Another birding program completed, closing of the water feature, a dangerous storm in the Caribbean and some late species

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 24, 2025

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 23, 2025

White throated Sparrow, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 23, 2025

Swamp Sparrow, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 23, 2025

Savannah Sparrow, Aqua Vitae Road, Hadley, MA, Oct 23, 2025

Common Mergansers, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 22, 2025

Common Loons, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 22, 2025

White throated Sparrow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Nothing too noteworthy for species the last few days as we continue into the fourth week of October and the weather continues to cool down (although I have had a few late species).  I did complete my second presentation to a birding group in the last two weeks with a program for the bird club at Smith College last night on "Birding in the late fall and winter in the valley".  This follows my program at the Hampshire Bird Club (Endemic Warblers of the Caribbean) on the 14th.  I have actually really enjoyed putting together programs and presenting them.  They have been well received and well attended and I look forward to doing more in the future. 

The forecast shows northerly winds for the next few days with cooling temps before the arrival of some rain to end out the month of October and I suspect this will push in some late fall waterfowl. Elsewhere in the world a tropical system (currently a TS named Melissa) sits in the Caribbean south of Jamaica and is likely to strengthen into a major hurricane but move very little for days and will be devastating to Jamacia, Haiti and likely Cuba with high winds, extremely heavy rain and storm surge.  Not a good scenario for wildlife or people in the above mentioned areas. 

I also closed up the water feature at the house today as winter closes in.  The last capture on the camera was a White throated Sparrow which seems an appropriate species to end with.

Snowy Egret this morning plus several other waders

Snowy Egret, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Aug 9, 2025

Snowy Egret, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Aug 9, 2025

Snowy Egret and Great Blue Heron, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Aug 9, 2025

Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Aug 9, 2025

Great Egret and Great Blue Heron, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Aug 9, 2025

Green Heron, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, Aug 9, 2025

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 9, 2025

Belted Kingfisher, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 9, 2025

White tailed Deer fawn, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Aug 9, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Golden crowned Kinglet, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Great Egret, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Green Herons, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2025

It has been a good few days for various wader species in the area with the highlight by far being a Snowy Egret that Theresa found yesterday and I was able to relocate early this morning.  I was up early and out the door to make a trip over to Lower Mill Pond in Easthampton.  I was there before sunrise and was rewarded with a flyby Black crowned Night Heron, which I was never able to relocate on the ground (almost certainly the same individual Theresa also found yesterday).  As I waited for the sun to rise a Great Egret flew in to join the Great Blue Herons and Green Herons already present.  The Great Egret was immediately followed by the Snowy Egret (five waders in perhaps 15 minutes...not bad at all in the valley!).  I got a number of digiscoped shots in the morning light.  I also checked Arcadia and the Holyoke Dam before heading back toward home with a stop off at Lake Wallace.  Yesterday I had my first Great Egret since spring time and also had my highest count so far this year of Green Herons at Lake Wallace with an impressive 31 individuals.   

I also spent some time yesterday exploring at Gate 8 at Quabbin in the quest to track down Red Crossbills and Golden crowned Kinglets for the month and I happily was quite successful with both species present as well as other species. 

In the last few weeks I have a total of eight species of waders with the most unusual among them being White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Least Bittern and the Snowy Egret.  I also had American Bittern in the spring and missed on a Little Blue Heron that showed up when I was unable to chase it...so a very good year for waders so far.

Hermit Thrush, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 7, 2025

Red winged Blackbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 7, 2025

Baltimore Oriole and American Robin, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 7, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Yellow Warbler and Black capped Chickadee, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 6, 2025

 

Northern Flicker, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 6, 2025

The camera at the water feature has captured quite a few species in the last.....days with a few new ones of the year. I have attached just a small sample of the many photos captured.

