette","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/1117Dennis_Durette14945_fi.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/1117Dennis_Durette14945_fi.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/1117Dennis_Durette14945_fi.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9387,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/bird-a-thon-2017-in-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":5980,"position":4},"title":"Bird-a-thon 2017 in Review","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"June 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Bird-a-thon, Mass Audubon's annual birding competition and fundraiser, took place on May 12-13. Here, Mass Audubon's Director of Important Bird Areas Wayne Petersen, gives a run-down of the birding portion of the event. Now that the dust following Bird-a-thon 2017 has settled and spring migration has finally come to a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/06\/We-won-edited.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/06\/We-won-edited.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/06\/We-won-edited.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7794,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/gifts-dad-will-love\/","url_meta":{"origin":5980,"position":5},"title":"Gifts Dad Will Love","author":"Ryan D.","date":"June 14, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Father's Day around the corner. 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Listening to a Continent Sing: Birdsong by Bicycle from the Atlantic to the Pacific by Donald Kroodsma Member price:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stuff We Love"","block_context":{"text":"Stuff We Love","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/stuff-we-love\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Listening to a Continent Sing by Donald Kroodsma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/06\/large-Listening-toAContinentSing-199x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5980"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6041,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5980\/revisions\/6041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}