The first week of the new year

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 7, 2022

Snow and bird feeders, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jan 7, 2022

Wilson in the snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jan 7, 2022

Wilson in the snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jan 7, 2022

The first week of January has been fairly productive for birds with several unusual/lingering species around with several highlights including a couple Pink footed Geese, the continued Western Meadowlark and some warblers to start off the year..  The weather has been a roller coaster with warm weather with fog and rain to start, a sunny cold day, an icy day and then an end with some snow.  We ended up with about four inches of snow this morning and the forecast going forward looks to feature some very cold weather...I'm hopeful to get away from it soon!  I had to work yesterday and the snow today kept my birding to a minimum the last two days of the week but I did make a brief stop at Winsor Dam today which featured some waterfowl but nothing unusual.  The first week has produced 79 species in Hampshire County for me which is quite good but certainly off the record setting pace of last year when I had 87 species the first week of the year.

Ring billed Gulls with a few Herring Gulls, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 5, 2022

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 5, 2022

I made it out briefly early Wednesday morning before a bout of freezing rain moved through and iced everything up and made travel tough with loads of accidents.  I only ventured over to Winsor Dam before coming home but did manage three gull species.

Pink footed Geese, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Jan 4, 2022

Snow Goose, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Jan 4, 2022

Swamp Sparrow, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Jan 4, 2022

The fourth was a sunny but cold day and I was able to be out for a good portion of the morning (this day is covered in more detail in an earlier post.  It was a great day with the highlight by far being a pair of Pink footed Geese along the river in Hadley (plus a juvenile Snow Goose) among the hundreds of Canada Geese.  Other notables for the day included Swamp Sparrows and a Lapland Longspur.

Horned Grebe, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 3, 2022

Common Mergansers, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 3, 2022

The third was a much cooler day then the first two days of the month and much windier.  I decided to stay close to home with stops at a few spots in the south Quabbin area.  Before dawn I was able to finally catch up with at least one Northern Saw Whet Owl and despite the wind got some recordings.  I then headed to Winsor Dam where it was very windy but was worth the stop when I had a pair of Red breasted Mergansers rocket past moving south.  There were a few other species of waterfowl around both the dam and Quabbin Park with Horned Grebe being a new species for the year.  A few other stops in the area didn't produce anything too unusual but a walk with Wilson did turn up a Hermit Thrush feeding with loads of robins on bittersweet.  

Snow Goose, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jan 2, 2022

Eastern Phoebe, Hadley, MA, Jan 1, 2022

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Jan 1, 2022

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Jan 1, 2022

I covered the first two days of the in an earlier post.  It was a warm, foggy and damp beginning to the year with several notable species seen including Snow Goose, Gadwall, Eastern Phoebe, Ruby crowned Kinglet, Western Meadowlark and multiple Yellow rumped Warblers.