Vancouver Island, Canada -June 28-July 3

Mountains from beach, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jun 28, 2024 

Mule Deer, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jun 28, 2024 

This post is a continuation of our trip to Canada with the first part of the trip covered in the previous post: Canadian Rockies.  Friday was a travel day with a morning flight from Calgary to Victoria on Vancouver Island. I once again had a great selection of waterfowl on the pond near the hotel before we left for the nearby airport. Thankfully our flight went smoothly and we arrived on time and picked up our rental car (yet again a threatened strike was averted). Before leaving the airport in Victoria I was able to bag a local specialty with an Eurasian Skylark, an established introduced species in the area. Not as good as seeing it in its native habitat in Europe and Asia but I’ll take it. We then went to Butchart Gardens for awhile before starting the long drive to Qualicum Beach, about a third of the way up the east side of the island. Traffic was bad due to the holiday weekend in Canada and it took us longer than planned to make the trip. Nonetheless we eventually made it and settled in to our Airbnb for the next five nights.  

MacGillivray's Warbler, Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jun 29, 2024

Western Tanager, Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jun 29, 2024

Orange crowned Warbler, Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jun 29, 2024

Wilson's Warbler, Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jun 29, 2024

Northern Flicker, Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jun 29, 2024

Spotted Towhee, Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jun 29, 2024

Pacific Wren, Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jun 29, 2024

On Saturday morning I was up before dawn and headed to the nearby Lighthouse Country Regional Trail where I spent three hours exploring the myriad of trails in the area. It was overcast the entire time but the birds were active with lots of song and I got plenty of recordings as well as some photos. I headed back to our lodging after my walk and not long after some light rain started and it continued at varying intensity through the remainder of the morning. By late morning we decided to head north to check out a few wineries and possibly a short walk (if we could get a dry break). We managed to get to two wineries and got a short walk in at Nymph Falls before the rain drove us back to the car. The rain finally quit early in the evening and we took a walk down to the beach. I got a number of species on the water but some were just too far out to ID…a scope would have been great to have. By the end of the day I had 49 species. 

Hutton's Vireo, McColl Rd, Bowser, BC, Canada, Jun 30, 2024

Song Sparrow, McColl Rd, Bowser, BC, Canada, Jun 30, 2024

Black throated Gray Warbler, McColl Rd, Bowser, BC, Canada, Jun 30, 2024

Glaucous winged Gull, Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, Parksville, BC, Canada, Jun 30, 2024

Orange crowned Warbler, Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, Parksville, BC, Canada, Jun 30, 2024

Chestnut backed Chickadee, Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, Parksville, BC, Canada, Jun 30, 2024

Rufous Hummingbird, Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, Parksville, BC, Canada, Jun 30, 2024

Barred Owl, Parksville Wetlands, Parksville, BC, Canada, Jun 30, 2024

Thankfully Sunday was a much better day weather wise with a mix of sun and clouds throughout the day. I once again was out before dawn and this time I headed just a few minutes north to McCall Road and spent just under three hours walking the road. Initially it was a bit quieter than the trails I was on the day before but eventually it got more active. I had a few very active pockets of birds with other areas not having much activity at all. Lots more recordings and some photos for the morning. Around 8:30 I got back to our lodging and then we headed out to Rathtrevor Beach where we walked on the beach for a bit and then I walked some of the more wooded trails just inland. It got busy quick with people as it was the weekend but there were still some birds to be found for sure. We stayed there until late morning and then took a walk at the Parksville Wetlands to finish out the morning. We then worked our way back to our lodging with a few brief stops along the way. The rest of the afternoon was spent around the lodging. A total of 66 species for the day while covering a variety of different habitats. 

