Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Record setting pace for August continues

Worm eating Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 20, 2023
Bay breasted Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023
Tennessee Warblers, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023
Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023
Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 19, 2023
Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 19, 2023
Sandhill Cranes, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 19, 2023
Short billed Dowitcher, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 19, 2023
Dawn, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 19, 2023
Spotted Sandpipers, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 21, 2023
Blue winged Teal, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 22, 2023
Semipalmated Plovers, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 22, 2023
Pectoral Sandpiper, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 22, 2023
Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 22, 2023
Wilson on the trail, Belchertown, MA, Aug 22, 2023

My record setting pace for August in Hampshire County continues and as of today I have already exceeded any August with a total of 156 species (old record was 152 species in 2021).  The last few days have produced several new species for the month including more early arriving warblers.  After my last post on Friday the 18th where I looked at more new arrivals and the good news from Wilson's 10 week post surgery checkup where he got a clean bill of health from the surgeon I got some terrible news that one of my uncles was killed in a car crash.  It was obviously a totally unexpected loss and one that is tough to take.  It is certainly a very difficult loss for his immediate family.  I was glad to be able to get out and bird a bit to clear my mind and I caught up with continued numbers of shorebirds (and others) on Saturday and Sunday produced some great warblers (both early fall arrivals and my latest fall record for Worm eating Warbler by two weeks!).  I also checked for shorebirds on my way to and from work on Monday and Tuesday and the East Meadows continued to produce.  

Rose breasted Grosbeak, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 22, 2023
Baltimore Oriole and Gray Catbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 22, 2023

I wish I could have gotten out early this morning as the overnight produced the largest movement of birds so far this fall migration season (according to birdcast).  I checked the camera at the water feature and found a number of migrant species showed up including Rose breasted Grosbeak and Baltimore Oriole.  By the time I got out of work the wind had picked up quite a bit so looking for passerines would have been tough so I stuck to looking at shorebirds.


As mentioned in a previous post Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hillary impacted southern California and Arizona (and a few other western states) and brought in a haul of rarities that are still being tallied.  More on the birds seen can be found at the following links at Birdcast...Part 1 and Part 2.  The Atlantic has finally got active with multiple storms present now but none are a threat to the east coast of the US.

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