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| Mourning Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 20, 2017 |
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| Wood Stork, Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL, Feb 6, 2017 |
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| Cuban Pewee, Owl Hole Rd, Grand Bahama, Feb 10, 2017 |
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| Jamaican Spindalis, Blue Mountains NP, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017 |
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| Mexican Jay, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2017 |
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| California Quail, River Rush Ranch, Odell, OR, July 18, 2017 |
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| Green throated Carib, Grahme Hall Nature Sanctuary, Barbados, Dec 14, 2017 |
I added a total of 73 life birds this year bringing my life list up to 1325 with the lifers added in the following locations as follows: 18 in the eastern Caribbean in December, 6 in Texas in April, 36 in Jamaica in March, 10 in the Bahamas in February and 3 in Florida in February. I found a total of 461 species overall for the year and submitted 2611 eBird lists.
Although not trying for another Hampshire County big year I still managed a respectful total of 224 with three species added to my overall county list including
Painted Bunting,
Cattle Egret, and
MacGillivray's Warbler with my current Hampshire County total at 293.
It was a good year for warblers for me, both locally and on my numerous trips to more exotic locations. More on the warblers with lots of photos can be found at the following links:
End of year wrap up of warblers and
Photo summary of warblers 2017
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| Red headed Woodpecker, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jan 5, 2017 |
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| Ruddy Duck, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 4, 2017 |
The first part of the year featured some warmer than typical periods in January and February interspersed with more typical winter weather. (post on a recording setting warm time in February
Warm weather in February. Among the notables around were the continued Red headed Woodpecker at Lake Wallace, a Ruddy Duck early in January and a number of unusual waterfowl that took advantage of open water that continued through the period.
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| Prairie Warbler, Grand Bahama, Feb 9, 2017 |
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| Western Spindalis, Lucyana NP, Grand Bahama, Feb 8, 2017 |
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| Painted Bunting, Grand Bahama, Feb 7, 2017 |
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| Cuban Emerald, Grand Bahama, Feb 10, 2017 |
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| Wood Stork, Boynton Beach, FL, Feb 6, 2017 |
My first trip away from the local area occurred in early February with a trip down to southern Florida and then over to Grand Bahama before returning to Florida (where we got delayed due to a snowstorm back at home). Links to that trip here:
Florida trip part 1,
Bahamas part 1,
Bahamas part 2,
Florida part 2. The trip had lots of highlights both in Florida and in the Bahamas. It was my first trip over to Grand Bahama and I managed to find all my targets.
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| Jamaican Tody, Blue Mountains NP, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017 |
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| Jamaican Vireo, Blue Mountains NP, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017 |
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| Jamaican Woodpecker, Blue Mountains NP, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017 |
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| Arrowhead Warbler, Ecclesdown Rd, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017 |
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| Streamertail, Ecclesdown Rd, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017 |
March brought my next long distance trip with my destination being Jamaica. I once again had some great weather and great luck birding finding all of the 27 endemic species on the island as well as lots of other species. Link to the trip here:
Jamaica trip
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| Golden cheeked Warbler, Balcones Canyonlands NWR, TX, Apr 8, 2017 |
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| Black capped Vireo, S. Llano River SP, TX, Apr 9, 2017 |
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| View from Pinnacles Trail, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2017 |
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| Mexican Jay, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2017 |
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| Colima Warbler, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2017 |
With the next month of the year came my next big trip away to warmer temperatures. The Texas hill country and Big Bend were my next destinations with the main focus being finding the range limited Golden cheeked Warbler, Colima Warbler and Black capped Vireo
Two posts from the trip can be found here:
Texas Hill Country,
Big Bend
The end of the month of April brought in the first big influx of migrants for the spring-
End of April migrants
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| Painted Bunting, Huntington, MA, May 2, 2017 |
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| Cattle Egret, Hadley, MA, May 7, 2017 |
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| Golden winged Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 31, 2017 |
The month of May had many highlights as spring migration peaked in the area and brought in some unusual species including a
Painted Bunting,
Cattle Egret, and
Golden winged Warbler. The Painted Bunting and Cattle Egret were both new species in the county for me (#291 and #292).
