Snow Goose (blue morph) and others

Snow Goose (blue morph), UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 26, 2012

Snow Goose (blue morph), UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 26, 2012

Snow Goose (blue morph), UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 26, 2012

Snow Goose (blue morph), UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 26, 2012

I reached the 225 species mark today for my county year list when I finally caught up with a Snow Goose.  I totally missed the species in the spring and had missed them this fall until today.  It was a blue morph bird and could indeed be the same individual that I have tried to catch up with a few other times over the last couple weeks in the valley.  It (or a) blue morph Snow Goose was seen briefly at Arcadia and again at Fitzgerald Lake several days ago.  I was successful this time thanks to a timely message from Ian Davies who knew I was looking for this species.  I made the trip over to the UMASS campus pond and the bird was in among several hundred Canada Geese.  It allowed for some great photographs as it swam around the pond and then eventually came up onto the grass to feed.  It was still there just before midday when I left.

Pine Grosbeak, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 26, 2012

Pine Grosbeak, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 26, 2012

Pine Grosbeak, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 26, 2012

Prior to my encounter with the Snow Goose I spent a few hours this morning at Quabbin Park and returned there late in the morning for a short time before getting the message about the Snow Goose.  In the morning the water was quite calm and the winds light so viewing was great.  Highlights for waterfowl included Lesser Scaup, three Common Goldeneyes (two males), 36 Hooded Mergansers, six Ring Necked Ducks (all males), five Black Ducks, Mallards, a Canada Goose, 8 Common Loons and 9 Horned Grebes.   Other highlights included a flyby Barred Owl, two calling Great Horned Owls, 6 Pine Grosbeaks (five at HQ and one flyby at Hanks Meadow), two Red Crossbills (one a type 10, other likely type 10 too) and three White winged Crossbills.  My short return trip in the late morning didn't turn up anything new of note.

I also took a walk along the Jabish Canal with Wilson and we had at least 332 American Crows moving southeast and three separate Winter Wrens.

Hampshire Bird Club trip -east Quabbin yesterday and Quabbin Park today

 

 

White winged Crossbills, Quabbin near shaft 11, Nov 24, 2012



White winged Crossbills, Quabbin near shaft 11, Nov 24, 2012

White winged Crossbills, Quabbin near shaft 11, Nov 24, 2012

Today was the annual Hampshire Bird Club November waterfowl trip to Quabbin. We started at Winsor Dam at 7am and then headed to the east side of Quabbin going in at Gate 45 and out Gate 35. The conditions were less than optimal with strong winds out of the northwest with gusts up near 30 and temperatures topping out around 40. The winds kicked up some good waves on the water and made hearing any flyby species quite difficult to find. We ended up with a total of 41 species of birds and 3 species of mammals.  Despite the less than optimal conditions we still had some great highlights including at least 41 White winged Crossbills in various locations, a Northern Shrike at the east side fishing area, 7 Yellowlegs and a Killdeer at shaft 11, 3 Great Blue Herons, 70+ Black Ducks, 32 Green winged Teal, 102 Ring necked Ducks, a Barred Owl and 7 Snow Buntings.  Another highlight of the day occurred first thing in the morning when all the group got great looks at a half dozen Pine Grosbeaks feeding in the large crabapple tree at Winsor Dam.

The eBird list from the east side:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12145995

The eBird list from Winsor Dam:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12142149

More photos from the trip below:

Mallards and Black Ducks, Quabbin shaft 11, Nov 24, 2012

Horned Grebe, Baffle dam, Quabbin, Nov 24, 2012

Greater Yellowlegs (seven together), Quabbin shaft 11, Nov 24, 2012

Killdeer, Quabbin shaft 11, Nov 24, 2012

Black Ducks, Quabbin shaft 11, Nov 24, 2012

I made a brief visit back to Quabbin Park today but the strong cold wind made viewing difficult.  Highlights from a short trip included three Pine Grosbeaks still at HQ, four White winged Scoters at Winsor Dam in flight, five Bald Eagles and only one each of Horned Grebe and Common Loon. 

