Update on the neck tagged Canada Geese and an early Pine Warbler among other stuff this morning

Canada Goose with neck tag, Hadley, MA, Mar 3, 2018

Canada Goose with neck tag, Hadley, MA, Mar 3, 2018

Canada Geese with neck tags, Hadley, MA, Mar 3, 2018

Now for an update on the neck tagged Canada Geese I found last week in Hadley.  I got an e-mail from Tony Fox who has been tagging Canada Geese up in Greenland for years now. He sent lots of detailed on the tagged geese I found as well as additional info.  The tags were yellow with black writing with the codes "GT6" and "GU5".  I have found similarly tagged in the past and the codes beginning with "G" have all been tagged in Greenland (Greenland tagged Canada Geese -April 2015, Greenland tagged Canada Geese -March 2013).  Below is the information of the two geese including when and where they were caught and all the resightings so far.

GT6 caught Isunngua, West Greenland, July 2014

GT6 04.04.2015 Magenta, Farnham, Quebec, Canada, RESIGHT BHA
GT6 26.11.2015 Millers Pond, Smithtown, New York USA, RESIGHT DR
GT6 07.01.2016 Millers Pond, Smithtown, New York USA, RESIGHT MG
GT6 20.03.2016 Bassin de Chambly, Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu, near Montreal, Canada, RESIGHT RBE
GT6 26.02.2017 Congamonde Lakes, Southwick, Hampden, Mass., USA, RESIGHT DOH
GT6 14.11.2017 Millers Pond, Smithtown, New York USA RESIGHT DR
GT6 03.03.2018 Russellville, North Amherst, Hampshire,Mass., USA RESIGHT LT

GU5 caught Isunngua, West Greenland, July 2014

GU5 29.11.2014 Millers Pond, Smithtown, New York USA, RESIGHT DLM
GU5 05.01.2015 Millers Pond, Smithtown, New York USA, RESIGHT DLM
GU5 26.11.2015 Millers Pond, Smithtown, New York USA, RESIGHT DR
GU5 07.01.2016 Millers Pond, Smithtown, New York USA, RESIGHT MG
GU5 19.01.2016 Elda Lake, North Babylon, New York USA, RESIGHT CC
GU5 03.04.2016 Le Croche-à-Bourret, Quebec, Canada, RESIGHT PR
GU5 14.11.2017 Millers Pond, Smithtown, New York USA, RESIGHT DR
GU5 03.03.2018 Russellville, North Amherst, Hampshire, Mass., USA, RESIGHT L

It is interesting to see the distances the two birds have covered and the fact that they were seen together on multiple occasions.  Thanks to Tony Fox for the detailed information.

Canada Goose with neck band, East Hadley Rd, Hadley, MA, Feb 23, 2018

Canada Geese with neck band, East Hadley Rd, Hadley, MA, Feb 23, 2018

I also got the information back on two of the three neck tagged geese I found in Hadley on February 23 (I was not able to read the third tag so didn't have enough info to send in).  The two birds I did hear about where both banded in Quebec.  The bird with the tag "Y2U7" was banded 7/3/2013 at Boucherville, Quebec and it was an adult when banded.  The second individual with the tag "X9E3" was banded 7/4/2017 near Varennes, Quebec and was also an adult when banded.  I had found another bird banded up in Quebec four years ago...more on that sighting here

Pine Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Mar 10, 2018

Pine Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Mar 10, 2018

Ruby crowned Kiglet, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Mar 10, 2018

Red tailed Hawk, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Mar 10, 2018

Black Vultures, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Mar 10, 2018

I decided to make the trip over to Arcadia first thing this morning mainly searching for waterfowl but I found very few in the marsh (just a couple Mallards and a Hooded Merganser).  The Oxbow had a few more birds as did the nearby Fort River but overall numbers for waterfowl were quite low.  I did however turn up an Eastern Screech Owl, at least two Yellow rumped Warblers and two Fox Sparrows.  Since I was in the area I stopped over to the Lower Mill Pond in Easthampton where I had two Black Vultures atop the smokestack they have been frequenting for a few weeks.  I then headed back across the river and heading north up through Hadley and Amherst checking fields for geese but the only geese I found were on the campus pond at UMASS and even that spot only had a few hundred.  As it appeared waterfowl were just not around in any numbers I decided to head down to Mitch's Way to see if I could find anything of interest.  The walk there turned up a Yellow bellied Sapsucker as well as a Ruby crowned Kinglet (I suspect these are both overwintering birds and not early migrants as both species have been in the area on and off for the last several weeks).  As I was walking out I got a text from Devin letting me know the Pine Warbler I had searched for in vain the last few days had once again returned to their yard.  I then headed over to their house and finally got the bird as soon as I showed up as it fed on one of the suet feeders...my earliest record for the species in the county.  Thanks to the Griffith's for letting me stop by on multiple occasions to try for the bird the last few days.  If one is so interested I have a much more detailed post regarding the warbler at the following link:  Early Pine Warbler