Shorebirds, raptors and other good stuff -East Meadows, Arcadia & Honeypot

Bald Eagle, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Least Sandpiper, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Killdeer, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Semipalmated Sandpiper, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Following the rains of yesterday afternoon and evening we (Ian Davies and Jacob Drucker) decided to try our luck in finding some shorebirds again. Before we even made it to the first shorebird spot we had some good sightings with a Gray Fox on the UMASS campus and a flyby American Woodcock along Route 116. Our first stop was at the fields of the honeypot which were empty of shorebirds. We next headed over to the East Meadows and when down the road past the red barns. The first pool we came to had a group of Killdeer and a few Least Sandpipers but nothing more unusual. We then went down past the red barns to the four corners area. Here we had a group of three shorebirds fly in that turned out to be Buff breasted Sandpipers. A very good year for this somewhat unusual species in the valley. We also had a vocal flyover American Golden Plover. A few more groups of peeps were located here with one being a Semipalmated Sandpiper and the rest Least Sandpipers. There were a few raptors around including a adult male Northern Harrier, Cooper's and Sharpshinned Hawks and Bald Eagle.  We also had a flyover American Pipit here which was #202 for my Hampshire County list this year. We ran into Scott Surner while here and pointed him in the direction of the sandpipers. On our way out of the meadows we stopped at a weedy field that looked to be good. We had at least 65 Savannah Sparrows here, a Dickcissel, Indigo Bunting, four Yellow Warblers, Prairie Warbler, and a couple Blackpoll Warblers.  There was also an interesting blackbird in a large flock that may have been something interesting but we will have to wait and see what the distant photos show.

Prairie Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Bald Eagle, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Yellow Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Ruby throated Hummingbird, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Northern Harrier, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Red tailed Hawk, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Our original plan to head to Hatfield was scrapped and we instead headed over to Arcadia to check the meadows. One of the first birds we saw there was a very photogenic Bald Eagle perched up near the bridge. Although the meadows were not quite as active as they sometimes are we still managed to come across some good stuff including Tennessee Warbler, Prairie Warbler, a Great Egret in the oxbow, a Chimney Swift, Blue gray Gnatcatcher, a few Purple Finches, a couple Indigo Buntings, and the following raptors Cooper's Hawks (5), Sharp shinned Hawk (1), Northern Harrier (2), Red Shouldered Hawk (1), Red tailed Hawk (1), Bald Eagle (1), and American Kestrel (2). 

Dickcissel, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Vesper Sparrow, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Red shouldered Hawk with crow, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Sept 9, 2012

American Crows, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Sept 9, 2012

Our final stop for the morning was to the honeypot to revisit the farm we birded on Friday. Despite the late morning hour it was still quite productive with a Dickcissel (different individual then on Friday, today's bird was an adult), a couple Vesper Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, a few hummingbirds and a raptor show that included Red-shouldered, Red-tailed, Cooper's, and Sharpshinned Hawks plus Bald Eagles (5..with 4 together), American Kestrel and Turkey Vulture.  Lots of other stuff too but you get the picture...a great spot to bird.

This afternoon we took a walk along the Quabbin gate 4 road to the water. A few pockets of birds plus a pair of vocal and acrobatic Common Ravens and a Winter Wren.

radar image capture 9pm, Sept 9, 2012

Tonight should be a spectacular night for migration with clear conditions and a slight northerly wind.  I will be out bright and early with several others to see what we can find.