Sightings – Animals

Observer: Ilan Fisher

Observation Date: 8/28/20

Observation Time: 12:00 p.m.

Observation Location: near intersection of Beach & Harding Streets

Common Name: Mallard

Scientific Name: Anas platyrhynchos

Comments: Perhaps the most familiar of all ducks, Mallards occur throughout North America and Eurasia in ponds and parks as well as wilder wetlands and estuaries. The male’s gleaming green head, gray flanks, and black tail-curl arguably make it the most easily identified duck. Mallards have long been hunted for the table, and almost all domestic ducks come from this species.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Marshall Katler

Observation Date: 9/26/23

Observation Time: 1:00 p.m.

Observation Location: Mansfield St.

Common Name: Marbled Orbweaver Spider

Scientific Name: Araneus marmoreus var. marmoreus

Comments: Although usually found in woodland, this one was found on the side of a house. It is most likely a male.

More Information: Wikipedia

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 8/17/11

Observation Time: 12:15 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Dam

Common Name: Mason Wasp

Scientific Name: Monobia quadridens

Comments: Mason wasps are solitary. They have a metallic blue sheen on their wings. Females usually build nests in abandoned holes of other bee and wasp species. Sometimes mistaken for Bald-faced Hornet, but note the position and extent of white on the abdomen.

More Information: What’s That Bug? and Cape May Wildlife Guide

Observer: Alex Hackman

Observation Date: 4/23/09

Observation Time: 9:45 a.m.

Observation Location: Beaver Brook

Common Name: Mayfly

Scientific Name: Ephemeroptera

Comments: Adult mayfly hatch observed during a paddle up Beaver Brook. This insect is an indicator of good water quality.

More Information: Texas A&M

Mayfly

 

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 7/5/21

Observation Time: 2:15 p.m.

Observation Location: Maskwonicut St. (on the bridge over Beaver Brook)

Common Name: Mexican Grass-carrying Wasp

Scientific Name: Isodontia mexicana

Comments: Isodontia mexicana is mainly found throughout North America, but has become established in Europe, primarily France, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Serbia, and Spain.

These wasps build their nests in hollowed branches or in other natural cavities, often reusing the nests of other species. Then they line the inside with grass fragments or other plant fibers (hence the name ‘Grass-carrying wasp’).

I. mexicana mainly preys on grasshoppers (usually katydids or tree crickets, choosing the small ones and carrying them to its nest to feed the emerging larvae with the living, but paralyzed prey.

More Information: Wikipedia

Observer: Kathy Farrell

Observation Date:  10/17/18

Observation Time: 3:46 p.m.

Observation Location: Beaver Brook Trail

Common Name: Milk Snake

Scientific Name: Lampropeltis triangulum

Comments: Beautiful snake in middle of trail. Not very big…maybe 6-8″. Maybe juvenile? Was shaking its tail at me! No rattle.

More Information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_snake

Observer: Marcia Tranavitch

Observation Date:  5/2/20

Observation Time: noon

Observation Location: against the retaining wall in my garden at 24 Pine St.

Common Name: Milk Snake

Scientific Name: Lampropeltis triangulum

Comments: I encountered him/her among the leaves I was cleaning out at the edge of the woods on my property.

I estimate this milk snake was at least 3 feet in length. To appreciate its length, note the additional section of the snake that is visible in the upper right corner of two of these three photos.

More Information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_snake

Observer: Kate Kavanagh

Observation Date: 6/3/10

Observation Time: 4:15 p.m.

Observation Location: South Pleasant Street

Common Name: Milk Snake

Scientific Name: Lampropeltis triangulum

Comments: This beautiful snake was slowly moving along the foundation of the house in the front garden bed. Disappeared into the gap behind the front step. Sadly, I was not fast enough with my camera.

More Information: UMass Amherst Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date:  9/12/13

Observation Time: 4:30 p.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Street

Common Name: Milk Snake

Scientific Name: Lampropeltis triangulum

Comments: Sad to see this beautiful non-venomous milk snake run over by a car.  Milk snakes are generally docile, but when alarmed, they sometimes shake their tails against dead leaves to imitate the sound of a rattlesnake.

