Bobcat, Williamsburg, MA, Feb 10, 2022
Bobcat, Williamsburg, MA, Feb 10, 2022
Bobcat, Williamsburg, MA, Feb 10, 2022
Northern Harrier, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Feb 10, 2022
Now that February is half over I will take a look at some sightings over the last several days. I have set a goal for myself to try to beat my previous best February in Hampshire County that I set last year with 97 species (thanks in large part to multiple irruptive species showing up). I'm well on my way at this point with a total of 94 species so far (I was at 78 at this point last year and this total is already my second best February even if I don't add any other species). My main goal is to get to a hundred species for the month in the county (February is the only month I have not gotten to a hundred species ever in the county).
After I got out of work on Thursday morning I headed up to Williamsburg to go for a walk. I had hopes of finding some crossbills or Evening Grosbeaks as I walked down one of the roads that have held the species in past years. I heard a distant Evening Grosbeak but as I was reaching to get my phone to get a recording a Bobcat popped out right in front of me so I focused on that instead and got great looks and some photos. I typically see just a handful of Bobcats over the course of the entire year so each one is something special.
Yellow rumped Warbler, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Feb 11, 2022
Black Vulture, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Feb 11, 2022
Mute Swans, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Feb 11, 2022
Common Goldeneyes, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Feb 11, 2022
American Black Ducks, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Feb 11, 2022
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Easthampton, MA, Feb 11, 2022
Common Grackles (with a few Red winged Blackbirds), East Hadley Rd. Hadley, MA, Feb 11, 2022
On the 11th I headed out to enjoy a warmer than normal day and decided to concentrate on finding any lingering
Yellow rumped Warblers as well as any other notable species. I started off at
Arcadia and found a couple warblers. I then stopped at
Lower Mill Pond and had a single Black Vulture as well as a selection of waterfowl. I then headed further south to the Holyoke Dam and then back north along the east side of the river. I caught up with more warblers continuing in Hadley in the same area they have been all winter. As I was working my way through Hadley I noticed a group of geese in the field off East Hadley Road and stopped to work through them. As I was scoping out the geese I noticed a large mixed flock of grackles and blackbirds (thousands of individuals) off to the south. The birds would drop down to feed and then get flushed back up as a group and it was during one of these episodes when all the birds flushed I caught sight of a Yellow headed Blackbird in among them. I was never able to relocate the bird on the ground but the views were obstructed from my vantage point and there was no better spot to relocate to. Eventually the large group headed further south across Bay Road and onto private property. Yellow headed Blackbird is a rare bird around here with years between sightings. This sighting is just my fifth for the species in the county with two of those occurring
last fall.
Cackling Goose, Hadley, MA, Feb 12, 2022
Canada Goose with white on head and neck, Hadley, MA, Feb 12, 2022
Canada Goose with white on head and neck, Hadley, MA, Feb 12, 2022
Canada Goose with white on neck, Hadley, MA, Feb 12, 2022
Canada Goose with white on head and neck, Hadley, MA, Feb 12, 2022
Canada Goose with white on head and neck, Hadley, MA, Feb 12, 2022
Canada Goose with black on chest, Hadley, MA, Feb 12, 2022
Wood Ducks, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Feb 12, 2022
Wood Duck, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Feb 12, 2022
Common Grackles, East Hadley Rd, Hadley, MA, Feb 12, 2022
Fresh wood shavings in duck box #2, Home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 12, 2022
On Saturday we continued our above morning temperatures with highs into the 50's once again. I started the morning at Winsor Dam and hoped to find an early woodcock but no luck. I then headed east and stopped at the campus pond and had a pair of early Wood Ducks. I then found a large group of geese in Hadley and eventually found a Cackling Goose among the hordes of Canada Geese (including a number of uniquely plumaged individuals). I came across a large group of grackles and blackbirds near East Hadley Road but had no luck relocating the Yellow headed Blackbird but the group was much reduced from the day before.
Once I got home I figured it would be a good day to do a final clean out of the duck boxes and add some new wood shavings for the rapidly approaching nesting season. Hopefully it will be another successful year and multiple boxes will be used once again.
Gadwall, Swift River, Ware, MA, Feb 13, 2022
Common Goldeneyes, Swift River, Ware, MA, Feb 13, 2022
Hooded Mergansers, Swift River, Ware, MA, Feb 13, 2022
Ring necked Ducks, Swift River, Ware, MA, Feb 13, 2022
Common Merganser with frog, Swift River, Ware, MA, Feb 13, 2022
Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 13, 2022
Yesterday we got a bout of snow in the morning that amounted to about an inch but enough to make the roads slick (quite a change from the last few days). I stayed in a bit until the snow let up and then visited a few locations nearby with most of my time along the Swift River in Ware. Among the highlights during my snowy stops included a continued male Gadwall, 75+ Hooded Mergansers and a variety of other waterfowl. The day ended with a Northern Saw Whet Owl in the yard (only my third record ever for the yard and the first time I was able to get a
recording).
Gray Catbird, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Feb 14, 2022
Pileated Woodpecker, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Feb 14, 2022
Black Vultures, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Feb 14, 2022
Pale Canada Goose (middle of photo), East Meadows, Northanpton, MA, Feb 14, 2022
Canada Geese, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Feb 14, 2022
The weather turned colder last night after a cold front came through and it stayed cold all day today with a northerly breeze that picked up throughout the day. I spent most of the morning out along the river before I had a late morning appointment in Florence. Despite the cold weather there were still birds to be seen. Before dawn I managed to turn up an early American Woodcock at UMASS that flushed up from the edge of a small field. I then worked my way down through Hadley checking out a few spots but not finding too much. I then went across the river and down to the
East Meadows where I picked through a large roost of geese (1700+) and the only notable bird I could find was the pale individual that has been around during the winter for a couple years. There were two Black Vultures on top of the smokestack at
Lower Mill Pond (plus a load of American Black Ducks). Nearby
Arcadia featured a continued Gray Catbird as well as a rather uncooperative Ruby crowned Kinglet.
Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 14, 2022
Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 14, 2022
Purple Finch, Home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 14, 2022
Wilson with a fresh haircut and new bandanna, Home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 14, 2022
As part of an ongoing project of a student at UMASS I have been keeping track of some birds visiting the feeders and there continues to be a number of banded Black capped Chickadees coming into the feeders as well as a number of other species (including a Purple Finch that showed up today).
