The end of June

Worm eating Warbler, Mt Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 4, 2022

Farm fields during my breeding bird survey route, Monson, MA, Jun 5, 2022

Canada Warbler, Pelham, MA, Jun 5, 2022

Red headed Woodpecker, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 6, 2022

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jun 11, 2022

Pine Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 12, 2022

Wild Turkey with young, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 13, 2022

Porcupine, Mt. Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 14, 2022

Virginia Rail young, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Jun 17, 2022

Peregrine Falcon, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Jun 21, 2022

Great Blue Herons at nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 24, 2022

Great Horned Owl juvenile, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 26, 2022

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 29, 2022

June is now almost over and with it comes the beginning of the slow season for birding here with few migrants around and a noticeable reduction of song.  There are certainly birds still to see as loads of fledglings are out and about and many species get down to their second or third brood for the season.  Thankfully the last month has had little in the way of high heat and humidity and has overall been comfortable with little rain.  Without too much effort I ended up with my second highest species total for June ever in Hampshire County with 140 species (a few off my record setting June of last year when I had 145species).  I spent a lot of the month conducting a variety of bird surveys during my time off.  Rarities for the month included Least Bittern and Marsh Wrens in Hatfield, a continued Red headed Woodpecker in Quabbin Park, a few Red Crossbills and the return of Blue Grosbeaks in Hadley for the fourth consecutive year.

Lake Wallace during the last week

Virginia Rail young, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 22, 2022

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 22, 2022

Great Blue Herons at nest (three young in nest), Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 24, 2022

Great Blue Herons at nest (two young in nest), Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 26, 2022

Green Herons, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 26, 2022

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 26, 2022

Great Horned Owl juvenile, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 26, 2022

Great Blue Herons at nest (two young in nest), Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 28, 2022

 Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 28, 2022

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 29, 2022

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 29, 2022

Virginia Rail juveniles, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 29, 2022

Virginia Rail juvenile, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 29, 2022

Over the past week or so I have made daily stops at Lake Wallace (mainly early in the morning but occasionally a little later).  Each morning has produced good stuff including multiple species of waterfowl with young, Virginia Rails, Sora, a successful Great Blue Heron nest, increasing numbers of Green Herons and others, totally a bit less than 70 species.  It is really interesting to see the changes from day to day with species make up.  I have gotten a variety of videos and I have attached links below:

Great Blue Herons at nest:  video #1, video #2, video #3, video #4

Great Horned Owl juvenile: video #1, video #2

Virginia Rail juvenile: video #1

Green Heron eating tadpole: video #1, video #2

There have also been a number of mammals around with a very active River Otter family upsetting lots of species of birds (video of the otters at the following links: video #1, video #2 and video #3).  

More Virginia Rails plus a trip down to Westover and a stop at the Holyoke Dam

 

Virginia Rail, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 21, 2022

Virginia Rail, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 21, 2022

I began another morning with an early stop at Lake Wallace to see what I could find and had another morning with good looks at Virginia Rails with at least two adults plus a young bird.  Still no Black bellied Whistling Duck around but I will continue to look.  Lots of breeding activity ongoing with adults carrying food and fledglings of multiple species.  The single Great Blue Heron still has at least two young birds in it but I have seen no evidence of any adults in a week.  I hope they are just out feeding elsewhere.

Horned Lark, Westover ARB grasslands, Ludlow, MA, Jun 21, 2022

Grasshopper Sparrow, Westover ARB grasslands, Ludlow, MA, Jun 21, 2022

Grasshopper Sparrow, Westover ARB grasslands, Ludlow, MA, Jun 21, 2022

I made a brief foray out of Hampshire County Westover ARB to catch up with some grassland birds that are tough to find elsewhere plus the slim chance of turning up a reported Scissor tailed Flycatcher that showed up at a nearby golf course yesterday.  I spent nearly an hour scanning across the broad swaths of grasslands at the base.  Notable species including an Upland Sandpiper, a Northern Harrier, at least five Grasshopper Sparrows, a couple Vesper Sparrows, loads of Savannah Sparrows and at least eight Eastern Meadowlarks.  Sadly no unusual flycatchers were around to be seen.

