More rare breeders in the valley including Blue Grosbeak and Least Bittern plus other odd and ends over the last few days

Blue Grosbeak, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Jul 21, 2020

Blue Grosbeak, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Jul 21, 2020

Least Bittern fledgling, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 19, 2020

Least Bittern fledgling, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 19, 2020

This summer has continued to feature more breeding records of rare species in the valley with Blue Grosbeaks in Hadley and Least Bitterns in Amherst (and possibly other locations) being the latest.  The Least Bitterns along the rail trail produced at least three young this season and I managed to catch up with them (plus one adult) this past Sunday morning.  In typical bittern fashion they didn't show very well but at least I got to see them.  Unfortunately at least one of the young bitterns was seen being taken by a Mink by other observers later that same morning.  The Blue Grosbeaks look to have successful bred in either the Honey Pot and/or along Aqua Vitae Road in Hadley.  Multiple individuals have been present for several days in both locations.  Last year at least three grosbeaks were present in the Honey Pot and were also suspected of breeding that year.  Prior to last year Blue Grosbeaks were hardly ever present in summer and would only occasionally show up in the spring and fall.

The tropics have started to become more active once again with a recently formed tropical storm (TS Gonzolo) developing out in the Atlantic and heading down through the southern Lesser Antilles.  It is a small storm and is forecast to reach hurricane strength possibly by tomorrow.  The forecast track and strength look to have it move through the southern Lesser Antilles as a strong tropical storm around Saturday although confidence in the strength is low as various models show a wide variations in strength.  After it gets past the Lesser Antilles the long range forecast is even more up in the air...time will tell.  There is also an invest (Invest 91L) in the Gulf of Mexico that has about a 50% chance of developing into another tropical system in the next few days before moving inland somewhere in the western gulf.  Beyond that there is another tropical wave coming off of Africa that some models are pointing toward developing into another storm but that is still ten days off at least so not a worry at this point.

In non birding news there has been a comet (Comet Neowise) gracing the early evening sky in the northern hemisphere.  I finally got to see it for a bit last night before some high clouds moved in and obscured it.  It was an impressive sight through binoculars and could even be made out with the naked eye.  It is only visible for a couple more nights and those look to be cloudy around here so I was lucky to get a look at it last night.  Once it disappears from view it will not return to earth for another 6800 years.

Bobcat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 14, 2020

White tailed Deer, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 20, 2020

Ruby Meadowhawk, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 14, 2020

A check of the cameras at the house turned up some nighttime visitors during the past week including Bobcat and White tailed Deer.  The number of butterflies and dragonflies have also been on the increase lately, enjoying out latest heat wave.

Little Blue Heron in Hadley

Little Blue Heron, Hadley, MA, Aug 12, 2014

Little Blue Heron, Hadley, MA, Aug 12, 2014

Little Blue Heron, Hadley, MA, Aug 12, 2014

Little Blue Heron(with Mallard), Hadley, MA, Aug 12, 2014

Little Blue Heron, Hadley, MA, Aug 12, 2014

Little Blue Heron and Great Egret, Hadley, MA, Aug 12, 2014

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 12, 2014

I headed out early before work and made a brief stop at Winsor Dam before heading over to check some areas along the Connecticut River in Hadley.  Once I arrived there one of the first birds I saw was a small white egret/heron.  I got the scope on the bird and it turned out to be an immature Little Blue Heron!  A truly unusual species here in western Massachusetts and only the second one I have ever seen in the area (an adult in spring at Arcadia a few years ago is my only other record).  The Little Blue Heron provided me with #217 for the year in Hampshire County.  I was pressed for time but managed to get quite a few digiscoped photos with my iPhone before I had to leave the bird and head to work.  Also present with the heron was a Great Egret, a couple Spotted Sandpipers, four Least Sandpipers and a dozen or so each of Wood Ducks and Mallards.  Finally a payoff after so many stops looking for unusual herons/egrets...persistence can work!

Video of Little Blue Heron at link below:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/14878249116/in/photostream/

Elsewhere today I also had my first of season Osprey fly over me while I was driving through Florence.

Potential noteworthy is an upcoming rain event forecast to begin tonight and last through the day tomorrow bringing potentially several inches of rain to the area.  Will the heavy rain ground some migrants such as shorebirds or perhaps a Black Tern?  Who knows…I know I will be out looking and keeping my fingers crossed.  If nothing else the rain may create some muddy fields that could attract some shorebirds but unfortunately there are not many fields around that don’t currently contain crops....the same event in a few more weeks would be even better.

Review of rare Connecticut valley birds -Marbled Godwit

Marbled Godwit (Point Reyes, CA)

The next bird in the review of rare Connecticut Valley birds is the Marbled Godwit discovered by Tom Gagnon on July 24, 1977. The sighting was the first (and so far only) sighting of this species in the valley. Here is the report of the sighting in Tom's words:

July 24, 1977

Hadley Cove.

The Hadley Cove as you know it today was VERY DIFFERENT back in the 70's comparing it with what we see now in 2012. For starters, the last three houses that are there today were not there. That area was someones vegetable plot and a small old gravel pit, with a dirt road that went down to the waters edge and you could stand there and look up the river. At that time there was a very big sandbar on the north side of the river just before the where the cove entrance is today. We always would fine some shorebirds there. That was why I was there that morning. My entry for that day reads:

Marbled Godwit 1 Excellent look. This is a first for Western Massachusetts. I called many people and everyone came and saw it. (There was also an Upland Plover there with other regular shorebirds.)

It rained on July 25th, but I saw the bird on the 26th and the late Bob Goodrich of Pittsfield saw it there on the 27th.