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| Cape May Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 7, 2017 |
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| Ovenbird, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2017 |
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| Blackburnian Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2017 |
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| Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 11, 2017 |
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| Mourning Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 20, 2017 |
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| Yellow throated Vireo, Quabbin Park, MA, May 21, 2017 |
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| Scarlet Tanager, Quabbin Park, MA, May 923 2017 |
Other highlights included my highest ever count of Mourning Warblers in the spring around here including a pair that stayed and bred at Quabbin Park. I had a total of 31 species of warblers this spring with a full account at the following link:
Spring warblers
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| Gray Catbird with bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, June 5, 2017 |
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| Hooded Warbler, Mt Tom State Reservation, Easthampton, MA, June 12, 2017 |
June brought my typical bird surveys (
Breeding Bird Survey, Prescott Peninsula field surveys,
Eastern Whip Poor Will surveys,
Neighborhood Nestwatch program and others)
A few other notable species seen during the month included
Hooded Warbler
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| Glossy Ibis, Oxbow, Northampton, July 31, 2017 |
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| Mourning Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, July 10, 2017 |
The usual doldrums of July were broken up by a number of noteworthy sightings including a couple of
Glossy Ibis at the end of the month and the first indication that Mourning Warblers were breeding at Quabbin Park (
Mourning Warbler in July,
Breeding Mourning Warblers)
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| American Robin being fitted with GPS locator, Home, Belchertown, MA, July 7, 2017 |
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| American Robin being with GPS locator, Home, Belchertown, MA, July 7, 2017 |
As an extension of the Neighborhood nestwatch program the yard was chosen as just one of a handful of spots were American Robins would be captured and fitted with GPS tags to track the movement of the birds over the course of the year. The birds need to be captured next spring and the data downloaded...more about the program here:
GPS tags on American Robins
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| Mt Hood from plane, OR, July 15, 2017 |
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| Western Tanager, River Rush Ranch, Odell, OR, July 18, 2017 |
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| American Dipper, River Rush Ranch, Odell, OR, July 18, 2017 |
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| Looking north from Cape Lookout, OR, July 19, 2017 |
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| Wilson's Warbler, Cape Lookout SP, OR, July 19, 2017 |
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| Common Murre, Depoe Bay, OR, July 21, 2017 |
In mid July we took a trip out to Oregon for about a week with our time split between an area near Mt Hood and along the Columbia Gorge and time on the coast north of Pacific City. Links to the trip as follows:
Oregon part 1,
Oregon part 2.
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| Little Blue Heron, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Aug 4, 2017 |
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| Marsh Wren, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2017 |
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| Red headed Woodpeckers, Montezuma NWR, NY, Aug 26, 2017 |
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| Trumpeter Swans, Montezuma NWR, NY, Aug 26, 2017 |
August produced a number of notables including a
Little Blue Heron in Northampton and a
Marsh Wren at Lake Wallace in Belchertown which appeared to be trying to attract a mate as it remained in the area for several days singing over and over again (an oddly unusual species in the county). We also took a short trip out to the Finger Lakes where I managed a little birding along with Ian one day.
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| Buff breasted Sandpiper, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 7, 2017 |
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| Dickcissel, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 18, 2017 |
September featured the typical big push of migrants with some really good days...a few posts from the month help illustrate the diversity:
September 4,
September 10,
September 13. Among the many highlights were multiple Dickcissels abd a Buff breasted Sandpiper.
September also featured some major hurricanes that hit areas in the Caribbean as well as a few spots in the United States. Damage to some of the islands can be best described as catastrophic with several species substantially impacted with some to the point of near extinction in the wild.
