Another end of year wrap up

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 21, 2019 (Hampshire County species #296)

Red Warbler, Parque Ejidal San Nicolás Totolapan,Mexico City, Jan 31, 2019

Gray Trembler, Millet Nature Reserve, St. Lucia, Mar 12, 2019

Common Redshank, Vogar, Iceland, Jul 1, 2019 (life species #1500)

LeConte's Sparrow, Mill Village Fields, Deerfield, MA, Oct 14, 2019

Another year has come to an end and with it the annual wrap up of the entire year from areas both near and far.  Trips this year included Costa Rica, Mexico, Florida, an Eastern Caribbean cruise, Europe (France, Germany and Iceland) and the Finder Lakes of New York.  I found a total of 692 species over the course of the year with 127 of those being life birds bringing my total to 1511.  The life birds were broken down as follows:  Mexico-44, Florida-1, St. Lucia -6, Barbados -1, France-39, Germany-23, Iceland-12 and Massachusetts -1.  As is typically the case the vast majority of my time for the year was spent around Hampshire County and I found 233 species including one new species for my county list (Pacific slope Flycatcher), bringing that total up to 296.  My quest to see all the new world warblers continued for another year with four new species added this year among 52 warbler species seen for the year. I have a much more detailed post regarding the year in warblers at the following link: Warblers 2019.

Kentucky Warbler, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 6, 2019

Greater Tinamou, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 8, 2019

Sunset, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 7, 2019

Agouti, Hacienda Baru NWR, Costa Rica, Jan 4, 2018

Golden hooded Tanager, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 2, 2019

Fiery billed Aracari, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 1, 2019

The year started off down in Costa Rica (in the same spot we ended 2018) and the birds came fast and furious with everyday producing 100+ species just on the grounds of the unsurpassed Rio Magnolia Lodge.  During my time down there I managed four new species for my Costa Rica list plus one lifer...a Scaled Antpitta (#1384).

Gray Catbird, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Jan 10, 2019

Yellow rumped Warbler, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jan 15, 2019

Barred Owl, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jan 23, 2019

Once back home I quickly caught up with the typical species around here in winter plus a few unusual lingering species (Gray Catbird, Ruby crowned Kinglet, Yellow rumped Warbler and Common Yellowthroat among others).   Barred Owls also made a major movement into the area with many seen throughout the month.

Red Warbler, Parque Ejidal San Nicolás Totolapan,Mexico City, Jan 31, 2019

Black polled Yellowthroat, Lerma Marsh, Mexico state, Mexico, Jan 31, 2019

Black chested Sparrow, San Andrés de la Cal, Morelos, Mexico, Feb 1, 2019

Strickland's Woodpecker, Parque Las Maravillas, Mexico City, Mexico, Feb 1, 2019

Black capped Vireo, Reserva de la Biosfera El Cielo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Feb 3, 2019

Tamaulipas Pgymy Owl, Reserva de la Biosfera El Cielo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Feb 3, 2019

At the end of January I headed down to Mexico on a trip focused on finding four species of warbler (Altamira Yellowthroat, Black polled Yellowthroat, Hooded Yellowthroat and Red Warbler) and with the assistance of some great guides I found them all as well as lots of other good stuff including a total of 44 life birds.  I visited two different areas including the area to the south and west of Mexico city and the southern part of Tamaulipas.  A more detailed look at warblers for the trip at the following link.

Yellow rumped Warbler, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Feb 4, 2019

Lapland Longspurs, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Feb 19, 2019

Once I got home the typical doldrums of February birding around here continued with just a few notable sightings including the continued Yellow rumped Warbler plus some birds from the arctic.  A look at the birds around for the middle of the month can be found here.

Gull billed Tern, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Feb 24, 2019

Black bellied Whistling Ducks, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Feb 24, 2019

At the end of the month we took a quick trip down to Florida spending a few days between Orlando and the Melboune Beach area.  During the short trip I managed to find single lifer when I had a Gull billed Tern at the Orlando Wetlands Park.

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 20, 2019

March started off with me once again catching up with the Yellow rumped Warbler that overwintered in the East Meadows and it continued through the end of the month.

Saint Lucia Warbler, Millet Nature Reserve, Saint Lucia, Mar 12, 2019

Saint Lucia Oriole, Millet Nature Reserve, Saint Lucia, Mar 12, 2019

Saint Lucia Black Finch, Millet Nature Reserve, Saint Lucia, Mar 12, 2019

Gray Trembler, Millet Nature Reserve, Saint Lucia, Mar 12, 2019

Saint Lucia Parrot, Millet Nature Reserve, Saint Lucia, Mar 12, 2019

Brown Booby, offshore Saint Lucia, Mar 12, 2019

Carib Grackle, McKinnon's Salt Pond, Antigua, Mar 14, 2019

Prairie Warbler (rare on island), McKinnon's Salt Pond, Antigua, Mar 14, 2019

Magnificent Frigatebird, St. John's harbor, Antigua, Mar 14, 2019

Sunset, offshore Tortola, Mar 16, 2019

We took a trip down to the eastern Caribbean in the middle of the month with a seven night cruise out of San Juan with visits to Saint Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, Saint Thomas and Tortola.  I found a total of seven life birds including a new warbler species for me with a Saint Lucia Warbler.  The other lifers (except one on Barbados) were all seen on the island of Saint Lucia.

