A dark American Goldfinch at a feeder and a look at the Northampton Christmas Bird Count

Dark American Goldfinch, Northampton, MA, Dec 20, 2022

Dark American Goldfinch, Northampton, MA, Dec 20, 2022

Dark American Goldfinch, Northampton, MA, Dec 20, 2022

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Northampton, MA, Dec 20, 2022

I spent a few days at a private residence trying to catch up with a Pine Warbler that has shown up very sporadically after being seen for the first time by the homeowner during a snowstorm on Friday the 16th and then seen one more day (about an hour after I left and was almost home) on the 17th.  I spent about 45 minutes at the location on Saturday and nearly an hour on the 20th.  Despite missing on the hoped for Pine Warbler I had some other good birds as I watched the feeders.  I had at least one flyover Red Crossbill on Saturday and a Pine Siskin on Tuesday.  A banded Black capped Chickadee showed up both days (the homeowner is taking part in the same study being conducted by a PhD candidate that I take part in at home).  The big highlight was an unusually plumaged American Goldfinch that showed up on Tuesday.  It was the darkest American Goldfinch I have ever seen and I assume it is some type of melanistic individual (like a melanistic Black and White Warbler I found back in 2020 in Amherst).  I have reached out to a couple finch experts to see if they have ever seen anything like and so far the consensus is it is new to them too.

Dawn, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Dec 18, 2022

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Dec 15, 2022

Gray Catbird, Hadley, MA, Dec 15, 2022

Smith's Longspur, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Dec 15, 2022

Common Grackles, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 19, 2022

Savannah Sparrow, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Dec 20, 2022

Common Grackles, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Dec 21, 2022

The Northampton Christmas Bird Count (CBC) occurred on Sunday December 18th and yet again I missed the day due to work with my only contribution for the count day being a brief stop before work at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River where I turned up a few owls and then a couple Fish Crows during the day at work.  The preliminary total for the count day stands at 88 species, which is a great count and just a few species off a record high count for species for the count.   I was able to be out some on the days to either side of the count day which make up count week (three days to either side of the count day).  I added some unusual species in the days leading up to the count (including Yellow rumped Warbler, Gray Catbird and the continued Smith's Longspur).  In the three days after the count I added another species with a group of 13 Green winged Teal in the Connecticut River at dawn.  I have run across big flocks of Red winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles during my travels before and after the count and both species shattered records for the count with thousands of each around.  Here is a link to all the information you ever wanted to know about the Northampton CBC found on the Hampshire Bird Club site: Northampton CBC. The count next year is scheduled for Sunday Dec 17th and I will actually have the day off which almost guarantees there will be a blizzard that day!