Prescott Peninsula today and the continued White eyed Vireo and Common Gallinule yesterday

Ruby throated Hummingbird on nest, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, June 27, 2015

Ruby throated Hummingbird on nest, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, June 27, 2015

Cedar Waxwing, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, June 27, 2015

Mourning Dove, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, June 27, 2015

I took a trip up to Prescott Peninsula early this morning to conduct a few field surveys, follow up on a possible Cerulean Warbler found during a Breeding Bird Survey and check on the progress of the hummingbird nest I found there last week.  The couple of fields I stopped at produced some good stuff including a Merlin that rocketed past heading south near the old observatory.  In addition to today's sighting I had one a bit further down the peninsula a few weeks ago.  Very interesting to have this species around this time of year and it is quite suggestive of breeding.  I also had my first large group of post breeding grackles when I had around 175 Common Grackles leaving a roost around dawn.  My attempt to find the Cerulean Warbler did not turn up this species despite a lot of looking.  I had a few Black throated Blue Warblers in the area giving songs that sounded a lot like a Cerulean Warbler.  It may have moved elsewhere or it was staying quiet or it was misidentified...who knows?  I had them breeding in nearly the same area for a few years during the breeding bird atlas so it certainly is very possible that there is indeed a Cerulean Warbler around but I didn't find one this morning.  My last mission of the morning was to check on the hummingbird nest.  To show how well it is camouflaged, it still took me several minutes to find it even when I knew where it was.  The female was still sitting tight on the nest so no sign of hatched young yet.  Full list from the morning: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24070165

Turkey Vultures, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, June 27, 2015

Turkey Vultures, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, June 27, 2015

I had to make a trip over to Hadley midday so I stopped briefly to check out the vulture roost and found a total of eighteen Turkey Vultures, with most on the ground in a freshly cut field. 

House Wren, home, Belchertown, MA, June 27, 2015

Meanwhile around the house today the second group of House Wrens (the one with the banded male) nesting in one of my boxes finally had the young leave the nest box this afternoon.  The amount of chattering and carrying on has not dissipated at all and instead is now spread all around the yard.  I also sighting the banded Northern Cardinal but was not able to get a photo.

White eyed Vireo, Belchertown, MA, June 26, 2015

White eyed Vireo, Belchertown, MA, June 26, 2015

White eyed Vireo, Belchertown, MA, June 26, 2015

Mallard with ducklings, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 26, 2015

I spent the very early morning yesterday trying to dodge some rainy weather (with limited success) as I made multiple stops at Quabbin Park, Lake Wallace and the White eyed Vireo spot in Belchertown.  Quabbin Park was fairly quiet as the rain fell heavily and the wind was fairly strong.  My first stop at Lake Wallace once again produced a Common Gallinule that vocalized once but was not seen.  Thankfully the rain was fairly light which allowed me some time to explore without getting totally soaked.  Other notable around included a calling Virginia Rail and lots of waterfowl.  My first stop over to the vireo spot found 'the' bird fairly quickly but the bird stayed mainly hidden and distant.  With the showers continuing I headed home for a bit to take Wilson for a walk.  After walking Wilson I headed back to Lake Wallace to try to get a look at the gallinules but no luck finding them the second time around.  Much of the same stuff there but a few new birds.  By the time I made it to the vireo spot again the sun was starting to pop out but the wind stayed fairly strong making it tough to find the White eyed Vireo but I eventually got some great looks and some decent photos after much effort.  The vireo has now been at the same location for almost five weeks and the gallinules have been around for three weeks.  Once again no evidence of breeding with either species but I will certainly be keeping my eyes out.  The other notable observation is how Blue winged Warblers seem to have gone silent since my stop last week when there were several calling males around.

Wilson on the trail in the rain, Belchertown, MA, June 26, 2015

In between my other stops I took Wilson for a walk along the land trust trail where we managed to get caught in a few showers but we made it through none the worse for wear.

House Wren with leg bands, Belchertown, MA, June 26, 2015

I spent the rest of the day doing work around the house and occasionally catching sight of some of the banded birds in the yard...primarily the House Wren that was very busy (along with his mate) bringing food into one of the nest boxes where some about ready to fledge youngsters loudly demanded more and more.

