Redhead, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 21, 2022
Redhead, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 21, 2022
Redhead, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 21, 2022
Redhead, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 21, 2022
I ended the third week of November with killer looks at a Redhead male that showed up at the UMASS campus pond. The bird was discovered by Matt McKenna and I was alerted to it by Cory and Kalpesh (and then others). Although I had seen one very briefly in February this year, having one in close at the campus pond was too good to pass up. Once I was sure it was still being seen I headed over and immediately had the bird in super close among the hordes of Mallards and Canada Geese. I have never had such great looks of the species around here. In fact this is just my third record in Hampshire County for the species with the first being a male back in March of 2005. Loads of other birders were present and got to see the bird. I wish I could have stayed a bit longer but didn't want to push my luck where I was parked and end up with a parking ticket. I got a quick look at the continued Cackling Goose as I scanned through the geese. A really great way to end the third week of the month. The Redhead becomes species #122 for me in Hampshire County for the month and I have now tied my previous best November in the county (set in
2020) with more than a week of the month remaining. What other rarities will show up before the month closes? Who knows?
Hooded Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 21, 2022
Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 21, 2022
Common Goldeneyes, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 21, 2022
I started off another cold day (19 degrees and breezy) with a stop at
Winsor Dam and almost as soon as I arrived I had two Brant fly past (with at least one vocalizing). Although I intended to make it a brief stop the waterfowl show was too good to walk away from so I spent well over an hour watching stuff on the water and flying by. I ended my time at the dam with a dozen species of waterfowl with some in active migration.
Palm Warbler 'western', Hadley, MA, Nov 20, 2022
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Nov 20, 2022
Greater White fronted Goose, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 20, 2022
After a busy night overtime shift I got out of work and made a quick stop at Paradise Pond to try again to catch up with the Greater White fronted Goose for the month but the pond was mostly ice covered and featured just a pair of Mallards for waterfowl. I decided I would try nearby Arcadia and once I scoped through the birds on the mostly frozen marsh I found a Greater White fronted Goose. The bird took off shortly thereafter. I also had a single American Wigeon among the more expected waterfowl plus a few dozen Green winged Teal. I decided to then hit some areas that are not too safe to be in during hunting season expect on a Sunday and my next stop was the East Meadows. Unfortunately my arrival there corresponded with the arrival of a cold front which brought strong winds that continued for the rest of the day. I had hopes to track down some late warblers there as well as a couple spots in Hadley along the river but the windy conditions were just too much. With just a limited amount of time left to spend outside before I had other commitments I made one more stop at a small thicket that held a Yellow rumped Warbler the day before and I heard a Yellow rumped as soon as I arrived. As I walked toward the thicket I noticed a bird down low and a binocular view showed a very late Palm Warbler! I added two Yellow rumped Warblers plus another warbler species that got away without an ID...not bad for a windy, cold day! More on the warblers at the following
link.
Cackling Goose, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Nov 19, 2022
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Nov 19, 2022
White throated Sparrow, USFWS HQ, Hadley, MA, Nov 19, 2022
Eastern Bluebird, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Nov 19, 2022
I was out early in the morning on Saturday and spent a few hours around UMASS looking for whatever I may find. I initially failed to locate the Cackling Goose during an early visit to the campus pond but after a few other stops looking for passerines elsewhere on campus I returned to the pond and found the bird in among a growing flock of Canada Geese. Always a fun species to pick out of a goose flock. I made a few other stops in Hadley before heading home but nothing too out of the expected was found.
Swamp Sparrow, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Nov 18, 2022
Horned Grebes, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 18, 2022
Friday was yet another cold day and I spent my time in the morning close to home with visits to Quabbin and nearby Lake Wallace. Nothing out of the expected at Quabbin but seeing some Horned Grebes in close (including one with some retained breeding plumage) was nice.
Black Scoters with Bufflehead, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 17, 2022
Despite another busy shift at work on Wednesday I headed out on another windy, cold day on Thursday morning and first tried to find the Greater White fronted Goose at Smith College but failed. I then made a stop at Arcadia before heading south along the river down to the Holyoke Dam. All these areas proved to be quiet. A couple stops at Winsor Dam turned up some scoters and other waterfowl. The most notable species for the morning was a late Ruby crowned Kinglet at Piper Farm Conservation Area.
American Tree Sparrow, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 15, 2022
Horned Lark, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Nov 15, 2022
American Pipit, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Nov 15, 2022
Fox Sparrow, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Nov 15, 2022
White crowned Sparrow, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Nov 15, 2022
American Coots, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Nov 15, 2022
I began the third week of the month with an after work trip up to Great Pond and had some waterfowl (with some of the American Coots continuing) plus eight species of sparrows (including three White crowned Sparrows). The Horned Larks and American Pipits present were quite cooperative. Thankfully the morning was calm with little wind so the cold temps were tolerable.