More Information: Virginia Herpetological Society

Observer: John Wraga

Observation Date: 3/2/14

Observation Time: 2:45 p.m.

Observation Location: Traphole Brook at High Plain St.

Common Name: Mink

Scientific Name: Neovison vison

Comments: Mink are semi-aquatic. They eat crayfish, small frogs and fish, along with small mammals such as shrews, rabbits, mice, and muskrats. They also prey on ducks and other water fowl.

This mink was hit and killed by a vehicle as it crossed the road by Traphole Brook.

More Information: Wikipedia

Mink

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/26/10

Observation Time: 5:10 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond

Common Name: Monarch Butterfly

Scientific Name: Danaus plexippus

Comments: In fall, eastern monarchs migrate thousands of miles from Canada to Mexico and parts of Arizona and Florida. In spring, the overwintered population migrates part of the way back. Then a second, third and fourth generation continues the migration to back to Canada.

The number of monarchs overwintering in Mexico has shown a long-term downward trend. In 2014, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety filed a legal petition requesting Endangered Species Act protection for the monarch and its habitat.

Efforts are underway to establish monarch waystations. A growing number of homeowners are establishing butterfly gardens; monarchs can be attracted by cultivating a butterfly garden with specific plant species.

More Information: Wikipedia

Monarch Butterfly

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/24/21

Observation Time: 2:50 p.m.

Observation Place: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR)

Common Name: Monarch Butterfly

Scientific Name: Danaus plexippus

Comments: Monarchs make an epic, multi-generational migration. Check it out at the link below.

More Information: National Geographic

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 9/24/14

Observation Time: 1:15 p.m.

Observation Place: TTOR’s Moose Hill Farm (formerly the Kendall Estate)

Common Name: Monarch Butterfly

Scientific Name: Danaus plexippus

Comments: With winter approaching, this monarch was nearing the end of its life. Monarchs make an epic, multi-generational migration. Check it out at the link below.

More Information: National Geographic

Observer: Rita Corey

Observation Date: 8/13/20

Observation Time: 3:40 p.m.

Observation Place: Mountain St.

Common Name: Monarch Butterfly caterpillar

Scientific Name: Danaus plexippus

Comments: This monarch caterpillar was feeding on milkweed. It will soon form a chrysalis.

Milkweed is poisonous. Monarch caterpillars eat milkweed to make themselves poisonous to avoid predation. Their bright coloration is a warning to predators. Eating milkweed can sometimes be fatal to the monarch caterpillar itself.

Monarchs make an epic, multi-generational migration. Check it out at the link below.

More Information: National Geographic

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 8/15/18

Observation Time: 1:15 p.m.

Observation Place: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Monarch Butterfly caterpillar and chrysalis

Scientific Name: Danaus plexippus

Comments: This caterpillar was feeding on milkweed. It will soon form a chrysalis, as others nearby had already done.

Monarchs make an epic, multi-generational migration. Check it out at the link below.

More Information: National Geographic

Monarch chrysalis:

Observer: Gaurav Shah

Observation Date: 7/1/23

Observation Time: 4:00 p.m.

Observation Location: trail off Billings St.

Common Name: Moth Fly or Drain Fly

Scientific Name: Family Psychodidae, possibly genus Pericoma

Comments: There are many species of flies in the family Psychodidae. Some are called “drain flies” because they thrive in the drains of sinks and commonly infest bathrooms. Other species in this family are called “moth flies” because they have fuzzy bodies and feathery antennae that are characteristic of many species of moths. The fact that this specimen was observed in the woods and not in a bathroom suggests that it is a type of moth fly.

More Information: Missouri Dept. of Conservation and Wikipedia

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 9/22/13

Observation Time: 2:00 p.m.

Observation Location: King Phillip’s Rock

Common Name: Mottled Prominent Moth (caterpillar)

Scientific Name: Macrurocampa marthesia

Comments: For a photo of the adult Mottled Prominent
moth, see: http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/177197-Macrurocampa-marthesia

More Information: BugGuide

Mottled Prominent Moth (Caterpillar)

Mottled Prominent Moth (Caterpillar)

Mottled Prominent Moth (Caterpillar)

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 7/9/11

Observation Time: 2:50 p.m.