More Pine Grosbeaks...including one at home

Pine Grosbeak, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 23, 2012

Pine Grosbeak, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 23, 2012

I spent the morning of what will probably be the last nice and somewhat warm day for awhile at Quabbin Park.  I arrived right around dawn and the fog was fairly thick at most spots.  The dam was totally obscured as were areas in the park where I typically get views of the water to check for waterfowl.  The view from Enfield lookout was partially obscured by fog but small areas of the reservoir could be viewed but the only bird on the water was a distant Common Loon.  I did have at least three Pine Grosbeaks flyover here but they did not appear to land nearby.  I then tried Hanks Meadow but no visibility.  I could hear ducks out on the water as well as loons calling but could see nothing.  I did have a Red Crossbill flyover here which I got a recording of in order to find out its specific type.  Also had four White winged Crossbills at various spots.  I then  headed over to Goodnough and Gate 52 but again visibility was limited.  The fog finally lifted a bit later in the morning and I got some views of the water which contained a dozen Horned Grebes and three Common Loons with most of these birds at Hanks Meadow.  I then headed back out past Goodnough and found another single Red Crossbill near the powerline cut.  This bird was distinctly different sounding from the bird earlier in the morning and I yet again obtained some recordings.  Route 9 marsh held seven Hooded Mergansers, a little over a dozen Mallards and 17 Canada Geese as well as at least three River Otters.

Pine Grosbeak, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 23, 2012

Pine Grosbeak, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 23, 2012

Pine Grosbeak, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 23, 2012

My final stop was a return back to Winsor Dam where I immediately heard Pine Grosbeaks again and discovered nine feeding in the largest crabapple tree near the headquarters building.  This species has certainly arrived in force the last few days.  Not much else of note here with just a single Common loon out on the nearly calm waters.

I spent the afternoon at home catching up on yard work and was justly rewarded with a new yard bird when at least one Pine Grosbeak flew over.  This brings my total for our two acres to 149 species!  There was also at least one Winter Wren around the house (and at times in the house as he came in the open garage to feed among the wood stacked inside). 

Thanksgiving birding...Pine Grosbeaks, Cackling Goose and Northern Goshawk

 

Pine Grosbeak, Quabbin Park, Nov 22, 2012

 

Pine Grosbeak, Quabbin Park, Nov 22, 2012

 

Cackling Goose, Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area, Northampton, MA, Nov 22, 2012



Cackling Goose, Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area, Northampton, MA, Nov 22, 2012

I began this Thanksgiving by making a predawn trip over to Fitzgerald Lake in Northampton to follow up on a report of a blue morph Snow Goose seen there at dusk yesterday evening.  I figured the bird had settled in for the night and I would be able to get a look at it if I was there at first light before the geese moved out to feed elsewhere for the day.  Although there were over 800 Canada Geese on the lake there was no Snow Goose to be found.  There were a lot of shots from hunters sounding throughout the woods and it may have flushed before I could make it to its last reported spot along the dam.  I looked through every goose there and I ended up finding a nice consolation prize...a Cackling Goose!  The light was really poor for photos but the shots show the smaller size and small bill.  The color is tough to convey in the photos and the frost on its back leads it to looking a bit lighter than it should.  This species became #223 for the county this year.

Northern Goshawk, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Nov 22, 2012

There was also a very interesting accipiter that I flushed as I walked back toward the parking lot.  My first thought was that I flushed a Barred Owl but as I got a look at it it was a very large accipiter.  I managed a photo before it flew away.  The bulk, white supercilium, uneven tail bands and dark spots on undertail coverts makes me think it was a Northern Goshawk.  After forwarding the photo to a few others I'm fairly certain it is indeed a juvenile Northern Goshawk.  Certainly juvenile accipiters can be tough to ID so if anyone else has any thoughts regarding the ID please let me know.  This would make species #224 for the county this year.   Other birds of note here included several Ring necked Ducks and a Rusty Blackbird.

I then headed over to Arcadia (again) to see if I could find the Snow Goose there.  When I arrived only a handful of geese remained and all where Canada Geese.  There were 133 Mallards plus several Black Ducks and a single Green winged Teal.

I then headed back through Hadley and Amherst checking a few fields for geese and found 100+ along Huntington Road in Hadley and a few on the athletic fields at UMASS but no unusual geese with them.  There was also little activity on the campus pond so I headed back toward home. 

Pine Grosbeak, Quabbin Park, Nov 22, 2012

Pine Grosbeak, Quabbin Park, Nov 22, 2012

My next stop was at Quabbin Park, starting at Winsor Dam.  There was little waterfowl at Winsor Dam besides a few Common Loons.  The highlight here was at least four Pine Grosbeaks that were feeding in the crabapple trees near the HQ building.  They were still there when I left and headed over to Hanks Meadow and Goodnough Dike.  The only waterfowl at these spots were 13 Horned Grebes and four Common Loons. 

