More Purple Martins in Hadley

Purple Martins (three in view at once), Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 27, 2021

Purple Martins (three in view at once), Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 27, 2021

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 27, 2021

Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 27, 2021

Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 27, 2021

Barn Swallow and Bank Swallow, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 27, 2021

Black Vultures, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Jun 27, 2021

Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Jun 27, 2021

Brown Thrasher on nest, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jun 27, 2021

I headed out this morning before the extreme heat arrived with the beginning of our second heat wave of the year.  We have had fairly strong southerly winds for a couple days and the temperatures have started to respond with highs today in the low 90's with increasingly high humidity.  The highs for the next few days loom to reach the mid 90's with high indexes in the 105 degree range.  My morning started off around dawn at Lake Wallace (which was fairly quiet...I think mainly due to the drawdown on the water levels this season).  I'm forever hopeful that someday Black bellied Whistling Ducks will make an appearance at Lake Wallace but today was not the day.  I then made my way down to the Holyoke Dam which held a few dozen vultures including at least four Black Vultures.  The Chimney Swift count was down a bit from just a couple days ago when it peaked at over 400.  As I had some errands to run in Hadley I headed north next with stops at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River and the Honey Pot.  I was stopping at Silvio Conte NWR mainly to check on the ongoing pair of Purple Martins that first showed up in mid June.  I arrived to find one sitting outside the gourd the pair has been favoring the last couple weeks.  As I was watching the single bird I heard some martins calling and noticed the bird sitting on the gourd was looking skyward.  Within a few moments two more Purple Martins arrived!  At this point the individual sitting outside the gourd quickly entered the gourd and I didn't see it leave.  I thought I heard another martin calling but could not be sure.  There are now at least three (and possibly four) Purple Martins present.  One of the remaining martins started investigating one of the other gourds.  Really amazing to have even one Purple Martin around but to have more than that is crazy given how rare the species is in the western part of the state.  My stop at the Honey Pot was mainly to try to find the ongoing (but sporadically seen) Blue Grosbeaks.  There were a few other birders present and despite our best efforts we struck out on the grosbeaks.  Nonetheless we still had some good birds with nesting Brown Thrasher and Northern Mockingbird as well as a flyover Northern Harrier (unusual in the county in June).

Purple Martins attempting to nest in Hadley

 

Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 13, 2021

Purple Martins with Tree Swallow, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 13, 2021

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 13, 2021

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 13, 2021

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 13, 2021

Another very rare species for the area has shown up and looks to be attempting to nest here.  This time it is a pair of Purple Martins that were originally found by a friend of a friend when she was visiting Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River on Friday.  I got a message about the birds on Saturday morning after I had already gotten to work so I would have no chance to try to see them until this morning when I got out of work.  Many birders were able to relocate them on Saturday and the birds were observed bringing leaves into one of the artificial martin houses that were installed this year.  I really did not think there was any chance martins would show up to use them and the installation would only provide additional nesting locations for the House Sparrows of the area.  I was very happy to be wrong about that assumption.  A little about the history of Purple Martins in the area.  In the late 1800's through the early 1900's there were multiple colonies in western Massachusetts but after a few cold snaps and especially after severe competition from the introduced House Sparrow the species disappeared from the area as a breeder and became an increasingly unusual visitor.  They were also in competition for nesting locations with another introduced species (European Starling) as well as Tree Swallows.  In the more recent past the species has been less than annual and is usually seen during rainy, cool weather that concentrates groups of swallow species.  I have personally seen the species in Hampshire County just three times before today with singles along the Connecticut River in Hadley in August 2015, at Winsor Dam in April 2016 and at Lake Wallace in September of 2016 (this last one was the only previous one I got photos of).  The two today were fairly cooperative but spent a lot of time high in the trees along Moody Bridge Road before they would disappear for a bit (presumably to feed over one of the many nearby fields).  After almost an hour of waiting the martins came in to the nesting gourds and allowed for more close study through the scope.  It will be interesting if they stick around and try to nest.  It will be tough with some fairly aggressive neighbors including Tree Swallows, European Starlings and House Sparrows

The last few days and an update on hurricane season

Purple Finch, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 14, 2020

American Golden Plover, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 13, 2020

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 13, 2020

Brown Thrasher, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 13, 2020

Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 12, 2020

American Redstart, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 12, 2020

Northern Cardinal, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 12, 2020

The last few days have featured a decent selection of species but no big influx as the migration conditions have been less than ideal but that looks to change overnight as strong northwest all day today will slacken a bit and allow a large movement of birds tonight.  There have been a number of species hanging on a bit late into the month plus I finally caught up with my first American Golden Plover for the season (and many others got to come by to enjoy it).  September has been very productive for me so far with a total of 150 species so far in Hampshire County which is well ahead of average (my previous best by this date is 141 species in both 2018 and 2012 and 2018 set my all time September best total at 164...we shall see where the month ends up).  The influx of Red breasted Nuthatches and Red Crossbills continues and the number of Purple Finches have increased dramatically in the last few days with double digit counts at multiple locations...it looks to be a very interesting fall for irruptive species.

