Record setting October comes to an end

Brant, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 21, 2018

Black Scoters, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 21, 2018

Surf Scoter, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 28, 2018

Evening Grosbeak, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 28, 2018

Purple Finch, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

October has rapidly come to an end and what a month it was for birding in Hampshire County.  I managed to find a total of 152 species for the month, which beat my previous best October in the county by 21 species!  Despite the month being cooler than normal overall there were a number of lingering species as well as lots of migrants moving through including a few irruptive from the north that don't always show up in numbers (Purple Finches, Pine Siskins and Evening Grosbeaks).  Waterfowl figured prominently into the total species for the month with a total of 23 species including four new species for the year for me: Brant, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter and Ruddy Duck.  These four additions bring me up to a total of 236 species for the year which is just two short of my best year ever with two months of the year left.  Hopefully some rarities will show up and push me past my old record...time will tell.

White crowned Sparrow, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 22, 2018

Lincoln's Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

Song Sparrow, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 22, 2018

Swamp Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 14, 2018

White crowned Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 11, 2018

White throated Sparrow, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 28, 2018

As normal for October sparrows were evident in numbers and variety with a total of
14 species of sparrows and juncos seen throughout the month with a noticeably large number of White crowned Sparrows compared to a typical October.

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 26, 2018

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 22, 2018

Black and White Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

I found a total of 16 species of warblers for the month with a number of them lingering later into the fall then I have ever had before (more on that in another post sometime)...more details on warblers for the month can be found at the following link.

White rumped Sandpiper, Hadley, MA, Oct 11, 2018

Solitary Sandpiper, Hadley, MA, Oct 10, 2018

Pectoral Sandpiper, Hadley, MA, Oct 8, 2018

A dozen species of shorebirds was also way above the typical number I find during October around here and many allowed close viewing and furnished some of my highest totals for several species (Loads of Pectorals and several White rumped Sandpipers including my first ever at Quabbin..my 247th species at Quabbin).