Dunlin and some other shorebirds as the rainy, cool weather continues

 

Dunlin, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2023

Dunlin, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2023

Dunlin, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2023

Lesser Yellowlegs, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2023

Greater Yellowlegs, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2023

Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows and Northern Rough winged Swallows, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2023

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2023

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2023

The first couple days of May have been cooler than normal with periods of rain and less than ideal migration conditions (a pattern we have been stuck in for several days).  I had to work yesterday and made just a few stops on my way in and didn't mind anything way out of the ordinary.  I expected that something unusual would be grounded by all the rainy weather and while at work got a text from Theresa that she had a Dunlin the the East Meadows.  Once I got out of work I headed over to see if I could relocate it.  Thankfully it was still in the area and feeding nearly continuously along with a Greater Yellowlegs and several Lesser Yellowlegs.  I watched the shorebirds for quite awhile during a brief lull in the rain along with a few other birders.  Always fun to see a breeding plumage Dunlin in the spring compared to the dull plumage in the fall.  Given the large numbers of Red Phalaropes reported on the coast the last few days I hoped to find one this morning but no luck.  I made a few other stops as I continued to dodge rain and some hail over the course of the morning.  A stop at Winsor Dam produced hundreds of swallows of five species feeding low over the water (a common occurrence during cool weather here).  There was a brief break in the rain in the early afternoon and I made it over to Quabbin Park and then got rained out after about half an hour.  The continued poor migration conditions have kept many species from arriving but this looks to change at the end of the week into the weekend as the pattern finally changes and the weather warms up with some sun and more cooperative conditions for migration.  The weekend should bring in a big influx.

Hooded Merganser eggs in duck box #3, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2023

A quick update on the three Hooded Merganser nests in the duck boxes at home.  I installed a camera on the base of box #3 a few days ago and during install the female flushed from the nest and I took a quick peak in the box (I was not intending to bother her but some birds tolerate more noise then others around the boxes).  I suspect that box #2 will fledge any day but I don't want to check due to the continued cool conditions...I will check this weekend when it warms up a bit.

Glossy Ibis today despite some snow and continued cool temperatures

Morning snow along Jabish Brook, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18. 2020

Wilson enjoying the snow, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18. 2020

Glossy Ibis, Mallard and Eastern Coyote, North Amherst, MA, Apr 18. 2020

Glossy Ibis, North Amherst, MA, Apr 18. 2020

Blue winged Teal with Green winged Teal, North Amherst, MA, Apr 18. 2020

Today we had what will hopefully be the last bit of snowfall for the year.  Although the predictions were calling for around three inches of snow we thankfully ended up with about an inch (I for one was happy the storm 'under performed' but Wilson was less than happy with less snow to eat).  The roads were clear of snow at dawn so I headed out to hit a few areas close by as the snow continued to fall.  I would have loved to have seen what the weather brought down at Winsor Dam but the area is still closed off so no luck (I do hope the DCR will reconsidered this unnecessary action sometime in the near future).  The other areas I checked during the early morning didn't have anything unusual.  I then headed back home to pick up Wilson and we went for a long walk at Covey WMA during which we got totally soaked as the snow mixed with rain at times and the snow melted off the trees.  Right after I got home from that walk I noticed a report from Mike L. of a Glossy Ibis in a flooded farm field in North Amherst.  I was already planning to make a trip over that way to pick up some supplies for the house at some point during the week so I decided to head over today.  I arrived to find a few other birders in the area and the Glossy Ibis was immediately visible (but quite distant).  An Eastern Coyote was also in the area and explored various parts of the field before disappearing into the woods.  Among the species of waterfowl enjoying the flooded field were two male Blue winged Teal.  I managed photos of all the notable species there but they are distant and less than National Geographic quality.

Mallard, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2020

Hooded Mergansers Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2020

Palm Warbler ';yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2020

Northern Rough winged Swallow, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2020

Northern Rough winged Swallow, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2020

Yesterday after work I made a few stops on my way home including Aqua Vitae Road (where the highlight was a flyover Pectoral Sandpiper) and Lake Wallace.  Nothing too unusual at Lake Wallace but there were continued numbers of Palm Warbler plus lots of swallows skimming over the surface of the lake.  I was yet another cool morning with a slight breeze and temperatures starting off below freezing.