Observation Location: 4 Gavins Pond Road

Common Name: Mourning Cloak butterfly

Scientific Name: Nymphalis antiopa

Comments: Unlike most butterflies, mourning cloaks overwinter as adults, so they are often the first butterfly seen in spring.

More Information: Wikipedia

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/16/23

Observation Time: 4:10 p.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Scientific Name: Nymphalis antiopa

Comments: This striking butterfly overwinters as an adult. That is why it is the first butterfly to be seen in early spring. This battle-scarred individual was inhabiting a small clearing beside the trail. As I stood and watched, it flew within a foot of my face several times, as if it was curious about the strange apparition that had entered its home space.

More Information: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Nymphalis-antiopa

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 7/2/13

Observation Time: 7:00 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Road near soccer fields

Common Name: Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Scientific Name: Nymphalis antiopa

Comments: Unlike most butterfly species, mourning cloaks overwinter as adults, so they are typically the first butterflies seen in spring. This tattered individual was on its last legs, but still displayed striking coloration.

More Information: Wikipedia

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/13/19

Observation Time: 7:30 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Mourning Dove

Scientific Name: Zenaida macroura

Comments: The mourning dove is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American bird species. It is also a leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure is due to its prolific breeding; in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods of two young each in a single year.

More Information: Wikipedia or All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/15/20

Observation Time: 9:30 a.m.

Observation Location: parking area by Lake Massapoag boat ramp

Common Name: Mourning Dove

Scientific Name: Zenaida macroura

Comments: The mourning dove is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American bird species. It is also a leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure is due to its prolific breeding; in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods of two young each in a single year.

More Information: Wikipedia or All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/2/19

Observation Time: 1:10 p.m.

Observation Location: beneath the high tension wires that parallel So. Walpole St.

Common Name: Mourning Dove

Scientific Name: Zenaida macroura

Comments: The mourning dove is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American bird species. It is also a leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure is due to its prolific breeding; in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods of two young each in a single year.

More Information: Wikipedia or All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 8/2/10

Observation Time: 8:40 a.m.

Observation Location: near Gavins Pond

Common Name: Mourning Dove

Scientific Name: Zenaida macroura

Comments: The mourning dove is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American bird species. It is also a leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure is due to its prolific breeding; in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods of two young each in a single year.

More Information: Wikipedia or All About Birds

Mourning Dove

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 1/20/10

Observation Time: 3:55 p.m.

Observation Location: on the ice at Knifeshop Pond, Ames Street

Common Name: Muscovy Duck

Scientific Name: Cairina moschata

Comments: The Muscovy Duck is a large duck native to Mexico and Central and South America. A small wild population reaches into the United States in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. There also are feral breeding populations in North America in and around public parks in nearly every state of the USA and in the Canadian provinces; feral populations also exist in Europe. Although the Muscovy Duck is a tropical bird, it adapts to icy and snowy conditions down to –12°C (10°F) and below without ill effects. — Wikipedia

More Information: Avian Web

Muscovy Duck

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/29/13

Observation Time: 1:30 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Dam

Common Name: Musk turtle

Scientific Name: Sternotherus odoratus

Comments: This small turtle, which only grows to 5″ in length, is common in Sharon. When disturbed, it emits a disagreeable odor, which accounts for both its common and scientific names.

This individual presumably came ashore to lay eggs. Believe it or not, musk turtles are known to climb high up into the branches of shrubs and trees.

More Information: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory

Musk Turtle

Musk Turtle

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/8/13

Observation Time: 6:08 p.m.

Observation Location: Beaver Brook near tennis courts

Common Name: Muskrat

Scientific Name: Ondatra zibethicus

Comments: Muskrats are fairly common near water in Sharon. They are native to North America, and related to voles and lemmings, but they are in a different genus from true rats.

More Information: Wikipedia

Muskrat

Muskrat

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 10/21/14

Observation Time: 5:10 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond

Common Name: Mute Swan

Scientific Name: Cygnus olor

Comments: Swans are powerful birds that will attack humans if they feel threatened. Don’t allow your children to approach them.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Deborah Radovsky

Observation Date: 11/25/18

Observation Time: 3:30 p.m.

