Fifty years ago, we saw large flocks of great blue herons, 25 to 50 at a time. I remember the spectacle of seeing Felix Neck's marshes filled with these large herons.
A loud "SKREEE" sound is repeated every few seconds for hours on end and can be heard a quarter mile away. The sound is hard to track down, especially since the hawk may be concealed within the tree canopy.
The Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology both recommend you take down your bird-feeders to prevent the spread of an unknown disease.
The longest daylight of the year was on June 21, which is relevant to this column because the volume and frequency of birds singing quiets considerably.