RED PHALAROPE this morning plus other lingering species to start November

Red Phalarope (believe it or not!), Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 1, 2022

I was not expecting to find a Red Phalarope today but sometimes the unexpected occurs.  I got out of work on this drizzly morning (and warm) morning and decided to hit a few areas in Hadley on my way home (more on that below).  I almost didn't even stop at Winsor Dam as the rain was steadily picking up as I headed for home but I thankfully decided to stop.  I arrived just before ten to limited visibility due to the light rain and low clouds and fog.  I scanned with binoculars and quickly found a Common Loon and a few gulls loafing out near a large orange buoy.  I quickly took out the scope and scanned through the ten gulls present in the hopes of turning up some unusual gull but only had Ring billed Gulls.  As I was watching the gulls I had a bird fly in and land on the water right next to them and a immediately identified it as a phalarope of some type.  The bird spun around in typical phalarope fashion before it took off and flew around a bit before settling down again.  There was no obvious white rump (ruling out Wilson's Phalarope) and the underwings looking mainly light (ruling out Red necked Phalarope) so I concluded it was a Red Phalarope.  The bird would settle on the water for a few minutes and then take off and fly a bit before settling again on the water again.  It did this several times during the time I was watching it.  I got the word out to as many people as I could but unfortunately no one else was able to relocate the bird again.  Red Phalarope is a very rare bird inland in western Massachusetts and this becomes just my third individual for me in Hampshire County (with all my previous records occurring at Quabbin Park in May of 2011 and September 2020).   My attempts at photos through the scope were abysmal but some video turned out a bit better and I have links to the videos attached below:

Red Phalarope video #1

Red Phalarope video #2

Red Phalarope video #3

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 1, 2022

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 1, 2022

American Goldfinch, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 1, 2022

Eastern Meadowlark, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 1, 2022

Eastern Phoebe, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Nov 1, 2022

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Nov 1, 2022

Before I found the phalarope I visited a few other areas in Hadley on my way home, mainly looking for some late warblers and finding three species (with a Common Yellowthroat and a couple Palm Warblers being a bit late).  In addition to the warblers I found a few other late species including two Eastern Meadowlarks at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River and an Eastern Phoebe at Hickory Ridge.  I ended the day with 53 species to start out the month.  The forecast for the next week looks to feature above normal temperatures with sunny conditions so hopefully I will turn up some more lingering species.

LAUGHING GULL and RED PHALAROPE today

                                            Laughing Gull, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2020

Laughing Gull (with Ring billed Gull), Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2020

                                                        Red Phalarope, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 11, 2020

                                                        Red Phalarope, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 11, 2020

Just a short post as I'm pressed for time but had to post after a very good day with multiple rarities.  I spent a good portion of the morning at Arcadia arriving before dawn in the hopes of finding some migrants that took advantage of the north winds last night.  Unfortunately the breeze picked up around 6:30 and stayed breezy the remainder of my stay which made finding some birds tough.  Many areas were quiet with just a few bursts of activity.  Although not as active I had hoped I still managed 78 species with my first warbler total into double digits for the month.  The best bird showed up just as I was leaving when I noticed a Great Egret on the small sandbar and I stopped to get a quick view.  I then scanned the sandbar and found a juvenile Laughing Gull in among a group of Ring billed Gulls.  Before I could get a digiscoped shot a couple of Bald Eagles came in and flushed everything.  The gulls settled on a grassy field even further away before being flushed again by the eagles (they can be real asses sometimes).  I notified as many people as I could think of but then the bird disappeared only to return several minutes later where it settled onto the sandbar once again.  Many people arrived and all got decent looks at the bird.  Laughing Gull is a very rare species in the county and this is only my second one ever (the first one was earlier this year associated with Hurricane Isaias).  I then headed for home to walk Wilson and start going through all the photos from the day.  I just downloaded the photos and then noticed a post to the Facebook group regarding a Red necked Phalarope at Goodnough Dike found by out of town birder Dan L.  I headed right out the door again and got there to join the original observer and we quickly changed the identification to Red Phalarope (any phalarope species is rare in the county so I was happy to find either species).  The bird was very cooperative and actively feeding very close to shore.  I once again got word out to as many people as I could and I believe all those that tried for it got it.  I have only had one other Red Phalarope in the county and that was at Winsor Dam back in May 2011. Two very rare birds in the county on the same day without really bad weather is very unusual.  

UPDATE....

An additional phalarope was also reported from a small pond in Huntington on the 11th (identified as Red necked Phalarope but still waiting for details from the observer) plus two more Red Phalaropes were reported in Berkshire County this morning so a large flight of phalaropes apparently occurred and a number stopped in western mass on their journey south.  A very odd occurrence for sure as there was no weather to force the birds down...the mystery of birds continues.  

Evening stop at Winsor Dam and news of a Red Phalarope (deceased) in S. Hadley

Canada Geese (bird on right with odd facial plumage), Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 1, 2012

Winsor Dam at dusk, Nov 1, 2012

With each passing day the number of reports of storm driven birds continues to decrease but there were still some notable birds around. This illustrates just how far reaching the storm was in that reports are still coming in days after the storm and from locations as far away as Michigan and Canada. Here is the latest summary of sightings taken from the ABA blog:
http://blog.aba.org/2012/11/abarare-hurricane-sandy-report-3.html

I yet again tried my luck at Winsor Dam on my way home but came up short on any storm birds. However I did manage to find four White winged Scoters and a handful of Canada Geese including one with some additional white in the face.  I have not seen this individual here before this evening.

When I got home this evening I heard from Jacob Drucker that one of his professors, Noah Charney, found a deceased Red Phalarope along a stream at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley and obtained a photo of the specimen.  This was one of two Red Phalarope's seen in western Massachusetts following the passage of Sandy.  The other was seen alive in Turners Falls a few days ago.  These two individuals represent the only pelagic birds driven into western Massachusetts that I have heard of so far.

Red Phalarope(s) at Quabbin

Red Phalarope, Quabbin Park, May 20, 2011

Red Phalarope, Quabbin Park, May 20, 2011

Red Phalarope, Quabbin Park, May 20, 2011

I spent the morning at Quabbin Park and migration was much in evidence. The highlight by far on the gloomy morning was a Red Phalarope in breeding plumage that flew by me as I was scoping out a Common Loon. The bird came into the cove near Winsor Dam circled around once and then disappeared east over the trees. I then went on to the Administration building near Winsor Dam and took a look at the dead calm water. Way out in the open water were two more phalaropes of an unknown species. I looked around with the scope and when I came back to the area they had been in, they were gone. I looked for another 20 minutes without luck and figured the birds had moved out of the area as the fog started to lift. Much to my surprise I got a call in the middle of the afternoon saying there was a Red Phalarope right on the shore at the Administration building. I returned to the area and the bird was indeed right on the edge of shore. It stayed here for about 20 minutes before flying off to a cove on the west side of the water. I thought the bird I had seen earlier in the day was heading out and away and I never got a look at the distant birds to get a positive ID. There were at least three phalaropes here today and possibly four. Given the improvement in weather the birds will almost certainly be gone from the area by tomorrow as they continue their journey to the high arctic.