Observation Location: Lake Massapoag

Common Name: Mute Swan

Scientific Name: Cygnus olor

Comments: juveniles (4) and adults. These graceful birds are native to Eurasia. They were introduced in North America in the late 19th century, and are now common here. Beware! Swans can be aggressive. They may attack if they feel threatened.

More Information: Wikipedia

Observer: Ilan Fisher

Observation Date: 3/5/20

Observation Time: 3:30 p.m.

Observation Location: Lake Massapoag (south end, off Beach St.)

Common Name: Mute Swan

Scientific Name: Cygnus olor

Comments: I saw five of these guys cruising by the lake. Sorry, no photo.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Yujie Hu

Observation Date: 3/25/09

Observation Time: 4:30 p.m.

Observation Location: Saw Mill Pond

Common Name: Mute Swan

Scientific Name: Cygnus olor

Comments: Our two sons spotted these two swans on the pond behind our back yard, and they have stayed for about a week; we hope they will make it their home.

For more information about the pros and cons of swans, see: Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection

Mute Swans

Mute Swans

Mute Swans

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/12/23

Observation Time: 6:30 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Nashville Warbler

Scientific Name: Leiothlypis ruficapilla

Comments: Nashville Warblers don’t breed anywhere near Nashville, Tennessee, although they do migrate through. The species got its name because Nashville was where Alexander Wilson first saw it in 1811, and went on to name it.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 7/1/19

Observation Time: 4:40 p.m.

Observation Location: Trustees of Reservations’ Moose Hill Farm

Common Name: Nessus Sphinx Moth

Scientific Name: Amphion floridensis

Comments: The Nessus Sphinx is a member of Sphingidae, a family of powerfully fast moths that are typically seen drinking flower nectar. The Nessus Sphinx has two yellow bands on the abdomen that are thought to help it mimic a wasp as it hovers over blooms.

More Information: Insect Identification for the Casual Observer

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/2/11

Observation Time: 1:40 p.m.

Observation Location: near Gavins Pond

Common Name: North American Harvester butterfly

Scientific Name: Feniseca tarquinius

Comments: The harvester is the only North American butterfly with carnivorous larvae, usually feeding on aphids.

More Information: Tree of Life

North American Harvester Butterfly

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/27/19

Observation Time: 2:00 p.m.

Observation Location: boardwalk through Conservation land near Morse & Lakeview

Common Name: North American Millipede

Scientific Name: Narceus americanus

Comments: Millipedes first appeared in the fossil record 400 million years ago and are some of the first animals to have lived on land. It is hypothesized that these ancient species are the largest animals without backbones to have walked on earth. Modern forms appear in the late Paleozoic. While North American millipedes are currently classified as diplopods, Linnaeus classified them as apterate insects, Lamarck said they were arachnids, and others have called them worms or crustaceans.

More Information: Animal Diversity Web

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 11/19/12

Observation Time: 10:25 a.m.

Observation Location: 4 Gavins Pond Road

Common Name: Northern Cardinal

Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis

Comments: Cardinals are seen year-round in Sharon. In springtime they defend their territories, sometimes hurling themselves against glass windows when they see their own reflections, thinking it’s a competitor.

More Information: All About Birds

Cardinal

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 11/27/20

Observation Time: 12:30 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Rd. (my back yard)

Common Name: Northern Cardinal

Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis

Comments: One of the most common birds in Sharon, cardinals have a whistle-like voice, and sing strongly. Learn to recognize their various vocalizations at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_cardinal/sound

Cardinals typically travel in pairs. The male is bright red and the female is mostly tan.

More Information: All About Birds

 

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 12/18/20

Observation Time: 8:30 a.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Rd. (our back yard)

Common Name: Northern Cardinal (female)

Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis

Comments: One of the most common birds in Sharon, cardinals have a whistle-like voice, and sing strongly. Learn to recognize their various vocalizations at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_cardinal/sound

Cardinals typically travel in pairs. The male is bright red and the female is mostly tan.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/5/18

Observation Time: 7:25 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Northern Cardinal

Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis

Comments: One of the most common birds in Sharon, cardinals have a whistle-like voice, and sing strongly. Learn to recognize their various vocalizations at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_cardinal/sound

Cardinals typically travel in pairs. The female is mostly tan.

