Weekend around the valley

Yellow billed Cuckoo, Sabin St, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2015

Great Horned Owl, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2015

Great Horned Owl and Cooper's Hawk, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2015

Marsh Wren, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2015

Belted Kingfisher, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2015

On Saturday I stayed close to home with visits to a few spots in Belchertown. I started before dawn at Winsor Dam where I hoped to find some calling Eastern Whip Poor Wills but the wind was too strong. I then decided to try the nearby Covey WMA but when I arrived at the parking lot there were already a few trucks there which likely meant hunters so I skipped Covey and headed to Lake Wallace instead. My near hour and a half at Lake Wallace proved to be the most productive spot of the morning with lots of good stuff including an unusual Marsh Wren that popped up for several seconds before disappearing (making species #216 for Hampshire County this year...on pace with my record setting total from last year). I got very lucky finding this bird as I just happened to be scoping the far side of the marsh watching some interesting interactions between a Great Horned Owl and a Copper's Hawk when the wren popped up below the owl. I managed to get one blurry shot of the wren's back end before it disappeared, not to be seen again despite some effort on my part. Other notable birds at the lake included a calling Virginia Rail and at least eight Blue gray Gnatcatchers in a mixed species flock. Full list here: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24532629

Yellow billed Cuckoo hanging upside down on branch, Sabin St, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2015

Yellow billed Cuckoo, Sabin St, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2015

Blue winged Warbler, Sabin St, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2015

After Lake Wallace I headed over to Sabin Street in Belchertown to check out some old orchards to try to find something noteworthy. The best bird there was a Yellow billed Cuckoo that showed quite well at times and vocalized quite a bit. At one point the bird landed on a branch and perched upside down to extract an insect....neat to see.  Full list: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24532903

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 8, 2015

I ended my morning out with another brief stop at Winsor Dam as well as over to the Route 9 marsh. Nothing out of the expected at either location. 

Red tailed Hawk, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2015

Barn, Bank and Tree Swallows, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2015

Field Sparrow with leg band, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2015

Black Vulture (R), Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2015

Spotted Sandpiper, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2015

Lesser Yellowlegs (L) and Least Sandpiper (R), Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2015

On Sunday I headed over to some areas along the Connecticut River in search of shorebirds and waders mainly but looking for anything of interest.  Overall fairly quiet but managed to find a few shorebirds along the low Connecticut River plus some decent passerines at Silvio Conte NWR.  I started the morning once again predawn at Winsor Dam but once again it was too breezy to hear any calling whip poor wills.  I then headed west and hit the dusty and dry East Meadows then headed over to the Honey Pot, the Connecticut River, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River and the vulture roost along Moody Bridge Road before ending my morning at the rail trail in Amherst.  Full lists from the morning attached below.  A few areas look prime to attract some shorebirds if we get some rain.

East Meadows: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24551025
Honey Pot: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24548211
Connecticut River-Hadley: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24548286
Moody Bridge Rd-Hadley: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24548825
Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24548573
Rail trail Amherst: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24548824