Ruddy Ducks and a Red throated Loon today in the rain brought north by Hurricane Matthew

Ruddy Ducks, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 9, 2016

Ruddy Ducks, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 9, 2016

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2016

Red tailed Hawk, Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2016

Merlin, Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2016

Blue winged Teal and Green winged Teal, Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2016

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 9, 2016

Although the forecast called for rain late in the day the day turned out to be rainy the entire time with the rain getting harder as the day wore on.  The wind out of the northeast continued to pick up as well.  The moisture stream from Hurricane Matthew made it a little further than predicted yesterday which led to the conditions here today.  The weather resulted in a number of notable sightings over the course of the day for myself as well as others.  I stayed around the south Quabbin area with a few visits to Winsor Dam, Beaver Lake and Lake Wallace early in the AM.  Beaver Lake was quiet but Lake Wallace had some decent stuff including a dozen plus Green winged Teal and a single Blue winged Teal as well as a late Green Heron still hanging around.  A few raptors around there as well including a Merlin.  Initially Winsor Dam didn't have much but a visit a little later in the morning (around 8:15) turned up three Ruddy Ducks (a species that is oddly quite tough to find in the county) and the Ruddy Ducks became species #226 for Hampshire County for the year. I returned home as the weather deteriorated further.

Red necked Grebe, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 9, 2016

Red necked Grebes, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 9, 2016

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 9, 2016

After doing some work around the house I checked to see what other people were seeing around in the rainy weather and quickly saw some reports of unusual waterfowl (including Surf Scoters, White winged Scoters, Lesser Scaup, Horned Grebe and Pied billed Grebe in the Berkshires and Surf Scoters at Gate 35 at Quabbin) so I headed back over to Winsor Dam early in the afternoon where I found the three Ruddy Ducks still present as well as three Red necked Grebes and half a dozen Common Loons.  As I watched the grebes a loon flew into view and I immediately knew it was not a Common Loon.  Smaller overall with a white face and neck and slight build compared to a Common Loon....a Red throated Loon!  Another new species for the county this year...#227.  I was able to watch it fly around in front of the dam before disappearing off to the southeast and it was too quickly past and the rain was coming down too heavy to get any photos.  I also checked the area of Goodnough Dike and turned up a single Horned Grebe but not much else.  I then returned to Winsor Dam a few more times during the rest of the afternoon and eventually ended up with a high count of at least seven Red necked Grebes after the rain stopped.  Other notable species that showed up in the general area included 11 Common Terns in Pittsfield, which is very unusual for fall.  It should clear out overnight with a north wind which will continue all day tomorrow so I suspect more waterfowl will arrive with scoters one of many possibilities (I have yet to see any this year so far.)


Elsewhere a few more hurricane related birds have made appearances including an inland Brown Booby and Leach's Storm Petrel at a lake in Georgia and a number of tropical terns (Sooty and Bridled Terns) along the coast in Georgia and South Carolina.

Foggy morning in Hadley and the latest update on Hurricane Matthew

Common Yellowthroat, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 8, 2016

Savannah Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 8, 2016

Palm Warbler, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 8, 2016

Lincoln's Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 8, 2016

Chipping Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 8, 2016

Hermit Thrush, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 8, 2016

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 8, 2016

I spent a foggy morning at the Honey Pot and although I didn't find anything too unusual there were lots of sparrows around as well as some warblers (among other stuff).  It actually looked like the fog might burn off not long after the sun came up but then the fog just got thicker and thicker and was still not burned off when I left around 9:30.  I also hung up a hummingbird feeder at 'That's a Plenty Farm' (with the owners permission) that hopefully will keep a vagrant hummer that shows up there...hopefully. Full list from the morning here:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31946338

Black and White Warbler, Belchertown Land Trust trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 8, 2016

Black and White Warbler, Belchertown Land Trust trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 8, 2016

A walk with Wilson along the land trust trail in Belchertown turned up a somewhat late Black and White Warbler among the other more expected species.  I was pleasantly surprised that I got some decent shots of the bird with my new phone through my binoculars. I have actually managed to find ten species of warbler in the last two days which I'm quite happy with.

As expected the reports of hurricane related birds from down in the southeast continue to increase today with the landfall of Hurricane Matthew in South Carolina.  I have not been able to come across much from that area as of now but the latest Florida reports include a well photographed Black capped Petrel on a lake near Gainesville today (providing a second county record there) and a possible Caribbean Martin in the keys.  I'm sure something else unusual will show up in the carolinas and I will post when I hear about anything else.