Humpback Whales, Offshore Campbell River, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Humpback Whale, Offshore Campbell River, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Mitlenatch Island, Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Pelagic Cormorant, Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Pigeon Guillemot, Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Double crested Cormorant nests, Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Pelagic Cormorant nests, Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Marbled Murrelet, Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Steller's Sealions, Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Harlequin Ducks, Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Rhinoceros Auklets, Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Bald Eagle, Quadra Island, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Pigeon Guillemot, Quadra Island, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

Warbling Vireo, Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jul 1, 2024

We spent Canada Day making the hour drive up to Campbell River to take a four hour whale watch tour. I got out a little before dawn to some areas nearby to start adding some species for the new month of July. I went back to the Lighthouse Country Regional Trail once again and had a decent selection of species. After just under two hours I headed back to our lodging and then we headed up to Campbell River. The whale watch started at nine and after a slight engine issue we were out exploring for whales and other wildlife. We had a few Humpback Whales plus some Dall’s Porpoises as well as seals and sea-lions. There were a few pockets of birds with the majority around the nesting island of Mitlenatch Island. This area held several nesting species including Pigeon Guillemot, Glaucous winged Gull, Pelagic Cormorant and Double crested Cormorant. Other notables around the island included Harlequin Ducks, Rhinoceros Auklets and Marbled Murrelets. We made it back into port around 1:30 and then had to fight some Canada Day traffic in the big city of Campbell River as we made our way to a winery for the afternoon. Overall it was a sunny and warm day with fairly calm conditions throughout and I managed a respectable 55 species for the day. 

MacGillivray's Warbler, Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Bowser, BC, Canada, Jul 2, 2024

Chestnut backed Chickadee, Nile Road, Bowser, BC, Canada, Jul 2, 2024

White crowned Sparrow, Nile Road, Bowser, BC, Canada, Jul 2, 2024

Yellow rumped Warbler 'audubon's', McCall Road, Bowser, BC, Canada, Jul 2, 2024

View from beach, Qualicum Bay, BC, Canada, Jul 2, 2024

After a fair bit of travel on the first to get up to Campbell River and then back through Canada Day traffic we decided to stay local for our last full day on the island.  I was out early once again with several stops in nearby Bowser before heading back to the lodging for a short break and then another walk along the Lighthouse Country Regional Trail.  The remainder of the day was spent relaxing before we had to leave the following day.

Steller's Jay, McColl Road, Bowser, BC, Canada, Jul 3, 2024

MacGillivray's Warbler, McColl Road, Bowser, BC, Canada, Jul 3, 2024

Olive sided Flycatcher, Dudley Marsh, Coombs, BC, Canada, Jul 3, 2024

Common Yellowthroat, Hamilton Marsh, Coombs, BC, Canada, Jul 3, 2024

Common Nighthawk, Hamilton Marsh, Coombs, BC, Canada, Jul 3, 2024

The third of July would be a travel day back toward home with a ferry trip from Vancouver Island over to the mainland and then on to Vancouver Airport with a red eye flight back to Boston. Before leaving our lodging in Qualicum Bay I hit a few spots nearby in the early morning including Hamilton Marsh, Dudley Marsh and McCall’s Road. Typical species were around at each location and I captured a few more photos and recordings before heading back to pack up. We started the trip home with an hour drive to Nanaimo where we got on the ferry to Vancouver.  There was not too much bird activity during the ferry trip.  During our time on Vancouver Island I found a total of 95 species. 

Overall for the entire trip I had 153 species in Canada with 113 being new for me in Canada and bringing my Canada total up to 193 species. I got three life birds with Gray crowned Rosy Finch, Dusky Grouse and Eurasian Skylark and my life list now stands at 2005.  I also managed to get recordings of 17 new species and got my 400th recorded species with a Varied Thrush.

Full post on warblers from the entire trip at the following link: warblers on trip to western Canada

End of year summary

Western Tanager, Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020

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

Purple Sandpiper, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Oct 30, 2020 (Hampshire County species #300)

Barnacle Goose with Canada Geese, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 23, 2020

Sage Thrasher, Hatfield, MA, Dec 14, 2020

King Vulture, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 18, 2020

Limpkin, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020

Crowned Woodnymph, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Columbia, Feb 4, 2020

