Orange crowned Warbler and homing pigeon at home

Rock Pigeon (homing pigeon), home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 11, 2016

Rock Pigeon (homing pigeon), home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 11, 2016

Rock Pigeon (homing pigeon), home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 11, 2016

Yellow rumped Warbler, home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 5, 2016

Blue Jay, home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2016

White throated Sparrow, home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 8, 2016

A little excitement at home on Tuesday when I had an Orange crowned Warbler pop up out of a brushy area along the driveway as I was walking back after getting the mail.  It was within just a few feet of me but I had no camera or binoculars but no question on the ID.  I ran back to get a camera but when I returned I could not relocate it.  Just my second yard record for the species.  After striking out on finding the Orange crowned Warbler, Wilson and I were walking back to the house when I noticed a pigeon walking along the edge of one of the sheds (an unusual species at home).  I got Wilson inside and then I went out to get a better look and noticed it was a homing pigeon with leg bands and it was quite tame.  It stayed around the rest of the day and was still there the following morning.  I got a message from a friend that one of her friends was missing a pigeon and it turns out it was the bird in the yard.  They tried to capture it in the afternoon on Wednesday but it was gone by then, hopefully it made its way home.  The motion camera has captured a few birds in the past several days including a Yellow rumped Warbler, White throated Sparrows and Blue Jays.  It is much less active in the fall compared to spring and summer but at least a few birds are still using the water feature.

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 13, 2016

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 13, 2016

Made a few stops at Winsor Dam over the course of the day today and the best sighting was a dozen Common Loons there late in the day.

Meanwhile in the tropics Hurricane Nicole strengthen to a category 4 storm and made a direct hit on Bermuda today as a category 3 storm.  Elsewhere in the tropics it is quiet for now but some long range forecast show another storm in the Caribbean in a week plus from now but model runs out that far have to be taken with a grain of salt but it is worth keeping tabs on as several models point towards it.