Shorebirds start to arrive and more good stuff at home

Wood Turtle, Belchertown, MA, July 17, 2016

Beaver, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, July 16, 2016

On my way to work on the 16th I made a few stops but the fog was too thick along the river and at Arcadia to see much of anything.  Luckily Lower Mill Pond was fairly clear and it featured a few shorebirds including four Killdeer, three Spotted Sandpipers and two Solitary Sandpipers.  After work on the 17th I stopped at the still drained Paradise Pond looking for shorebirds and found half a dozen Killdeer and a Spotted Sandpiper.  I also stopped briefly at Winsor Dam and yet again found the Lesser Scaup.  During a walk late in the morning with Wilson we came across a Wood Turtle crossing the trail.

Least Sandpiper (Left), Spotted Sandpiper (center) and Solitary Sandpiper (Right), Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, July 19, 2016

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 20, 2016

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, July 20, 2016

Muskrat, Jabish Canal, Belchertown, MA, July 20, 2016

On the morning of the 19th I stopped over to Arcadia to look for waders and/or shorebirds but didn't find any.  Nearby Lower Mill Pond once again had some shorebirds including five Killdeer, two Spotted Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper and three Least Sandpipers.  This morning I stayed local with a stop at Lake Wallace that produced 42 Wood Ducks, at least 106 Mallards, a Great Horned Owl and no herons left in their nests.  I then checked the marsh near Gate 9 at Quabbin but didn't find anything too unusual (all the heron nest there have also fledged their young).  No sign of the scaup at Winsor Dam but I hope he is still around there somewhere.  Quabbin Park once again featured some Spotted Sandpipers with half a dozen at Gate 52.  A walk with Wilson along the canal didn't produce any unusual birds but we got some great looks at Muskrats.

Gray Fox, Home, Belchertown, MA, July 17, 2016

American Goldfinch, Home, Belchertown, MA, July 19, 2016

American Robin with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, July 18, 2016

American Robin with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, July 13, 2016

More good stuff continues to show up at the water feature with one of the biggest highlights being a Gray Fox that showed up in the middle of the night for a drink.  I also added another new species (#27) when an American Goldfinch showed up.  The banded robins also continue to show up on occasion.