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| Cerulean Warbler on nest, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, June 7, 2015 |
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| Acadian Flycatcher, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, June 7, 2015 |
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| Arcadia marsh at dawn, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, June 7, 2015 |
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| Ovenbird, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, June 7, 2015 |
The good birds continued today as I started off on a rather cool morning today (mid 40's) over at
Arcadia hoping (in vain) to come across the Snowy Egret that was seen there several days
ago. The water level was still quite high so no real mudflats to speak
of. Nevertheless I still found some good stuff including a half dozen Spotted
Sandpipers (a group of four together flushed by an eagle and two others in
another group). I saw a post on eBird just before I left the house
this morning of an Acadian Flycatcher seen at Skinner SP so after Arcadia I
headed that way to see if it was still around. I heard and saw the bird and got
some recordings. (video with audio here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/18573011431/in/dateposted-public/ ).
Always a nice species to catch up with around here (and one I
spent a bit of time chasing yesterday....more on that below). I then hiked the
rest of the way up the mountain and had lots of good stuff including both
species of cuckoo, some very vocal Common Ravens, at least four Worm eating
Warblers and three Cerulean Warblers including a female sitting on a nest. I
also ran across Don K. near the top of the mountain trying to get some recordings
of the Cerulean Warblers among others.
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| Common Gallinule, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 7, 2015 |
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| Common Gallinule, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 7, 2015 |
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| Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 7, 2015 |
As it was still fairly early when I
finished my walk at Skinner I decided to try again to see if the Common
Gallinule was still around at Lake Wallace (the area can get busy as the morning
wears on as people arrive to use the nearby fields). I ran into Scott as I
arrived there and he had no luck finding the birds but mentioned Tim was still
there looking for it. I then headed in and staked out my usual spot and started
scanning and listening. I heard a Virginia Rail call once as well as another
distant sound that sounded a lot like a King Rail but I only heard this once and
it was distant so tough to say for sure what it was (call sounding like two stones being hit together). After about thirty minutes
I heard the gallinule give an abbreviated call but it was still not in
view. Another fifteen minutes went by before I got a brief view of a
gallinule. About this time I saw Tim and waved him over and eventually we had
some decent views of the bird as it moved around the marsh
feeding.
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| White eyed Vireo, Belchertown, MA, June 7, 2015 |
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| White eyed Vireo, Belchertown, MA, June 7, 2015 |
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| White eyed Vireo, Belchertown, MA, June 7, 2015 |
With a little more time left in the morning before I had
to get back to walk Wilson I made a brief stop over to the area in Belchertown
where a White eyed Vireo has been. Once I arrived I quickly found the bird
again....calling like crazy and showing fairly well. I believe it is pushing
toward three weeks now that the vireo has been at this spot. Also had a few
Blue winged Warblers including the individual giving an odd call. Videos of White eyed Vireo (one vido with the odd Blue winged Warbler calling in background) here:
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| Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 6, 2015 |
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| Wood Duck with ducklings, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 6, 2015 |
Although the forecast yesterday called for some over night rain
showers lasting into the morning the showers never materialized here but you
could certainly tell when the front came through as the clouds quickly filled in
and the winds picked up out of the north. I made a stop back over to Lake
Wallace and at least one of the Common Gallinule was heard as it vocalized
occasionally but remained out of view (both were seen by others later in the
morning). Lots of other waterfowl around as well as some herons but no unusual
ones. After about an hour and half at the lake I headed up the west side of
Quabbin stopping at Gate 9 and Gate 15. Gate 9 featured a few active Great Blue
Heron nests as well as a few newly fledged Wood Ducks. No luck finding any
marsh birds but the wind may hearing anything calling from this extensive marsh
nearly impossible. My stop at Gate 15 was intended to see if I could find any
Acadian Flycatchers, which have bred along the brook in years past. No luck
finding any but the woods were full of the expected warbler species as well as
others. With the two Common Gallinule seeming to have taken up
residence at Lake Wallace there is the possibility of them breeding. Looking through the book "Birds of the Connecticut River Valley
in Massachusetts" by Bagg and Elliott (published in 1937) there are old records of
this species breeding at the lake at the Belchertown state school. Other
species that nested at the lake in the past (1930's) Pied billed
Grebe, multiple species of rails and bitterns. With all the activity that occurs around the lake
now the chances of some of these species ever breeding here again are very slim
but seeing an apparent pair of Common Gallinule at the location at least gives some
hope.
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