Count week for the Northampton Christmas Bird Count

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 18, 2019

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 18, 2019

Field Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 18, 2019

Northern Flickers, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 18, 2019

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA,  Dec 16, 2019

White tailed Deer, East Meadows, Northampton, MA,  Dec 16, 2019

Black capped Chickadee, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Dec 16, 2019

The Northampton Christmas Bird Count (CBC) took place on Sunday December 15th but unfortunately I was working so I was not able to assist on the day this year beyond a brief stop before work at Arcadia where I managed to find a group of three Field Sparrows together plus a few mammals (Beaver, Muskrat and a vole) but not much else.  The water levels were the highest I have ever seen them this time of year with multiple roads flooded out.

Although I was unable to help on the day of the count I did get out on a few days before and after the count to try to add species for the count week portion of the count (three days to either side of the date of the actual count).  The days before were unproductive for me as the weather was poor on Thursday, I had to work on Friday and the weather was even worse on Saturday with heavy rain early in the day and drizzle the remainder of the day.

The days after the count were a bit better.  After getting out of work on Monday morning I spent some time in the East Meadows where I eventually turned up two Yellow rumped Warblers after a bit of walking along some icy roads and flooded out areas.  I also stopped along Aqua Vitae Road to try to relocate an Orange crowned Warbler that Scott had there as part of the CBC but no luck for me. Tuesday was another crappy weather day with snow changing to sleet and freezing rain which kept me around the house all day.  Wednesday was my last chance to find anything unusual for count week and I decided to try my luck at Arcadia.  The water levels had dropped low enough to allow access to most areas.  I had many highlights for the morning there including at least five Yellow rumped Warblers, a group of at least eight Field Sparrows together, seven Northern Flickers and two flyover Rusty Blackbirds (a count week species I believe) among 41 species over the course of around three hours. Other notables for the morning included a Black Vulture in South Hadley and a Gray Catbird and three Hermit Thrushes in Belchertown. More on the warblers in December can be found at the following link.

Winter Wren, Quabbin cemetery wetland, Ware, MA, Dec 12, 2019

Wilson listening to Hermit Thrushes, Piper Farm Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Dec 12, 2019

Before looking for any birds for the Northampton CBC I spent some time around Quabbin and Belchertown on Thursday the 12th.  I started off the morning at Quabbin Park where I found the gates opened earlier so I was able to make it to Hank's Meadow early enough to catch some of the birds at their overnight roost.  I found a total of seven species of waterfowl there with the highlights being several Ring necked Ducks, a Red breasted Mergansers with loads of Common Mergansers and ten Horned Grebes. I then explored some areas around a large marsh near the Quabbin cemetery where I found at least three Winter Wren and lots of Bobcat and fox tracks.  I then headed home and got Wilson and we explored the Piper Farm Conservation Area where we had at least three Hermit Thrushes in the dense undergrowth.

Dark eyed Junco with breast streaking, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 11, 2019

Bobcat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 16, 2019

White tailed Deer, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 16, 2019

Red breasted Nuthatch, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 15, 2019

Beaver, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 14, 2019

Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Dark eyed Junco and Hairy Woodpecker, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 13, 2019

Partially leucistic Tufted Titmouse, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 17, 2019

A check of the cameras at home produced a few interesting captures including the continued Dark eyed Junco with breast stripping, the partially leucistic Tufted Titmouse, a Bobcat and others.