Western Tanager, Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020
Laughing Gull, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2020
Purple Sandpiper, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 30, 2020 (Hampshire County species #300)
Barnacle Goose with Canada Geese, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 23, 2020
Sage Thrasher, Hatfield, MA, Dec 14, 2020
King Vulture, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 18, 2020
Limpkin, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020
Crowned Woodnymph, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Columbia, Feb 4, 2020
Barbuda Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020
White cheeked Pintail, McKinnon's Salt Pond, Antigua, Feb 29, 2020
Thick billed Vireo, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020
Now that 2020 has finally come to an end, it is time for my annual year end wrap up. Before the pandemic shut down travel I got in a few trips away from the area with a trip to Costa Rica (with a short stop in Florida) in January, Columbia in February, Antigua and Barbuda in late February into early March and the Cayman Islands in March. I found a total of 585 species for the year with 67 of them being life birds bringing my total up to 1579 life birds. The life birds for the year were found in the following locations in the following numbers: Columbia-58, Barbuda-2, Cayman Islands-1 and the United States-1. I had a record shattering 248 species in Hampshire County (breaking my old record of 241 from 2018 which I didn't think I would ever top). Among the 248 species for the year in the county were five new species for me bringing my overall county total to 301 (a rare achievement for an inland county in the state and a long sought after goal). The new species included Western Tanager, Laughing Gull, Barnacle Goose, Purple Sandpiper and Sage Thrasher. There were several factors at play to get so many species this year including a string of rarities, some tropical systems, a huge influx of irruptives and more people out looking for birds due to the pandemic. As always my focus has been on warblers throughout the year and some of my trips mentioned above were done to find more and I had quite a bit of success with six new species of warbler for the year. Much more on warblers for the year can be found at
warblers 2020.
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jan 1, 2020 |
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| Long tailed Duck, Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area, Hadley, MA, Jan 1, 2020 |
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| Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Jan 2, 2020 |
The year started off with a number of unusual species as the winter continued to be warmer than normal with a lot less snow. On
New Years Day I got out of work and immediately went looking for birds and by the end of the day had found 54 species including continued
Yellow rumped Warblers and several other rarities. By the end of the
first week of the year I had already tallied 76 species in Hampshire County and the rarities continued into the second week of the month with
Red headed Woodpeckers among the more unusual species before I took my first trip of the year down to warmer locations.
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| Violet headed Hummingbird, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 11, 2020 |
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| Crested Guan, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 11, 2020 |
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| White faced Capuchin Monkey, Hacienda Baru, Costa Rica, Jan 13, 2020 |
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| Silver throated Tanager, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 17, 2020 |
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| Late afternoon view from the balcony, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 11, 2020 |
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| King Vulture, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 18, 2020 |
We made our 13th(!) trip down to
Costa Rica in mid January and it was once again a spectacular and relaxing trip down to the
Rio Magnolia Lodge. The location can really not be beat and is certainly our happy place to go to. I would highly recommend to anyone with an interest in birds and relaxation to book a trip down to the lodge.
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| River Otter, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020 |
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| Anhinga, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020 |
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| Limpkin, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020 |
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| Prairie Warbler, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020 |
After out time in Costa Rica we made a brief stop in the
Orlando area on our way home and despite some cooler weather I got some birding in with my main stop being the Orlando Wetlands Park east of the city.
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| Pine Warbler, Granby, MA, Jan 23, 2020 |
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| Eastern Phoebe, Hadley DPW, Hadley, MA, Jan 27, 2020 |
Once back home again I continued to catch up with rarities including a
Pine Warbler that was coming to a feeder at a private residence in Granby and an
Eastern Phoebe overwintering in Hadley plus others. By the
end of the month I had found a record setting 93 species in the county...a testament to the mildness of the year with several lingering species.
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| Pine Warbler, Granby, MA, Feb 2, 2020 |
February began much in the same way January ended with above normal temperatures and several lingering species including both
Pine and Yellow rumped Warblers among others.
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| Santa Marta Antbird, Cerro Kenedy Oriente, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020 |
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| Crowned Woodnymph, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020 |
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| Blue naped Chlorophonia, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020 |
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| White lored Warbler, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020 |
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| Sunrise over Pico Cristobal Colon, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Golden breasted Fruiteater, El Dorado Reserve, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Santa Marta Warbler, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Santa Marta Parakeet, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Yellow crowned Redstart, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Black backed Thornbill, El Dorado Reserve, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Blue capped Tanager, El Dorado Reserve, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Santa Marta Woodstar, Bellavista, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Barred Forest Falcon, Finca Palo Alto, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 6, 2020 |
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| Steely vented Hummingbird, Hotel Minca, Minca, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 6, 2020 |
I headed down to the
Santa Marta Mountains in northern Colombia on February 3rd and stayed until the 7th and added loads of new species (59 species to be exact) including the three endemic species of
warblers. It was a trip I have wanted to make for quite awhile and it didn't disappoint. Unfortunately I caught a cold on my way home which knocked me down for a bit.
