The end of November

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 30, 2019

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 30, 2019

Canada Geese, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 30, 2019

Common Mergansers (plus some Ring billed Gulls), Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 30, 2019

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 30, 2019

November has now come to an end and I have had a few decent sightings over the last week or so, with most of those detailed below.  Overall for the month in Hampshire County I found 112 species which is just shy of my best ever November around here when I had 113 species last year.  Although the month has averaged well below average as far as temperatures were concerned with a number of record setting cold days we have so far escaped with just a dusting of snow but if the forecast holds true for the end of the weekend into early next week that snow free streak looks to be coming to an end in a big way.  I got out a bit after work this morning and headed to Arcadia where I had at least three Yellow rumped Warblers still hanging around as well as some decent numbers of waterfowl but nothing unusual.  I also made a brief stop at Winsor Dam but the water was totally devoid of birds.

Cackling Goose, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 28, 2019

Cackling Goose and Mallard, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 28, 2019

Snow Geese with Cackling Goose (lower right) and Canada Geese, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 28, 2019

Wild Turkey, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 28, 2019

I visited a few spots on my way home from work on Thanksgiving morning with my first stop over to the campus pond at UMASS.  Among the several hundred Canada Geese was a single Cackling Goose that spent almost all of its time with its head tucked in plus a couple of juvenile Snow Geese that flew in not long after I arrived.  No sign of the Great White fronted Goose that has also been around so had to settle for three goose species (the GWFG showed up later in the morning).  I also made a brief stop at Winsor Dam to see if the strong northwest winds brought in any waterfowl but the only bird on the water was a single Common Loon.  The five Wild Turkeys that have been around the dam for months made an appearance for Thanksgiving.

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 26, 2019

Downy Woodpecker, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 26, 2019

Common Goldeneye, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 26, 2019

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 26, 2019

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Boardman St power line cut, Belchertown, MA, Nov 25, 2019

White tailed Deer, Bay Road power line cut, Belchertown, MA, Nov 25, 2019

Dawn, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Nov 25, 2019

Both Monday and Tuesday featured mainly sunny conditions with temperatures that were actually slightly above normal (a very uncommon occurrence during our record setting cold November).  On Monday I stayed relatively local starting my morning predawn with a trip to Gate 5 at Quabbin with the intention of catching up with a Northern Saw Whet owl but I didn't find one.  Lots of logging activity in the general area may have moved the birds from what is usually a fairly reliable spot for them.  I also hit a couple power line cuts in Belchertown with the best sighting being a late Ruby crowned Kinglet.  On Tuesday I headed over to Arcadia where I started out by checking the marsh which held loads of Canada Geese and a smattering of other waterfowl but nothing too unusual.  I then heard and found a small group of lingering Yellow rumped Warblers in the same general area.  I found two more individuals at another location in Arcadia bringing my total for the species to a half dozen.  The only other unusual species was a Ruby crowned Kinglet.  I had an appointment late in the morning in Hadley so I had more time to check a few spots before having to end my birding.  I made a brief stop at the nearly frozen Great Pond in Hatfield and it was fairly quiet.  The bright sun was starting to warm things up so I thought I would try again to see if the Pacific slope Flycatcher was still around and I found it showing well once again (full list).  After my appointment I stopped along Moody Bridge Road and had a large flock of Horned Larks (180+) that got flushed by a Cooper's Hawk.  In among the larks were several Snow Buntings and at least one Lapland Longspur.

Bobcat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Nov 4, 2019

Black Bear,  Home, Belchertown, MA, Nov 14, 2019

Eastern Coyote, Home, Belchertown, MA, Nov 3, 2019

Raccoon, Home, Belchertown, MA, Nov 22, 2019

Beaver, Home, Belchertown, MA, Nov 27, 2019

Bobcat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Nov 27, 2019

I checked the game camera I have set up near the house and had a number of captures over the last few weeks including Bobcat, Black Bear, Beaver, Raccoon and Eastern Coyote.

A day out with Devin looking for birds in the valley

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Nov 23, 2019

Ruby crowned Kinglet, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Nov 23, 2019

On Saturday I caught up with a migrant from the south (and recent western mass resident) when Devin arrived for a brief visit.  He contacted me a few days prior and said he wanted to get out for a morning of birding in the area and hopefully pick up the Pacific slope Flycatcher.  I picked him up before dawn and we were off on our adventure.  Our first stop was down to the East Meadows in Northampton where we donned some high visibility gear to announce that we were not looking to get shot and made a walk through an area that typically holds some lingering species (and few hunters).  We not only managed to not get shot but also turned up some good species including at least five Yellow rumped Warblers (fingers crossed they stick around at least into next month) and a Ruby crowned Kinglet.