Peregrine Falcon, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Jun 21, 2022

Peregrine Falcon, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Jun 21, 2022

Turkey Vultures, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Jun 21, 2022

On my way back home I stopped off at the Holyoke Dam and had some close looks at a vocal juvenile Peregrine Falcon.  The gull count was low once again but with at least four Peregrine Falcons the life of a gull can not be easy in the area.  I watched one of the juveniles come close to getting one of the two Ring billed Gulls present.  The count of Turkey Vultures was fairly high with 41 present but still not as high as last year when I had over a hundred plus a few Black Vultures.  

Some great looks at Virginia Rails

 

Virginia Rail young, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Jun 17, 2022

Virginia Rail young, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Jun 17, 2022

Virginia Rail young, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Jun 17, 2022

Virginia Rail adult with young, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Jun 17, 2022

Virginia Rail adult with young, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Jun 17, 2022

Mallards, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Jun 17, 2022

On my way to work yesterday I made a few stops at various wetlands in the vain hope of turning up a Black bellied Whistling Duck after a first record in western Massachusetts was spotted the day before in Richmond in Berkshire County.  The species was long overdue for showing up in the area as there has been a large influx to the north of the species over the last several years.  My first stop was Lake Wallace which I have always thought would a perfect spot to turn up the species but no luck.  I then made my way across the river and over to Fitzgerald Lake in Northampton.  Although I didn't find a whistling duck I had fantastic close looks at multiple Virginia Rails including two adults and two young birds.  At times the birds were within a few feet of me as they worked through the reeds.  Always fun to see any rails, especially young ones.  I hit some of the same areas on my way home today but again no whistling ducks but I'll keep looking.

Eastern Whip Poor Will survey on Prescott Peninsula last night and the morning at Mt Holyoke Range SP

 

Worm eating Warbler, Mt. Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 14, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Mt. Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 14, 2022

Porcupine, Mt. Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 14, 2022

Porcupine, Mt. Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 14, 2022

Porcupine, Mt. Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 14, 2022

Looking north from Rattlesnake Knob, Mt. Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 14, 2022

I spent a good portion of the morning exploring the Mt. Holyoke Range SP with the main goals being tracking down any possible Hooded Warblers and checking on the density of Worm eating Warblers.  I arrived a bit before six and started walking up toward the ridge.  Not long after arriving I was stopped and heard some movement in the woods and I turned around expecting to see a squirrel but instead had a Fisher.  I think I was as surprised as the Fisher as we both looked at each other for a few seconds before the Fisher quickly ran away.  I had no luck finding any Hooded Warblers as I walked around four miles all the way up to Rattlesnake Knob and then back down to the parking lot in Granby.  I had much better luck with Worm eating Warblers with multiple individuals present.  I suspect there are a few dozen pairs of this species along the entire ridge.  There were also good numbers of other typical forest species as well as great looks at a Porcupine.

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 14, 2022

Before making my way to Granby I stopped by Lake Wallace again to check out what might be around at dawn (still hoping a Black bellied Whistling Duck will show up some day).  Nothing too unusual but good evidence of breeding species.

Black Bear, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 13, 2022

Black Bear, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 13, 2022

White tailed Deer, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 13, 2022

I made the long drive up to Prescott Peninsula last night to complete my second Eastern Whip Poor Will survey of the season.  I was unable to get the route done last year for a variety of reasons so was looking forward to getting up there this year.  I checked the route the day before and the road was clear.  I arrived at my first stop at the lower end of the peninsula just after sunset and then waited until around quarter of nine to start the route.  As I was waiting I heard some branches cracking and looked up to see a large Black Bear ambling past.  Unfortunately the light was not great so I could not get any good photos but I got some great looks.  I then ran the route as I worked my way north at one mile increments.  Unfortunately the numbers were down from previous years with just a single bird at each of the first five out of six stops and then none after that plus a single individual between stops 2 and 3 giving me a total of just six birds.  Not sure why the numbers are down but perhaps due to the later date for the survey or maybe some subtle changes in the land.  There are some recently logged areas that may be good for the species in the upcoming years so something to look forward to.