Sharp shinned Hawk likely nesting and Eastern Whip Poor Will survey last night

Sharp shinned Hawk, Quabbin Park, June 6, 2014

Sharp shinned Hawk, Quabbin Park, June 6, 2014

White tailed Deer taking a swim, Quabbin Park, June 6, 2014

Bald Eagles at nest, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, June 6, 2014

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, June 6, 2014

I spent a few hours this morning exploring Quabbin Park and I managed to find a few goodies. The highlight by far was a territorial Sharp shinned Hawk in a large pine grove that almost certainly contains a nesting pair. I initially heard the bird giving an alarm call you would expect to hear near a nest. The bird flew in and stayed in a small area and I managed to get a few marginal photos before I left the area so not to disturb them any more. I never did see the nest but I'm fairly certain it was very close to where I was. Sharp shinned Hawk has become a rare breeder here in Western Massachusetts so I was happy to find the bird. While on he subject of nesting raptors the Bald Eagles near Winsor Dam were showing well this morning with all three young visible along with an adult. I heard from the Quabbin biologist last night that there are 14 active nests at Quabbin this season and all nests seem to be successful with a few featuring three youngsters. Other typical birds were also around this morning in good numbers but nothing else too unusual.

I returned home around midday to pick up the Wilson for a couple of walks including along the land trust and then over to Covey WMA. Typical birds were in evidence as well as my first for the location Virginia Rail along the land trust trail in a small marsh.

Another unusual bird event occurred at 3:40am this morning when I got up to take a leak and heard a Black billed Cuckoo repeatedly calling...very strange indeed and proof I never stop birding!

Goodnough Dike at sunset, Quabbin Park, June 5, 2014

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, June 5, 2014

I finally managed to get one of my Eastern Whip Poor Will surveys done last night after many earlier attempts that were foiled by weather and incorrect dates.  The surveys have to be run only on certain dates (due to arrival of the birds and moon phases) and only when the weather conditions (clear to partly cloudy and little to no wind).  I met up with a biologist from DCR and we conducted the Quabbin Park route that travels through the park and then south along the Swift River.  We started 15 minutes after sunset and then spent six minutes listening for whip poor wills at each of the ten stops.  It was a great survey with at least 14 Eastern Whip Poor Wills heard.  I have the breakdown of the stops and birds below:

Stop #                                     # of whip poor wills heard

1                                            0

2                                            0

3                                            3

4                                            1

5                                            3

6                                            4

7                                            2

8                                            0

9                                            1

10                                          0

                                              14 total

Besides the whips we had a Great Horned Owl calling near Goodnough Dike, American Woodcocks near the east entrance and at Covey WMA and all the expected species of thrushes calling just as the sun set.

A few stops in the local area

Great Blue Heron nest, Lake Wallace, July 28, 2013

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, July 28, 2013

Despite the forecast for clouds and possible rain in the morning the weather instead stayed at least partially sunny and dry through midday. I stayed close to home this morning with stops at Lake Wallace, Covey WMA and Quabbin Park. At Lake Wallace the waterfowl continue to grow in number with nearly 50 Wood Ducks, about a dozen Mallards, three Hooded Mergansers and 38 Canada Geese. The Great Blue Heron young are still hanging out in the nest but they should fledge any day now. Other birds of note included a calling Virginia Rail and a few Green Herons.

My next stop at Covey WMA produced some decent birds including a new species for the county this year when I had a calling male Ring necked Pheasant (species #214). I also had a couple of Black billed Cuckoos calling, assorted waterfowl and a couple of Great Blue Herons that flew over the marsh and flushed up the swallows that were perched in the grasses. Well over hundred swallows were present with the majority being Barn Swallows with a slightly lesser number of Tree Swallows. I was expected to find a Great Egret here or at my previous stop at Lake Wallace but no luck.

Bald Eagle nest with young, Quabbin Park, July 28, 2013

My final stop of the morning was over to a few spots at Quabbin Park (Route 9 marsh, Gate 52 and Winsor Dam). Nothing too unusual here but lots of juvenile birds around including two very large juvenile Bald Eagles that look about to fledge from the nest near Winsor Dam.

I also reached another eBird milestone when I submitted my 12,000th list. As I have mentioned before (and will certainly mention again) eBird is a great way to not only keep track of your records but also adds usefulness to yupr sightings as they become part of the largest collection of worldwide bird sightings. If you haven't tried it yet just go to the eBird website and sign up:

http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

Loon survey and Prescott Peninsula

Common Loon on nest, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

Common Loon, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

Common Loon, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

Common Loon with leg bands, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

Common Loons, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

Osprey, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

Osprey, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

Double crested Cormorant, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

View toward phragmite island, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

Today I spent a few hours out on Quabbin assisting DCR staff with an ongoing loon census.  I met up with them around 9am at boat area 2 up in New Salem and we headed south visiting several areas and making it down to boat launch area 3 before heading back north. Some great views of various birds including at least two loons on nests and a total of twelve individual Common Loons (most paired). Other notable birds included at least one (possibly two) Osprey (which is an unusual species inland in July), three Spotted Sandpipers, a few Killdeer, three Double crested Cormorants, and at least 150 swallows over the phargmite island with the vast majority being Tree Swallows with a handful of Barn, Bank and Northern rough-winged Swallows. Although I hoped to find an unusual gull or a tern I was only able to find a few Ring billed Gulls.  I also got a report that a Forester's Tern was seen in this area in mid June and I will be getting a photo soon to check it out...an unusual bird for the area.

