Tropical system looks to be developing off the Florida coast

The tropics have finally started stirring this season as a low pressure system moved out from the southern US to the area east of Florida and started to take on some tropical characteristics.  A tropical depression looks likely to form soon with the potential of a tropical storm quite high over the next several days.  The storm is over some warm water but is still likely to be quite slow in forming for a variety of reasons.  Where it goes over the next several days and how strong it gets is still quite up in the air but the chances of it becoming more than a tropical storm are quite low.  It may indeed end up having some impact in the northeast by next weekend.  Given the location and expected strength the chances of any birds getting displaced by the storm to this area are quite small.  Time will tell I guess.  If it does indeed become a tropical storm its name will be Arthur.

Prescott Peninsula...with Type 10 Red Crossbills

American Goldfinch, Prescott Peninsula, June 28, 2014

American Redstart, Prescott Peninsula, June 28, 2014

Cooper's Hawk with prey, Prescott Peninsula, June 28, 2014

Cedar Waxwing, Prescott Peninsula, June 28, 2014

Red winged Blackbird (male), Prescott Peninsula, June 28, 2014

Red winged Blackbird (female), Prescott Peninsula, June 28, 2014

Great Blue Heron, Prescott Peninsula, June 28, 2014

I spent another early morning on Prescott Peninsula conducting grassland bird surveys and managed to find some nice birds.  I once again had a flyover Red Crossbill but this time I managed to get a distant recording that I sent to Cornell to try to find out the specific type of Red Crossbill.  I heard back from Matthew Young at Cornell who analyzed my recording and determined the crossbill(s) to be Type 10 Red Crossbills.  Last year in the same area I got recordings of Type 1 Red Crossbills so always interesting to see what different types (and potentially different species) are around.  A link to an article about the different types is located below:

http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/recrtype/

Lots of young birds around and still a fair bit of song.  The insects (deer flies, mosquitoes, etc.) were also out in force.  Full list from the morning below:


Wood Duck  1    female
Hooded Merganser  1        female
Great Blue Heron  3     Two recently fledged young
Cooper's Hawk  2     Both carrying fresh kills
Mourning Dove  8
Black-billed Cuckoo  7     Minimum
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  11     Minimum
Downy Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  3
Eastern Wood-Pewee  3
Alder Flycatcher  2
Least Flycatcher  13     Minimum
Eastern Phoebe  7
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Eastern Kingbird  4
Blue-headed Vireo  2
Warbling Vireo  2
Red-eyed Vireo  61
Blue Jay  11
American Crow  4
Tree Swallow  17
Bank Swallow  1
Black-capped Chickadee  12
Tufted Titmouse  3
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  4
Brown Creeper  1
House Wren  1
Winter Wren  1
Carolina Wren  1     Unusual, at gate
Veery  28     Minimum
Hermit Thrush  5
Wood Thrush  8
American Robin  19
Gray Catbird  27
Cedar Waxwing  29
Ovenbird  26     Minimum
Black-and-white Warbler  6
Common Yellowthroat  39
American Redstart  29     Minimum
Magnolia Warbler  8
Blackburnian Warbler  6
Yellow Warbler  7
Chestnut-sided Warbler  19     Minimum
Black-throated Blue Warbler  7
Pine Warbler  15
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  3
Black-throated Green Warbler  5
Canada Warbler  1
Eastern Towhee  21
Chipping Sparrow  16
Song Sparrow  11
Swamp Sparrow  3
Scarlet Tanager  9
Northern Cardinal  3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  5
Indigo Bunting  5     Carrying food
Red-winged Blackbird  14
Common Grackle  7
Brown-headed Cowbird  2
Baltimore Oriole  3
Purple Finch  1
Red Crossbill  1     Rare but has bred in area before, flyby, different area then heard last week, recorded with camera but may be too distant to id to type.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/14526932914/
American Goldfinch  8

Brief morning stops at Lake Wallace and south Quabbin

Mourning Dove, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 27, 2014

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 27, 2014

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 27, 2014

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 27, 2014

Canada Geese, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 27, 2014

Common Loon, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 27, 2014

A morning stop at Lake Wallace looking for herons/egrets turned up just a single Great Blue Heron.  Waterfowl was well represented with several family groups of Wood Ducks (with nearly 50 individuals around), ten Mallards, a few Hooded Mergansers and some nearly full size Canada Geese goslings plus an unusual flyby Common Loon.  Nothing else too noteworthy around this morning.

Winsor Dam, June 27, 2014

A brief stop at Winsor Dam and the Route 9 marsh found the three eaglets still in the nest at the dam and about a dozen Wood Ducks at the marsh.

Plymouth trip

 

Cape Cod Bay from Ellisville Harbor SP, Plymouth, MA, June 25, 2014

Cape Cod Bay, Plymouth, MA, June 25, 2014

Spent yesterday and part of today down at the coast in Plymouth celebrating our 10th anniversary. Not a birding trip at all but we had a great time and enjoyed sunny, warm weather yesterday and had some great ocean views. Today started out a little rainy and foggy so we headed home. Sadly the recently sighted first state record Fea's Petrel seen on the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank did not decide to come in close to shore and grace me with a view. If the weather had been better on Thursday morning we would have taken a whale watch boat out but it was not to be. I guess I will have to wait until another time down there or see the Fea's at Quabbin when it gets blown in during a hurricane!

