Lake Wallace and other stuff

Chimney Swift, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, July 6, 2014

Wood Duck ducklings, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 6, 2014

Mallard duckling, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 6, 2014

Sora, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 6, 2014

Sora, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 6, 2014

Muskrat, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 6, 2014

Great Blue Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 6, 2014

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 6, 2014

Pileated Woodpecker, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 6, 2014

Pileated Woodpecker, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 6, 2014

I spent about an hour and a half this morning checking out the activity at Lake Wallace and was rewarded with 54 species including the continued Sora which showed itself briefly once again (no luck seeing the vocalizing Virginia Rail). Other highlights included a Green Heron gathering nest material, perhaps the first nesting attempt failed as it is getting late for this species to be beginning a nesting attempt (I have a video of it and other stuff linked below).  Multiple species of waterfowl with young were present including Wood Duck, Mallard, Hooded Merganser and Canada Geese. I have a few unusual species in mind whenever I stop by his location including perhaps a night heron, a Black bellied Whistling Duck or a Common Gallinule (or even a Purple Gallinule) but no luck so far. A brief stop at Winsor Dam didn't produce anything unusual but the number of Chimney Swifts around has grown to eight and the Bald Eagles all seem to have fledged from the nest there. Also had some gulls out on the water but all appeared to be just Ring billed Gulls.

Link to video with Sora calling:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/14400730087/in/photostream/

Link to video of Green Heron collecting nest material:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/14400834117/

Link to videos of Pileated Woodpecker:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/14400716920/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/14583989501/in/photostream/



One more update on Hurricane Arthur and the impact on birds. It does indeed appear that Nova Scotia received the most storm related birds which makes sense given the track. Multiple reports of unusual terns including Royal, Forester's, Gull billed, Black and Sandwich Terns among the more expected terns plus many reports of Black Skimmers, Laughing Gulls, Purple Martins and a few nearshore pelagics pushed in a little closer to shore. It will be interesting to see reports from the New England coast over the next several days as many of these birds will likely move back down the coast over time...unfortunately the chances of any of them filtering through to western Mass is quite low but worth keeping an eye out nonetheless.