Horned Grebe and more Red Crossbills at Quabbin Park

Horned Grebe, Quabbin Park, Sept 14, 2012

Horned Grebe, Quabbin Park, Sept 14, 2012

 

Red Crossbills, Quabbin Park, Sept 14, 2012

Northern Parula after a bath, Quabbin Park, Sept 14, 2012

Swainson's Thrush (one of four), Quabbin Park, Sept 14, 2012

Great Blue Heron, Quabbin Park, Sept 14, 2012

Great Blue Heron, Quabbin Park, Sept 14, 2012

Began my day pre dawn by checking a few spots in Belchertown for shorebirds (still trying to catch up with some Semipalmated Plovers). No luck this time so I then headed for Quabbin Park with a start at Winsor Dam. The fog quickly moved in (and persisted the rest of my couple hours there). I decided try the other side of the park along the road leading in from route 9 to Goodnough and beyond. There were pockets of birds along this route and I managed to find a total of 11 species of warbler including Tennessee, Prairie and Blackburnian as well as good numbers of Pine, Black throated Green and Blackpoll Warbler. Also had three species of wren, a Blue gray Gnatcatcher, a flock of 13 Red Crossbills, a pair of Common Loons calling plus a few groups of turkeys including some chicken sized young birds.  The highlight of the morning was finding an early Horned Grebe viewed from Hank's Meadow.  I saw the grebe way out.  I was certainly hopeful the grebe would turn out to be an Eared Grebe but I was still happy with finding a Horned Grebe in mid September.

Wilson and I then went on a long walk along both the Jabish Canal and the Belchertown Land Trust trail. Highlights here included a group of 7 Chimney Swifts moving south, lots of Red breasted Nuthatch's, Blue gray Gnatcatcher, nine species of warbler including yet another Tennessee (an adult), a Nashville, many Blackpoll and Pine Warblers.

Northern Parula with extensive rufous on flanks, Quabbin Park, Sept 14, 2012

Also ran across a Northern Parula with a large amount of rufous on the flanks. This certainly can be found on some birds but this seemed more extensive than usual. The poor lighting conditions made it difficult to get any good shots of this bird but I did get a few marginal shots.  The pictures do not show just how bright it appeared in true life.

Several birds today, including a Black throated Blue Warbler, lots of Pine Warbler and Eastern Wood Pewee, were still singing.