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 25, 2014

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 25, 2014

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 25, 2014

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 25, 2014

Red tailed Hawk, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 25, 2014

Before leaving yesterday morning I spent a few minutes at Lake Wallace...lots of Wood Duck ducklings of various ages (although they were not very cooperative for photos) and other typical breeding birds including a couple Red tailed Hawks with some downy feathers still left and at least three Green Herons.  Hopefully some other recently fledged herons and egrets of other species will start dispersing and will show up around here. 

Prescott Peninsula

Song Sparrow, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

Red eyed Vireo, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

Red Squirrel, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

Tree Swallow, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

Moose, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

Moose, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

Hooded Merganser, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

Red winged Blackbird, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

Hooded Merganser juvenile, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

Magnolia Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

Marsh at dawn, Prescott Peninsula, June 21, 2014

I spent a few hours this morning conducting grassland bird surveys on the Prescott Peninsula starting about 5:45 and ending around 9:15. Lots of highlights including a calling Red Crossbill down near the old observatory area and a great count of at least ten Black billed Cuckoos among many other species. I have included the list for the day below. Non birding highlights included a Moose feeding on the far side of the largest pond on the peninsula.

 

Wood Duck  1          female
Mallard  1    female
Hooded Merganser  4   two adults, two young
Great Blue Heron  1
Mourning Dove  4
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  1
Black-billed Cuckoo  10     High count. Minimum.  Had two at a time at a few different locations
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  12
Downy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  5
Eastern Wood-Pewee  6
Alder Flycatcher  2
Least Flycatcher  21     Minimum
Eastern Phoebe  4
Great Crested Flycatcher  5
Eastern Kingbird  5
Yellow-throated Vireo  1
Blue-headed Vireo  2
Red-eyed Vireo  61     Minimum
Blue Jay  7
American Crow  2
Tree Swallow  14
Barn Swallow  1     Unusual here, feeding over largest pond near middle of peninsula
Black-capped Chickadee  12
Tufted Titmouse  5
Red-breasted Nuthatch  5
Brown Creeper  2
Winter Wren  1
Veery  17
Hermit Thrush  1
Wood Thrush  16     Minimum
American Robin  13
Gray Catbird  31
Cedar Waxwing  21
Ovenbird  30     Minimum
Black-and-white Warbler  7
Common Yellowthroat  39     Minimum
American Redstart  35     Minimum
Magnolia Warbler  6
Blackburnian Warbler  8
Yellow Warbler  9
Chestnut-sided Warbler  23     Minimum
Black-throated Blue Warbler  7
Pine Warbler  11
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  2
Prairie Warbler  1
Black-throated Green Warbler  7
Eastern Towhee  22     Minimum
Chipping Sparrow  21
Song Sparrow  10
Swamp Sparrow  2
Scarlet Tanager  9
Northern Cardinal  1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  4
Indigo Bunting  6     Minimum
Red-winged Blackbird  11
Common Grackle  7
Brown-headed Cowbird  7
Baltimore Oriole  6
Purple Finch  4
Red Crossbill  1     Unusual, have bred in area before.  Heard distantly.  Attempted recording with camera but too distant.  May have been more than one.
American Goldfinch  5
 

The rail trail in Amherst and Lake Wallace

Yellow Warbler, rail trail, Amherst, MA, June 20, 2014

Cedar Waxwing gathering nest material from old oriole nest, rail trail, Amherst, MA, June 20, 2014

Cedar Waxwing gathering nest material from old oriole nest, rail trail, Amherst, MA, June 20, 2014

Rose breasted Grosbeak, rail trail, Amherst, MA, June 20, 2014

Green Heron, rail trail, Amherst, MA, June 20, 2014

Eastern Cottontails, rail trail, Amherst, MA, June 20, 2014

White tailed Deer on edge of marsh, rail trail, Amherst, MA, June 20, 2014

Black and White Warbler, rail trail, Amherst, MA, June 20, 2014

I spent a couple of hours along the rail trail in Amherst this morning walking from Lawrence Swamp up to Hop Brook.  Lots of activity and surprisingly few biting insects (perhaps the cool temps this morning kept them at bay?)  Among the highlights were a couple of active Baltimore Oriole nests over the trail with vocal nestlings, a pair of Black and White Warblers near a nest not far off the trail, a Red Squirrel trying to raid a Northern Cardinal nest, a Cedar Waxwing gathering nesting material from an old oriole nest, seven species of flycatcher and five Green Herons among a total of 57 species. A short video clip of the waxwing gathering nest material from old oriole nest:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/14444268386/

I have included the full list from the morning:

