First snow storm of the season today, Yellow rumped Warblers yesterday plus the return of a banded Black capped Chickadee

Wilson enjoying the first snow of the season, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 2, 2025

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 2, 2025

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 2, 2025

Long tailed Ducks, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Dec 2, 2025

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Dec 2, 2025

Today brought us our first snowstorm of the season with several inches of snow, sleet and then some rain.  I managed to get out at first light before the snow arrived and actually had a great assortment of waterfowl at Winsor Dam with ten species at least (some just too far away in bad light to ID).  I wanted to go into Quabbin Park itself for more waterfowl but they closed the park not long after I arrived due to the impending snow storm.  I then headed home and took Wilson for an early walk and the snow was just starting as we ended the walk a bit after nine.  I put out a few feeders for the first time just before the snow and the birds quickly found them.  I even caught sight of a banded Black capped Chickadee that was banded as an adult in the yard back in the summer of 2021.  I had not seen the individual since April of this year so was very happy to see it still around.  It is getting to be an old chickadee with the typical life span of the species being 2-3 years.  Wilson also got to enjoy the snow and was something I was glad to see him do.  Now we are in for below normal temps with more mid winter like with multiple days not breaking freezing and temps at night in the single digits.  Average highs now should still be in the low 40's but we don't look to be near that temp for the foreseeable future.

 

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Dec 1, 2025

   

Eastern Bluebird, Hadley, MA, Dec 1, 2025

Yesterday I also managed to find multiple Yellow rumped Warblers despite the breezy weather and the start of shotgun season for deer.  I only had a couple hours available to be out and I'm glad I tried for the warblers as it extended my consecutive streak of months of seeing at least one warbler species in Hampshire County to 104 months.  

Snowstorm for mid April (with a Snow Goose and a Snowy Egret to add to the snow theme)

Snow at dawn, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 16, 2021

Snow Goose, Lake Warner, Hadley, MA, Apr 16, 2021

Water feature in the snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 16, 2021

Wilson enjoying the snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 16, 2021

Wilson enjoying the snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 16, 2021

Snowy Egret, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 18, 2021

After having temperatures in the low 70's on Wednesday we had rain and temps in the 40's on Thursday and then snow overnight into today with temps Friday not making it out of the 30's...New England in April can be a funny place.  At dawn we had about an inch of snow and by the end of the day we had between 4-5 inches of heavy, wet snow.  Areas nearby with a little more elevation had accumulations around a foot with areas a little lower ended up with a dusting at best.  I had to work for most of the day but did make a couple quick stops on my way in and had a very appropriate Snow Goose in Hadley on a very snowy morning.  Not too happy to see more snow but Wilson certainly enjoyed it.  Immediately following the storm a rare for spring Snowy Egret showed up in Hadley and was seen by many birders.  Snowy Egret is a fairly unusual species in spring in the area with the last record in Hampshire County being back in 2017 in early May.  Certainly a very snowy theme for mid month...sadly no Snowy Owl to add to the list.

A snowy beginning to February

Short eared Owl, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Feb 2, 2021

Short eared Owl, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Feb 2, 2021

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 2, 2021

Wilson enjoying his deflated soccer ball, home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 2, 2021

Wilson enjoying his deflated soccer ball, home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 2, 2021

The snowstorm came to an end by early this morning after delivering around a foot of snow and keeping me home cleaning up for a good part of the morning.  I had to run some errands late in the morning and I took the opportunity to make a few quick stops along the way.  Winsor Dam was probably the most productive with a Chipping Sparrow in a mixed sparrow/junco flock and a flyby Common Goldeneye.  I also turned up one of the continued Rusty Blackbirds in Amherst.  The snow will make it tough to access some areas until a little settling and melting occurs and some parking areas get plowed out.  On my way into working an overnight shift I made a brief stop in Hadley and had at least two Short eared Owls hunting over the snow covered fields.

Ring necked Ducks and Mallards, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 1, 2021

With the beginning of a new month yesterday I had plans to get out early before the snow arrived but I had to temporarily modify the plan when I woke up to find the snow had already started and we had a couple inches of snow (so much for the forecast of it not starting until mid to late morning).  I thought I would be stuck at home all day but the snow let up around eight so I took the short ride over to Winsor Dam in the hopes of finding some waterfowl.  I started scanning the water and quickly found some interesting species including a female Lesser Scaup and a total of ten Ring necked Ducks (as well as a few other expected species).  I was in the midst of getting some photos of the interesting species when a Bald Eagle came in and flushed everything (eagles can be real asses).  With nothing left to look at on the water and the winds being fairly strong I took a look at the radar and it appeared a hole in the snow shield was occurring so I decided to go back to my original plan for the morning to go over to the Hadley area in search of some continued rarities with the biggest target being a Yellow rumped Warbler.