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| Orange crowned Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2017 |
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| Vesper Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 13, 2017 |
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| Swamp Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 4, 2017 |
October continued the fall migration season with the sparrows coming in in large numbers and waterfowl started to move in decent numbers too. Warbler variety and numbers dropped as the month ticked on I but still managed to find 17 species including two Orange crowned Warblers and several Connecticut Warblers.
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| MacGillivray's Warbler, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Nov 13, 2017 |
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| White eyed Vireo, Arcadia, Northampton, Nov 13, 2017 |
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| Snowy Owl, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Nov 18, 2017 |
November is certainly known to attract a few rarities and lingering species from time to time but this November was exceptionally good with highlights including a
MacGillivray's Warbler,
Snowy Owl,
White eyed Vireo, Clay colored Sparrow and Baltimore Oriole. I finished the month with 113 species in the county, which eclipsed my previous best November here by 13 species...a really good month for unusual stuff!
The last month of the year featured a few more late lingering species including my first warblers I have had in the county in December with both Yellow rumped Warblers and Common Yellowthroat still around in the early part of the month. The rest of the month turned much colder and snowier with a continued decrease in the number of species during the month. I did however have my best December ever in the county with 86 species tallied (way above my normal for December when I typically average a total around 65). I also got elected in early December to serve a term on the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee (
MARC)...quite an honor to be considered worthy enough to serve alongside many exceptional birders as we review unusual species reported in the state.
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| Lesser Antillean Tanager, Morne Gazo Forest Reserve, Grenada, Dec 15, 2017 |
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| Barbados Bullfinch, Grahme Hall Nature Sanctuary, Barbados, Dec 14, 2017 |
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| Martinique Oriole, De Rivera Blanche, Martinique, Dec 13, 2017 |
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| White breasted Thrasher, Reserve Naturelle de La Caravelle, Martinique, Dec 13, 2017 |
We also made a trip down to the Caribbean to take a cruise around the eastern Caribbean in mid December. The original itinerary had us leaving from San Juan and visiting St Croix, St Marteen, Dominica, Barbados and Grenada. My main goals were to see the Plumbeous Warbler on Dominica and the endemic species on Barbados and Grenada. However some devastating hurricanes moved through the area we planned to visit virtually destroying some of the islands so the ports of call needed to be changed. The new itinerary would be St Kitts, Antigua, Martinique, Barbados and Grenada. I initially had hopes of trying to get over to Barbuda during our stop at Antigua but the logistics just would not work plus the island is still officially closed. Full posting from the trip at the following link:
Eastern Caribbean trip
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| Olive sided Flycatcher, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 28, 2017 |
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| Hooded Mergansers eggs in nest box #1, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 24, 2017 |
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| Hooded Merganser eggs in nest box #2, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 3, 2017 |
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| American Robin nestlings, Home, Belchertown, MA, June 5, 2017 |
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| House Wren carrying food to nest, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 2, 2017 |
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| House Wren nestlings, Home, Belchertown, Aug 5, 2017 |
It was a good year right around the house this year with 124 species in the yard including four new species. This year also marked the first year I had two active duck boxes at the same time with both boxes occupied by Hooded Mergansers. I also had a number of other successful nests of a variety of species including Tree Swallow, House Wren and American Robin.
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| Field Sparrow, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 11, 2017 |
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| Black Bear, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 24, 2017 |
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| Eastern Coyote, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 6, 2017 |
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| Red Fox, Home, Belchertown, MA, Nov 4, 2017 |
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| Tennessee Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 26, 2017 |
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| Chestnut sided Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 20, 2017 |
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| Winter Wren, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 18, 2017 |
I have installed a few more motion cameras around the yard in addition to the water feature camera. A Field Sparrow showed up in early May and is a species I have never seen in the yard before. I have now recorded a total of 37 species at the water feature with six new species for the year (American Redstart, Chestnut sided Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Tennessee Warbler and Winter Wren).
