Weekend birding

Bank Swallow, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, July 13, 2014

Bank Swallows and Tree Swallow, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, July 13, 2014

Red bellied Woodpecker, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, July 13, 2014

Wood Duck ducklings, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, July 13, 2014

Rose breasted Grosbeak, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, July 13, 2014

Ruffed Grouse, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, July 13, 2014

Virginia Rail, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 12, 2014

Northern Flickers, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 12, 2014

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 12, 2014

Another warm weekend found me getting out in the morning before it got too hot (and too crowded).  Today I headed over to the rail trail in search of some unusual herons or egrets that will hopefully be dispersing from nesting areas (or perhaps an early shorebird) but no luck.  The marsh at Hop Brook has grown up a bit some little in the way of mudflats around to attract any shorebirds.  I did come across the largest gathering of swallows I have yet had this season with a couple hundred individuals with the majority being Tree Swallows but with at least 35 Bank Swallows and a few Barn Swallows mixed in too.  Lots of other breeding birds around but nothing too unusual and surprisingly low numbers of mosquitoes.  A couple brief stops around south Quabbin didn't turn up anything out of the ordinary either.

Yesterday I headed over to Lake Wallace and had the Sora continuing to call from the reeds (seen only briefly) plus at least three Virginia Rails with two seen very well.  I'm still hopeful of finding something even more unusual here.  Also a good showing of local breeding waterfowl with lots of young of various ages.  I also made a stop by the old Palmer landfill in search of Grasshopper Sparrows I have had there the last few years but I could not find any but with the fields recently mowed I guess that was not too surprising.