Tropical activity in the Atlantic as of 2:00PM, Sep 14, 2020 (image from NHC)

As expected with how the year has gone so far the tropics are very active with a record tying five named storms as of today (Hurricanes Paulette and Sally and Tropical Storms Rene, Teddy and Vicky).  Hurricane Paulette struck Bermuda today as a Cat 2 storm and is now moving out into the open Atlantic and will likely become a major hurricane at some point but is no longer a threat to any landmass.  Hurricane Sally is in the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to slowly move ashore near the Louisiana/Mississippi border as a Cat 2 tomorrow.  TS Rene is now a remnant low that will dissipate in the next couple days.  TS Teddy is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane but will not have any impact on any landmass as it moves northwest well to the east the the Lesser Antilles.  TS Vicky will likely dissipate well out in the Atlantic over the next several days.  The NHC is also following two more areas of interest with one in the western Gulf of Mexico (which has a low chance of development) and another tropical wave coming off of Africa which has a moderate chance of development in the next five days.  None of these storms pose a threat to the northeast at this point but always worth keeping a wary eye on what has so far been a record setting hurricane season that continues until November.

Cerulean Warbler today

Cerulean Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 27, 2019

Cerulean Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 27, 2019

Yellow Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 27, 2019

American Redstart, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Aug 27, 2019

A great morning out despite a little bit of fog and cool temperatures (47 degrees to start).  Today I started out my morning at UMASS but it was fairly slow so I decided to try my luck at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River.  The best bird by far was a Cerulean Warbler that was in a small mixed flock, a very rare fall migrant here.  A full story on the Cerulean Warbler can be found at the follow link.

Snowy Egret and Greater Scaup yesterday and warblers today

Snowy Egret, Paradise Pond, Smith College, Northampton, MA, Aug 25, 2019

Snowy Egret, Paradise Pond, Smith College, Northampton, MA, Aug 25, 2019

Snowy Egret, Paradise Pond, Smith College, Northampton, MA, Aug 25, 2019

Greater Scaup, Paradise Pond, Smith College, Northampton, MA, Aug 25, 2019

Common Mergansers, Paradise Pond, Smith College, Northampton, MA, Aug 25, 2019

I followed up yesterday on a report of a Snowy Egret that showed up at Paradise Pond at Smith College on Saturday but I could not try for due to work. Thankfully the bird stayed overnight and was feeding well first thing in the morning on Sunday when I checked on my way back to work. The species is fairly rare in the Hampshire County and this is perhaps my sixth record in the county so far with the majority coming in mid-late summer or early fall. In addition to the egret, the rare for summer Greater Scaup also continued at the pond and showed quite well (present all month). Always nice to have a couple rarities within view of each other in an easily accessible location.

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 26, 2019

Chestnut sided Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 26, 2019

Blue winged Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 26, 2019

Yellow Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 26, 2019

Northern Waterthrush, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 26, 2019

Great crested Flycatcher, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 26, 2019

After getting out of work this morning I made a stop at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River to see what might have shown up overnight.  The weather had an early fall feel with low humidity, clear conditions and temperatures starting off around 50.  I made a circuit around the main trail and then along some edges and turned up a couple mixed flocks with the highlight among the nine species of warbler being a singing Northern Parula. I also ran across Ted on his way out and he mentioned having a Wilson's Warbler as well as a Worm eating Warbler (a very unusual species away from known breeding spots and late to still be around).

An update on the hurricane season as the peak part of the season rapidly approaches. Although the season is still forecast to be an average season it has started out fairly slow with only the third named system (Chantel) forming out in the northern Atlantic just last week and dissipating quickly. It was quickly followed by Dorian which formed on August 23 southeast of Barbados. This storm looks to track northwest and impact the Lesser Antilles.  The storm could hold together as a minimal hurricane after that but will be fighting some less than ideal conditions for storm strengthening....time will tell what happens.

