Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Productive start to April (and the Say's Phoebe continues)

Sandhill Cranes, Hatfield, MA, Apr 2, 2024
White crowned Sparrow, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Apr 2, 2024
Tree Swallows, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Apr 2, 2024
Say's Phoebe, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 2, 2024
Great Blue Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 2, 2024

After another exhausting shift at work I headed out on a somewhat breezy morning trying to track down some rarities.  My first stop was up to the old Pilgrim Airport on the Hatfield/Whately line to see if the Sandhill Cranes that have been in the area for a few days were still around.  Thankfully they were still there and showed well as I scoped from the road (the old airport property is private).  I also had at least one and possibly two early Pectoral Sandpipers there.  My next stop was to nearby Great Pond where I had seven species of waterfowl (including large numbers of Green winged Teal but no Eurasian Green winged Teal despite a lot of looking), an early Northern Rough winged Swallow, a White crowned Sparrow and a Yellow rumped Warbler.  I then headed across the river with a stop at Lake Wallace and then Winsor Dam.  The lake was fairly quite although the lone Great Blue Heron still seemed to be possibly looking to nest again...just seemed to be waiting for a mate.  Winsor Dam produced the long staying Say's Phoebe which is now into its fifth month at the location...an amazingly long staying rarity.  By the end of the second day of the month I wracked up 74 species...my best first two days of April ever.

Yesterday I had just a little time before work and I made the most of my limited time with a couple brief stops along the way and then a walk at Pine's Edge Conservation Area.  By the end of the day I had added 45 species to start the month.

The next few days feature work and what looks like a prolonged period of rain, wind and possibly some snow so unlikely to add more species until the weather takes a turn for the better by the weekend.

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