Barbuda Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

White cheeked Pintail, McKinnon's Salt Pond, Antigua, Feb 29, 2020

Thick billed Vireo, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020

Now that 2020 has finally come to an end, it is time for my annual year end wrap up.  Before the pandemic shut down travel I got in a few trips away from the area with a trip to Costa Rica (with a short stop in Florida) in January, Columbia in February, Antigua and Barbuda in late February into early March and the Cayman Islands in March.  I found a total of 585 species for the year with 67 of them being life birds bringing my total up to 1579 life birds.  The life birds for the year were found in the following locations in the following numbers:  Columbia-58, Barbuda-2, Cayman Islands-1 and the United States-1.  I had a record shattering 248 species in Hampshire County (breaking my old record of 241 from 2018 which I didn't think I would ever top).  Among the 248 species for the year in the county were five new species for me bringing my overall county total to 301 (a rare achievement for an inland county in the state and a long sought after goal).  The new species included Western Tanager, Laughing Gull, Barnacle Goose, Purple Sandpiper and Sage Thrasher.  There were several factors at play to get so many species this year including a string of rarities, some tropical systems, a huge influx of irruptives and more people out looking for birds due to the pandemic.  As always my focus has been on warblers throughout the year and some of my trips mentioned above were done to find more and I had quite a bit of success with six new species of warbler for the year.  Much more on warblers for the year can be found at warblers 2020.

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jan 1, 2020

Long tailed Duck, Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area, Hadley, MA, Jan 1, 2020

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Jan 2, 2020

The year started off with a number of unusual species as the winter continued to be warmer than normal with a lot less snow.  On New Years Day I got out of work and immediately went looking for birds and by the end of the day had found 54 species including continued Yellow rumped Warblers and several other rarities.  By the end of the first week of the year I had already tallied 76 species in Hampshire County and the rarities continued into the second week of the month with Red headed Woodpeckers among the more unusual species before I took my first trip of the year down to warmer locations.

Violet headed Hummingbird, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 11, 2020

Crested Guan, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 11, 2020

White faced Capuchin Monkey, Hacienda Baru, Costa Rica, Jan 13, 2020 

Silver throated Tanager, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 17, 2020

Late afternoon view from the balcony, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 11, 2020

King Vulture, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 18, 2020

We made our 13th(!) trip down to Costa Rica in mid January and it was once again a spectacular and relaxing trip down to the Rio Magnolia Lodge.  The location can really not be beat and is certainly our happy place to go to. I would highly recommend to anyone with an interest in birds and relaxation to book a trip down to the lodge.
 

River Otter, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020

Anhinga, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020

Limpkin, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020

Prairie Warbler, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020

After out time in Costa Rica we made a brief stop in the Orlando area on our way home and despite some cooler weather I got some birding in with my main stop being the Orlando Wetlands Park east of the city.

Pine Warbler, Granby, MA, Jan 23, 2020

Eastern Phoebe, Hadley DPW, Hadley, MA, Jan 27, 2020

Once back home again I continued to catch up with rarities including a Pine Warbler that was coming to a feeder at a private residence in Granby and an Eastern Phoebe overwintering in Hadley plus others.  By the end of the month I had found a record setting 93 species in the county...a testament to the mildness of the year with several lingering species.

Pine Warbler, Granby, MA, Feb 2, 2020

February began much in the same way January ended with above normal temperatures and several lingering species including both Pine and Yellow rumped Warblers among others.  

Santa Marta Antbird, Cerro Kenedy Oriente, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020

Crowned Woodnymph, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020

Blue naped Chlorophonia, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020

White lored Warbler, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020

Sunrise over Pico Cristobal Colon, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Golden breasted Fruiteater, El Dorado Reserve, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Santa Marta Warbler, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Santa Marta Parakeet, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Yellow crowned Redstart, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Black backed Thornbill, El Dorado Reserve, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Blue capped Tanager, El Dorado Reserve, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Santa Marta Woodstar, Bellavista, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Barred Forest Falcon, Finca Palo Alto, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 6, 2020

Steely vented Hummingbird, Hotel Minca, Minca, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 6, 2020

I headed down to the Santa Marta Mountains in northern Colombia on February 3rd and stayed until the 7th and added loads of new species (59 species to be exact) including the three endemic species of warblers.  It was a trip I have wanted to make for quite awhile and it didn't disappoint.  Unfortunately I caught a cold on my way home which knocked me down for a bit.