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| Common Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 16, 2020 |
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| Red winged Blackbirds, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Feb 23, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Feb 23, 2020 |
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| White crowned Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Feb 25, 2020 |
Once I was back home (at least for a short time!) I caught up with a number of continued rarities and lingering species on what was quickly shaping up to be a record breaking warm and snow free winter but my time outside well through the
middle of the month was greatly curtailed by my cold. By late in the month I was feeling better and got out a bit more and had some great mornings including one where I had a record setting number of
warblers for the month of February.
Waterfowl started to arrive late in the month but I didn't stick around for the end of the month as I headed out again to the tropics to end the month.
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| Barbuda Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020 |
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| Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020 |
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| Cape May Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020 |
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| Common Ground Dove and Zenaida Dove, McKinnon's Saltpond, Antigua, Feb 29, 2020 |
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| White cheeked Pintail, McKinnon's Saltpond, Antigua, Feb 29, 2020 |
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| Gray Kingbird, McKinnon's Saltpond, Antigua, Feb 29, 2020 |
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| Cattle Egret, McKinnon's Saltpond, Antigua, Mar 1, 2020 |
I ended the month of February with a multi stop trip down south with my first stop to
Antigua and Barbuda with the main purpose being to finally get over to see the Barbuda Warbler. It was a successful trip with great views of the Barbuda Warbler and other
warblers too. After my adventure on Antigua and Barbuda it was off to Grand Cayman to continue the vacation.
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| Swainson's Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020 |
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| Vitelline Warbler, Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020 |
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| Cuban Parrot (Cayman Island), Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020 |
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| Cuban Bullfinch (Cayman Island), Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 5, 2020 |
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| West Indian Woodpecker, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020 |
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| Yucatan Vireo, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020 |
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| Blue winged Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020 |
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| Caribbean Dove, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020 |
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| Western Spindalis (Cayman Island), Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020 |
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| Northern Flicker (Grand Cayman), Old Man Bay, Grand Cayman, Mar 3, 2020 |
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| White crowned Pigeon, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020 |
I arrived in
Grand Cayman late in the evening on March 1 and we stayed on the north side of the island through March 7. I had several target birds there and I found all of them fairly quickly plus I turned up a number of rarities for the island during my time there ending up with half a dozen life birds for the trip. I mostly hit the very active Mastic Trail that was super productive for
warblers plus other species.
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| Greater White fronted Goose, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 8, 2020 |
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| Ring necked Ducks, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Mar 11, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 18, 2020 |
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| Northern Shoveler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 25, 2020 |
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| Brown Creeper, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 31, 2020 |
We arrived back home before the Coronavirus pandemic really hit and work got a bit crazy. Nonetheless I still managed to get out a bit throughout March and found some
waterfowl plus continued
Yellow rumped Warblers and more waterfowl.
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| Hooded Merganser, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 5, 2020 |
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| Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 10, 2020 |
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| Glossy Ibis (with Mallard and Eastern Coyote), North Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020 |
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| Western Tanager, Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020 |
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| Canada Geese, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 19, 2020 |
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| Wild Turkey, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 21, 2020 |
April began with a major uptick in the impact from the pandemic as more and more places began to be closed to the public and I worked some overtime (and had to go through the whole testing process when I developed symptoms). Among the places closed during the month was Quabbin Park but thankfully due to some political pressure this decision was reversed and the park was opened up toward the end of the month. Waterfowl continued to arrive but with warmer weather and good migration conditions early in the month many birds moved rapidly past. At the end of the
first week of the month I had a record early Louisiana Waterthrush plus continued Red Crossbills (Type 1) and Evening Grosbeaks in Williamsburg. The middle of the month brought cooler and rainier conditions which continued through the end of the month. All was not lost with the change in weather as a rainy day brought me a new
yard species (Bonaparte's Gull-#167) plus a
Glossy Ibis and best of all a new Hampshire County species for me with a
Western Tanager in Amherst (county species #297)
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| Common Loons and a Red throated Loon, Winsor Dam, May 1, 2020 |
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| American Redstart, Quabbin Park, May 3, 2020 |
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| Black throated Blue Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020 |
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| Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, May 15, 2020 |
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| Olive sided Flycatcher, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2020 |
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| Oddly plumaged Black and White Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 19, 2020 |
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| Pied billed Grebes (adult feeding young), Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, May 20, 2020 |
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| Clay colored Sparrow, Orchard Arboretum, Amherst, MA, May 20, 2020 |
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| Hooded Mergansers leaving nest box #2, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 27, 2020 |
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| Scarlet Tanager, Quabbin Park, MA, May 11, 2020 |
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| Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Quabbin Park, MA, May 11, 2020 |
The month of May started off with a big fallout of
loons at Winsor Dam with 91 Common Loons and a Red throated Loon (plus other species). The remainder of the
first week of May continued to be rather slow for migrants with less than ideal conditions for migration but there were certainly birds around. A big surprise for May was
snow on the 9th...a very unusual occurrence but exactly what I would expect with how odd 2020 has been. By the
middle of the month there was finally a big influx of migrants and also a few
unusual species around including Clay colored Sparrow, Least Bitterns and breeding
Pied billed Grebes at Lake Wallace. At the end of the month my nesting
Hooded Mergansers had successful nesting season once again.