Morning stops on my way to work this week....Common Gallinules, Black Vultures and Great Egret

 

 

Common Gallinule, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 22, 2015

Common Gallinule, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 22, 2015

Black Vulture with Turkey Vultures, Moody Bridge Road, Hadley, MA, June 22, 2015

Black Vulture, Moody Bridge Road, Hadley, MA, June 22, 2015

I managed to get out a little before work all week and turned up some good stuff despite being limited on time. On Monday I started my morning at Lake Wallace and had some really good views of the continuing Common Gallinule as well as other stuff. I then stopped by the vulture roost on Moody Bridge Road and a couple Black Vultures as well as 35 Turkey Vultures.
Lake Wallace list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24004845
Moody Bridge Road list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24004978

Great Egret, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, June 23, 2015

Double crested Cormorant, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, June 23, 2015

On Tuesday I made a trip over to Lower Mill Pond in Easthampton to follow up on a report of a Great Egret seen there a few days before. I tried a few vantage points but didn't turn the egret up until checking the narrowest part of the pond and the bird was standing there preening. An unusual time of year for this species to be around here. Also had a single Double crested Cormorant hanging out in a dead tree.
Lower Mill Pond list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24017613
 

Canada Goose with white above eye, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 24, 2015

Hooded Merganser ducklings, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 24, 2015

Mallard with ducklings, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 24, 2015

Turkey Vultures, Moody Bridge Road, Hadley, MA, June 24, 2015

Wednesday I once again stopped at Lake Wallace and at the vulture roost. I was only able to hear the gallinule call once while I was there on that morning. A number of waterfowl around with lots of ducklings. The vulture roost oddly contained no Black Vultures but did have a high count of Turkey Vultures with at least 48 present.
Lake Wallace list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24034926
Moody Bridge Rd list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24034923

Common Gallinules, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 25, 2015

Common Gallinules, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 25, 2015

Common Gallinules, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 25, 2015

Savannah Sparrow, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, June 25, 2015

Today I hit a couple of the same spots once again beginning at Lake Wallace where I was able to find two Common Gallinules close together. This was the first time I have seen two at the same time since I first discovered them there three weeks ago. They stayed close together the entire time I watched them but unfortunately I didn't see any young birds with them. I'm still hopeful they will breed here but no confirmation as of now. My other stop this morning was over to the vulture roost where I found a total of 32 Turkey Vultures.

Lake Wallace list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24044978
Moody Bridge Rd list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24044968
 

Prescott Peninsula yesterday and remnants of tropical storm Bill this morning

Ruby throated Hummingbird on nest, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, June 20, 2015

Black billed Cuckoo, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, June 20, 2015

Purple Finch, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, June 20, 2015

Black capped Chickadee, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, June 20, 2015

Wild Turkey, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, June 20, 2015

Moose, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, June 20, 2015

Moose in marsh, New Salem, MA, June 20, 2015

I spent part of a cool Saturday morning conducting field surveys on the permit only Prescott Peninsula at Quabbin. Just a little before entering the gate there I ran across a bull Moose feeding in a small marsh and managed to get a few shots (I had one more Moose once inside the gates). Lots of bird breeding activity with birds carrying food, feeding young and sitting on nests. My best find of the morning was a Ruby throated Hummingbird sitting on a nest. I was watching some other birds and noticed a female hummingbird flying around group of pines like she was either feeding or waiting to get back to a nest. As I watched her move around she settled right into a nest situated about 25 feet up in a pine. One of only a handful of Ruby throated Hummingbird nest I have found. The views through the scope were fantastic and I look forward to checking the progress of the young as the season goes on. The number of cuckoos around continues to impress and at one point I had three Black billed Cuckoos in sight as well as a Yellow billed Cuckoo called in the background.

Today was quite raining as the remnant of Tropical Storm Bill moved through to our south. The storm hit the Texas coast several days ago and then moved north before heading our way and then out to see. No chances for storm driven birds with this storm and it is getting a bit late in the season for migrants to be grounded by the foul weather so not much to report today.  Thankfully the rain stopped by the afternoon and it cleared up so we could take Wilson for a walk.

Two rarities continue in Belchertown...Common Gallinule and White eyed Vireo

 

White eyed Vireo, Belchertown, MA, June 19, 2015

Common Gallinule, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 19, 2015

Great Blue Heron, rail trail, Amherst, MA, June 19, 2015

Turkey Vultures, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, June 19, 2015

Savannah Sparrow, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, June 19, 2015

The couple of rare species that have been around Belchertown for weeks continued through at least this morning with a White eyed Vireo (present since at least May 27 and first seen by me on May 30) and Common Gallinule (present since at least May 29th).  Before catching up with these two species I headed west and walked a small portion of the rail trail in Amherst to check out Hop Brook and also stopped along Moody Bridge Road and the Connecticut River in Hadley. The rail trail featured the typical species (full list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23969004 ) and the vulture roost along Moody Bridge Road had one Black Vulture as well as 41 Turkey Vultures. The Connecticut River is still a bit high so no luck finding any shorebirds or waders but I did manage to keep a trail open so I can access the area later in the season. 