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Feb 1, 2021

Eastern Phoebe, Hadley, MA, Feb 1, 2021

Song Sparrow, Hadley, MA, Feb 1, 2021

Common Redpoll, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Feb 1, 2021

Swamp Sparrow, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Feb 1, 2021

I arrived in Hadley a bit after 8:30 and immediately set out in search of a couple of continued rarities (Eastern Phoebe and Yellow rumped Warbler) that have been in the same area for the winter (although the warbler has been missed more than it has been seen during previous visits to the area).  I met Cory  not long after I arrived and he had not seen either species.  In addition the winds were continuing to increase which made the prospects of seeing either species fairly low.  Nonetheless I figured I would give it a try.  After a bit of looking I saw the Eastern Phoebe hanging it is usual spot near the waste water treatment plant and I got a few distant photos.  Although I thought I had heard a few chip notes from the warbler earlier during my time there I was never able to be sure and the call was distant.  I was about to give up and move to another location and then I heard the bird calling fairly close but still could not see it.  After a minute or so it flew over my head and landed briefly in a tree nearby before dropping down into the DPW yard (which is strictly off limits).  I managed  a few marginal photos of the warbler before it took off.  Seeing the warbler was the main goal for the day and I was very happy to find it given the weather conditions.  The sighting of the Yellow rumped Warbler became the 46th month in a row I have seen at least one warbler species in Hampshire County.  More on the warbler can be found at the following link.  I then headed over to the Honey Pot in the hopes of turning up a Rough legged Hawk but no luck with that species once again.  Even without seeing the hawk I did find some good stuff including at least 130 Common Redpolls (no sign of a Hoary Redpoll), a Lapland Longspur in with some Horned Larks and a juvenile White crowned Sparrow in a mixed species flock of sparrows.  My next stop was over to nearby Aqua Vitae Road to check out the sparrow flocks that have been hanging out there.  The most unusual species I had there was a Swamp Sparrow but I didn't spend a lot of time looking for other stuff as I wanted to head toward home before the snow started up again.

Ring necked Ducks and Mallards, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 1, 2021

I stopped by Winsor Dam once again before I headed home and I found the flock of ten Ring necked Ducks still present but no sign of the scaup.  

PURPLE SANDPIPER becomes my 300th species in Hampshire County plus other good stuff as October comes to a rainy, snowy, cold end

Purple Sandpiper, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Purple Sandpiper (with American Pipit), Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Purple Sandpiper, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 30, 2020

What a fantastic day (really last few days) capped off with my 300th Hampshire County species this afternoon with a Purple Sandpiper initially found by Ted and seen by many over the course of the afternoon as the snow finally came to an end (after getting 3" or so here in Belchertown).  This is the first Hampshire County record for the species as well as the first one in the valley and only the third in western Massachusetts (with two old records from the 1950's and 1960's in the Berkshires)...in fact there is only one other non coastal sighting of the species and that was in Randolph (not very far inland at all).  What a great species to get me to the rarified air of 300 species in the county.  The sandpiper also becomes my 241st species in the county for the year, tying my previous best year set in 2018 and with two months of the year still left to go!  In addition this bird was a life bird for me (I never get to the coast when the species shows up for the winter) bringing me to a total of 1579 species.  I almost didn't get to try for the sandpiper as I was getting estimates for work at the house when I got the text from Ted and as soon as I could break free I headed down to the dam.  When I arrived a number of birders were already there and the bird was playing hide and seek in among the rocks and it would disappear from view occasionally.  Beyond the Purple Sandpiper there were a number of other notable species present including two Dunlin (what a fantastic last couple weeks for that species), the continued Brant and two Gadwall as well as multiple American Pipits and at least one Snow Bunting.  A big thank you to Ted for finding the species and staying around to get others on it.  Nothing like finding a first county record and sharing it with others.  More on the last few rainy and snowy days below.

Red breasted Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 28, 2020

Hooded Merganser, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 28, 2020

Long tailed Ducks Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 28, 2020

Long tailed Duck, Mitch's Marina, Hadley, MA, Oct 29, 2020

Gadwall, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 29, 2020

Brant with American Black Ducks, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 29, 2020

Brant, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 29, 2020

Lesser Black backed Gull (L) with Ring billed Gulls, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Lesser Black backed Gull (L) with Ring billed Gulls, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 30, 2020

