Record setting July in Hampshire County comes to an end with 147 species

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 26, 2024

Prairie Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jul 26, 2024

Common Goldeneye, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 27, 2024

Great Egrets, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jul 27, 2024

Bobolink, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jul 27, 2024

Sedge Wren, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jul 27, 2024

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jul 28, 2024

Wilson amongst the raspberries plants, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 28, 2024

Spotted Sandpiper, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 29, 2024

Eastern Kingbirds, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 29, 2024

Semipalmated Plover, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 30, 2024

Snowy Egret, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jul 31, 2024

Snowy Egret and Great Egret, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jul 31, 2024

The very hot month of July has now come an end and with it a total of 147 species in Hampshire County, which beats my previous highest total ever (which was 144 that I reached in 2022).  I managed to do this despite not being around at the beginning of the month and working multiple overtime shifts.  Having several continued rarities in the area helped reach the impressive total and I caught up with most of them during the end of the month.  The rarities this month included Northern Pintail, the long staying Common Goldeneye, Sanderling, Bonaparte's Gull, Least Bittern, Snowy Egret, Purple Martins, Sedge Wren, Marsh Wren, a very early Swainson's Thrush, Red Crossbills and Blue Grosbeaks.  July also featured lots of breeding activity and there are more and more fledglings around each day.

Sanderling at Holyoke Dam

Sanderling, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Jul 25, 2024

Sanderling, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Jul 25, 2024

Sanderling, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Jul 25, 2024

I got a message from Brian Z. this morning regarding a shorebird he had at the Holyoke Dam in South Hadley that he suspected was a Sanderling (a fairly rare shorebird inland).  After looking at a couple of photos he sent the Sanderling was confirmed and a number of birders made their way down to the dam and got the bird.  I was stuck at work until late morning and was not able to get down to the dam until after eleven but thankfully the bird stuck around.  Unfortunately it stayed somewhat hidden very close to the wall of the dam and the accessible vantage point.  After a fair amount of waiting it popped out briefly before once again going out of view.  Although my shots didn't capture it the bird retained some rufous breeding colors (not a plumage we get to see too often inland in western Mass.).  I eventually got some photos of the bird as it was seen from nearly directly overhead...an odd look at shorebirds for sure.  Sanderling is a less than annual visitor to the county.

Birds to end the third week of July

Peregrine Falcon, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jul 21, 2024

Worm eating Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jul 21, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jul 21, 2024

Rose breasted Grosbeak, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jul 21, 2024

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 20, 2024

Blue winged Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 20, 2024

Song Sparrow, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 20, 2024

House Wren, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 20, 2024

Bonaparte's Gull, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 20, 2024

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 19, 2024

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Jul 18, 2024

Yellow Warbler, Ware, MA, Jul 18, 2024

Indigo Bunting, Ware, MA, Jul 18, 2024

Common Goldeneye, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 18, 2024

With a break in our high levels of heat and humidity I got out a bit the last few days and turned up some decent birds in what is typically a rather dull part of the year.  Highlights the last few days included a reappearance of the female Common Goldeneye at Winsor Dam (she has been around since spring and is assumed to be unable to fly) and a breeding plumaged Bonaparte's Gull (also at Winsor Dam).  I have also spent time tracking down warblers with the best being a Worm eating Warbler away from any known breeding location so also certainly a post breeding dispersal bird.  Shorebirds have slowly been trickling in as their migration ramps up.

Mid July birds during continued heat wave

Belted Kingfisher, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 17, 2024

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jul 17, 2024

Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jul 17, 2024

Barn Swallows, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jul 17, 2024

Yellow Warblers, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Jul 15, 2024

Alder Flycatcher, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Jul 15, 2024

Killdeer, Pilgrim Airport, Hatfield, MA, Jul 15, 2024

Sora, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 13, 2024

Eastern Kingbirds, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 13, 2024

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 13, 2024

Common Yellowthroat, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jul 12, 2024

Black and White Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jul 12, 2024

Blue winged Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jul 12, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Jul 12, 2024

As we continue to suffer through yet another heat wave I have managed to get out and bird a bit but this time of year is typically quite slow and it has been tough to get motivated to brave the heat and humidity and all the mosquitoes.  Nonetheless I have gotten out a bit and mainly concentrated on following up on breeding success and a little on checking for early migrating shorebirds.  The weather looks to break for a little while after a front moves through today (almost certainly with more severe storms).

Lots of breeding activity noted, including some rare breeders

Osprey at nest, Hadley, MA, Jul 11, 2024

Osprey at nest, Hadley, MA, Jul 11, 2024

Wood Ducks, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 11, 2024

Great Blue Herons at nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 11, 2024

Ovenbird, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Jul 10, 2024

Great Blue Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 10, 2024

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 10, 2024

Killdeer fledgling, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 8, 2024

Least Sandpipers, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 8, 2024

Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jul 7, 2024

Our latest heat wave continued into its fifth day today with temps in the 90's and high humidity.  It has had a real tropical feel around here since we returned on July 4th from our trip to Canada and it does not look to be changing any time soon.  Due to the heat, work and other commitments I have not been out as much as I would have liked but I still got out as much as I could.  Although the amount of song has decreased substantially the evidence of breeding for the season is most everywhere you look, including some unusual breeders in the county including Osprey, Purple Martin and Blue Grosbeak.  The first shorebirds heading south have also started showing up but the lack of suitable habitat for them to use makes tracking them down tough.

Also an update on what looks to be a very active hurricane season.  The predictions going into the season called for a much above average season due to record high sea temps and the disappearance of the strong El Nino and a change to La Nina conditions.  There also looks to be an increase in the number of tropical waves coming off of Africa due to an above average monsoon season there.  All of these factors taken together just about guarantees an above average hurricane season in the Atlantic.  As predicted the season has already gotten off to a quick and deadly start with three named storms already and one, Beryl, becoming a Cat 5 hurricane which set a number of records including the earliest Cat 4 and Cat 5 hurricane ever in the Atlantic.  It also formed in an area off the coast of Africa that usually doesn't start kicking off tropical systems until later in the season.  Beryl made multiple landfalls as a hurricane (several small islands off Grenada and St Vincent), the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and the mid Texas coast before running up through the middle of the US and actually bringing us a little rain yesterday.  It is certainly a bad sign that the predictions for a rough season look to be correct.