Common Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 16, 2020

Red winged Blackbirds, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Feb 23, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Feb 23, 2020

White crowned Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Feb 25, 2020

Once I was back home (at least for a short time!) I caught up with a number of continued rarities and lingering species on what was quickly shaping up to be a record breaking warm and snow free winter but my time outside well through the middle of the month was greatly curtailed by my cold.  By late in the month I was feeling better and got out a bit more and had some great mornings including one where I had a record setting number of warblers for the month of February.  Waterfowl started to arrive late in the month but I didn't stick around for the end of the month as I headed out again to the tropics to end the month.

Barbuda Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

Cape May Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

Common Ground Dove and Zenaida Dove, McKinnon's Saltpond, Antigua, Feb 29, 2020

White cheeked Pintail, McKinnon's Saltpond, Antigua, Feb 29, 2020

Gray Kingbird, McKinnon's Saltpond, Antigua, Feb 29, 2020

Cattle Egret, McKinnon's Saltpond, Antigua, Mar 1, 2020

I ended the month of February with a multi stop trip down south with my first stop to Antigua and Barbuda with the main purpose being to finally get over to see the Barbuda Warbler.  It was a successful trip with great views of the Barbuda Warbler and other warblers too.  After my adventure on Antigua and Barbuda it was off to Grand Cayman to continue the vacation.

Swainson's Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020

Vitelline Warbler, Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020

Cuban Parrot (Cayman Island), Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020

Cuban Bullfinch (Cayman Island), Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 5, 2020

West Indian Woodpecker, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020

Yucatan Vireo, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020

Blue winged Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020

Caribbean Dove, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020

Western Spindalis (Cayman Island), Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020

Northern Flicker (Grand Cayman), Old Man Bay, Grand Cayman, Mar 3, 2020

White crowned Pigeon, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020

I arrived in Grand Cayman late in the evening on March 1 and we stayed on the north side of the island through March 7.  I had several target birds there and I found all of them fairly quickly plus I turned up a number of rarities for the island during my time there ending up with half a dozen life birds for the trip.  I mostly hit the very active Mastic Trail that was super productive for warblers plus other species.

Greater White fronted Goose, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 8, 2020

Ring necked Ducks, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Mar 11, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 18, 2020

Northern Shoveler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 25, 2020

Brown Creeper, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 31, 2020

We arrived back home before the Coronavirus pandemic really hit and work got a bit crazy.  Nonetheless I still managed to get out a bit throughout March and found some waterfowl plus continued Yellow rumped Warblers  and more waterfowl.

Hooded Merganser, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 5, 2020

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 10, 2020

Glossy Ibis (with Mallard and Eastern Coyote), North Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020

Western Tanager, Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020

Canada Geese, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 19, 2020

Wild Turkey, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 21, 2020

April began with a major uptick in the impact from the pandemic as more and more places began to be closed to the public and I worked some overtime (and had to go through the whole testing process when I developed symptoms).  Among the places closed during the month was Quabbin Park but thankfully due to some political pressure this decision was reversed and the park was opened up toward the end of the month. Waterfowl continued to arrive but with warmer weather and good migration conditions early in the month many birds moved rapidly past.  At the end of the first week of the month I had a record early Louisiana Waterthrush plus continued Red Crossbills (Type 1) and Evening Grosbeaks in Williamsburg.  The middle of the month brought cooler and rainier conditions which continued through the end of the month.  All was not lost with the change in weather as a rainy day brought me a new yard species (Bonaparte's Gull-#167) plus a Glossy Ibis and best of all a new Hampshire County species for me with a Western Tanager in Amherst (county species #297)

Common Loons and a Red throated Loon, Winsor Dam, May 1, 2020

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, May 3, 2020

Black throated Blue Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, May 15, 2020

Olive sided Flycatcher, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2020

Oddly plumaged Black and White Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 19, 2020

Pied billed Grebes (adult feeding young), Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, May 20, 2020

Clay colored Sparrow, Orchard Arboretum, Amherst, MA, May 20, 2020

Hooded Mergansers leaving nest box #2, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 27, 2020

Scarlet Tanager, Quabbin Park, MA, May 11, 2020

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Quabbin Park, MA, May 11, 2020

The month of May started off with a big fallout of loons at Winsor Dam with 91 Common Loons and a Red throated Loon (plus other species).  The remainder of the first week of May continued to be rather slow for migrants with less than ideal conditions for migration but there were certainly birds around.  A big surprise for May was snow on the 9th...a very unusual occurrence but exactly what I would expect with how odd 2020 has been.  By the middle of the month there was finally a big influx of migrants and also a few unusual species around including Clay colored Sparrow, Least Bitterns and breeding Pied billed Grebes at Lake Wallace.  At the end of the month my nesting Hooded Mergansers had successful nesting season once again.

