A warm up to end the third week of October

Marsh Wren, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 22, 2021

Marsh Wren, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 22, 2021

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 22, 2021

Swamp Sparrow, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 22, 2021

Nashville Warbler, North Hadley, MA, Oct 22, 2021

Tennessee Warbler, North Hadley, MA, Oct 22, 2021

White breasted Nuthatch, North Hadley, MA, Oct 22, 2021

Savannah Sparrow with White throated Sparrow and Song Sparrow, North Hadley, MA, Oct 22, 2021

Cooper's Hawk, North Hadley, MA, Oct 22, 2021

The last few days have featured above normal temperatures with highs reaching into the 70's on Wednesday and Thursday and the upper 60's today.  This looks to be the last warm spell for awhile as we enter further into fall and our weather gets progressively cooler.  I took advantage of the nice weather to get out when I could.  I had to work on Wednesday but did get out after work on Thursday morning (more on that below).  Today I decided to concentrate on a variety of spots on the east side of the river in Hadley.  I started my morning at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River where I had at least four American Woodcocks still hanging around with some still doing flight displays and other flushed from the trails.  The thickets there produced at least three Gray Catbirds as well as seven Hermit Thrushes including one singing softly as well as a slightly late Eastern Towhee.  I also had some flyby finches including at least one Pine Siskin with American Goldfinches plus three finches that may have been White winged Crossbills.  As I was getting ready to leave I had a Nashville Warbler moving through the weedy fields near the parking lot...a good start to the morning for sure.  My next stop was up to North Hadley to check a few overgrown fields mainly looking for sparrows and some late warblers.  I arrived there just as the sun was hitting a tree line along the river and I turned up some good stuff including a Tennessee Warbler and two Nashville Warblers.  No unusual sparrows there but some good numbers.  I then stopped at a couple other spots along the river including the Honey Pot but didn't find anything too unusual.  A stop along the Fort River was a bit more productive with at least three Gray Catbirds and a Common Yellowthroat (plus loads of deer ticks!).  With my time for the morning rapidly running out I decided to make another stop back at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, covering a few areas I did not hit earlier in the morning.  The short stop proved productive with a Marsh Wren and a Common Yellowthroat.  Overall it was a fantastic late October morning with 60 species for the morning including multiple late species and some rarities.

Palm Warbler 'yellow', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 21, 2021

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 21, 2021

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 21, 2021

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 21, 2021

House Wren, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 21, 2021

White tailed Deer, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 21, 2021

After work yesterday I headed right over to Arcadia where I had some good stuff including a Red eyed Vireo, at least two House Wrens, a dozen Purple Finches (mainly calling flyovers), half a dozen species of sparrows, two Common Yellowthroats and an Indigo Bunting.  A total of 51 species in just over an hour and a half.  I then made a brief stop in the East Meadows but didn't find anything too unusual.  

Hermit Thrush, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 20, 2021

The camera on the water feature continues to capture birds including a Hermit Thrush that showed up for a couple days.

Morning at Arcadia and the Honey Pot and an update on Hurricane Matthew (now a Category 4 storm!)

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 30, 2016

White breasted Nuthatch, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 30, 2016

Black and White Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 30, 2016

Lincoln's Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 30, 2016

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 30, 2016

Field Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 30, 2016

Nashville Warbler, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 30, 2016

Eastern Phoebe, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 30, 2016

Swamp Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 30, 2016

I spent the morning birding a potion of the morning with Keenan and then a bit on my own in some very fall like conditions with overcast conditions, a steady breeze and temperatures starting in the 50's and not warming a whole lot.  It was a bit quiet at times due to the conditions but we still found some good stuff during our time at Arcadia including another Connecticut Warbler and an Orange crowned Warbler among eight species of warbler plus at least eight species of sparrows as well as another that may have been a Nelson's Sparrow but I was unable to confirm.  Also a decent show of raptors around which certainly kept some birds from showing themselves to us.  After Keenan had to leave I spent a bit more time at Arcadia before heading over to the Honey Pot where I found more warblers (including a late Yellow Warbler) and sparrows.  Also ran across a large gathering of Eastern Phoebes at 'That's a Plenty Farm' that I hoped to find an unusual flycatcher in but no luck today.  Full lists with more photos below:

Arcadia: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31823303
Honey Pot:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31823336

Hurricane Matthew projected path, Sep 30, 2016 (courtesy NHC)

Hurricane Matthew, Sep 30, 2016 (courtesy of NASA)