I then headed for home to get Wilson to take a walk along the Belchertown Land Trust trail.  It was fairly quiet until the end of the walk when I had a late Eastern Phoebe hunting one of the small marsh areas just in off Rt 181.  I tried for a iPhone shot through my binoculars but I couldn't get one to come out. 

I returned in the early afternoon to Winsor Dam and the Pine Grosbeaks had left but I did have a couple flyover White winged Crossbills.

Arcadia again

I decided to try my luck one more time at Arcadia marsh this morning trying to catch up with the Snow Goose that was there several days ago.  Yet again I missed on the Snow Goose which has probably moved on to a new location.  The marsh was yet again partially frozen but still managed to produce some birds including a Northern Pintail, 11 Black Ducks, 278 Mallards and 336 Canada Geese.  The overall numbers and diversity dropped from just a few days ago.  I also tried a couple other ponds in Easthampton but these had no activity at all.

In the afternoon I tried my luck at Quabbin to catch up with some more Pine Grosbeaks but I found none in a brief stop and the water was devoid of waterfowl.

Sorry, no photos today.  It appears I have reached my 'free' limit with this site and now they want money for more storage.  I'm trying to figure a way around it but for now no more photos and I may end up moving the blog to another hosting site such as wordpress.  Stay tuned.

Arcadia in the early morning

Barred Owl, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 19, 2012

Northern Pintail (bottom left) and Mallards, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 19, 2012

Northern Pintails (upper left), Mallards and domestic ducks (right), Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 19, 2012

domestic duck, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 19, 2012

Great Blue Heron, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 19, 2012

Black capped Chickadee, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 19, 2012

American Robin, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 19, 2012

Northern Harrier, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 19, 2012

Northern Harrier, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 19, 2012

Today I headed over to Arcadia bright and early to try to find the Snow Goose seen there yesterday morning.  Although I could not relocate the Snow Goose I did find a couple Northern Pintails, a Gadwall, 11 Green winged Teal, a Wood Duck, 13 Black Ducks, 332 Canada Geese and 269 Mallards on the partially iced over marsh.  I also had a couple of domestic/mallard ducks that I have not seen there before, really husky compared to a typical Mallard.  I also tried to catch up with some redpoll flocks to see if I could find a Hoary Redpoll among the Common Redpoll (one was seen in the area on Saturday). Yet again no luck beyond a single Common Redpoll.  After checking out the marsh I headed to the Arcadia Meadows for a couple hours and had a few pockets of birds but it was overall fairly quiet.  Certainly a good showing of American Tree Sparrows and Northern Cardinals.  Other birds of note included a Barred Owl that I flushed along a hedgerow, a Northern Harrier, a Great Blue Heron looking very cold in the early morning, an American Pipit, and a Swamp Sparrow. 

In the afternoon I headed to a few spots at Quabbin Park and had the following:  two Red necked Grebes, 11 Horned Grebes, a White winged Scoter, a Long tailed Duck, a Bufflehead, several Common Loons and a few Mallards.  There were also a few Common Redpolls at Hanks Meadow.

Quabbin Park

Winsor Dam early afternoon, Nov 18, 2012

I spent another clear but cool morning at Quabbin Park. At first light the fog had rolled in at Winsor Dam so I headed in to the park itself. There was once again a large group (232) of Mallards in the cove opposite Enfield Lookout first thing in the morning. The birds quickly vacated the area to points south. Hanks Meadow proved productive once again with 17 Horned Grebes, a Pied billed Grebe, a Bufflehead, three Hooded Mergansers, a few Black Ducks and a couple of Common Loons. I also had a flyover Pine Grosbeak, a single White winged Crossbill, a couple Common Redpolls and a Greater Yellowlegs that flew from west to east. While I was here I got a call from Ian Davies that there was a blue morph Snow Goose at Arcadia. I started the walk back out to the car to head over that way but a call a few minutes later informed me the goose had left. Perhaps it will come back and I can catch up with it tomorrow? The remainder of Quabbin Park was fairly quiet with another Common Redpoll and another loon. I then headed back to Winsor Dam to check that area now that the fog had lifted. Although the fog was gone it had been replaced by a cold breeze out of the north that made viewing difficult. Only waterfowl seen were a couple Common Loons. I decided to call it quits early and head for home.  I returned to Winsor Dam in the early afternoon once the wind had died back down.  Although much more pleasant viewing conditions the only waterfowl present were a couple Common Loons.

