Tropical Storm Isaias post

Black bellied Plover, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020

Semipalmated Sandpipers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020

Semipalmated Sandpipers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020

Semipalmated Plovers with Semipalmated Sandpipers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020

Semipalmated Plovers with Semipalmated Sandpipers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020

Jaeger species, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020

Finally getting around to a post regarding the recent passage of Tropical Storm Isaias that hit the area Tuesday afternoon into the evening (been without power for three days following the storm). The storm initially made a US landfall in the Carolinas and then tracked north, northeast with the center passing through eastern New York and then up into Canada (the actual track drifted a bit more west than predicted). The winds here were at tropical storm strength when the storm roared into western Massachusetts and there was widespread tree damage and power outages. Despite the storm tracking overland for an extended period it still brought in some impressive showings of pelagic birds (plus other rarities). The jackpot area in western Massachusetts was the Berkshires (being closer to the east side of the eye is always best).

The best spot in Hampshire County was once again Winsor Dam which produced a number of unusual species including a juvenile Laughing Gull with two Ring billed Gulls, a distant jaeger species that was either a Parasitic or Long tailed Jaeger, two Ruddy Turnstones, three Semipalmated Plovers flying past with a small group of Semipalmated Sandpipers, 113 Semipalmated Sandpipers and 13 Least Sandpipers.  Oddly the only report of unusual species along the Connecticut River were four Sterna terns seen around 8PM at the Oxbow in Northampton (the birds were photographed but the distance and low light made an ID impossible and they were not present the next morning).  I had a rather unusual for the area Upland Sandpiper flying over at the Honey Pot early on the morning of Tuesday...tough to say if it was connected to the storm or not but nice to have nonetheless. Also present at a few different locations were Red Crossbills that have made an incursion into the area starting at the very end of July and continuing through early August. So far the vast majority have been Type 10.

In Hampden County the only storm related sighting so far was of a grounded (and obviously distressed) Sooty Tern seen along the banks of the Connecticut River in Longmeadow on Wednesday morning.

Franklin County apparently totally missed out on any storm related birds but not sure if this is due to rarities not being present or just lack of coverage.

As mentioned above the jackpot area in western Massachusetts was the Berkshires which had a very nice selection of species including the following listed below:

Onota Lake: 4 Sooty Terns

Pontoosuc Lake: 18 Sooty Terns (with at least one continued into the next day), phalarope species (possibly Red necked Phalarope)

The initial reports out of the Berkshires included some fantastic sightings including Brown Noddy, South Polar Skua, Long tailed and Parasitic Jaegers and Black Swift but subsequent research apparently proved all these initial reports wrong.

There were a few more unusual species just to our east in Worcester County with at least two Sooty Terns (with one continuing into today), Whimbrel, and Red necked Phalarope.

More information on storm related bird sightings can be found at the Birdcast link.

Continued rarities the last couple days

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 2, 2020

Great Egret, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Aug 3, 2020

Wood Duck, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Aug 3, 2020

Great Blue Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2020

Green Herons, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2020

I have caught with a few more the lingering rarities that have been around for weeks including at least two Blue Grosbeaks in the Honey Pot on Sunday morning and then a Least Bittern and Marsh Wren at Great Pond this morning.  The numbers and variety of waders continues to increase with lots of post breeding bird but so far nothing too out of the ordinary although there have been several Little Blue Herons just to the south in Hampden County.  Perhaps the upcoming tropical system will entice them to come just a little further north.  The storm (Isaias is currently a strong tropical storm but is forecast to become a hurricane once again before making landfall in the carolinas and then continuing northeastward through the mid Atlantic and then into the northeast with the storm forecast to be just to our west tracking through far western Massachusetts late Tuesday into Wednesday.  The worst of the storm looks to arrive overnight Tuesday around here and may indeed bring in some unusual birds but I would not expect lots of pelagic birds as it will be tracking mainly overland after making landfall in the carolinas.  There is certainly the chance of pelagic birds but the more likely species would including migrating shorebirds forced down or near shore species such as gulls and terns getting pushed inland.

