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| Gyrfalcon, East Hadley Road, Hadley, MA, Jan 31, 2013 |
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| Gyrfalcon, East Hadley Road, Hadley, MA, Jan 31, 2013 |
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| Gyrfalcon, East Hadley Road, Hadley, MA, Jan 31, 2013 |
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| Gyrfalcon, East Hadley Road, Hadley, MA, Jan 31, 2013 |
After many a fruitless searches I finally found success today with
the Gyrfalcon! It was a long, and at times, difficult journey to finally find
this bird. I have looked without success so many times I was beginning to think
(or really already convinced) that I would never find it. Many a cold day in
December and January were spent trying to catch up with this bird in areas all over the valley. Although I
missed it on many previous occasions the search for this bird turned up many
good species for the winter around here. I end the month of January with a
total of 85 species in Hampshire County, by far the highest total I have ever had in January here. In addition to the Gyrfalcon (#85) I also had an Eastern Meadowlark (#84) in the same area today. Other birds of note around the immediate area included an American Kestrel along Mill Valley Road, a pair of Bald Eagles over East Hadley Road, a handful of Horned Larks, and a few cowbirds mixed in with the large Starling flocks. The Gyrfalcon was originally found by Tom Gagnon this morning along South Maple Street and seen by several others before the bird disappeared again. It was refound again later in the afternoon perched atop a tree on East Hadley Road and it then flew down in among the corn stubble were it stayed for an extended period. It took interest in various other species that came by but never rose up from the field while I was there. Other reported it took off after 4pm heading back toward the Connecticut River I believe. The bird has been seen around the East Hadley Road/South Maple Street area for a few days now, so hopefully it will stick around for others to view it over the next several days. There are only four previous records since 1930 in the valley according to the article written by Seth Kellogg and James Smith in the February 2007 issue of Bird Observer with those records occurring in 1934, 1968, 1982 and 1991. A rare bird in the valley to be sure! Finally finding this bird made me not think about my headache for awhile and certainly made my day. I decided to celebrate with my last Cerveza Imperial that I have been saving for a good day....a county, state and life bird seemed like a good occasion! Cheers!
More digiscoped photos can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/sets/72157632661115842/
More digiscoped photos can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/sets/72157632661115842/
HUZZAH! I've been hoping that your search would be rewarded. I'm so glad to know that you had such great looks at this wonderful bird. Thanks for writing about it and sharing your photos.
ReplyDeleteI've been lucky to see this Gyrfalcon twice, though each sighting was brief. Though I live in CT, I travel to Amherst-Hadley one a month or so to visit family, and of course I bird the Honeypot, Moody Bridge, Mill Valley, South Maple, etc. Great habitat.
Here's the story of my second sighting, which was part of my first-ever Four-Falcon Day:
http://quodlibet-sarah.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-four-falcon-day.html
With all the reliable sightings going on this week, I may need to find an excuse for another trip to the valley!
I'm really glad for you!
I was very happy to finally find this bird after so much searching. I'm glad the bird finally showed itself so well...hopefully it sticks around. A very nice bird to get a good look at. I'll have to check out your blog.
ReplyDeleteYesterday around 4pm while running at Ashley reservoir in Holyoke, MA I watched a large white bird over the water and surrounding woods. It looked like a very large white gull, however - too large and with a very long wingspan. I am not a birder. The only two birds that came close in my searching may be a snowy owl, except the body was not as thick as an owl, or a gyrfalcon. I did not see the bird on the ground, nor was I close enough to see it clearly. Is it possible that it was a gyrfalcon?
ReplyDeleteI saw the gyrfalcon on Saturday, March 23 around 3pm in Hadley, along route 47 just north of Rocky Hill Rd.
ReplyDelete