More Information: All About Birds

male:

female:

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/8/14

Observation Time: 7:00 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Northern Cardinal

Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis

Comments: One of the most common birds in Sharon, cardinals have a whistle-like voice, and sing strongly. Learn to recognize their various vocalizations at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_cardinal/sound

Cardinals typically travel in pairs. The female is mostly tan.

More Information: All About Birds

Northern Cardinal

Observer: Ilan Fisher

Observation Date: 8/22/20

Observation Time: 5:00 p.m.

Observation Location: near intersection of Beach & Harding Streets

Common Name: Northern Cardinal (male)

Scientific Name: Cardinalis cardinalis

Comments: One of the most common birds in Sharon, cardinals are also one of the most striking. Cardinals have a whistle-like voice, and sing strongly. Learn to recognize their various vocalizations at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_cardinal/sound

Cardinals typically travel in pairs. The female is mostly tan.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 8/26/10

Observation Time: 4:10 p.m.

Observation Location: Beaver Brook near tennis courts

Common Name: Northern Eyed Brown butterfly

Scientific Name: Satyrodes eurydice

Comments: This individual was perched on the handrail of the wooden footbridge constructed by SFOC over Beaver Brook.

More Information: Mass Audubon

Northern Eyed Brown Butterfly

Observer: Rick Dumont

Observation Date: 3/21/09

Observation Time: 3:00 p.m.

Observation Location: Backyard near Bay Road

Common Name: Northern Flicker

Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus

Comments: Love the coloring…

If you learn to recognize the distinctive call of the flicker, you will hear them frequently in wooded areas.

More Information: Cornell Lab of Ornithology “All About Birds”

Flicker

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 4/15/20

Observation Time: 2:45 p.m.

Observation Location: Conservation land near Sandy Ridge Circle

Common Name: Northern Flicker

Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus

Comments: Flickers are woodpeckers, but they are unusual in that they eat ants and beetles on the ground. They are sometimes called yellow-shafted flickers. 

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/15/20

Observation Time: 9:20 a.m.

Observation Location: Conservation land near Lakeview & Morse Sts.

Common Name: Northern Flicker

Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus

Comments: Flickers are woodpeckers, but they are unusual in that they eat ants and beetles on the ground. They are sometimes called yellow-shafted flickers.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/19/19

Observation Time: 7:30 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Northern Flicker

Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus

Comments: Flickers are woodpeckers, but they are unusual in that they eat ants and beetles on the ground. They are sometimes called yellow-shafted flickers. The last photo below shows the yellow feathers on the underside of its tail. This individual was nesting in a hole high in a dead tree nearby.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Deb Radovsky

Observation Date: 5/22/16

Observation Time: N/A

Observation Location: Paul Revere Rd., Sharon

Common Name: Northern Flicker

Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus

Comments: Although it can climb up the trunks of trees and hammer on wood like other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker prefers to find food on the ground. Ants are its main food, and the flicker digs in the dirt to find them. It uses its long barbed tongue to lap up the ants.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/23/11

Observation Time: 2:35 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond

Common Name: Northern Flicker

Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus

Comments: This northern flicker was injured, perhaps as a result of a hawk attack.

The Northern Flicker is part of the genus Colaptes which encompasses 12 New-World woodpeckers. There are two living and one extinct subspecies of C. auratus species. The existing sub-species were at one time considered separate species but they commonly interbreed where ranges overlap and are now considered one species by the American Ornithologists Union. Whether or not they are separate species is a well-known example of the species problem.

The Yellow-shafted Flicker Colaptes auratus resides in eastern North America. They are yellow under the tail and underwings and have yellow shafts on their primaries. They have a grey cap, a beige face and a red bar at the nape of their neck. Males have a black moustache. Colaptes comes from the Greek verb colapt, to peck. Auratus is from the Latin root aurat, meaning “gold” or “golden” and refers to the bird’s underwing coloration.

Under the name “Yellowhammer” it is the state bird of Alabama.