Saturday valley birding

Peregrine Falcon, Bridge Lane, Hatfield, MA, Nov 17, 2012

 

Peregrine Falcon, Bridge Lane, Hatfield, MA, Nov 17, 2012

Peregrine Falcon, Bridge Lane, Hatfield, MA, Nov 17, 2012

Headed out near dawn with Ian Davies to try to find something unusual.  We started at the UMASS Pond which was empty first thing in the morning.  We then headed down to the Holyoke Dam area to try to find some unusual gulls.  We only had Ring billed Gulls here (the only species of gull all day).  There were a few hundred Canada Geese as well as a handful of Common Mergansers.  All the birds were below the dam and we found no birds at all above the dam.  We then worked our way back north through South Hadley and then over the bridge and up to Hatfield and Whately.  We were looking for geese but found very few over here.  We checked various fields as well as Great Pond (only species of waterfowl here was a lone Black Duck).  There was little activity in the fields besides a few small groups of sparrows, several large (50+) flocks of Horned Larks, a Northern Harrier, a pair of Peregrine Falcons perched at the top of some high tension towers along Bridge Lane in Hatfield.  We crossed the bridge into Sunderland and continued back south through Amherst and North Hadley.  Along Russleville Road we spotted large groups of geese heading mainly west.  There were at least 1200 geese but we were not able to pull out anything unusual.  Again we ran across more groups of Horned Larks.  We tried some additional fields in North Hadley but never caught up with the large groups of geese.  We did find a few hundred geese on the athletic fields at UMASS but only a few at the campus pond.  Overall not too much activity and we failed to catch up with anything really unusual.  You never know what you will find until you get out there and check.

Long tailed Ducks, Winsor Dam, Nov 17, 2012

White winged Scoters, Winsor Dam, Nov 17, 2012

After lunch I headed over to Winsor Dam for a brief time and found some waterfowl including four Long tailed Ducks, three White winged Scoters, a group of 26 Black Scoters, nine Bufflehead, a Common Loon and three Mallards.  I also had at least three Winter Wrens along Jabish Canal late morning as well as a continuing Winter Wren around the house.

Common Redpolls and a continued search for geese

Common Redpoll, North Lane Conservation Area, Hadley, MA, Nov 16, 2012

Common Redpoll, North Lane Conservation Area, Hadley, MA, Nov 16, 2012

Common Redpoll, North Lane Conservation Area, Hadley, MA, Nov 16, 2012

Common Redpoll, North Lane Conservation Area, Hadley, MA, Nov 16, 2012

Common Redpoll, North Lane Conservation Area, Hadley, MA, Nov 16, 2012

After Jacob Drucker found a Cackling Goose on the UMASS pond on Wednesday I have tried to catch up with this species both yesterday and today.  Yesterday I stopped before work and the pond held only two Canada Geese and a the usual Mallards.  Today I found no geese at all on the pond in the morning.  Although I did not find any Cackling Geese today I did manage to find add another species to my county year list (#222) when I came across a few groups of Common Redpolls at separate locations including Quabbin Park and the North Lane Conservation Area in Hadley.  The group in Hadley provided great views and at one point the entire 40+ bird flock descended all around my car and flew within inches of my head. 

Horned Grebes, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 16, 2012

Bufflehead, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 16, 2012

As mentioned above before I headed over to Amherst today I stopped by Quabbin Park and found a few other notable birds besides the redpolls including eight Snow Buntings, a hooting Great Horned Owl, a couple Hermit Thrush, 14 White winged Crossbills and a couple Red Crossbills plus nine Horned Grebes and a few loons as well as a large group of 178 Mallards plus a few Black Ducks in a sheltered cove opposite Enfield Lookout.  Other waterfowl included a single Bufflehead and four Hooded Mergansers

Canada Goose w/ leg tag (could only read "03"), Stockbridge Rd, Amherst, MA, Nov 16, 2012

Canada Goose w/ odd neck plumage, Stockbridge Rd, Amherst, MA, Nov 16, 2012

Peregrine Falcon, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Nov 16, 2012

In addition to my stop by the campus pond I stopped by a few other areas in Hadley and Amherst including the UMASS athletic fields (a few hundred Ring billed Gulls), fields north and west of campus, Lake Warner, North Lane Conservation Area and the Honeypot.  I ran into a group of 344 Canada Geese along Stockbridge Road and a flyby group 840+ Canada Geese at the Honeypot that were heading west and appeared to land in Hatfield.  At Lake Warner the only waterfowl were seven Mute Swans.  Besides the flyover Canada Geese at the Honeypot there were a number of Horned Larks and a Peregrine Falcon.