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| Common Tern, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 5, 2020 |
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| Wood Duck, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 6, 2020 |
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| Hooded Warbler, Hadley, MA, Jun 7, 2020 |
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| Tree Swallow nest with young, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 10, 2020 |
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| Chimney Swift, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 13, 2020 |
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| Pied billed Grebe, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 21, 2020 |
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| Eastern Kingbird at nest, Lake Warner, Hadley, MA, Jun 23, 2020 |
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| Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 28, 2020 |
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| Common Tern, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Jun 30, 2020 |
The beginning of June featured a two tern morning on
the 5th with both Common Tern and Black Tern. A
Hooded Warbler finally showed up for me on the 7th in Hadley (perhaps the same individual recorded on the top of the ridge a couple weeks before?). The rest of June featured lots of
nesting activity as migration for the most part came to an end. The very end of the month brought yet another
Common Tern for the month. The ongoing Covid 19 pandemic curtailed my usual bird surveys with the Breeding Bird Atlas cancelled for the year but I did the
survey anyway and had another good year. I also made it up to Kevin's place to conduct the annual survey there as well as conduct a few surveys on the Prescott Peninsula.
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| Canada Warbler, Pelham, MA, Jul 1, 2020 |
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| Peregrine Falcons, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jul 1, 2020 |
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| Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 12, 2020 |
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| Red breasted Nuthatch, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jul 18, 2020 |
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| Least Bittern juvenile, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 19, 2020 |
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| Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jul 21, 2020 |
I started off the normally slow month of July with a
big day for warblers and I got a total of 19 species of warbler (with 104 total species for the day). The month featured the first tropical system of the year with the remnants of
Tropical Storm Fay moving through but producing little in the way of bird activity. The month also produced a few more rare breeding records with
Blue Grosbeak and Least Bittern confirmed breeding in the county.
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| Veery, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 1, 2020 |
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| Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020 |
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| Semipalmated Sandpipers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020 |
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| Blue winged Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2020 |
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| Indigo Bunting and Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 12, 2020 |
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| Glossy Ibis, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Aug 15, 2020 |
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| Little Blue Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 16, 2020 |
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| Black crowned Night Heron, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Aug 21, 2020 |
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| Blue Grosbeak carrying food for young, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 22, 2020 |
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| Red breasted Nuthatch, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 25, 2020 |
August started off productively with a
90 species day on the first and continued lingering rarities. The active tropical season produced another storm that impacted the area on the 4th with the arrival of
Tropical Storm Isaias which brought some storm driven birds into the area and knocked out power for three days at home. A long overdue
Blue winged Warbler finally showed up in the yard after 15 years of looking! The middle of the month produced some unusual waders with a
Glossy Ibis and a
Little Blue Heron showing up. Toward the end of the month a very cooperative
Black crowned Night Heron showed up at Arcadia and the ongoing influx of
Red breasted Nuthatches and Red Crossbills continued.
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| Red Crossbill (Type 10), Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 1, 2020 |
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| Yellow throated Vireo, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 1, 2020 |
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| Red breasted Nuthatch, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 4, 2020 |
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| Sanderling, Arcadia (in Oxbow), Northampton, MA, Sep 6, 2020 |
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| Dickcissel, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 9, 2020 |
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| Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 12, 2020 |
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| American Golden Plover, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 13, 2020 |
Black bellied Plover, Hadley, MA, Sep 16, 2020
Cape May Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 20, 2020
Lincoln's Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2020
Barred Owl, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 25, 2020
American Coot, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 30, 2020
September started off with a continued influx of
Red breasted Nuthatches and Red Crossbills and a hint of additional irruptives as the month wore on including Purple Finches and Pine Siskins. The
first week of the month featured a nice selection of migrants (except warblers) as well as a few rarities including a Sanderling that remained at the Oxbow for several days. September 11th turned out to be a fantastic birding day with two
extreme rarities in the county. The first was a Laughing Gull that I found at the Oxbow (only my second ever in the county with the other just a few weeks earlier). The second was a Red Phalarope that was found close into shore at Goodnough Dike at Quabbin Park (part of a very unusual influx of the species into western mass). This was only the second Red Phalarope I have ever had in the county. The middle of the month produced a few unusual birds including multiple Dickcissels and both American Golden Plover and Black bellied Plover. The middle and end of the month featured some great migration days and I ended the
record setting month with a total of 169 species.