A number of rare and unusual birds around including a Red headed Woodpecker

Black Vulture, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, July 5, 2016

Great horned Owl fledgling, rail trail, Amherst, MA, July 5, 2016

Black Vultures, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, July 5, 2016

Lesser Scaup, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, July 5, 2016

Despite the rain this morning I headed out to try to track down a few more rarities that have recently shown up (more on rarities at the end of this post).  I made a brief stop at Winsor Dam but the rain and fog made viewing too difficult so I then headed over the Larch Hill Conservation Area and surrounding neighborhoods to try to track down a reported Red headed Woodpecker.  I walked around the neighborhood and trails for about an hour and third quarters without any luck.  I then decided to make a swing over to the rail trail near Mill Lane to check out Hop Brook for any shorebirds or waders.  Unfortunately the dry conditions have allowed all the areas that otherwise would be muddy to have filled in with vegetation and I found just a single Great Blue Heron.  A nice bonus bird there was a juvenile Great Horned Owl sitting on the little shed on the far side of the marsh.  It started to brighten up a bit so I headed back over to try for the woodpecker again and after about twenty minutes I heard it call twice and then fly over between Memorial Drive and Hillcrest Place.  It was gone before I could get a photo and I was unable to relocate the bird but I was not able to check a lot of areas as it was in a residential area with limited access.  The bird must be regular somewhere in the area but I had no luck tracking it down.  The original person that discovered it managed to get a couple of cell phone shots of the bird as it came into a feeder.  Hopefully I can get a shot of the bird with another trip over there.  The Red headed Woodpecker became not only #210 for the year in the county but #290 for Hampshire County ever.  Looking at eBird records the last Red headed Woodpecker was seen in the county in Hatfield in 2007 and then in Hadley in 2002.  Prior to those last two records you have to go back to the 1970's for records in the county. After my woodpecker escapade I headed over to Gate 8 at Quabbin to try to find the Acadian Flycatcher which showed back up in the same area after a few year absence.  I managed to find the bird calling distantly along Cadwell Creek but I will wait until another day to park at the end of the road and walk in to get some recordings and photos.  Amazingly the second new bird for the year in Hampshire County today...#211.  On my way home I made a quick stop at Winsor Dam and once again found the Lesser Scaup present...glad to see it still around.

Great Blue Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 4, 2016

Great Blue Herons at nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 4, 2016

Great Blue Herons at nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 4, 2016

Belted Kingfisher, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, July 4, 2016

Northern Rough winged Swallow, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, July 4, 2016

Brown Thrasher, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, July 4, 2016

On the Fourth of July I stayed local with a trip to Lake Wallace at dawn which produced ever growing Great Blue Heron chicks as well as what appears to be the second brood of Wood Ducks with several groups of small ducklings with an attendant adult female....a minimum of 52 Wood Ducks in the area, likely more. Not much else in the way of notable stuff at the lake. A quick trip through Quabbin Park and a couple stops at Winsor Dam produced the usual suspects but the Lesser Scaup was not around.

Lesser Scaup, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, July 1, 2016

Raccoons, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, July 2, 2016

Raccoons, Lower Mill Pond, Easthampton, MA, July 2, 2016

Double crested Cormorants, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, July 2, 2016

I made a number of stops on my way to and from work as July began and hit a bunch of different spots.  On the first I stopped at Lower Mill Pond, Arcadia, Honey Pot and Winsor Dam.  Highlights included a couple Vesper Sparrows at the Honey Pot, a family of Raccoon's at Lower Mill Pond and the Lesser Scaup.  On the second I stopped at Arcadia and Lower Mill Pond but didn't find anything out of the ordinary.  The third was a bit more productive with stops at Paradise Pond (not drained yet but hopefully it will be soon), Arcadia, Lower Mill Pond and the Holyoke Dam.  The best birds were half a dozen Double crested Cormorants at the dam.