Some Least Bitterns yesterday during a walk with Devin and a new Hampshire County species for me today with a Stilt Sandpiper

Least Bittern, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 21, 2025

Least Bittern, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 21, 2025

Least Bittern, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 21, 2025

Least Bittern, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 21, 2025

Least Bittern, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 21, 2025

Least Bitterns, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 21, 2025

Rose breasted Grosbeak, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 21, 2025

Green Heron, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 21, 2025

Great Blue Heron, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 21, 2025

Eastern Coyote, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 21, 2025

Yesterday morning I caught up with former valley resident Devin who was in the area for some music work.  We decided on meeting at the rail trail in Amherst where we would try to turn up a Least Bittern (which would be a county bird for Devin).  I arrived a little early and walked by the marsh where a Least Bittern has been heard or seen very sporadically for a few months and had no luck.  The species has gone largely silent by this point in the year so didn't have much faith in finding one.  Once Devin arrived we started a walk along the trail and after watching a number of Green Herons flying around we approached the area where the Least Bittern has been and had one fly out of the reeds and then land in a reeds out of view.  We looked for a bit and I saw just the head of the bird showing and got Devin on the bird.  It then flew out to a more exposed perch and allowed for some great views and photos.  As we watched the bittern a second one flew out to join the initial bird.  The two of them flew around a bit for several minutes, occasionally landing in open.  The best looks I have had of the species this year by far.  Having two around certain points toward the potential for nesting once again.  We had great looks at a number of other species of birds plus had a brown colored Eastern Coyote in a freshly cut field.  It was nearly the exact same color as a White tailed Deer...a cool looking coyote.

Spotted Sandpiper, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 22, 2025

Semipalmated Sandpiper, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 22, 2025

Least Sandpipers, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 22, 2025

Killdeer, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 22, 2025

 

Spotted Sandpiper, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 22, 2025

On my way to work this morning I decided to see if I could track down any shorebirds or waders.  A bit of north winds brought in some cool temps (low 50's) overnight and I thought some shorebirds would respond to the good early season migration conditions.  I briefly checked for waders and shorebirds in Hadley before heading to the East Meadows.  I came up to a small muddy area that had some great shorebird habitat and immediately started scanning the multiple birds present.  The first scan through produced a number of species with the most unusual among them being a rare for the area Stilt Sandpiper.  It was in the same general area as a few Solitary Sandpipers and was standing upright and seemed very nervous.  I was able to get good views for about 30 seconds and then decided to try to get the scope out to get better views and some photos.  As I was getting ready to get out of the car the bird took off and headed off to the south.  I got the scope out and started scanning through the remaining birds and hoped the Stilt Sandpiper would return, which it never did.  I was short of time and after around twenty minutes I had to head to work.  Besides the Stilt Sandpiper I had five other species of shorebirds and got some photos of those.  Stilt Sandpiper is a very rare species here and this was actually the first one I have ever had in the county!  This addition brings my Hampshire County list to 308.

Gray Fox, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 20, 2025

Opossum, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 19, 2025

Raccoon, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 19, 2025

I checked the camera at the water feature yesterday and besides a number of bird species captured I had a few mammals including Gray Fox.

Third week of May

Northern Parula, Quabbin Park, MA, May 21, 2025

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Quabbin Park, MA, May 21, 2025

Cerulean Warbler with leg bands, Skinner SP, South Hadley, MA, May 20, 2025

Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 19, 2025

Eastern Wood Pewee, Quabbin Park, MA, May 19, 2025

Magnolia Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, May 19, 2025

Orchard Oriole, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, May 18, 2025

Prairie Warbler, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, May 17, 2025

I have not had much time to update things here during what is always a hectic month (and perhaps even a bit more hectic this year).  Migration is now slowing down and the weather conditions to end the third week have been very uncooperative for late season migrants to move through with cool conditions and unfavorable winds.  I have gotten out as much as circumstance allow for the third week of the month and have concentrated on warblers.  I have had a few notable warbler encounters including a Hooded Warbler that turned up at UMASS on the 16th, a number of hybrid warblers and a couple color banded Cerulean Warblers.  There have been a few new arrivals of late season migrants but I suspect there will be at least one more good push once the migration conditions improve..perhaps by the end of the weekend?  We shall see.

American Robin fledgling and Baltimore Oriole, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 20, 2025

Ruby throated Hummingbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 19, 2025

Blackpoll Warbler, Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle' and Chipping Sparrow, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2025

Blackburnian Warbler and Eastern Bluebird, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2025

American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2025

The camera at the water feature has been capturing lots of stuff this spring and the above is but a small sample of the species that have shown up....already a dozen species of warblers plus lots of other stuff.