Mid August continues my record pace for the month with a number of rarities around

Dickcissel, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2023

Dawn, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2023

House Wren nestlings in nest, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2023

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 10, 2023

Prairie Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Gray Catbird, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Ovenbird, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Dawn, Pelham Overlook, Pelham, MA, Aug 12, 2023

White tailed Deer, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Aug 12, 2023

Chestnut sided Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Aug 12, 2023

Prairie Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 12, 2023

Blue headed Vireo, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 12, 2023

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 13, 2023

Least Sandpipers, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 14, 2023

Semipalmated Plover, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 14, 2023

Solitary Sandpiper, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 14, 2023

The middle of August has now arrived and my record setting pace for the month in Hampshire County continues with an amazing 147 species so far.  This total is only five species away from my highest total ever for August, which I reached back in 2021, with half the month remaining to find more species.   I have continued to work a bit of overtime through the middle of month but I try to get out at least a little each day (even if just for a few minutes before work).  There have been a few rarities around including the continued Blue Grosbeaks in Hadley that have had another successful year of breeding as well as a very early Dickcissel (also in Hadley) plus a Marsh Wren in Belchertown and an early Northern Shoveler in Northampton.  The large influx of Red Crossbills of multiple calls Types also continues unabated (more on the ongoing irruption at the Finch Research Network).  Fairly good numbers of shorebirds have continued to take advantage of the habitat created following the floods in later July and it is just a matter of time before more unusual shorebirds show up. 

The tropics continue to be very quiet in the Atlantic but the latest prediction from NOAA actually upped the projected number of storms in the Atlantic despite the onset of El Nino.  We shall see how this pans out over the next couple months.

SMITH'S LONGSPUR in Hadley!

 

Smith's Longspur, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Dec 12, 2022

Smith's Longspur, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Dec 12, 2022

Smith's Longspur, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Dec 12, 2022

Smith's Longspur, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Dec 12, 2022

Smith's Longspur, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Dec 12, 2022

Smith's Longspur, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Dec 12, 2022

Smith's Longspur, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Dec 12, 2022

Smith's Longspur, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Dec 12, 2022

I certainly did not expect to see a life bird in Hadley today but that is indeed what happened.  After cleaning up after our first snowstorm of the season that dropped around 4-5 inches of snow I got a call from Scott in the early afternoon.  I missed the call but when I listened to the message and heard he had a probable Smith's Longspur in Hadley I was out the door heading that way.  I made a call to him on the way and the bird sounded like it was indeed a Smith's Longspur.  I arrived to find several other birders present along a somewhat busy stretch of road in the Honey Pot section of Hadley.  The bird showed back up right after I arrived and returned to its favored spot right along the edge of the road where it fed in small areas where the snow had melted.  It would occasionally be flushed up by passing cars but usually it stayed put, even with traffic passing by within a foot of the bird.  When it did flush it would fly off giving a rattle call and occasionally join up briefly with the large flocks of Horned Larks present.  It would always return to the same small area along the road within a few minutes (or at least it did while I was there viewing it).  At one point a Red tailed Hawk swooped in and almost nailed the bird (odd as the Red tailed Hawks seldom seem to try for the numerous Horned Larks, Snow Buntings and occasional Lapland Longspurs that overwinter in the area).  How long will the bird stay?  Who knows but prior state records of the species have been seen over multiple days so hopefully it continues.  However with its behavior hanging on the edge of a busy road and lots of raptors in the area I have my doubts on its long term survival at the location.  I took lots of photos and more can be found at the following link: Smith's Longspur.  Thanks to Scott for finding the bird and alerting everyone to its presence.

The species nests in the high Arctic and then migrates down the center of the US and Canada and overwinters in northeast Texas, eastern Oklahoma, most of Arkansas and small parts of Nebraska and Missouri and was not a species on my radar for showing up here as a vagrant.  There are just a handful of records for the species in Massachusetts with no prior records from western Massachusetts.  The bird becomes species #305 for me in Hampshire County and life bird #1704.  It is my third new Hampshire County species this year, following a Common Eider in November and Arctic Terns in May.