Now for the latest on what is now Hurricane Matthew spinning down in the southern Caribbean.  It reached hurricane strength yesterday and then rapidly intensified to a Cat 4 storm today with 140 MPH winds with a pressure down  to 949mb!  It strengthened much more rapidly than predicted despite some fairly strong wind shear (makes me wonder what will happen once the shear drops off a bit).  It is starting to look more and more impressive and is almost certain to have a major impact somewhere in the Caribbean.  The current forecast has the storm continuing west before making a sharp turn to the north and impacting Jamaica and Cuba as a strong Cat 3 storm.  The real question then becomes what happens to the storm after that.  It should end up in the Bahamas slightly weakened after interactions with one of the large islands but given the warm SST's there it is likely to regain strength once again and then either threaten somewhere on the east coast of the US or head out to sea.  Still a lot of variables that will have an impact on the storm over the long term but suffice it to say the storm has some great potential to impact the US somewhere, possibly even New England.

Arcadia meadows

Lincoln's Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2014

Cooper's Hawk, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2014

Red tailed Hawk, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2014

American Kestrel, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2014

Eastern Phoebe with dragonfly, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2014

White breasted Nuthatch, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2014

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2014

Palm Warbler (western), Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2014

After the warm temperatures, humidity and tropical downpours of yesterday this morning was a refreshing change although the strong west/northwest winds made viewing tough at times as I spent a few hours at the Arcadia meadows.  Highlights were many including my third Marsh Wren of the fall.  Other notables in not particular order included two Great Egrets flying over the oxbow, nine species of raptors, 11 Eastern Phoebes, a Wood Thrush, 24 Gray Catbirds, three American Pipits, nine species of warblers (including Tennessee, Nashville and Wilson's Warblers), six species of sparrows (including 33 Savannah Sparrows, 59 Song Sparrows and 8 Lincoln's Sparrows), four Indigo Buntings, 38 Bobolinks and 50+ American Goldfinches.  Full list at this link: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19906668

A stop at the river on my way home produced just two Killdeer for shorebirds.

Tonight should feature light northerly winds so I expect a large migration event tonight and a big turnover of species tomorrow. 

Migrants at Orchard Hill and the Honeypot

Wood Thrush, Orchard Hill UMASS, Sep 6, 2013

Wood Thrush, Orchard Hill UMASS, Sep 6, 2013

Philadelphia Vireo, Orchard Hill UMASS, Sep 6, 2013

Philadelphia Vireo, Orchard Hill UMASS, Sep 6, 2013

Black and White Warbler, Orchard Hill UMASS, Sep 6, 2013

White breasted Nuthatch, Orchard Hill UMASS, Sep 6, 2013

Bay breasted Warbler, Orchard Hill UMASS, Sep 6, 2013

Bay breasted Warbler, Orchard Hill UMASS, Sep 6, 2013

With the radars lit up overnight and flight calls heard as I was outside last evening I had high hopes for a good morning of birding and I was not disappointed. Although the morning started off a bit cool with a temperature at 39 it was at least sunny and did warm up.  I started my morning predawn at the honeypot before heading over to UMASS. I didn't want to spend too much time at the honeypot as I wanted to be on Orchard Hill for sunrise so I was not able to turn up anything noteworthy there first thing. I made it over to Orchard Hill just as the sun was rising and joined a few other birders there. Quiet at first but then the activity picked up with the arrival of the sun. We had some fantastic birds including at least three Bay breasted Warblers (all in the same small area...never have had so many close together in Mass before), a Tennessee Warbler, a Wilson's Warbler, a Philadelphia Vireo (one of four vireo species there), a total of 13 warbler species and just over 45 species total for a few hours in the morning. The activity quickly trailed off and others needed to head to class so I left the hill and headed back to the honeypot to try my luck once again finding shorebirds from the dike. 

 

 

American Golden Plovers (they are there!), Honeypot, Sep 6, 2013

Honeypot at dawn, Sep 6, 2013

Almost as soon as I arrived at the Honeypot a Merlin came in from the north and I thought any shorebirds would have flushed but nothing moved. I scanned through the fields a couple times and came up with eight American Golden Plovers as well as a couple Killdeer. Still lots of Bobolinks flying overhead and calling as well as hundreds of swallows along the river and fields.

I took Wilson for a couple walks including along Jabish Canal (one mixed species flock but nothing unexpected) and along the land trust trail. The best bird along the land trust trail was a Yellow bellied Flycatcher in the woods that allowed for some great views. I tried to get a photo with the phone through the binoculars but no luck with that.  A few other notable birds were reported today including Connecticut and Orange crowned Warblers...both of which I have yet to see this year in the county...maybe tomorrow?