May comes to an end

Cedar Waxwing, Hadley, MA, May 30, 2025

Mourning Dove fledgling, Hadley, MA, May 30, 2025

Blue winged Warbler, Muddy Brook WMA, Hardwick, MA, May 29, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Ware, MA, May 29, 2025

Orange crowned Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 12, 2025

Dunlin, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 10, 2025

Short billed Dowitchers, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 10, 2025

Brant, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2025

May has come to an end on a rainy note...much as the last third of the month has been.  The early part of the month through the middle was overall great for migration and the birds moved through a bit early with many not stopping.  Nonetheless I still had many fantastic days of birding and ended the month with 170 species in Hampshire County, which is roughly average over the last ten years or so.  Notables for the month included Brant, Dunlin and Short billed Dowitchers, Least Bittern, Black crowned Night Heron, Acadian Flycatcher, Gray cheeked Thrush, Orange crowned Warbler and Hooded Warbler (more on warblers for the month at the following link: warblers for May) plus Blue Grosbeak.  I'm sure I could have gotten even more species but circumstances at home kept me a little closer to home than usual and I was not able to stay out as long on some mornings.  

Brant at Winsor Dam this morning

Brant, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2025

Brant, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2025

Brant (plus Bufflehead), Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2025

Brant, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2025

With rain forecast for most of the day I didn't get up and moving as typical for early May (which is still early nonetheless).  I checked the radar and saw that there was no rain nearby and I figured I could get a couple hours of birding in before the rain eventually arrived.  I decided to try my luck at Winsor Dam where I arrived a bit before 5:30.  I scanned the water as I was getting the scope out and noticed a group of larger waterfowl on the water near the boat cove that looked interesting.  Once I got a look with the scope I quickly identified them as Brant...a rare species in the area for spring.  I got some photos in the bad light and got the word out to some others.  As I watched them they took off and circled around a couple times before disappearing to the north where I followed them until they were out of view.  I then informed people the Brant had unfortunately departed.  Much to my surprise the Brant returned around six and then disappeared to the southeast over the dam.  I figured this would be the last I saw of them but I was once again wrong as several minutes later they reappeared once again and then settled on the water fairly close in.  I once again got the word out and a few birders arrived to see them as they took off and then settled very far out.  A truly rare sighting for a species I don't expect to see until the cold of fall arrives and usually they are seen on windy days at that point.  Besides the Brant there were other notable waterfowl around for the date including Bufflehead (at least ten individuals over multiple stops), three Red breasted Mergansers and a high count of nine Hooded Mergansers (I ended up having all three species mergansers there for the morning).  To show one just how rare Brant are in Hampshire County in the spring this is my first spring record ever (granted I do not spend a lot of time looking for waterfowl at the peak of warbler migration but on crappy weather days I certainly spend some time at the dam and other spots where Brant could show up).

Today also marked a milestone for the year in Hampshire County as I reached the 200 species mark earlier than I ever have before.  This is mainly thanks to a slightly earlier migration for a number of species.  There have been a few rarities around for the year so far but not too many.  I managed to reach this milestone even with missing a number of species (such as Sandhill Crane and Least Sandpipers) that have been around that I have not chased as circumstance have kept me closer to home.  I'm unlikely to beat my best year ever in the county without tons of rarities but one never knows.

End of October

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 30, 2024

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 30, 2024

American Robin with leucism, Hadley, MA, Oct 29, 2024

Purple Finch, Amherst, MA, Oct 29, 2024

Black Scoters, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 29, 2024

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA

Black Vulture, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 27, 2024

Bald Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 25, 2024

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Amherst, MA, Oct 23, 2024

Dark eyed Junco, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 23, 2024

Common Yellowthroat, Amherst, MA, Oct 22, 2024

The month of October has about come to an end so I will take a quick look at what the month produced.  I ended the month with 148 species in Hampshire County, which puts me at the high end of what I typically get.  Overall the weather was dry, sunny with slightly higher than typical temps and decent migration conditions (including some record warmth).  I mainly concentrated on warblers when I had free time.  Notables for the month included the long staying Black bellied Whistling Duck, Brant, Ruddy Duck, Lesser Black backed Gull, a few late swallows, Gray cheeked Thrush and a few late warblers and an ever increasing number of Purple Finches.  As the month comes to an end the diversity of waterfowl has ramped up and perhaps a rarity will show up among the more typical species.