Bald Eagle at nest, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

Bald Eagle, Quabbin, July 15, 2013

Among the total of five Bald Eagles seen this morning were two juveniles hanging around a new Bald Eagle nest that we ran across on one of the islands on the reservoir. We found the previously unknown nest and it appears that at least two birds have recently fledged from it. Overall a great day to be out on the water despite the warm temperatures.

Indigo Bunting, Prescott Peninsula, July 15, 2013

Wild Turkey, Prescott Peninsula, July 15, 2013

I spent a couple of  hours this morning checking out a few spots on Prescott Peninsula before meeting up for the loon survey. Prescott was active again and I ran across at least three Red Crossbills (two together and a single). I was not able to get a recording of them this morning but the birds were all in the same area as I had a couple of Type 1's a week ago and I suspect they are the same type today. Yet again lots of birds around with lots of evidence of breeding.

Wilson and a Painted Turtle, Belchertown Land Trust trail, Belchertown, MA, July 15, 2013

By the time I got home a bit after midday the temperature already topped 90 and continued to climb a bit more. Wilson and I took a walk along the land trust trail were we had 25+ species but nothing unusual. Wilson had a close encounter with a Painted Turtle and he didn't know what to make of a creature that can make its arms, legs and head disappear.

The next several days should feature temperatures above 90 with high humidity as we enter our fourth heat wave of the season. This one will likely last through Friday, making a six day heat wave.     

Arcadia early morning

Great Blue Herons on nest, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2013

Great Blue Herons on nest, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2013

Great Blue Herons on nests, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2013

Bald Eagle nest, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2013

Savannah Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2013

Brown Thrasher gathering nest material, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2013

Brown Thrasher gathering nest material, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2013

 Arcadia meadows, Northampton, MA, June 17, 2013

With a little extra time this morning before taking a class in Northampton I headed over to Arcadia to check on the herons and some of the field birds. The area has been flooded for several days but was totally accessible today. I headed out along one of the fields and came across a dozen plus Savannah Sparrows as well as several Bobolinks and an Eastern Meadowlark. Once I got at the rookery I checked out the eagle nest and found an adult perched above the nest containing two young. The heron young were also present and quite vocal. I had around 50 Great Blue Herons present with many being young birds of various ages. Some nests contained just one young bird while a few others had more with at least a couple with three birds crowded in the nest. I tried once again to find an egret among them but the only other wader I had was a Green Heron flyby. I walked further out along the field edges and added several Willow Flycatchers, more Savannah Sparrows and Bobolinks plus other species. I also had a Brown Thrasher gathering nest material along the roadside. With my time running out I headed out after about an hour and a half there.

Green Heron (taken through binos with iPhone), Belchertown Land Trust trail, June 17, 2013

A bit after lunch I got home and picked up Wilson to head out for a few walks with stops at the land trust trails and a section of Covey WMA. The breeze picked up during these walks which limited some bird song but we still managed to find quite a few species but nothing unusual.

I also got a report from another birder of a Black crowned Night Heron along the rail trail in Amherst during the morning today. I still have not caught up with that species yet so I may try for it tomorrow if I can. It is a long shot as there is a lot of good habitat for it over there and I will only have a limited time but it is worth a shot.

Another sunny warm day with few migrants

Black and White Warbler, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 2, 2013

Black and White Warbler, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 2, 2013

Canada Goose gosling, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 2, 2013

Marsh at dawn, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 2, 2013

Canada Goose gosling, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 2, 2013

Canada Goose gosling, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 2, 2013

 

Canada Goose gosling, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 2, 2013

With high hopes I set out once again this morning in the hopes of finding a large influx of migrants. However, like previous days, it was not to be today. Although the winds were right last night here early on the conditions further south were not, so no big influx. It is actually quite surprising to walk so much in various areas this time of year and not run across decent numbers and variety of species. Birds are certainly moving but not yet in huge numbers. The migration is turning out to be more like what it use to be like in spring with the peak probably occurring in mid May instead of early May as has been the case the last several years.  However everything could change rapidly this time of year with a slight change in the weather. It will be interesting to see what the next week brings. So although there was not a big influx, the migrants continue to trickle in slowly. It was yet another cool morning starting off in the high 30's but warming up nicely once the sun came out. The temperature eventually topped off in the upper 70's. I started the morning at the rail trail and walked the section from Station Road to Mill Lane. I managed to find just five species of warblers (all in low numbers). The upside was one of the warblers was new for the season- Common Yellowthroat (#169). I also heard a Veery (#170) singing distantly. I also ran across the first of what will be many young Canada Geese. 

 

After the rail trail I headed down to Mitch's Way to try to catch up with one of the southern warblers (Hooded, Kentucky, Prothonotary and Yellow throated Warblers). No luck with any unusual warblers at all. The best bird I had here was the third new species for the day, a Yellow throated Vireo (#171). Nothing else too unusual was around and many areas were quite quiet. A brief stop at the base of Skinner SP didn't produce a hoped for Worm eating Warbler. 

Great Blue Heron flying away, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2013

Great Blue Heron flying away, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2013

Bald Eagle on nest, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2013

 

I then headed across the river to Arcadia to try to catch up with a couple of Great Egrets that have been seen near the heron rookery. Despite much effort checking the area of the rookery I didn't find the Great Egrets (perhaps first thing in the morning or at dusk is best?) the Bald Eagle was still sitting on its nest and nearly 50 Great Blue Herons nearby were busy either sitting on nests or bringing sticks in to build new ones. Also had a pair of Green Herons chasing each other around the rookery. The number of Yellow Warblers, Blue Gray Gnatcatchers and Warbling Vireos seems to have grown over the past few days but oddly I had only one Gray Catbird...quite unusual for the early part of May. A few other walks with Wilson around the local area produced the expected species but nothing too exciting.