A frigid and snowing end of January

Snow Bunting, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jan 31, 2022

Horned Larks and a few Snow Buntings, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jan 31, 2022

Eastern Coyote, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jan 31, 2022

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Easthampton, MA, Jan 31, 2022

A nearly totally frozen reservoir at Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 31, 2022

Hermit Thrush, Piper Farm Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Jan 31, 2022

Purple Finch, Piper Farm Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Jan 31, 2022

Wilson enjoying the snow, Piper Farm Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Jan 31, 2022

Hermit Thrush, Piper Farm Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Jan 28, 2022

I recently returned from a long trip down to Costa Rica (lots of info and photos on that in a post later) and found myself in the heart of winter here.  The days since I have returned have been bitter cold with multiple nights below zero and high temps in the teens to 20's with a snow storm on Saturday which brought us about 8" of new snow.  I have gotten out birding a few days but not too much.  I have added a few species for the year but have not even bothered looking for a few other rarities around.  I had a Greater Scaup with some Ring necked Ducks at Winsor Dam before the entire area froze up.  A Hermit Thrush has been overwintering in Belchertown and I had both Gray Catbird and Yellow rumped Warblers at Arcadia this morning.  The flocks of both Horned Larks and Snow Buntings have been impressive in the fields along the river.  Hopefully we will get a reprieve from the frigid weather soon.

Western Kingbird today and rare shorebirds the last few days

Western Kingbird, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2021

Western Kingbird, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2021

Western Kingbird, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2021

Mourning Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2021

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2021

Philadelphia Vireo, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2021

Monarch, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2021

Philadelphia Vireo, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2021

The migration conditions last night into this morning were great and the radars were busy with birds with loads of flight calls heard every time I was able to listen.  Although I was functioning on very little sleep after a long shift at work I headed right out to see what I could find.  I decided to focus my energy at Arcadia trying to track down any recently arrived migrants (with the hopes of a Connecticut Warbler).  I hit a bunch of hedgerows and tree lines and found a few pockets of birds with highlights including three Philadelphia Vireos, a Great crested Flycatcher, loads of House Wrens and Common Yellowthroats, three Yellow Warblers, a Mourning Warbler and Dickcissel.  As I was walking back to my car to shed some of my water resistant (but too warm) clothes I caught a brief glimpse of a bird perched near the top of a small bush but mostly obstructed from view.  I could only see part of the head but knew it was something interesting.  I stepped about a foot to the left to try to get a better look at the bird at which point the bird turned showed a pale yellow belly and then it promptly flew off.  I decided to fire off as many photos as I could as it flew away for review later and eventually I got focus on the bird.  My initial impression was a Myiarchus flycatcher but my views were brief and I was not totally sure of the identification.  I got out the word to a number of birders I knew were nearby to have them be on the lookout for the bird.  I then spent the next hour and a half looking in vain for the bird.  Mary arrived just as I was leaving and I gave her the details I had.  I was totally beat at this point and didn't have a lot of energy left so I headed for home.  Not long after I got home I got a text from Mary saying she had a western type flycatcher in the general area I had my bird.  Although I really needed a nap I decided instead to review my photos and the shots clearly showed a Western Kingbird (only my third Hampshire County record of the species with my previous records in September 2003 and December 2004).  A number of other birders also found the bird independent of my sighting and many obtained some great photos.  I initially sighted the bird around 8:40am and it was then seen again by other about a half hour later and then continued to show on and off for the remainder of the day.  I was certainly happy that others were able to see this rarity.  Besides the birds there was an impressive showing of Monarch butterflies for the morning.