The last week or so around here plus an update on an upcoming hurricane

Great Blue Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 31, 2020

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 31, 2020

To finish out the month of July I stuck close to home with visits to Lake Wallace and a couple spots at Quabbin.  Nothing unusual but quite a few young birds around still being fed by adults.  We finally broke out of the multi day heat wave today with temps that only made it to the 80's. 

The tropics continue to be active and there is now a hurricane (Hurricane Isaias) near the Turks and Caicos Islands and moving northwest toward the Bahamas.  It is forecast to move just offshore of Florida before then moving northeast with impacts along the Carolina coast and then possibly into the northeast.  There are still more questions then answers with this storm and the latest guidance keeps the storm just offshore of New England (as a tropical storm) but we almost certainly get some rain and perhaps some wind out of the storm with impacts starting on Tuesday and continuing into Wednesday.  The uncertainty with the track is large enough at this point that the storm could have a much bigger impact here but the picture on that will become clearer over the next couple days as the storm moves closer.  I will update as needed if the storm looks to hit the area.

Great Egret, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jul 30, 2020

Great Blue Heron, Lake Warner, Hadley, MA, Jul 30, 2020

I had a few minutes on my way to work on Wednesday morning and made brief stops at Lake Warner (looking for a Black crowned Nigh Heron) and then over to the Honey Pot.  No luck finding anything unusual but I didn't have a lot of time to look around.  After getting out of work on Thursday morning I made my way down to Arcadia again before yet another stop over to Lake Warner.

Great Blue Great Blue Heron, Lake Warner, Hadley, MA, Jul 28, 2020

Great Blue Heron, Lake Warner, Hadley, MA, Jul 28, 2020

On Monday before work I stopped at Lake Warner searching for a reported juvenile Black crowned Night Heron but I didn't manage to find it.  Always a tough to find this species there without a boat or kayak as there are only limited areas that can be viewed from publicly accessible areas.
After work on Tuesday I had to run some errands in Chicopee and on the way I stopped off at Arcadia and then down to the Holyoke Dam.  Nothing too unusual at either spot but always worth a check as birds start dispersing after breeding.

Green Heron, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 26, 2020

Green Heron, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 26, 2020

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 26, 2020

I took advantage of some cooler temperatures in the morning on Sunday before the next heat wave began with temps eventually reaching the low 90's.  I didn't have a lot of time so decided to make a brief stop at Winsor Dam before heading over to the rail trail to try again to catch up with the Least Bitterns (no luck with the bitterns despite looking in several areas).  I did have some very cooperative Green Herons as well as other expected species.

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 25, 2020

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 25, 2020

Virginia Rail, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 25, 2020

I was not sure where to head out on Saturday morning but I got an email from a couple of birders that wanted to join me for a morning at Lake Wallace to try and find some species they had not yet seen so I decided to head there early in the morning to meet them and we had great luck finding them the species they were after as well as some mammals.  We then made the short drive over to Gate 5 at Quabbin and we added some more species for them.  Always fun to get some lifers for people.

Belted Kingfisher, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 24, 2020

Belted Kingfisher, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 24, 2020

Last Friday morning I hit a few spots including Lake Wallace and Gate 5.  Nothing too unusual around but I got some great looks at a variety of species including an unusually cooperative Belted Kingfisher that had just caught a fish.  Video of the kingfisher with fish attached below:
Belted Kingfisher video 

Spotted Sandpiper, Hatfield, MA, Jul 23, 2020

After some thunderstorms overnight into Thursday the 23rd I had hopes of finding some downed shorebirds up in Hatfield but unfortunately the river was just too high to have any mudflats exposed and all the farm fields were still filled with crops.  The best I could turn up were some Spotted Sandpipers.  I also checked a variety of spot along the river all the way down to the Holyoke Dam without anything too unusual beyond at least three Osprey and the continued large gathering of Chimney Swifts around the dam.

Broad necked Wood Borer, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 25, 2020

Striped Skunk, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 26, 2020

Blue Jay, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 25, 2020

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 24, 2020

The cameras at the house have continued to catch a few critters plus I have found a few more on my own including a very interesting looking insect.