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 23, 2019

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 23, 2019

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 23, 2019

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 23, 2019

Hairy tailed Mole, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 23, 2019

By the time we finished up in the East Meadows it was around nine and the sun was starting to warm things up a bit.  We then headed over to the Pacific slope Flycatcher spot in Hadley where we arrived and started walking down the path and almost immediately had the flycatcher fly right up to us and perch in the open, allowing fantastic looks and photos.  The bird still looked healthy and was feeding actively but with it showing itself out in the open more and more over the last several days I highly doubt it will be long before a predator gets it...hopefully I'm wrong but it is a fate that many rarities meet.  There were several other birders present and all got fantastic looks at it as it fed at or below eye level along the main path.  Besides the flycatcher we came across a Hairy tailed Mole that looks to have recently died...not too rare a mammal but not one you get to see too often.

Greater White fronted Goose, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Nov 23, 2019

Canada Goose with white on neck, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Nov 23, 2019

Canada Goose with white on neck, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Nov 23, 2019

With the flycatcher seen and photographed we decided to head over to the UMASS campus pond to see what might be around.  The pond has recently held both Great White fronted Goose and Cackling Goose among the much more numerous Canada Geese.  A scan of the pond turned up a Greater White fronted Goose and a few runt looking Canada Geese but no Cackling Goose.  The only other notable species was a Great Blue Heron hunting the middle of the pond among several hundred geese.  There were also a few Canada Geese with white on their necks...full album of unusual Canada Geese can be found here.

Black Vulture, South Maple St, Hadley, MA, Nov 23, 2019

Turkey Vulture, South Maple St, Hadley, MA, Nov 23, 2019

Turkey Vultures, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 23, 2019

With our time for birding rapidly dwindling we headed back down through Hadley and still managed to turn up more notable birds including a mixed flock of vultures circling over South Maple Street near the malls that held three Black Vultures and nine Turkey Vultures.  After see the vultures there we continued on to Moody Bridge Road where we found ten Turkey Vultures.  I'm sure some of the vultures were the same at both locations but there were also some new ones too but tough to know exactly how many were new.  Either way any vultures around the area in late November is noteworthy.

Sightings from the last several days including the continued Pacific slope Flycatcher

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Hadley, MA, Nov 21, 2019

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Hadley, MA, Nov 21, 2019

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Hadley, MA, Nov 21, 2019

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 21, 2019

Northern Harrier, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 21, 2019

Rough legged Hawk, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Nov 21, 2019

Rough legged Hawk, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Nov 21, 2019

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Belchertown Land Trust trail, Belchertown, MA, Nov 21, 2019

I needed to get out a bit this morning before having to get back home to deal with some non birding issue and it was a great morning.  It was wall to wall sunshine with steadily warming temperatures after a low in the upper 20's.  I started off at Arcadia where I had seven species of waterfowl and at least five Yellow rumped Warblers...hopefully they will overwinter in the area once again (more on warbler through the third week of November here).  I then had to head back toward Hadley where I made a quick stop along the river and had the best looks I have had yet of the continued Pacific slope Flycatcher.  The flycatcher looked to be surviving quite well despite our record setting cold for the month so far.  It has now been present for almost a month and has been seen by hundreds (earlier posts about it here and here.).  A birder collected a fecal sample from the flycatcher a few days ago and hopefully a DNA test will be done on it to be 100% certain on the ID.  The only other notable sighting in the area was a light morph Rough legged Hawk I found at UMASS...hopefully just the first of many that will come down from the north this winter.  Later in the morning while taking Wilson for a walk I came across a few late species including two Ruby crowned Kinglets and a Gray Catbird in Belchertown.  It was a relaxing morning that was sorely needed.

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Belchertown, MA, Nov 20, 2019

Winter Wren, Belchertown, MA, Nov 20, 2019

I got out for a bit on a drizzly, cool morning on Wednesday and came across a couple of late Ruby crowned Kinglets, several Winter Wrens and a possible Marsh Wren at Lake Wallace. 

Bald Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 18, 2019

Monday and Tuesday were busy with non birding activities so I only got out very briefly with the highlight being a couple Red throated Loons and several Bald Eagles at Winsor Dam.

American Robin with partial leucism, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 17, 2019

American Robin with partial leucism, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 17, 2019

American Robin with partial leucism, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 17, 2019

Field Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 17, 2019

Field Sparrow with partial leucism, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 17, 2019

Yellow rumped Warbler, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Nov 17, 2019

White tailed Deer, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Nov 17, 2019

On Sunday the 17th I made a couple stops in Northampton with the first down to the East Meadows  and then to Arcadia.  Sunday is the best day to explore the East Meadows with no hunters around.  I found a male Ring necked Pheasant that somehow has avoided getting shot so far...no idea how as I could have probably just reached out and grabbed it.  I had at least four Yellow rumped Warblers still hanging on plus a spike horn White tailed Deer that seemed very irritated with my presence.  Arcadia featured a couple leucistic birds including an American Robin and a Field Sparrow (which was among a group of five of the species traveling together).  I also found another four Yellow rumped Warblers.