Sunday, August 21, 2022

The third week of August

Gray Catbird, Ware, MA, Aug 14, 2022
House Wren, Ware, MA, Aug 14, 2022
Chestnut sided Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR- Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 15, 2022
Spangled Skimmer,  Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 16, 2022
Black throated Blue Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 16, 2022
Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 16, 2022
Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 17, 2022
House Wren, Ware, MA, Aug 17, 2022
Bobolink, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Aug 19, 2022
 Chestnut sided Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Aug 19, 2022
Common Nighthawk, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 19, 2022
Sunrise, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 20, 2022
Virginia Rail, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 21, 2022
Virginia Rail, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 21, 2022
Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 21, 2022
Solitary Sandpiper, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 21, 2022

The third week of August has now come to an end.  The last week or so has featured more arriving migrants (as well as a few lingering/late species).  The most unusual species I have had for the week showed up this morning when I had an early Dickcissel in Hadley (unfortunately I didn't have a good camera with me when I saw it and by the time I returned to the location with a camera the bird was gone).  Shorebirds have been few and far between but I have had a few in the limited areas available for them.  The continued dry weather and lack of harvested fields keeps decent habitat for shorebirds to a minimum in the valley at this time of year.  Later August does consist of the best time to see the fall migration of Common Nighthawks and I have had a few nights with them at the house.  Warbler migration has continued to pick up and I'm increasingly running across mixed species flocks and the continued early influx of Northern Parula and Tennessee Warbler has been impressive.  More on warbler for the third week of the month at the following link.  Noticeable for the month so far has been the lack of unusual waders showing up as post breeders but hopefully that will change in the next few weeks...I have actually not even had a single Great Egret for late summer yet.

The tropics have also been very quiet so far this hurricane season but the models continue to point toward an increase in activity as August comes to an end...time will tell but the forecast for the hurricane season continues to call for a slightly above average season for storms.


2 comments:

  1. Barbara Jeanne TomlinsonAugust 22, 2022 at 4:46 AM

    Thankyou Larry I really enjoyed the photos and post!!

    ReplyDelete