Buff breasted Sandpiper, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 10, 2021

Buff breasted Sandpiper, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 10, 2021

Buff breasted Sandpiper, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 10, 2021

Dawn, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 10, 2021

On my way to work on Friday morning I decided to spend my limited time trying to turn up some shorebirds following the passage of a front and some overnight rain. A few days before I had noticed a field in the Honey Pot that had been freshly tilled and decided to start my morning there. The field has produced Buff breasted Sandpipers in the past and this species was very high on my list of potential sightings for the morning. I got there before dawn and immediately started to scan the field. Within just a few minutes I found a Buff breasted Sandpiper working its way through the field. I watched it for a bit and then noticed a second individual! The birds would go in and out of view as they worked through the dips and furrows of the field (video in the eBird report linked above). I took my eyes off them for a bit while I checked some other fields nearby with the scope. I then noticed a couple harriers working their way through the fields and they must have flushed the sandpipers but I never heard or saw them leave. I searched for awhile to relocate the sandpipers after the harriers moved on but failed to find them again. Chuck and Joe also looked for awhile after I left and they also came up empty. This species is tough to come by in the county with years between sightings sometimes. I have had them on about half a dozen occasions before in the county and always between late August and the first third of September (with my sighting yesterday being the latest date I have had them in the county so far). 

Sanderling, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Sep 9, 2021

Sanderling, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Sep 9, 2021

Semipalmated Plover, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Sep 9, 2021

Late in the afternoon on a rainy Thursday I got a text regarding a Sanderling that was found below the Holyoke Dam in South Hadley by Craig. I decided to make the trip down there as the weather was rainy and I figured the bird would stick around. I made it down to the dam a bit before four and ran into Scott who was just leaving and he let me know the bird was still there. I made the quick walk down to the edge of the dam and set up the scope and had distant views of the Sanderling as it fed along the base of the dam near the spillway. Other shorebirds present included a Semipalmated Plover and a Spotted Sandpiper. After getting some distant photos and video I headed back to the car to go home and then ran across Mary and quickly got her on the bird. This was only my third Sanderling I have ever had in the county with previous sightings in July 2018 and September 2020...a very common shorebird on the coast but quite rare inland. 

Meanwhile the tropics continue to be active with Hurricane Larry hitting Newfoundland today and then continuing on toward Greenland as an extratropical system that will bring very heavy snow to Greenland.  There are a number of potential areas of development including a high chance of storm development in the western Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Africa as well as a low chance of development east of the Bahamas.  I expect a couple of new tropical system to develop in the next few days.

More shorebirds and successfully nesting Blue Grosbeaks

Lesser Yellowlegs, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 10, 2021

Killdeer, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 10, 2021

Horned Lark, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 10, 2021

Least Sandpipers, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 11, 2021

Horned Lark, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 11, 2021

The phalarope puddle in the East Meadows has continued to produce shorebirds the last couple mornings including a Lesser Yellowlegs yesterday and Least Sandpipers on both mornings.  I also had a Greater Yellowlegs flyover the area of the puddle but it never came into land.  So far the month has produced seven species of shorebird in the area of the puddle.  It will be interesting to see what other species show up over the next few months (assuming the puddle persists which seems likely in the short term given our ongoing rainy weather).  After hearing Horned Larks flying over the area of the meadows the last few weeks I finally got to see some in a freshly plowed field including some recently fledged juveniles over the last two days.

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jul 10, 2021

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jul 10, 2021

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jul 10, 2021

Approaching shower, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jul 10, 2021

After many trips to the Honey Pot area of Hadley checking on the Blue Grosbeaks that have been seen and heard there intermittently since May I finally found the nest.  Both adults were actively bringing food into the nest.  The nest was located in a short oak tree off the dike area and was very well camouflaged and tough to seen.  I hope the human activity in the area does not impact the success of the nest.  Other nesting species that I was able to follow up on including a Northern Mockingbird sitting on a nest and Brown Thrashers feeding large nestlings (video of the Brown Thrashers at the following link)

Virginia Rail, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 11, 2021

Virginia Rail, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 11, 2021

After my time in the East Meadows this morning I headed toward home with a brief stop off at Lake Wallace where the highlights included at least two Virginia Rails along the edge of the marsh.