PURPLE SANDPIPER becomes my 300th species in Hampshire County plus other good stuff as October comes to a rainy, snowy, cold end

Purple Sandpiper, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Purple Sandpiper (with American Pipit), Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Purple Sandpiper, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 30, 2020

What a fantastic day (really last few days) capped off with my 300th Hampshire County species this afternoon with a Purple Sandpiper initially found by Ted and seen by many over the course of the afternoon as the snow finally came to an end (after getting 3" or so here in Belchertown).  This is the first Hampshire County record for the species as well as the first one in the valley and only the third in western Massachusetts (with two old records from the 1950's and 1960's in the Berkshires)...in fact there is only one other non coastal sighting of the species and that was in Randolph (not very far inland at all).  What a great species to get me to the rarified air of 300 species in the county.  The sandpiper also becomes my 241st species in the county for the year, tying my previous best year set in 2018 and with two months of the year still left to go!  In addition this bird was a life bird for me (I never get to the coast when the species shows up for the winter) bringing me to a total of 1579 species.  I almost didn't get to try for the sandpiper as I was getting estimates for work at the house when I got the text from Ted and as soon as I could break free I headed down to the dam.  When I arrived a number of birders were already there and the bird was playing hide and seek in among the rocks and it would disappear from view occasionally.  Beyond the Purple Sandpiper there were a number of other notable species present including two Dunlin (what a fantastic last couple weeks for that species), the continued Brant and two Gadwall as well as multiple American Pipits and at least one Snow Bunting.  A big thank you to Ted for finding the species and staying around to get others on it.  Nothing like finding a first county record and sharing it with others.  More on the last few rainy and snowy days below.

Red breasted Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 28, 2020

Hooded Merganser, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 28, 2020

Long tailed Ducks Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 28, 2020

Long tailed Duck, Mitch's Marina, Hadley, MA, Oct 29, 2020

Gadwall, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 29, 2020

Brant with American Black Ducks, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 29, 2020

Brant, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 29, 2020

Lesser Black backed Gull (L) with Ring billed Gulls, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Lesser Black backed Gull (L) with Ring billed Gulls, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 30, 2020

The end of October finished rainy and then snowy but nonetheless was very productive for birds for me with a number of rarities showing up and a new high count for me for the month in Hampshire County (more on all that at the bottom of the post).  The last few days have featured rainy days (including the remnants of Hurricane Zeta coming through Thursday) which grounded a number of species (mainly waterfowl and shorebirds).  On Wednesday I stayed mainly around the south Quabbin area (primarily Winsor Dam with multiple visits) and over the course of the day found eleven species of waterfowl including all three scoter species, a group of 11 Long tailed Ducks, lots of Bufflehead and two Red breasted Mergansers.  With a brief lull in the rain early on Thursday I headed over to Arcadia, the East Meadows, the Holyoke Dam and then back to Winsor Dam.  The rain started back up by 9am and continued for the rest of the day.  I was lucky to catch up with a Short eared Owl before dawn at the Honey Pot on my way to the locations mentioned above.  Other notable species for the morning on Thursday included at least three American Woodcocks I flushed at Arcadia, an American Coot at Arcadia, a lone Long tailed Duck in the river at Mitch's Marina, the continued Brant and two Gadwall as well as a 100+ Common Mergansers at the Holyoke Dam.  Winsor Dam featured a number of loons including a small individual that was something other than a Common Loon but it was just too far out and the fog too thick to definitively identify.  On Friday I woke up to rain that quickly turned to snow and got heavy for a time resulting in us getting a couple inches of wet snow.  As soon as it was light I was over at Winsor Dam trying to find something interesting before the rain changed to snow and knocked down visibility too much.  Unfortunately the change over to snow occurred just as it was getting light so there was a very small window of any visibility at a very windy Winsor Dam.  Nonetheless I still managed to find a good bird when I had a Lesser Black backed Gull in with a single Herring Gull and multiple Ring billed Gulls.  I got a few marginal shots through the scope showing the darker mantle and size but little else.  Would have loved to get some better shots but I was lucky to get any at all.  I also had two very intriguing shorebirds whip by before I could ID them.  As the snow became heavier and heavier and the wind continued to roar out of the northeast I left the dam and tried the Route 9 marsh before heading for home as the roads started to get slushy.  I made it back to the dam midday but the snow and wind were still keeping visibility way down but I did have some birds including a Greater Scaup that made a brief stop and small groups of Mallards, Black Ducks and Double crested Cormorants.  I planned on a return to Winsor Dam as soon as the snow let up but the text from Ted regarding the Purple Sandpiper changed all that!  I eventually made it back to the dam with the most interesting sighting for that stop being a high count of 66 Long tailed Ducks.  I suspect tomorrow will turn up more waterfowl as winds continue out of the north and the temperatures drop to record low levels.

Cackling Goose, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 20, 2020

Franklin's Gull, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 26, 2020

Cattle Egret, Meadow St, Amherst, MA, Oct 16, 2020

Lark Sparrow, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 20, 2020

I finished the month with 163 species which blew away my previous high for the month of 152 set in 2018.  As mentioned above there were a number of rarities around for the month and I managed to catch up with a few but not all of them.  Notable species in addition to those mentioned above included Barnacle Goose (species #299 in Hampshire County for me), Cackling Goose, Franklin's Gull, Cattle Egret and Lark Sparrow as well as irruptives including Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin.

