Laughing Gull (with Ring billed Gull), Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2020
Just a short post as I'm pressed for time but had to post after a very good day with multiple rarities. I spent a good portion of the morning at Arcadia arriving before dawn in the hopes of finding some migrants that took advantage of the north winds last night. Unfortunately the breeze picked up around 6:30 and stayed breezy the remainder of my stay which made finding some birds tough. Many areas were quiet with just a few bursts of activity. Although not as active I had hoped I still managed 78 species with my first warbler total into double digits for the month. The best bird showed up just as I was leaving when I noticed a Great Egret on the small sandbar and I stopped to get a quick view. I then scanned the sandbar and found a juvenile Laughing Gull in among a group of Ring billed Gulls. Before I could get a digiscoped shot a couple of Bald Eagles came in and flushed everything. The gulls settled on a grassy field even further away before being flushed again by the eagles (they can be real asses sometimes). I notified as many people as I could think of but then the bird disappeared only to return several minutes later where it settled onto the sandbar once again. Many people arrived and all got decent looks at the bird. Laughing Gull is a very rare species in the county and this is only my second one ever (the first one was earlier this year associated with Hurricane Isaias). I then headed for home to walk Wilson and start going through all the photos from the day. I just downloaded the photos and then noticed a post to the Facebook group regarding a Red necked Phalarope at Goodnough Dike found by out of town birder Dan L. I headed right out the door again and got there to join the original observer and we quickly changed the identification to Red Phalarope (any phalarope species is rare in the county so I was happy to find either species). The bird was very cooperative and actively feeding very close to shore. I once again got word out to as many people as I could and I believe all those that tried for it got it. I have only had one other Red Phalarope in the county and that was at Winsor Dam back in May 2011. Two very rare birds in the county on the same day without really bad weather is very unusual.
UPDATE....
An additional phalarope was also reported from a small pond in Huntington on the 11th (identified as Red necked Phalarope but still waiting for details from the observer) plus two more Red Phalaropes were reported in Berkshire County this morning so a large flight of phalaropes apparently occurred and a number stopped in western mass on their journey south. A very odd occurrence for sure as there was no weather to force the birds down...the mystery of birds continues.
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