The Red-shafted Flicker Colaptes auratus cafer resides in western North America. They are red under the tail and underwings and have red shafts on their primaries. They have a beige cap and a grey face. Males have a red moustache. The scientific name, Colaptes auratus cafer, is the result of an error made in 1788 by the German systematist, Johann Gmelin, who believed that its original habitat was in South Africa among the Xhosa people, then known as the “Kaffir” people. (The term “Kaffir” is now considered an extreme ethnic slur in South Africa.)

The Guadalupe Flicker Colaptes auratus/cafer rufipileus extinct c. 1910.

From Wikipedia

More Information: Cornell Lab of Ornithology “All About Birds”

Flicker

Flicker

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/9/13

Observation Time: 3:55 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond area

Common Name: Northern Flicker

Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus

Comments: Flickers are woodpeckers, but they are unusual in that they eat ants and beetles on the ground.

More Information: All About Birds

Flicker

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/24/11

Observation Time: 10:45 a.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Road

Common Name: Northern Flicker (fledgling)

Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus

Comments: This fledgling Northern Flicker was on the ground at first, but it hopped over to a tamarack tree and climbed up, pecking from time to time under the bark and calling repeatedly as if it wanted its mother.

More Information: Cornell Lab of Ornithology “All About Birds”

Flicker Fledgling

Flicker Fledgling

Flicker Fledgling

Flicker Fledgling

Flicker Fledgling

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/2/11

Observation Time: 4:50 p.m.

Observation Location: near Gavins Pond

Common Name: Northern mockingbird

Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos

Comments: As both the common name and the scientific name suggest, the northern mockingbird mimics other birds and other sounds in its environment. If you are familiar with bird songs, you can sometimes get clues about what other bird species might be around by listening to a mockingbird.

More Information: All About Birds

Northern Mockingbird

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/6/10

Observation Time: 4:15 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond

Common Name: Northern mockingbird

Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos

Comments: Mockingbirds repeat whatever they are mocking 3 or 4 times. That differentiates them from the other two mimics found in Sharon, brown thrashers (that repeat twice), and catbirds (that repeat only once).

More Information: All About Birds

Northern Mockingbird

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 9/22/13

Observation Time: 4:00 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond area near soccer parking lot

Common Name: Northern Paper Wasp

Scientific Name: Polistes fuscatus

Comments: This individual appeared to be gleaning wood fibers for use in constructing or repairing a nest.

More Information: Wikipedia

Northern Paper Wasp

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/7/23

Observation Time: 8:20 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Northern Parula Warbler

Scientific Name: Setophaga americana

Comments: Northern parula warblers pass through Sharon in late April and early May on their northward migration. They are typically seen high in the trees, so it helps to look for them at the end of April and the beginning of May before the leaves have fully emerged. An app called Merlin is very helpful for finding out what species of birds are singing nearby.

You can monitor the bird migration in spring by keeping an eye on the live radar map at: http://birdcast.info/live-migration-maps/

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/8/23

Observation Time: 9:05 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Northern Parula Warbler

Scientific Name: Setophaga americana

Comments: Northern parula warblers pass through Sharon in late April and early May on their northward migration. They are typically seen high in the trees, so it helps to look for them at the end of April and the beginning of May before the leaves have fully emerged. An app called Merlin is very helpful for finding out what species of birds are singing nearby.

You can monitor the bird migration in spring by keeping an eye on the live radar map at: http://birdcast.info/live-migration-maps/

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/25/15

Observation Time: 1:00 p.m.

Observation Location: near Beaver Brook (near train station tennis courts)

Common Name: Northern Pearly-Eye butterfly

Scientific Name: Enodia anthedon

Comments: Northern Pearly-Eye butterflies are very similar to Eyed Browns and Appalachian Browns. All can be found in Sharon.

More Information: Butterflies of Massachusetts

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/26/13

Observation Time: 5:10 p.m.

Observation Location: near Beaver Brook (near train station tennis courts)

Common Name: Northern Pearly-Eye butterfly

Scientific Name: Enodia anthedon

Comments: These three butterfly species are very similar: Eyed Brown, Appalachian Brown, and Northern Pearly-Eye. All can be found in Sharon.

These two Northern Pearly-eye butterflies were courting.