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands (banded in 2017), Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands (banded in 2019), Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands (banded in 2019), Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Jabish Brook in the snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Wilson at the beginning of the storm, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

With the snow and cold temperatures I decided to put out a feeder and some suet to help the birds survive the early arrival of winter like conditions.  As I watched the birds come and go I noticed first one, then two and finally three different banded Black capped Chickadees with the biggest surprise being one banded in 2017 that I have not seen around in years...wonder where he has been hiding!

More sparrows arriving and a few rarities around

Palm Warbler 'western', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 11, 2020

White crowned Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 11, 2020

American Redstart, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 11, 2020

Swainson's Thrush, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 11, 2020

Vesper Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 11, 2020

With the forecast of sunny conditions and lighter wind compared to yesterday I decided to head back to Arcadia before dawn.  Unfortunately the forecast was wrong and the winds were blowing throughout the day (thankfully not as bad as yesterday but still fairly strong at times).  The sparrows were still around in good numbers but slightly reduced from the last couple mornings.  Unusual species around including a Brown Thrasher and an America Redstart.  As the winds continued I decided to cut my time short at Arcadia and start heading toward home but after hearing that Aaron relocated the Nelson's Sparrow in the East Meadows I decided to try my luck with relocating it.  I arrived to find a few others looking for it but not finding it.  I walked the general area it was seen in and turned up lots of sparrows (including a Grasshopper Sparrow) but as expected no sign of the Nelson's Sparrow.  As I was once again about to pull the plug on the morning of birding I got a text from Scott saying he had a Brewer's Blackbird in North Hadley (a very rare bird anywhere in the state and one I have never seen around here).  I immediately left the meadows and headed across the river and up to the fields in North Hadley.  I arrived to find Scott still there trying to relocate the bird.  A few other birders arrived not long after and we all spent a hour plus waiting in vain for the bird to return.  The bird could be anywhere in the local area as there is a number of farms in the area that would be attractive to the species.  As we were waiting a number of other sparrows made appearances as well as an obvious migration of raptors and geese.

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 10, 2020

White crowned Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 10, 2020

White crowned Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 10, 2020

Purple Finch, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 10, 2020

Saturday dawned sunny and warm and with strong southerly winds that picked up early the high made it into the high 70’s. I went right to Arcadia after getting out of work and checked a few areas. The winds made picking out stuff a bit difficult but I nonetheless turned up some good stuff early on including a late American Redstart and Magnolia Warbler as well as an Orange crowned Warbler. Although the sparrow numbers were down compared to what I saw early on Friday morning there were still impressive numbers and diversity with an obvious influx of birds including double digit counts of White crowned Sparrow (including my first adults and a few birds singing). There were also loads of Purple Finches and Pine Siskins moving with the calls of both present almost constantly. 

Fox Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 9, 2020

With the northerly winds continuing overnight into the morning on Friday I knew there would be an influx of species and I decided to spend the few minutes I had at dawn at Arcadia before I had to head to work. The sparrows were everywhere and I wish I had more time to explore the area. The best species I had during my limited time there was an early Fox Sparrow. 

Brant, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 8, 2020

Brant, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 8, 2020

Brant with Black Ducks, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 8, 2020

Bald Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 8, 2020

Blue Jays, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 8, 2020

After a strong cold front came through on Wednesday afternoon (with lots of tree damage and power outages in the area) the weather turned cooler and windier with fairly strong northwest winds on Thursday. I headed to Winsor Dam as soon as I got out of work and spent a little time there and oddly there was not much for waterfowl. I tried nearby Beaver Lake and the Route 9 marsh and both of those spots were also fairly quiet. The road through the park was closed due to tree damage so I elected to stop back at Winsor Dam. Almost as soon as I arrived I noticed a couple of Brant flying around as well as two female Northern Pintails. They flew around the area for several minutes and then I lost track of them. Scott and Mary arrived not long after and while scanning the area Scott picked the two Brant back up again and we got good looks as the Brant joined a trio of Black Ducks moving south. We stayed for awhile after that sighting but not much else for waterfowl was moving. There was an obvious migration of Blue Jays occurring as well as multiple Purple Finches and Pine Siskins flying south.

The remnants of Hurricane Delta (which came ashore in Louisiana on Friday) looks to bring some rain into the area from Monday into Tuesday with the heaviest rain overnight Monday into Tuesday.  There is always a chance of the rain grounding some migrants (especially waterfowl) so it will be worth checking out some areas for those days.