Common Gallinule, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 19, 2015

Hooded Merganser and Canada Goose, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 19, 2015

Pileated Woodpecker, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 19, 2015

My first stop after coming back to Belchertown was over to Lake Wallace to look for the gallinule(s). It took me a bit to finally find one but when I did it showed quite well through the scope for several minutes. No vocalizations at all today from the gallinule. The hope is that the gallinule will attempt to breed here but no evidence as of yet. Lots of other good stuff around there and I have included the full list below.
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23969369

White eyed Vireo, Belchertown, MA, June 19, 2015

White eyed Vireo, Belchertown, MA, June 19, 2015

Yellow Warbler, Belchertown, MA, June 19, 2015

Field Sparrow, Belchertown, MA, June 19, 2015

I then headed over to another area of Belchertown where I eventually caught back up with the continued White eyed Vireo. The male here continues to be hanging around the same general area but he has become much less vocal and I didn't hear anything from him for the first 45 minutes I was there. He then stayed quiet for another twenty minutes before he started again and I was finally able to get a look at him. Again the hope is that he will find a mate and breed here but so far I have only seen the singing male. Full list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23969942

 

House Wren with bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, June 19, 2015

I also caught up with some of the banded birds in the yard but I only managed to get a photo of one...the House Wren (which was very busy collecting food to feed some very vocal young in the nest).

 

Neighborhood nestwatch program visits the yard to band birds last week

Gray Catbird in net, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

Gray Catbird banded, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

Gray Catbird banded, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

House Wren banded, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

Black capped Chickadee banded, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

Song Sparrow banded, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

Song Sparrow, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

Veery, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

Gray Catbird banded, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

Northern Cardinal, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

Gray Catbird banded, Belchertown, MA, June 2015

House Wren with bands, Belchertown, June 2015

As part of the neighborhood nestwatch program (sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute) I had a bird bander visit the yard last week.  The program looks at a focus group of several backyard bird species and checks to see how they fare in different settings (urban, suburban and rural). Any individual of the focus species that gets caught are banded with a unique set of color bands that allow tracking of the birds over the course of the year(s). The focus species include Northern Cardinal, Black capped Chickadee, House Wren, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, Song Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, American Robin and Eastern Phoebe. During the course of the morning we managed to capture a total of nine individuals with eight of those being from the focus group that where then banded (a Veery was also caught but not banded). A total of four Gray Catbirds, a House Wren, a Black capped Chickadee, a Song Sparrow and a Northern Cardinal. The majority (all but one catbird) were males, which is not too surprising as most females would be sitting on nests at this point. There were lots of other birds in the general area that we were not lucky enough to have fly into the nets including a Black billed Cuckoo and an Alder Flycatcher (both species I have not heard around the house in a few weeks). As always it was lots of fun to see these birds up close and personal and to release them after banding.  Looking forward to seeing how these eight banded birds fare over the course of the upcoming years.  Thanks to Steph for coming by to band the birds and allowing us to get some great up close looks at the birds (I'm sure we will have even more luck next year!)

If anyone else living in Franklin, Hamden or Hampshire county would be interested in participating in this very interesting program you can e-mail them at springfield.nestwatch@gmail.com.

More information on the neighborhood nestwatch program can be found at this link:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/research/neighborhood_nestwatch/

Black Vultures (three in view) with Turkey Vultures, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, June 17, 2015

Black Vulture, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, June 17, 2015

Black Vultures, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, June 17, 2015

I also made early morning stops on Monday and Tuesday to both Lake Wallace and the vulture roost along Moody Bridge Road in Hadley. On Monday I had the Common Gallinule calling but didn't see it during the ten minutes I was there. Other typical stuff around but nothing unexpected. The vulture roost on Monday featured 23 Turkey Vultures plus a calling Black billed Cuckoo. My twenty minute stop at Lake Wallace this morning was the first time I was unable to find a Common Gallinule at this location since June 5 when I first discovered a couple of them there. I have made ten stops there since that day and have had at least one on every visit but today. The vulture roost was a bit more productive and I had at least four Black Vultures plus 39 Turkey Vultures. The four Black Vultures are the most I have ever had together in Hampshire County.