November review and birding this morning

Rough legged Hawk, Hadley, MA, Nov 25, 2018

Northern Shrike, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 14, 2018

Cattle Egret, Rt 116, Hadley, MA, Nov 12, 2018

Cattle Egrets, Barstow's Farm, Hadley, MA, Nov 3, 2018

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 28, 2018

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 14, 2018

Rusty Blackbirds, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 7, 2018

Now that November has come to an end I'll take a quick look at what birds the month produced.  I had a total of 110 species for the month in the Hampshire County, which fell just short of my best November ever (record is last year with 113 species).  Among the species were three new species for my Hampshire County year list (Common Redpoll, Northern Shrike and Rough legged Hawk).  The Rough legged Hawk broke my previous best year in the county becoming species #239 for the year.  The month started off with the biggest arrival of Cattle Egrets I have ever had with at least half a dozen noted starting on the 3rd and some continuing until at least the 12th.  There were a number of lingering species including Brown Thrasher, Ruby crowned Kinglet and multiple warblers (more on warblers for the month at the following link). The month was overall colder than normal with multiple record breaking cold days plus multiple bouts of snow and lots of rain (a record setting month for precipitation).

Common Redpoll, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 30, 2018

Common Redpolls, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 30, 2018

Northern Shrike, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Nov 30, 2018

To end the month I went out birding with Devin primarily in search of any species that would put Devin up over the 200 mark for the year in Hampshire County.  We had several possibilities to reach that goal with the first being a continuing Northern Shrike at Arcadia.  We arrived there just before dawn and after a bit of walking along the hedgerows we found the shrike perched on some telephone lines overlooking a bunch of sparrows.  We didn't want to bother the shrike too much as looked intent on hunting so we did not approach it too closely and instead took some shots from a distance.  The next two plus hours spent at Arcadia also proved quite productive with 38 species total seen or heard.  I'm sure if the forecast for a sunny day ever came to fruition we could have added a few more but we were both happy to see the stuff we did see.  We then headed back across the river to Hadley in search of the Rough legged Hawk seen hunting the fields south of the mall a few days ago.  No luck with that hawk but there were a number of other raptors around.  As we still had some time left we stopped over to Silvio Conte NWR where we got great looks at a flock of ten Common Redpolls feeding happily, adding another species to Devin's list for the year.  Overall a productive end to the month.

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Nov 16, 2018

The camera set up continues to capture a number of species including multiple leg banded Black capped Chickadees.

More Cattle Egrets around plus more lingering warblers and Evening Grosbeaks

Cattle Egret, Amherst, MA, Nov 9, 2018

Cattle Egret, Amherst, MA, Nov 9, 2018

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 9, 2018

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 9, 2018

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 9, 2018

Black capped Chickadee, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 9, 2018

White tailed Deer, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 9, 2018

White tailed Deer, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 9, 2018

After getting out of work this morning I headed over to Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River once again and took advantage of some brief morning sun before the clouds moved in.  Some construction activity around the parking lot and entrance road kept that area quiet so I concentrated on areas that were a bit quieter.  During about an hour and a half of walking around I turned up a number of notable birds including a Common Yellowthroat (which appeared to be different from either of the two individuals of the same species I had in the same area several days ago), three Palm Warblers (all of the yellow subspecies), a couple flyover Evening Grosbeaks and several flyover Pine Siskins.  I also had a close encounter with a buck White tailed Deer that ran out through a grassy field right in front of me.

I next headed north a bit in search of geese and perhaps some of the lingering Cattle Egrets that have been reported in the area of North Hadley/Amherst since first arriving back on November 3rd.  I quickly found two Cattle Egrets feeding in the median of Route 116 in Amherst near UMASS (apparently the same two that originally showed up near Stockbridge Road and have been seen in various nearby locations the last several days).  I also found several hundred geese in some fields in Amherst but couldn't find anything unusual among them.

Cattle Egret, Austin's Farm, Belchertown, MA, Nov 9, 2018

Cattle Egret, Austin's Farm, Belchertown, MA, Nov 9, 2018

I saw a Facebook report of a Cattle Egret in Belchertown in the mid afternoon and since it was not too far from the house I made the quick trip down to see it.  I wonder how long this one has been around...I'm certain it is yet another bird that came in on southerly winds last weekend.  This makes at least half a dozen individuals in Hampshire County in the last several days...really unprecedented numbers.