Wood Duck, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 31, 2019

Hooded Merganser eggs in nest box, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 27, 2019

Once we were back in the cold north winter finally started giving way to spring with waterfowl starting to show up in decent numbers and diversity as well as the arrival of early spring migrants.  Summary for the end of March at the following link.

Mallard x Northern Pintail hybrid, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Apr 5, 2019

Greater Scaup and Lesser Scaup, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Apr 15, 2019

Ruddy Duck, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Apr 15, 2019

Spotted Sandpipers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 15, 2019

Blue winged Teal, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Apr 16, 2019

Common Gallinule, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Apr 16, 2019

Marsh Wren, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Apr 16, 2019

Glossy Ibis, rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 25, 2019

Orange crowned Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Apr 29, 2019

April was very wet with near record rainfall which provided a nice selection of waterfowl with several notable species including a Mallard x Northern Pintail hybrid, both scaup species, Ruddy Duck, and Common Gallinule.  Southerly winds until the last week of the month brought in some rarities plus a number of early migrants with some record early dates for a number of species (at least for me!).  Other notable species for the month included Glossy Ibis, Orange crowned Warbler, American Bittern, Dunlin, Marsh Wren and Red Crossbill.  I managed to find a total of 151 species for the month in Hampshire County that broke my previous April high count by eleven species!

Orchard Oriole, Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, May 7, 2019

le, Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, May 8, 2019

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 8, 2019

American Woodcock, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2019

White eyed Vireo, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2019

Hooded Mergansers, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 15, 2019

Olive sided Flycatcher (one of four for the month at the house), Home, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2019

Bobcat, Quabbin Park, MA, May 22, 2019

May started off with the cool, damp weather that finished off April but the weather eventually improved later in the month.  Migration was overall quite impressive with a number of notables during the month including Sora, a dozen species of shorebirds, a Black Tern, a Common Tern, a Least Bittern, a White eyed Vireo, a Philadelphia Vireo and 29 species of warblers (plus some hybrids).  I took part in the annual Global Big Day on May 4 during which I found a bit over a hundred species without too much effort and less than perfect weather.  I also conducted an Eastern Whip Poor Will survey through Quabbin Park with good numbers once again (I never got to complete my survey on the Prescott Peninsula as the roads were not repaired until too late in the season to get the survey done).   Post summing up the month at various points can be found at:  May 12, May 21 and end of the month.  I had my highest ever total for the month of May in Hampshire County this year with a total of 178 species.

Hooded Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 1, 2019

Song Sparrow with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2019

Bobolink (during breeding bird survey), Monson, MA, Jun 9, 2019

Tree Swallow nest with eggs, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 17, 2019

Black Bear, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 17, 2019

The beginning of June brought me not one but two Hooded Warblers (one in Quabbin Park and one on Prescott Peninsula).  There were also a few other lingering migrants around but nothing too unusual.  On June 3 the neighborhood nestwatch group returned to the yard for the fifth year to band birds.  I finished up my breeding bird survey on a beautiful Sunday morning on the 9th and had my highest total number of species on the route since I took over the route in 2010.

Common Redshank (life bird #1500), Vogar, Iceland, Jul 1, 2019

View of alps from Eagle's Nest, Berchtesgaden, Germany, Jun 29, 2019

Black legged Kittiwakes flying by, Dyrhólaey--Arnardrangur, Iceland, Jul 2, 2019

The end of the month and into July found us taking our first trip to Europe with stops in France, Germany and Iceland (as well as a brief stop in Austria).  It was primarily a sightseeing trip and not a birding trip but I nonetheless managed 74 life birds including species #1500 for me (Common Redshank in Iceland).  We started the trip in the Normandy area of France and then took the train over to the Alps in Germany before flying over to Iceland for a brief stop before returning home.

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jul 19, 2019

Once we got home from Europe July was overall quite hot with multiple heat waves which made it tough to be outside at times.  The highlight for the month in the local area was the discovery of at least three Blue Grosbeaks at the Honey Pot in Hadley.