More Information: Butterflies of Massachusetts

Northern Pearly-Eye Butterfly

Northern Pearly-Eye Butterfly

Observer: Vin Zollo

Observation Date: 10/16/22

Observation Time: nighttime

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Center

Common Name: Northern Saw-whet Owl

Scientific Name: Aegolius acadicus

Comments: This bird was captured as part of a banding program to learn more about this common owl, which is seldom seen because it is nocturnal.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 9/30/12

Observation Time: 6:05 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond area

Common Name: Northern Short-tailed Shrew

Scientific Name: Blarina brevicauda

Comments: This venomous mammal is a highly active insectivore that consumes up to three times its weight daily. I don’t know why this specimen died.

More Information: Wikipedia

Northern Short-Tailed Shrew

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 10/11/09

Observation Time: 4:20 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond

Common Name: Northern Shoveler duck

Scientific Name: Anas clypeata

Comments: This duck gets its name from its large bill.

More Information: All About Birds.org

Northern Shoveler Duck

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 8/7/15

Observation Time: 5:10 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond area

Common Name: Northern Walkingstick

Scientific Name: Diapheromera femorata

Comments: This harmless insect uses its bizarre body shape to blend in to the foliage and avoid detection by potential predators.

More Information: Bugguide

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/31/12

Observation Time: 8:20 a.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Dam

Common Name: Northern Water Snake

Scientific Name: Nerodia sipedon

Comments: This big water snake was stalking a frog.

More Information: http://www.snake-removal.com/northernwatersnake.html

Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake

It tastes the air with its forked tongue.

Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake

Its scales have ridges called “keels.”

Northern Water Snake

The frog got away.

Northern Water Snake

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/12/13

Observation Time: 1:30 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Dam

Common Name: Northern Water Snake

Scientific Name: Nerodia sipedon

Comments: The older northern water snakes get, the blacker they become. This mature specimen appears to be all black, but the underside is still colorful. Non-venomous northern water snakes are sometimes confused with venomous water moccasins, which live farther south. Even older northern water snakes that look black when on shore may appear banded when swimming through the water.

Note the ridges on the scales, called “keels.”

More information on this one-minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw6W8NaJmfo 

Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 7/9/11

Observation Time: 3:45 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Dam

Common Name: Northern Water Snake

Scientific Name: Nerodia sipedon

Comments: Water snakes are not venomous, but they can be large (4 feet long or more, and as thick as a man’s wrist) and aggressive. This one was more interested in avoiding me than attacking me.

More Information: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory

Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake

The scales have ridges called “keels.”

Northern Water Snake

Observer: Alex Hackman

Observation Date: 8/14/10

Observation Time: 11:00 a.m.

Observation Location: Outlet of Gavins Pond

Common Name: Northern Water Snake

Scientific Name: Nerodia sipedon

Comments: Lucky to see this water snake slither by while taking stream flow measurements.

More Information: Wikipedia

Northern Water Snake

 

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 8/6/12

Observation Time: 1:10 p.m.

Observation Location: outflow pool below Gavins Pond Dam

Common Name: Northern Water Snake (juvenile)

Scientific Name: Nerodia sipedon

Comments: Young northern water snake males are more brightly marked than older ones, which tend to be all black.

More Information: Snakes of Massachusetts

Northern Water Snake (Juvenile)

Northern Water Snake (Juvenile)

Northern Water Snake (Juvenile)

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/1/18

Observation Time: 10:00 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Northern Waterthrush

Scientific Name: Parkesia noveboracensis

Comments: The northern waterthrush is actually a type of warbler. It looks a lot like an ovenbird, which is also a warbler. This one was seen near the boardwalk through the wetlands at Moose Hill.

More Information: All About Birds


Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/11/18

Observation Time: 12:50

Observation Location: meadow at Morse and Lakeview

Common Name: Northern Waterthrush

Scientific Name: Parkesia noveboracensis

Comments: The northern waterthrush is actually a type of warbler. It looks a lot like an ovenbird, which is also a warbler. This one was seen in the town-owned meadow at the junction of Morse and Lakeview Streets.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/12/16

Observation Time: 9:50 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Center

Common Name: Northern Waterthrush

Scientific Name: Parkesia noveboracensis

Comments: A bird of northern forests, the Northern Waterthrush is in the warbler family. It sings its loud, ringing song from wooded swamps, bogs and streams. It migrates through Sharon in spring and fall, bobbing its tail in the woods near water.