Prairie Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 5, 2020
Dickcissel, North Hadley, MA, Oct 6, 2020
Connecticut Warbler, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Oct 6, 2020
Brant, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 8, 2020
Surf Scoter (R) and Black Scoter (L), Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 12, 2020
Red throated Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 12, 2020
Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 14, 2020
Orange crowned Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 14, 2020
Cattle Egret, Meadow St, Amherst, MA, Oct 16, 2020
The
first week of October featured some good birds including my best looks at a Connecticut Warbler for the fall plus a few unusual species. By mid month the remnant of
Hurricane Delta brought in a decent selection of waterfowl over the course of a few days. In addition more rarities showed up including a Barnacle Goose (no photos of the one) and a Cattle Egret.
Lark Sparrow, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 24, 2020
Franklin's Gull, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Oct 26, 2020
Dunlin, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Oct 26, 2020
A few days in the fourth week of the month produced some great rarities including
Lark Sparrow and
Franklin's Gull and a few species of shorebirds.
Purple Sandpiper, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 30, 2020
Wilson at the beginning of the snow, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020
The initial part of an early season snowfall, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020
The end of October brought with it some unseasonable cold weather and a few inches of snow (thankfully it was not a repeat of the
2011 October storm that left us without power for a week). The storm brought in an incredible bird for the valley when Ted found a
Purple Sandpiper to the Holyoke Dam. The sandpiper was my 300th Hampshire County species ever...not an easy feat for an inland county in Massachusetts and I was very happy to have a first county record be the 300th species for me.
Pine Siskins, Purple Finch and American Goldfinch, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Nov 5, 2020Moose, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Nov 5, 2020
Belted Kingfisher, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 7, 2020
Common Redpolls, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, 9, 2020
Magnolia Warbler, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Nov 9, 2020
Tennessee Warbler, Hadley, MA, Nov 11, 2020
Although November started off much the same way October had ended with cold conditions and a little snow it rapidly swung in the the opposite direction with a long stretch of record setting warm days that came to an end around the 11th. The warmer weather certainly kept more species around and among the many highlights was a record setting number of warblers. The entire month also featured an impressive collection of irruptive species.
Barnacle Goose with Canada Geese, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 23, 2020
Red Crossbills Type 10, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 28, 2020
Northern Shrike, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Nov 29, 2020
Fisher, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Nov 29, 2020
As the month wore on the temperatures continued to drop and felt more like late fall. On a foggy morning on the 23rd I had a big surprise at Winsor Dam when I had a
Barnacle Goose fly by with a group of Canada Geese. Other highlights for the end of the month included a
Summer Tanager that showed up sporadically in a built up neighborhood in Northampton, more iruptives and the best looks I have ever had an adult Fisher. Overall I had a
record breaking 122 species for the month in Hampshire County which blew away my previous record.
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 1, 2020
Marsh Wren, Pines Edge Conservation Area, Northampton, MA, Dec 3, 2020
'Ipswich' Savannah Sparrow, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Dec 11, 2020
Sage Thrasher, Hatfield, MA, Dec 14, 2020
Wilson enjoying the snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 17, 2020
Eastern Phoebe, Hadley, MA, Dec 21, 2020Yellow throated Warbler, Lancaster, MA, Dec 24, 2020
Red headed Woodpecker, Northampton, MA, Dec 30, 2020
December
began with a number of unusual around including a couple Marsh Wrens, Yellow rumped Warblers, Golden Eagle, Bonaparte's Gull and a few species of waterfowl. While looking for sparrows in the early part of the month I could an
'Ipswich' Savannah Sparrow (as well as other unusual sparrows). The biggest surprise by far was a
Sage Thrasher that was discovered in Hatfield...not a species I would have ever expected to see in the county. The middle of the month featured a fairly large snowfall but thankfully the snow was mostly gone by the end of the month. Although I had to work on the day of the Northampton CBC again I was able to add some species for
count week. I also made a trip out to Worcester County on Christmas Eve day to see a
Yellow throated Warbler (a warbler species I had not yet seen in the state. The last few days of the year I spent tracking down some continued rarities including a Red headed Woodpecker and set up my strategy for birding once the new year arrives. Hopefully I will get to travel out of the area to more tropical locations at some point this upcoming year but who knows.