Canada Goose  5     oddly no young seen
Wood Duck  3     females
Hooded Merganser  1     female
Great Blue Heron  1
Green Heron  5     minimum
Killdeer  2     mudflats at hop brook
Mourning Dove  7
Black-billed Cuckoo  1
Chimney Swift  6
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  2
Hairy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
Eastern Wood-Pewee  3
Alder Flycatcher  2
Willow Flycatcher  3
Least Flycatcher  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  4
Eastern Kingbird  5
Warbling Vireo  5
Red-eyed Vireo  4
Blue Jay  3
American Crow  2
Tree Swallow  46
Black-capped Chickadee  5
Tufted Titmouse  6
White-breasted Nuthatch  4
Brown Creeper  1
House Wren  4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  3
Eastern Bluebird  2
Veery  4
Wood Thrush  5
American Robin  12
Gray Catbird  28
Brown Thrasher  2
Cedar Waxwing  12     one gathering nest material from old oriole nest
Ovenbird  1
Black-and-white Warbler  2     at nest site
Common Yellowthroat  13
Yellow Warbler  6
Chestnut-sided Warbler  1
Pine Warbler  1
Black-throated Green Warbler  1
Song Sparrow  11
Swamp Sparrow  6
Scarlet Tanager  1
Northern Cardinal  6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  3
Bobolink  4
Red-winged Blackbird  28
Common Grackle  22
Brown-headed Cowbird  2
Orchard Oriole  1
Baltimore Oriole  8     Multiple nests with very vocal young
American Goldfinch  6

Great Blue Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 20, 2014

Wood Duck ducklings, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 20, 2014

Hooded Merganser with fish, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 20, 2014

Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 20, 2014

Before heading over to the rail trail I stopped by Lake Wallace in Belchertown and had the following highlights:  38+ Wood Ducks (lots of ducklings), a few Hooded Mergansers including one that caught and ate a fairly large fish, and lots of other expected species totalling 38.  I hoped to find some unusual herons/egrets but still a little early for them to be dispersing from breeding locations.

Another Black Vulture

Black Vulture, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2014

Black Vulture, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2014

Black Vulture, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2014

Although I didn’t really have time to bird today I still managed to run across some good stuff including a Black Vulture soaring with a couple of Red tailed Hawks along Bridge Road near the Lathrop Community in Northampton.  I was able to quickly pull over and snap a few photos before the birds disappeared to the east.  My best year so far for this increasingly common visitor from the south.  This has been my fourth time seeing this species this year in Hampshire County (all other times involving two birds with sightings in March, May and June).  Last year I had two sightings of the species (two together in March and a single in March).  My only other county records come from 2007 and 2010. 

 

Mississippi Kite in Belchertown and my Breeding Bird Survey route

Mississippi Kite ( believe it or not!), Belchertown, MA, June 15, 2014

Mississippi Kite ( believe it or not!), Belchertown, MA, June 15, 2014

Mississippi Kite ( believe it or not!), Belchertown, MA, June 15, 2014

Winsor Dam with lots of whitecaps, Quabbin Park, June 15, 2014

I started off today before dawn conducting my annual breeding bird survey route that runs from Belchertown south through Palmer and into Monson before ending near the CT line.  I ended the morning with a total of 70 species with 861 individuals along the route which is an improvement from last year and my second highest total in the five years I have been running the route. The overall highest represented species was once again the American Robin which was present at 72% of the stops (down from 80% last year).  The other top ten (as a percentage) are as follows: Red eyed Vireo (64%), Chipping Sparrow (54%),  Northern Cardinal (50%), Black capped Chickadee (48%), Tufted Titmouse (46%), Gray Catbird (44%), House Wren (44%), Ovenbird (40%) and Mourning Dove and Eastern Phoebe tied at 30%.  As in previous years the area along the route continues to be built out with more and more homes. 

After completing the route I headed back north and that is when the day got really interesting.  After filling up with gas I was turning onto Route 9 from George Hannum Road when I spotted a bird flying northwest fairly low that immediately struck me as unusual.  I pulled over right away and got some quick bino views as it moved west to northwest toward quabbin....a Mississippi Kite!  I snapped a few shots but sadly they were out of focus (shooting through the windshield at a bird moving past powerlines does not work well).  The flight immediately struck me as unusual- buoyant, almost bounding at times(some of that may have been due to the strong northerly wind).  The bird featured long, pointed wings, overall long tail narrower at the base, overall dark gray with lighter head.  The bird had a profile in flight that reminded me of an osprey with an almost gull winged appearance but again some of that may have been due to the strong winds.  After having the bird in the binos for about five seconds it disappeared behind a building but then popped out into view a few seconds later.  I grabbed my camera and took a few shots through the windshield during the couple seconds in was back in view.  Perhaps the same bird Evan believes he had yesterday up near Dana?  Tried checking out a few spots in the direction it was moving but no luck....Winsor Dam was very windy with lots of whitecaps (perfect conditions for a good fall waterfowl flight but not too good in mid June!)  I have included the photos I could get although they don't really help with the identification...the photos could just as well be an airplane, a thrown stick or a UFO!  I include them as they are the only ones I managed to get.  The Mississippi Kite becomes Hampshire County species #281 and species #214 for the county this year.