A spring like weekend with some good stuff including a Long eared Owl and the beginnings of waterfowl migration

Peregrine Falcon eating Black Duck, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Feb 21, 2016

Peregrine Falcon eating Black Duck, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Feb 21, 2016

Canada Goose with extensive white on head and neck, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Feb 21, 2016

Canada Goose with extensive white on head and neck, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Feb 21, 2016

It once again felt and looked more like mid March today with most of the snow gone and morning temperatures that started out in the mid 40's and warmed into the 50's.  I got up well before dawn and decided to try my luck at catching up with an early woodcock. I tried a couple spots and had about given up in finding anything interesting when I pulled into a small dirt track near some fields in Amherst and almost immediately had a Long eared Owl calling! It called four times with a single hoot and then went silent. I tried to call it in but it would not respond. The area where I had it is not a known spot for the species (before today anyway) but it looks good with a series of fields and some nearby dense woods. For the owls safety and the fact that the area is posted as private the exact location will be left undisclosed. I have spent a lot of time over the past several weeks trying to catch up with this species so I was very happy to find it. It was another new species for the county this year, bringing the total to 94 (a big miss for me last year).

I then headed over to the campus pond and found the typical Mallards plus around fifty Canada Geese but no sign of any of the unusual ducks that have been around lately. I then headed out toward Hadley trying to track down any geese that might be around as well as some early Killdeer or meadowlarks. As I was checking one spot I noticed hundreds of geese heading toward UMASS so I turned around and went back to catch up with them. After checking a few fields I finally found them on the campus pond with the total numbering at least 660. Although I could not turn up any other goose species I did find two unique individuals that had more extensive white on their neck and head. The other highlight (unless you were the duck!) was a Peregrine Falcon chowing down a Black Duck on the lawn near the pond while its mate hung out near the nestbox...very neat to see.

Canada Goose, Stockbridge Rd, Hadley, MA, Feb 21, 2016

Canada Goose with white on neck and head (one of two), Stockbridge Rd, Hadley, MA, Feb 21, 2016

Canada Goose with white on neck (one of two), Stockbridge Rd, Hadley, MA, Feb 21, 2016

Gadwall and American Wigeon, Swift River, Ware, MA, Feb 21, 2016

Gadwall and American Wigeon, Swift River, Ware, MA, Feb 21, 2016

After checking the campus pond I moved back over to Hadley to look for additional geese and I eventually found a group of 965+ along Stockbridge Road. Once again no luck with any other species beyond Canada Goose but I did turn up a couple more individuals with extensive white on the head and neck. I didn't have any luck turning up any additional geese in other fields I checked right along the river but I did have a flock of 55+ Common Grackles. One of my last stops in the morning checking fields produced a flyby Killdeer (#95) as well as a flock of at least 110 Horned Larks along Moody Bridge Road.  A swing through a few spots near Quabbin produced a Gadwall, an American Wigeon and 24 Hooded Mergansers along the Swift River plus a handful of Common Mergansers at Hank's Meadow.

Elsewhere today in the local area a couple really good species of waterfowl showed up including a Pink footed Goose along the river in Agawam and a male Eurasian Wigeon in the Berkshires...true migration looks to be starting!

Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 21, 2016

Common Loons, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 21, 2016

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 21, 2016

Saturday started off cool and rainy so I decided to stick closer to home spending a few hours around the south Quabbin area. Before dawn at Winsor Dam I had a record high count for February of five Common Loons plus a handful of Common Mergansers on the water and small groups of Mallards and Black Ducks moving south from their nighttime roost. As the rain continued I drove through Quabbin Park with a walk down to Hank's Meadow. The reservoir was still mostly frozen in that area but the open sections featured a single Common Goldeneye as well as a few more Common Mergansers. Various stops along the Swift River in Ware produced a male Wood Duck, a pair of American Wigeon, a dozen Hooded Mergansers, numerous Mallards and a few Canada Geese. A final stop back at Winsor Dam found a couple of loons still around as well as at least 33 Cedar Waxwings feeding in the crabapple trees (no Bohemian Waxwings with them). Overall I had a total of nine species of waterfowl and the day certainly felt more like March with the ice and snow rapidly retreating, some rain and a decent showing of waterfowl with temperatures eventually making it to around 60.

Early February birding in the valley

Red tailed Hawk, Covey WMA, Feb 4, 2013

I started the day at dawn at Covey WMA with Wilson.  It was a very chilly morning with temperatures around 15 with a steadily increasing breeze.  I hoped to catch up with some of the waterfowl seen there yesterday and although I could not relocate the Northern Pintail I did find the female Ring necked Duck plus a couple Hooded Mergansers,a Black Duck and a handful of Mallards.  I think some of the ducks had been flushed by a group of three River Otters before I arrived.  A Winter Wren was working the shore of the Swift River but there was little activity beyond that.  I then headed home to drop off Wilson before heading down to the Holyoke Dam and then to other areas along the river.

At the Holyoke Dam area I had a small selection of waterfowl with three Common Goldeneye (two males), 13 Mute Swans, a dozen Common Mergansers, three Hooded Mergansers, 200+ Canada Geese and nine Mallards.  The only gulls present were a few Ring billed Gulls and a single Great Black backed Gull.  The river was still running fairly high, at least compared to last week.  As I worked north I stopped at a few spots along the river but didn't find anything noteworthy.  I made it up to the Coolidge Bridge in Northampton and the wind really picked up.  The only waterfowl on the water below the bridge were two Common Mergansers.  I then headed across the river to Hadley.

American Wigeons, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Feb 4, 2013

American Wigeons, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Feb 4, 2013

 

American Wigeons, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Feb 4, 2013

My final stop for the morning along the river was the most productive.  I checked out the river upstream from the Coolidge Bridge viewing it from the Honeypot.  The best birds were a pair of American Wigeon in among the other ducks.  The wigeons became species #86 for Hampshire County this year. Other waterfowl here included 172 Mallards, four Black Ducks, three Mallard x Black Duck hybrids and half a dozen Common Mergansers.  I quickly cruised through the Honeypot and didn't find anything else too unusual but the strong winds certainly kept some of the birds hunkered down.

Eastern Coyote, Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA, Feb 4, 2013

The area of South Maple Street, Mill Valley Road and Moody Bridge road did not produce a Gyrfalcon or any other raptor besides a few Red tailed Hawks.  I did have an Eastern Coyote in the middle of a large field off Mill Valley Road late in the morning.  Surprised to see it out in the open in such a busy area.  I managed a couple of blurry shots before it disappeared.

Red tailed Hawk, Covey WMA, Feb 4, 2013

Red tailed Hawk, Covey WMA, Feb 4, 2013

Eastern Bluebird chicks that didn't make it, Covey WMA, Feb 4, 2013

Eastern Bluebird chicks that didn't make it, Covey WMA, Feb 4, 2013

Wilson listening to a Winter Wren, Covey WMA, Feb 4, 2013

Swift River, Covey WMA, Feb 4, 2013

Once I got home I picked up Wilson and we went back to Covey WMA were we found the female Ring necked Duck in among a group of Hooded Mergansers and we also refound the Winter Wren that kept up quite a chatter...even Wilson was impressed and just sat there listening to it as it worked its way up the opposite shore of the Swift River.  Also came across a nest that looks to have been recently removed from one of the many nest boxes.  The remains of at least three Eastern Bluebirds could be seen nearby.  Hopefully the bluebirds have better luck this coming breeding season.   A brief stop at Winsor Dam produced a total of five Bald Eagles all up in the air at once.

Today also saw the 40,000th page view here...amazing.