A few shorebirds at Arcadia

I stopped briefly at Arcadia marsh before work this morning to see what might be around.  A Black-crowned Night Heron was reported there a few days ago but it was not there this morning.  I did have a few migrant shorebirds along the mud flats in the area near the lookout tower.  There were three Least Sandpipers and a Lesser Yellowlegs as well as two Killdeer.  It appears the shorebird migration has begun.  The Lesser Yellowlegs makes county bird #188 for the year so far.

Northern Bobwhite and others

Northern Bobwhite, Covey WMA, July 16, 2012

Northern Bobwhite, Covey WMA, July 16, 2012

Northern Bobwhite, Covey WMA, July 16, 2012

A quick post today as I'm a bit short on time and it is too hot to sit in front of a computer for very long.  We are at the beginning of yet another heat wave (the fourth this year so far) with temperatures today and tomorrow expected to peak in the mid to upper 90's.  I did a little birding the last few days in the morning before the weather got too hot.  Nothing exceptional.  This time of year typically is a bit slow bird wise as migration is limited and the amount of bird song diminishes.  I did find a few birds on my morning walks including the Northern Bobwhite today at Covey WMA.  It was quite vocal and came in close but would not sit still in the open at all to allow a good photo.  No idea how this bird escaped hunters so far.  Other birds of note this weekend and today include three Common Loons at Winsor Dam, Black billed Cuckoo and a Broad-winged Hawk along the Belchertown Land Trust trail and family groups of Brown Thrashers, Northern Mockingbirds, Louisiana Waterthrushes, and many others at various spots.  Not many photos this time around but I'm also adding in a few photos from last Monday at Covey WMA.

Green Heron, Covey WMA, July 9, 2012

Wood Duck (with ducklings) and Hooded Mergansers, Covey WMA, July 9, 2012

Various locations this weekend

Northern Cardinal, Wentworth Farm CA, Amherst, MA, July 8, 2012

Black and White Warbler, Wentworth Farm CA, Amherst, MA, July 8, 2012

Belted Kingfisher, Wentworth Farm CA, Amherst, MA, July 8, 2012

Willow Flycatcher, Wentworth Farm CA, Amherst, MA, July 8, 2012

Song Sparrow and fledgling Brown-headed Cowbird, Wentworth Farm CA, Amherst, MA, July 8, 2012

Chimney Swift, Wentworth Farm CA, Amherst, MA, July 8, 2012

Song Sparrow carrying food, Wentworth Farm CA, Amherst, MA, July 8, 2012

Today I started a little after dawn at Wentworth Conservation Area in Amherst and then over to the rail trail.  I spent a few hours exploring the area with hopes of running across Black-crowned Night Herons that were seen in the area a week or so ago.  No luck with them but still some good stuff around.  I ran across a flock of 16 Bobolinks with a few adult males transitioning out of breeding plumage.  There were also at least three Orchard Orioles in the area as well as many recently fledged birds.  A Beaver working on a dam just below the footbridge allowed a very close study of the building of a dam.  Quite entertaining to watch.  I next stopped by the rail trail walking in from Mill Lane past Hop Brook.  Nothing out of the ordinary there today.

Scarlet Tanager feeding fledgling, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

Scarlet Tanager, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

Veery fledgling, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

Gray Catbird fledgling, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

Gray Catbird collecting nest material, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

Eastern Phoebe, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

On Saturday I spent a few hours in the morning around Quabbin Park.  Yet again lots of evidence of breeding success with recently fledged young being attended to by adults and many adults carrying food to nests or hidden fledglings.  There were birds still nest building preparing for their second broods.

Cedar Waxwing bathing, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

Pine Warbler, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

Red-eyed Vireo, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

Red-eyed Vireo, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

Baltimore Oriole, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

I found a spot where a small stream empties into the reservoir that had several birds coming in to bathe.  It was interssting to see what came in as I sat there watching.  Among the birds coming in where Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Gray Catbird, Pine Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Red-eyed Vireo, Veery, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Eastern Phoebe, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Song Sparrow and Black-capped Chickadee.

Mink, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

Eastern Cottontail bunnies, Quabbin Park, July 7, 2012

I came across quite a few mammals as well including a Mink swimming right in front of Quabbin HQ, River Otter and a couple Beaver in the route 9 marsh, several White-tailed Deer, Muskrat, Eastern Cottontails and various squirrels and chipmunks.