A few years after this great discovery, the river took away the sandbar it had created in the first place and it has never reappeared again to my knowledge.

 Hadley Cove continues to produce some great sightings but the access to the area is very limited now that several houses have been built here. It is a truly great spot for waterfowl in migration and during mild winters (like this year). At least 15 species of waterfowl have been seen in this very small area over the last several years including notables such as Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, and Gadwall. It is no longer as much of a shorebird hotspot as it once was but given low water levels in the river some fairly large mudflats occur which could attract any of a variety of shorebird species at the right time of year.

Review of rare Connecticut valley birds...Tricolored Heron

Tricolored Heron (Sanibel Island, Florida)

The next installment of reviews of rare birds in the valley is a Tricolored (Louisiana) Heron found by Tom Gagon on April 17, 1971 in the Northampton West Meadows (also known now as the Arcadia Meadows). 
Again, Tom in his own words:

LOUISIANA HERON April 17, 1971

I was birding by myself after supper in the Northampton West Meadows, driving across Old Springfield Road, checking out the pools of water in the hay meadows. After driving down Fort Street, then onto Old Springfield Road, the bird was in a pool of water in the second meadow on the right. Now a days this is the first meadow on the right. There use to be a nice meadow on the right but, it is all grown up now. Once Audubon purchased the property, it was not maintained and is now brush. Knowing I had never seen one in the valley, I quickly drove over to Sam Eliott's place on Fort Hill Terrace and told him about it. He asked if I could give him a ride back to see the bird, since he had never seen one in The Valley either. Before I left his house I called Mary and Sab Yenlin of Holyoke. She said she was in the middle of cooking dinner, pulled the dinner from the oven and they drove up to Northampton and saw the bird also. I tried the next day for the bird but, it was gone. Two days later, Mary and Allen Muir of Smith's Ferry section of Holyoke, found a Louisiana Heron at Brad Street Marsh in Hatfield. We just presumed it was the same bird. A few years later Colleen Withcott of Longmeadow found one on the Sand Bar on the Connecticut River. According to "Birds of Massachusetts/Veit and Petersen there was one seen in 1966 in Williamstown. Sam Eliot felt mine was the FIRST record in the Valley.

The bird found by Tom and the two seen 12 years later in Longmeadow remain the only records for the valley (Bird Observer, Feb 2007).  Certainly a bird that is likely to reappear again at some point and likely somewhere along the Connecticut River.

Review of rare Connecticut valley birds...first bird- Burrowing Owl

Burrowing Owl (Cape Coral, FL)

I'm going to branch out a little with an ongoing series of posts beyond my typical sightings and observations.  After reading through some old issues of bird observer (particularly the western Massachusetts centered February 2007 issue) and looking over the many rare records of birds from here in the valley and at Quabbin, I thought I would try to elaborate on some of these sightings both to capture something more of the record then the species, place and time.  I will include photos of the subject species if I have one available for illustrative purposes but will not be of the subject individual unless specifically noted.  If any one has additional information concerning any of the sightings I will mention or other information pertaining to other rare birds in the valley or around Quabbin please let me know.  Any feedback at all would be great.  Not only do I find these stories interesting but educational in that they capture a snapshot of how birding has evolved and changed as well as provide some insight into how the bird was discovered so perhaps others can repeat finding similar rare birds in the future.  I will begin with the many sightings from Tom Gagnon.  As a long time birder in the area (I will not say how long!) Tom has found many a rare bird in the valley and he has graciously agreed to share in more detail some of his finds over the years.  Thankfully Tom has also agreed to let me share them on here so others can enjoy the stories too.  I will begin with a review of a Burrowing Owl found in the East Meadows in Northampton on May 4, 1982.  Here is the recollection from Tom:

BURROWING OWL May 4, 1982

Ed Cotton (owner and founder of Cotton Tree Service) of Northampton and George and Helen Champoux of Holyoke and I had been over in Hadley looking for shore birds and decided to check out some of the low spots in the Northampton East Meadows. I was leading the way, just south of the Four Corners in the East Meadows when George tooted his horn at me. I stopped the car and jumped out and he yelled to me that I had just flushed a Short-eared Owl, (it flew BEHIND my car) and pointed to where it landed. I put my glasses up and screamed "BURROWING OWL!" We saw the bird fly four times, each time landing in a small, thick bunch of grass. (cover crop-rye or something like that). One time it landed where we could see it and put the scope on it. Very exciting.

Of course we all knew how RARE this find was and wanted to share it with as many as possible. We decided that George and Helen would meet people at 5:00 P.M. at the Four Corners of the East Meadows. We all went home and called everyone we knew. Everyone was instructed NOT to go looking for the owl until everyone was there at 5. (I really think there was better communication back then and no cell phones or computers were heard of) TO THIS DAY, I REGRET making the decision of going into work instead of calling in sick. They all told me the next day that at 5:00 P.M. there were about 50 cars all in the meadows and THEY GOT THE BIRD. I believe Scott Surner was there and I am sure he can tell you more details. I went back the next day and there were more people there looking for the bird but, it was never seen again.   

My journal entry for the next day reads, Northampton East Meadows: Water Pipits, 1 Upland Plover and one singing male Loggerhead Shrike trying to build a nest. Shrike still there on the 7th of May.

To my knowledge, this is still the ONLY WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS RECORD of a Burrowing Owl.

A truly amazing discovery that indeed has not been repeated since in western Massachusetts.  There are several other state records but all from the east and mainly at the coast.  I found Tom's mention of his journal entry for the next day also quite interesting in that he had an Upland Sandpiper as well as a singing male Loggerhead Shrike attempting to nest.