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, June 29, 2016

Lesser Scaup, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, June 29, 2016

Great Blue Heron at nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, June 29, 2016

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, June 29, 2016

Black Racer, Land Trust trail, Belchertown, MA, June 29, 2016

The last couple days of June I covered a variety of areas including Lake Wallace, Quabbin Park and the land trust trail on the 29th and Moody Bridge Rd and Arcadia on my way to work on the 30th. Just the usual stuff at each location plus the continued Lesser Scaup at Quabbin. The Glossy Ibis didn't stick around (or at least I could not find it again).  The best non bird sighting was a Black Racer seen along the land trust trail on the 29th.


There has been an incredible string of unusual to rare sightings in western Massachusetts the last week with the two biggest coming from Berkshire County on June 29th with an American Avocet and a Ruff at two separate locations...each is one of just a handful of records for western mass.  Not one but two Red throated Loons have shown up with one seen and photographed near Boat Launch Area #2 at Quabbin (in New Salem) on June 30th and another that was rescued from a small pond in Hampden County after it had a run in with a Snapping Turtle.  The injured loon was brought to Tufts but the injuries were too severe and the bird was euthanized. The photos of both birds show them to be two different individuals.  These two records represent the only records I could find for this species in either June or July in western mass.  The Lesser Scaup continues on and off at Winsor Dam for over two months now, the above mentioned Red headed Woodpecker in Amherst plus the previously mentioned Glossy Ibis at Arcadia, Pied billed Grebe in Easthampton, Merlin at Winsor Dam, many records of Evening Grosbeaks (including an adult feeding a juvenile in Shutesbury) plus a smattering of Red Crossbills.  A very active time for late June into July!

Lots of migrants arrive

Blackburnian Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2016

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2016

Black throated Blue Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2016

Northern Shovelers, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2016

American Woodcock, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2016

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2016

Blue gray Gnatcatcher, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2016

The dam has finally broken and the migrants poured in overnight making this morning a very good one to be out and about.  I stayed close to home spending most of the morning at Quabbin Park and nearby areas finding just under a hundred species with twenty of those warblers.  Lots of other good stuff too including several new species for the year including Great crested Flycatcher (#181) at Lake Wallace, Red eyed Vireo (#182) and Tennessee Warbler (#183) at Quabbin Park and Canada Warbler (#184) along the land trust trail.  The next several days should feature even more arrivals.  Full lists below (some with loads of photos).

Winsor Dam: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29509198
                     http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29509332

Lake Wallace: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29509286

Quabbin Park: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29513449

Belchertown Land Trust trail: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29514758

Northern Rough winged Swallow, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 8, 2016

Great Egret, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 8, 2016

Yesterday I headed west to Arcadia in a fruitless search for some Glossy Ibis that were seen there the day before.  Although I missed in finding the ibis there were lots of other good stuff to keep me occupied as I made several stops over the course of the morning before heading back home.  I ran across a Brewster's warbler at UMASS but I was never able to get a photo of it as it worked deeper and deeper into private property.  Several new species showed themselves yesterday despite the less than ideal weather with ever increasing rain as the morning went on.  The new species included Scarlet Tanager (#177) at Arcadia, Great Egret (#178) at the campus pond, Least Sandpiper (#179) and Wilson's Warbler (#180) along the rail trail in Amherst.  A few lists (with more photos) below:

Arcadia:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29480155

UMASS pond:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29480514

UMASS-NW campus:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29481305

Rail trail-Amherst:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29482379

Another sunny day

Louisiana Waterthrush, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 18, 2016

Louisiana Waterthrush, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 18, 2016

Louisiana Waterthrush, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 18, 2016

Northern Rough winged Swallow, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 18, 2016

House Wren, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2016

Yet another sunny, warm early spring day found me out checking the local area and turning up a couple new species including Louisiana Waterthrush (#124) at Quabbin Park and a House Wren (#125) appropriately at home.  A nice influx of species overnight with a noticeable increase in a number of species including Ruby crowned Kinglet and Chipping Sparrow as well as others.  Complete lists from a few stops below.

Covey WMA:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29026593

Lake Wallace:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29026818

Quabbin Park:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29033129

Jabish Canal:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29035925