First Encounter Beach
Massachusetts · Northeast
Moderate
April-May, September-October
About This Location
First Encounter Beach is a productive birding destination in Massachusetts, with 246 species recorded on eBird. This coastal habitat attracts Canada Goose, American Black Duck, and Red-breasted Merganser among many others. Spring and fall migration bring waves of warblers and shorebirds through the area.
Location
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Notable Species
Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
Rare or unusual species spotted nearby in the last 14 days
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Willet (Western)
Tringa semipalmata
Dickcissel
Spiza americana
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Thick-billed Murre
Uria lomvia
Orange-crowned Warbler
Leiothlypis celata
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bucephala islandica
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Canada Goose
American Black Duck
Red-breasted Merganser
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
American Crow
Song Sparrow
Brant
Bufflehead
Sanderling
Dunlin
Common Eider
Birding Tips
- 1
Check rocky shorelines and jetties at low tide for shorebirds.
- 2
Scan offshore waters with a spotting scope for seabirds and waterfowl.
- 3
Visit during mid-May for peak warbler migration.
Amenities
More in Massachusetts
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Historic Cambridge cemetery renowned as a spring warbler migrant trap.
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Massachusetts barrier beach refuge vital for shorebirds and Piping Plovers.
Arnold Arboretum
Harvard's 281-acre living tree museum in Boston with 200+ bird species and outstanding warbler migration.