The end of October finished rainy and then snowy but nonetheless was very productive for birds for me with a number of rarities showing up and a new high count for me for the month in Hampshire County (more on all that at the bottom of the post).  The last few days have featured rainy days (including the remnants of Hurricane Zeta coming through Thursday) which grounded a number of species (mainly waterfowl and shorebirds).  On Wednesday I stayed mainly around the south Quabbin area (primarily Winsor Dam with multiple visits) and over the course of the day found eleven species of waterfowl including all three scoter species, a group of 11 Long tailed Ducks, lots of Bufflehead and two Red breasted Mergansers.  With a brief lull in the rain early on Thursday I headed over to Arcadia, the East Meadows, the Holyoke Dam and then back to Winsor Dam.  The rain started back up by 9am and continued for the rest of the day.  I was lucky to catch up with a Short eared Owl before dawn at the Honey Pot on my way to the locations mentioned above.  Other notable species for the morning on Thursday included at least three American Woodcocks I flushed at Arcadia, an American Coot at Arcadia, a lone Long tailed Duck in the river at Mitch's Marina, the continued Brant and two Gadwall as well as a 100+ Common Mergansers at the Holyoke Dam.  Winsor Dam featured a number of loons including a small individual that was something other than a Common Loon but it was just too far out and the fog too thick to definitively identify.  On Friday I woke up to rain that quickly turned to snow and got heavy for a time resulting in us getting a couple inches of wet snow.  As soon as it was light I was over at Winsor Dam trying to find something interesting before the rain changed to snow and knocked down visibility too much.  Unfortunately the change over to snow occurred just as it was getting light so there was a very small window of any visibility at a very windy Winsor Dam.  Nonetheless I still managed to find a good bird when I had a Lesser Black backed Gull in with a single Herring Gull and multiple Ring billed Gulls.  I got a few marginal shots through the scope showing the darker mantle and size but little else.  Would have loved to get some better shots but I was lucky to get any at all.  I also had two very intriguing shorebirds whip by before I could ID them.  As the snow became heavier and heavier and the wind continued to roar out of the northeast I left the dam and tried the Route 9 marsh before heading for home as the roads started to get slushy.  I made it back to the dam midday but the snow and wind were still keeping visibility way down but I did have some birds including a Greater Scaup that made a brief stop and small groups of Mallards, Black Ducks and Double crested Cormorants.  I planned on a return to Winsor Dam as soon as the snow let up but the text from Ted regarding the Purple Sandpiper changed all that!  I eventually made it back to the dam with the most interesting sighting for that stop being a high count of 66 Long tailed Ducks.  I suspect tomorrow will turn up more waterfowl as winds continue out of the north and the temperatures drop to record low levels.

Cackling Goose, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 20, 2020

Franklin's Gull, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 26, 2020

Cattle Egret, Meadow St, Amherst, MA, Oct 16, 2020

Lark Sparrow, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 20, 2020

I finished the month with 163 species which blew away my previous high for the month of 152 set in 2018.  As mentioned above there were a number of rarities around for the month and I managed to catch up with a few but not all of them.  Notable species in addition to those mentioned above included Barnacle Goose (species #299 in Hampshire County for me), Cackling Goose, Franklin's Gull, Cattle Egret and Lark Sparrow as well as irruptives including Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin.

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands (banded in 2017), Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands (banded in 2019), Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands (banded in 2019), Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Jabish Brook in the snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

Wilson at the beginning of the storm, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

With the snow and cold temperatures I decided to put out a feeder and some suet to help the birds survive the early arrival of winter like conditions.  As I watched the birds come and go I noticed first one, then two and finally three different banded Black capped Chickadees with the biggest surprise being one banded in 2017 that I have not seen around in years...wonder where he has been hiding!

Snow in May!??!!?

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 9, 2020

Blue gray Gnatcatcher, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 9, 2020

Least Flycatcher, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 9, 2020

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2020

Snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 9, 2020

The weird weather just keeps getting weirder.  The forecast for some overnight snow unfortunately turned out to be correct and we had a light dusting to start the day (areas not too far away had a few inches of snow).  The temperature started out around freezing and climbed to a whopping 43 degrees for a high with a strong northwest wind giving us a wind chill into the teens at times.  It felt and looked a lot more like November than May.  Today was also the eBird global big day and I normally would have been birding all day and wracking up loads of species but today was a bit different.  I tried to make the best of it and headed out at dawn to make a brief stop at Winsor Dam to see if the overnight rain/snow grounded any migrants (it did not).  Ted was already there and he also didn't have much luck and I didn't stick around too long.  With the winds forecast to get progressively stronger during the morning I decided to head over to Hadley to try to catch up with an Orange crowned Warbler that Joe found in the same spot he had one back in late April (apparently the area offers something to Orange crowned Warbler as the same general area held one late last year).  I arrived and started looking and had no luck until after a little over 25 minutes of looking.  I saw the bird very briefly before one of the Yellow rumped Warblers dove on it and chased it to an unknown location.  Not long after that sighting I had a Great Egret heading upriver with a Great Blue Heron but they were gone before I could get a photo.  I then spent the another 30+ minutes looking for Orange crowned Warbler and actually heard it sing four times over the course of that time but never got a recording and never got another look...a super frustrating bird to be sure.  I finally called it quits after about an hour and then headed briefly through the Honey Pot before going to UMASS.  I walked a bit there but the wind was really blowing by that time so I called it quits and headed for home.  The rest of the day featured sun and clouds with occasional flurries and cold temperatures.  I managed just a paltry 77 species...very low for May 9 but given the conditions I guess not too bad.