More Information: All About Birds

Northern waterthrush

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/23/23

Observation Time: 8:00 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Northern Waterthrush

Scientific Name: Parkesia noveboracensis

Comments: The northern waterthrush is actually a type of warbler. It looks a lot like an ovenbird, which is also a warbler. This one was seen along the boardwalk through the wetlands at Moose Hill.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/5/23

Observation Time: 7:25 a.m.

Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Common Name: Northern Waterthrush

Scientific Name: Parkesia noveboracensis

Comments: The northern waterthrush is actually a type of warbler. It looks a lot like an ovenbird, which is also a warbler. This one was seen along the boardwalk through the wetlands at Moose Hill.

More Information: All About Birds

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 9/10/19

Observation Time: 6:20 p.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Road

Common Name: Northeastern Sawyer Beetle

Scientific Name: Monochamus notatus

Comments:  The Northeastern Pine Sawyer Beetle is one of several harmless native species that look like the exotic and destructive Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB).

The Northeastern Sawyer is our largest native longhorn beetle, about as large as ALB, but different in color and pattern: it can be distinguished from ALB by its dull grey color and lack of pattern on its wing covers (the antennae may appear banded, but they won’t be as vivid as they are on ALB). Additionally, while adult ALB will be found on living hardwood trees, the Northeastern Sawyer targets dead or dying conifers. Both adult and larval Northeastern Sawyers prefer to eat the rotting wood of conifers such as pine, spruce, and fir, versus the live, fresh hardwood required by ALB.

Adult Northeastern Sawyer Beetles are active from May through September, while Asian Longhorned Beetles are still active through the first hard frost.

Any sightings of suspicious beetle or tree damage can be reported here. Be sure to get a picture or collect the specimen.

More Information: Massachusetts Introduced Pests

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/1/14

Observation Time: 12:10 p.m.

Observation Location: 4 Gavins Pond Rd.

Common Name: Nursery web spider

Scientific Name: Pisaurina mira

Comments: This large spider was on a tree trunk in my back yard.

More Information: Kentucky Spiders

Nursery Web Spider

Nursery Web Spider

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/11/20

Observation Time: 11:05 a.m.

Observation Location: in a small oak tree in the field across the street from the Gavins Pond soccer fields

Common Name: Oak gall

Scientific Name: caused by small wasps in the family Cynipidae

Comments: Oak apple or oak gall is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2 to 4 centimetres (1 to 2 in) in diameter and are caused by chemicals injected by the larvae of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single eggs in developing leaf buds. The wasp larvae feed on the gall tissue resulting from their secretions, which modify the oak bud into the gall, a structure that protects the developing larvae until they undergo metamorphosis into adults. Considerable confusion exists in the general “literature” between the oak apple and the oak marble gall. The oak marble is frequently called the oak apple due to the superficial resemblance and the preponderance of the oak marble gall in the wild. Other galls found on oak trees include the oak artichoke gall and the acorn cup gall, but each of these has its own distinctive form.

Some common oak-apple-forming species are the Biorhiza pallida gall wasp in Europe, Amphibolips confluenta in eastern North America,[2] and Atrusca bella in western North America.

More Information: Wikipedia

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 5/16/20

Observation Time: 6:45 a.m.

Observation Location: near Gavins Pond

Common Name: Olive-sided flycatcher

Scientific Name: Contopus cooperi

Comments: I encountered this bird perched about 30 feet up in a leafless tree on the right side of the trail leading from the soccer fields to Gavins Pond dam, where the trail emerges from the woods and bends left toward the dam.

The white patches were quite distinctive and caught my eye immediately as I approached from a distance. I was astonished to see this bird, as I had never seen anything before in Sharon with such dramatic white patches. It seemed to me as if such eye-catching white patches might be an evolutionary disadvantage because they would be noticeable to hawks and other predators.
Speaking of predators, I saw what I think was a weasel or a mink in the bushes near the far left corner of the inner soccer field parking lot. It was surprisingly small – about 10” to 12” long I’d say. Unfortunately I did not get a photo of it as it scampered away.

More Information: All About Birds