Dickcissel and Golden winged Warbler this morning!

Dickcissel, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 15, 2016

Dickcissel, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 15, 2016

Dickcissel, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 15, 2016

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 15, 2016

Black throated Green Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Sep 15, 2016

Swainson's Thrush, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Sep 15, 2016

Chipping Sparrow, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Sep 15, 2016

The northwest winds overnight certainly delivered some great birds this morning including Dickcissel and Golden winged Warbler.  I thought it would be a good morning but getting both of these species today exceeding my expectations to say the least.  My focus this morning was initially shorebirds but after checking the Honey Pot and the East Meadows I only managed to find seven Killdeer at the Honey Pot and no shorebirds in the meadows.  I then turned my attention to passerines so I headed over to Arcadia to see what I could turn up.  I walked a few of the edges and turned up the expected species but nothing unusual until I made it to the Ibis Pool where I had a bird fly in that looking interesting and when I took a look at it I discovered I had found a Dickcissel.  It teed up nicely allowing good looks before it dropped back down out of site when some runners came by.  The Dickcissel became species #221 for the county for the year so far.  As I was about to post about the bird I noticed a text from Keenan with a photo showing a beautiful male Golden winged Warbler at UMASS!  I immediately made the walk back to the car and headed over there but the traffic at that time of day was a bit heavy.  I finally made it over there and started trying to find the warbler and after about a half hour I had brief glimpses of the bird as it worked its way through the brushy areas heading toward Sylvan Woods.  Unfortunately I was unable to get a photo as the bird just would not pop back out in the open but Keenan got some fantastic photos and hopefully he will add them to his eBird list for the morning...link to his list here: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31590033.  Golden winged Warbler is very unusual here at any time but especially in the fall.  The Golden winged Warbler became species #222 for the county list this year and my 32nd warbler species in Hampshire County this year.  I have managed to find seven new species for the year list in less than seven days starting last Friday...amazing.  There were a number of other interesting birds around hill including at least four Scarlet Tanagers, a somewhat late Least Flycatcher, my first Swainson's Thrush and Ruby crowned Kinglets of the fall plus a few migrant hawks.  Full lists from the morning with more photos below:

Honey Pot:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31591018
East Meadows:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31592386
Arcadia: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31592392
UMASS Orchard Hill:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31594252
UMASS Sylvan Woods: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31594259