Common Tern, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 5, 2020

Wood Duck, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 6, 2020

Hooded Warbler, Hadley, MA, Jun 7, 2020

Tree Swallow nest with young, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 10, 2020

Chimney Swift, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park,  MA, Jun 13, 2020

Pied billed Grebe, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 21, 2020

Eastern Kingbird at nest, Lake Warner, Hadley, MA, Jun 23, 2020

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 28, 2020

Common Tern, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Jun 30, 2020

The beginning of June featured a two tern morning on the 5th with both Common Tern and Black Tern.  A Hooded Warbler finally showed up for me on the 7th in Hadley (perhaps the same individual recorded on the top of the ridge a couple weeks before?).  The rest of June featured lots of nesting activity as migration for the most part came to an end.  The very end of the month brought yet another Common Tern for the month.  The ongoing Covid 19 pandemic curtailed my usual bird surveys with the Breeding Bird Atlas cancelled for the year but I did the survey anyway and had another good year.  I also made it up to Kevin's place to conduct the annual survey there as well as conduct a few surveys on the Prescott Peninsula.

Canada Warbler, Pelham, MA, Jul 1, 2020

Peregrine Falcons, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jul 1, 2020

Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 12, 2020

Red breasted Nuthatch, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jul 18, 2020

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

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jul 21, 2020

I started off the normally slow month of July with a big day for warblers and I got a total of 19 species of warbler (with 104 total species for the day).  The month featured the first tropical system of the year with the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay moving through but producing little in the way of bird activity.  The month also produced a few more rare breeding records with Blue Grosbeak and Least Bittern confirmed breeding in the county.

Veery, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 1, 2020

Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020

Semipalmated Sandpipers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 4, 2020

Blue winged Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2020

Indigo Bunting and Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 12, 2020

Glossy Ibis, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Aug 15, 2020

Little Blue Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 16, 2020

Black crowned Night Heron, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Aug 21, 2020

Blue Grosbeak carrying food for young, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 22, 2020

Red breasted Nuthatch, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 25, 2020

August started off productively with a 90 species day on the first and continued lingering rarities.  The active tropical season produced another storm that impacted the area on the 4th with the arrival of Tropical Storm Isaias which brought some storm driven birds into the area and knocked out power for three days at home.  A long overdue Blue winged Warbler finally showed up in the yard after 15 years of looking!  The middle of the month produced some unusual waders with a Glossy Ibis and a Little Blue Heron showing up.  Toward the end of the month a very cooperative Black crowned Night Heron showed up at Arcadia and the ongoing influx of Red breasted Nuthatches and Red Crossbills continued.

Red Crossbill (Type 10), Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 1, 2020

Yellow throated Vireo, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 1, 2020

Red breasted Nuthatch, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 4, 2020

Sanderling, Arcadia (in Oxbow), Northampton, MA, Sep 6, 2020

Dickcissel, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 9, 2020

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

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

Black bellied Plover, Hadley, MA, Sep 16, 2020

Cape May Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 20, 2020

 Lincoln's Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2020

 Barred Owl, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 25, 2020

American Coot, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 30, 2020

September started off with a continued influx of Red breasted Nuthatches and Red Crossbills and a hint of additional irruptives as the month wore on including Purple Finches and Pine Siskins.  The first week of the month featured a nice selection of migrants (except warblers) as well as a few rarities including a Sanderling that remained at the Oxbow for several days.  September 11th turned out to be a fantastic birding day with two extreme rarities in the county.  The first was a Laughing Gull that I found at the Oxbow (only my second ever in the county with the other just a few weeks earlier).  The second was a Red Phalarope that was found close into shore at Goodnough Dike at Quabbin Park (part of a very unusual influx of the species into western mass).  This was only the second Red Phalarope I have ever had in the county.  The middle of the month produced a few unusual birds including multiple Dickcissels and both American Golden Plover and Black bellied Plover.   The middle and end of the month featured some great migration days and I ended the record setting month with a total of 169 species.