Snowy Egret, Paradise Pond, Smith College, Northampton, MA, Aug 25, 2019

Semipalmated Plover, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 8, 2019

Green Herons, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 11, 2019

Greater Scaup, Paradise Pond, Smith College, Northampton, MA, Aug 25, 2019

Sunset over Seneca Lake, Burdett, NY, Aug 11, 2019

August saw the beginning of migration as post breeding dispersal took place with a number of species showing up including a Snowy Egret and Greater Scaup.  Other waders and shorebirds also started showing up and continued through the month.  In the middle of the month we took a trip out to the Finger Lakes in New York.  I found my latest ever record for Cerulean Warbler in the county when I found one at Silvio Conte NWR in Hadley on August 27.

Wilson's Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 6, 2019

Clay colored Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 7, 2019

Gray Fox, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Sep 21, 2019

Snowy Egret with Great Egret, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, 22, 2019

Philadelphia Vireo, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 28, 2019

Connecticut Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 28, 2019

Marsh Wren, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 28, 2019

The month of September began with Hurricane Dorian bringing total destruction to Grand Bahama and Abaco in the Bahamas before it finally moved up along the east coast of the US and then striking Nova Scotia and bringing loads of birds with it.  A truly historic storm and one that had a severe impact on bird life throughout all the areas it hit.  In the local area there were no direct impacts from the storm so no storm driven birds to report on.  The month featured the peak of south bound migration for many species.  Notables for the month included eight species of shorebirds (fairly low), Snowy Egret, a couple Marsh Wrens, an early Clay colored Sparrow and 27 species of warblers.  A complete look at the month can be found at the following link.

LeConte's Sparrow, Deerfield meadows, Deerfield, MA, Oct 14, 2019

Spotted Salamander, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 23, 2019

White crowned Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 16, 2019

October was a great month around the local area with a few highlights including a first state record of a Pacific slope Flycatcher in Hadley and a life bird for me with a LeConte's Sparrow in Deerfield.  A quick summary of the month can be found here.

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 2, 2019

Greater White fronted Goose with Canada Geese, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 8, 2019

Brant, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 4, 2019

American Coots, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Nov 13, 2019

American Robin with partial leucism, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 17, 2019

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 14, 2019

Pacific slope Flycatcher, Huntington Rd, Hadley, MA, Nov 26, 2019

Snow Geese, Cackling Goose (lower right) and Canada Geese, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 28, 2019

November was overall much cooler than normal with multiple record low temperatures broken but thankfully we escaped any snowfall beyond a few flurries.  One of the biggest surprises of the month was the continued presence of the Pacific slope Flycatcher throughout the month.  The first week of the month featured some waterfowl but not as many as would be expected (a theme throughout this entire waterfowl migration season).  A very cold and windy morning on November 8th featured a huge count of Black Ducks and a flyby Greater White fronted Goose at Winsor Dam (adding a new species to my Quabbin list).  The middle of the month featured yet another windy day at the dam but this time the exciting bird was not a species of waterfowl but two Golden Eagles! The middle of the month also featured a continuing group of American Coots at Great Pond and an oddly plumaged American Robin at Arcadia.  Toward the end of the month Devin made a return trip to the valley and we headed out for a morning of birding and managed to catch up with the Pacific slope Flycatcher and lots of other good stuff.

Yellow rumped Warbler, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Dec 1, 2019

Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 3, 2019

Wilson, Piper Farm Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Dec 12, 2019

Winter Wren, Quabbin cemetery wetland, Ware, MA, Dec 12, 2019

Field Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 18, 2019

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Dec 25, 2019

I started off December seeing what I could find before the first snow storm of the season hit with the main focus being finding a warbler, which I accomplished by finding several Yellow rumped Warblers, which gave me a warbler for every month of the year in the county for the second year in a row (much more info on warblers at the following link: Warblers 2019).  I also found a number of other notable species to start the month.  Over the course of three days we got our biggest storm ever for December when we got at least 26" of snow (greatly limiting birding for awhile).  I took part in a couple of Christmas Bird Counts toward the end of the month including days around the Northampton CBC and Quabbin CBC.

Bobcat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 22, 2019

White tailed Deer, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 13, 2019

Pine Warbler and Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 5, 2019

Black Bear, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 5, 2019

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 13, 2019

Fox Sparrow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 13, 2019

Red eyed Vireo, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 23, 2019

Bay breasted Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 24, 2019

Hooded Mergansers after leaving nest box, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 28, 2019

Opossum, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 28, 2019

Red Fox, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2019

Bobcat (right middle) looking at Gray Squirrel (lower left), Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 22, 2019

The cameras at home captured lots of good stuff over the course of the year.  The camera at the water feature captured three new species including Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Fox Sparrow and Red eyed Vireo bringing the total number of species at the water feature up to 47.  The camera along Jabish Brook captured lots of mammals as well as Hooded Mergansers leaving the nest boxes.