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.

Warm weather continues

Nashville Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 20, 2017

Palm Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 20, 2017

Monarch, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 20, 2017

Swamp Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2017

Song Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2017

White throated Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2017

White crowned Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2017

Orange crowned Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2017

Our warmer than normal fall conditions have continued into this week with highs getting into the 70's on multiple days.  We had a brief cool down early in the week with some frost and northerly winds which brought in the first real push of waterfowl but the cool down was short lived.  The warmth should stick around through the weekend into early next week before a pattern shift brings in some rain and cooler temperatures.  I have enjoyed the last few mornings exploring a variety of spots including Arcadia and Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River.  Lots of sparrows plus some lingering warblers have been in evidence both mornings.  Full lists with additional photos attached below:

Silvio Conte NWR
Arcadia

Winter Wren, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 18, 2017

At home the activity at the water feature continues to drop but I nonetheless managed to add another species...a Winter Wren.

Orchard Hill and Honeypot after large migration last night

American Redstart, Orchard Hill UMASS Amherst, Sept 16, 2012

Tennessee Warbler (best shot I could get of three present),Orchard Hill UMASS Amherst, Sept 16, 2012

Nashville Warbler, Orchard Hill UMASS Amherst, Sept 16, 2012

Common Yellowthroat, Orchard Hill UMASS Amherst, Sept 16, 2012

House Finch, Orchard Hill UMASS Amherst, Sept 16, 2012

With the expectation of some great migration last night I headed over to orchard hill to meet up with Ian Davies. We spent about four hours on the hill and had a nice selection of birds including at least three Tennessee Warblers, two Cape May Warblers, several Scarlet Tanagers (one of which sang 20 minutes before sunrise when the temperature was 42 degrees!), all six expected woodpecker species, at least 27 Purple Finch, Merlin, etc...the numbers were not as high as expected given the large migration event overnight but the diversity made up for the lower numbers overall.  My eBird list for the day is here:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S11593088

Scott Surner caught up with us here and we birded with him (and another UMASS student) for the last couple hours there.

Monarch, Honeypot, Hadley, Sept 16, 2012

After orchard hill we headed over to the honeypot in Hadley.  Although not as productive as some of our past trips there it was still good with several species of sparrow including Lincoln's, Field and Savannah Sparrow plus junco.  Still an Indigo Bunting there as well as Bobolink.  We also had three American Pipit.  There were quite a few raptors moving by late morning including Red shouldered, Broad winged, Red tailed, Cooper's and Sharp shinned Hawks as well as American Kestrel.  I'll bet it was a good day to be at a hawk watch site but the extensive blue skies probably made it difficult to spot some of the birds.  I'm also willing to bet some of the hawk watch sites will report good numbers of Blue Jays migrating today as we had quite a few of them everywhere we went.

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S11593087

Oilve sided Flycatcher, Jabish Canal, Belchertown, Sept 16, 2012 (iPhone shot through binoculars)

Once I got home I picked up Wilson and we went on a walk along the Jabish Canal.  Highlight there would be an Olive sided Flycatcher hunting from the dead snags in the swamp.  I attempted a photo through the binoculars with my iPhone.  Not the best but perhaps with a little imagination you can see the bird.

Fruitless search for new shorebirds but did find some raptors

Osprey, Quabbin Park, August 18, 2012

Bald Eagle, Quabbin Park, August 18, 2012

Old Pilgrim Airport fields, Hatfield, Ma, Aug 18, 2012

I started off this raining Saturday looking for shorebirds that had been grounded overnight but didn't have much luck despite a lot of looking.  I started predawn at the Belchertown state school fields and had 9 Killdeer.  I then drove over to the East Meadows in Northampton. The drive through there with several stops produced only two Least Sandpipers.  The swallow numbers however were quite impressive here (as well as other stops today).  There were several hundred in flight at once with most being Tree Swallows with a smaller number of Barn and Bank. I then headed up through Hatfield to the Whately line.  The only productive area for shorebirds was the old Pilgrim Airport which had 30+ Killdeer.  It looked like the shorebird search was a bust but worth the try nonetheless.  I decided to stay over in the Hadley/Amherst area with various stops including Silvio Conte NWR/Moody Bridge Rd, UMASS and the Amherst business park.  As mentioned in the title there were some decent raptors around including American Kestrel, Red shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk and Turkey Vulture in the Moody Bridge Road area and a Peregrine Falcon perched above the UMASS campus pond.  As usual this year, I missed finding any Black Vultures on this trip.  In the Amherst business park I stopped at a small man made wetland (water run off pond) that looked promising for rails but came up empty.  There was a Double-crested Cormorant there as well as a small group of passerines including a Warbling Vireo that easily could have been mistaken for a Philadelphia Vireo but once it sang that possibility ended.

Hairy Woodpecker, Quabbin Park, August 18, 2012

Monarch, Quabbin Park, August 18, 2012

Canada Goose with leg tag, unable to get entire number sequence, Quabbin Park, August 18, 2012

After lunch I decided to head over to Quabbin Park to check out a new trail that was recently completed there which runs from the HQ building through the woods down to the Swift River and back.  A nice walk with several good birds including at least three Red Crossbills (too far away to get any good photos or audio), two Osprey, at least a dozen Turkey Vultures, one Bald Eagle, a Brown Thrasher and others.

This evening at home in an hour of nighthawk watching I managed to see just one lone bird heading southwest...not a big night of movement for them here.