Prairie Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 5, 2020

Dickcissel, North Hadley, MA, Oct 6, 2020

Connecticut Warbler, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Oct 6, 2020

Brant, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 8, 2020

Surf Scoter (R) and Black Scoter (L), Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 12, 2020

Red throated Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 12, 2020

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 14, 2020

Orange crowned Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 14, 2020

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

The first week of October featured some good birds including my best looks at a Connecticut Warbler for the fall plus a few unusual species.  By mid month the remnant of Hurricane Delta brought in a decent selection of waterfowl over the course of a few days.  In addition more rarities showed up including a Barnacle Goose (no photos of the one) and a Cattle Egret.  

Lark Sparrow, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 24, 2020

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

Dunlin, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Oct 26, 2020

A few days in the fourth week of the month produced some great rarities including Lark Sparrow and Franklin's Gull and a few species of shorebirds. 

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

Wilson at the beginning of the snow, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

The initial  part of an early season snowfall, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 30, 2020

The end of October brought with it some unseasonable cold weather and a few inches of snow (thankfully it was not a repeat of the 2011 October storm that left us without power for a week).  The storm brought in an incredible bird for the valley when Ted found a Purple Sandpiper to the Holyoke Dam.  The sandpiper was my 300th Hampshire County species ever...not an easy feat for an inland county in Massachusetts and I was very happy to have a first county record be the 300th species for me.

Pine Siskins, Purple Finch and American Goldfinch, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Nov 5, 2020

Moose, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Nov 5, 2020

Belted Kingfisher, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 7, 2020

Common Redpolls, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, 9, 2020

Magnolia Warbler, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Nov 9, 2020

Tennessee Warbler, Hadley, MA, Nov 11, 2020

Although November started off much the same way October had ended with cold conditions and a little snow it rapidly swung in the the opposite direction with a long stretch of record setting warm days that came to an end around the 11th.  The warmer weather certainly kept more species around and among the many highlights was a record setting number of warblers.  The entire month also featured an impressive collection of irruptive species.  

Barnacle Goose with Canada Geese, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 23, 2020

Red Crossbills Type 10, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 28, 2020

Northern Shrike, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Nov 29, 2020

Fisher, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Nov 29, 2020

As the month wore on the temperatures continued to drop and felt more like late fall.  On a foggy morning on the 23rd I had a big surprise at Winsor Dam when I had a Barnacle Goose fly by with a group of Canada Geese.  Other highlights for the end of the month included a Summer Tanager that showed up sporadically in a built up neighborhood in Northampton, more iruptives and the best looks I have ever had an adult Fisher.  Overall I had a record breaking 122 species for the month in Hampshire County which blew away my previous record.

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 1, 2020 

Marsh Wren, Pines Edge Conservation Area, Northampton, MA, Dec 3, 2020

'Ipswich' Savannah Sparrow, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Dec 11, 2020

Sage Thrasher, Hatfield, MA, Dec 14, 2020

Wilson enjoying the snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Dec 17, 2020

Eastern Phoebe, Hadley, MA, Dec 21, 2020

Yellow throated Warbler, Lancaster, MA, Dec 24, 2020

Red headed Woodpecker, Northampton, MA, Dec 30, 2020

December began with a number of unusual around including a couple Marsh Wrens, Yellow rumped Warblers, Golden Eagle, Bonaparte's Gull and a few species of waterfowl.  While looking for sparrows in the early part of the month I could an 'Ipswich' Savannah Sparrow (as well as other unusual sparrows).  The biggest surprise by far was a Sage Thrasher that was discovered in Hatfield...not a species I would have ever expected to see in the county.  The middle of the month featured a fairly large snowfall but thankfully the snow was mostly gone by the end of the month.  Although I had to work on the day of the Northampton CBC again I was able to add some species for count week.  I also made a trip out to Worcester County on Christmas Eve day to see a Yellow throated Warbler (a warbler species I had not yet seen in the state.  The last few days of the year I spent tracking down some continued rarities including a Red headed Woodpecker and set up my strategy for birding once the new year arrives.  Hopefully I will get to travel out of the area to more tropical locations at some point this upcoming year but who knows.