Local area including Lake Wallace, Quabbin Park and other spots

Green Herons, Lake Wallace, Aug 24, 2013

Great Blue Heron, Lake Wallace, Aug 24, 2013

Great Egret, Lake Wallace, Aug 24, 2013

Today I decided to stick closer to home with stops at Lake Wallace, Quabbin Park, the fish hatchery and along the Jabish Canal.  Looking at the radar last night with the north winds in place I expected to find some new stuff having moved in.  At Lake Wallace I had at least eight Green Herons, a Great Egret and a Great Blue Heron (at the nest site).  Waterfowl there included 35+ Wood Ducks, a couple Hooded Mergansers, around 30 Mallards and 20+ Canada Geese.  The nearby fields produced 23 Killdeer as well as an American Woodcock.

Bald Eagles, Winsor Dam, Aug 24, 2013

 

Bald Eagle, Winsor Dam, Aug 24, 2013

Bald Eagle, Winsor Dam, Aug 24, 2013

Red tailed Hawk, Winsor Dam, Aug 24, 2013

 

Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Aug 24, 2013

My various stops at locations around Quabbin park produced a pair of Common Loons, at least three Bald Eagles at Winsor Dam (an adult and two ratty looking young that probably came out of the nearby nest), a Red tailed Hawk getting harassed by crows, a couple Spotted Sandpipers and six species of warbler.  I tried my best to turn up a Black Tern out on the reservoir but no luck.  I have had them here under similar conditions on this date in the past...I think a little rain would have increased the likelihood of one being put down in the area.

The fish hatchery in Belchertown had at least 21 Killdeer present but little else. 

A walk later in the morning along the Jabish Canal with Wilson produced an Olive sided Flycatcher, a vocal Red shouldered Hawk and flyover Bobolinks (very unusual for this location).

I almost headed over to the Connecticut River area this morning to look for shorebirds but didn't feel like making the drive.  In retrospect I probably should have made it over there as I had a report from Bob Z of quite a few shorebirds at the oxbow in Northampton (luckily none I needed for my county year list) and a report of a Red necked Phalarope and Stilt Sandpiper (plus other shorebirds) at the Longmeadow sandbar.  I will try to catch up with some of them over that way tomorrow.