At home, after an absence of several weeks of no singing, a Louisiana Waterthrush was singing loudly this morning here at home. I had seen a few of them over the last few weeks and had them chipping at me but this is the first singing for quite some time. Reminds me of spring all over again!

A Tri-colored Heron on the 4th of July

Willow Flycatcher, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Northampton, MA, July 4, 2012

I tried on Tuesday morning to re find the Tricolored Heron seen at Arcadia by Steve Sauter on Monday.  I checked the oxbow and the marsh and river at Arcadia but come up empty.  The bird may have been around but I was unable to find it.  This sighting would be only the third record in the valley and the fifth in all of western Massachusetts.  I reviewed another sighting of this species earlier this year.

http://quabbinbirdingandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-of-rare-connecticut-valley_17.html

Great Blue Heron, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Northampton, MA, July 4, 2012

Great Blue Herons on nests, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Northampton, MA, July 4, 2012

Gray Catbird carrying caterpillar and dragonfly to nest, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Northampton, MA, July 4, 2012

Eastern Bluebird, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Northampton, MA, July 4, 2012

Muskrat, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Northampton, MA, July 4, 2012

On the 4th of July I got up and saw a posting that the Tri-colored Heron was seen yesterday by Dave McLain in Ned's Ditch at Arcadia.  Ned's Ditch is a section of the sanctuary that has a large Great Blue Heron rookery in it and is quite inaccessible and tough to get views of through the thick vegetation.  I decided I would try once again to find this bird.  I arrived there around 6:30am and walked all over Arcadia getting quite wet in the process.  I checked Ned's Ditch and the old trolley line and then over to the marsh at Hurlburts Pond and then a few other marshy areas but had no luck.  I had talked to Tom Gagnon earlier and I ran into him down there so we tried once again to check Ned's Ditch with no luck once again.  There are so many great feeding areas that you just cannot get a good look at we figured the bird was in one of those.  As we were walking the edge of the field back to our cars I noticed a heron flying low and got my binoculars on it for a brief second before it disappeared behind the trees.  Low and behold it was the Tri-colored Heron!  Tom also got a brief look but was not able to get his binoculars on it.  It was a fleeting glimpse and I was unable to get a photo of the bird.  This sighting occurred right around 10am.  We tried to find the bird again but had no luck.  It seems the bird moves around a bit to feed so perhaps just waiting it out in the fields between Ned's Ditch and the Mill River/Hurlburts Pond would be the most productive way of getting a glimpse of the bird.  It seems the bird is finding good places to feed and has been present for a few days so perhaps others will have luck with it too.  This was a county and state bird for me bringing my county count for the year to 187.

During my several hours down I had some other nice birds including many Northern Flickers, American Robins and Eastern Bluebirds, 45+ Great Blue Herons with many very large young still in the nest plus a nice selection of other expected birds in the area including a number of Bobolinks, Savannah Sparrows and Song Sparrows.  There was also a fair amount of mammals around including Muskrats, White-tailed Deer and Eastern Cottontail.

Quabbin Park and Palmer



Eastern Phoebe, Quabbin Park, July 2, 2012

Eastern Phoebe, Quabbin Park, July 2, 2012

Great Blue Heron flying past Winsor Dam,  Quabbin Park, July 2, 2012

American Redstart carrying food, Quabbin Park, July 2, 2012

American Goldfinch, Quabbin Park, July 2, 2012

I almost made the trip up to the north part of Quabbin to follow up on a report of a Boat-tailed Grackle near gate 22 but decided the chnaces of it still being there was not worth the trip and the long walk down to the water with scope, camera and binoculars.  Instead I made the loop around Quabbin Park before heading south into Palmer.  The day started off with clear blue skies and temerpatures around 60.  By the late morning the clouds moved in a bit but the temperature still rose into the 80's.  Lots of fledged young of various species around with some allowing some great views.  Again nothing too out of the ordinary for the area considering the time of year.  There were also a few pairs of Common Loons around with some calling occuring.

A sad footnote to the morning here was finding a Brown Thrasher decapitated by an appearant run in with a car along the road into Winsor Dam.  I had seen Brown Thrashers in this area all spring and they likely nested here again.  The bird appeared to be an adult.

Green Heron, Palmer, MA, July 2, 2012

After quabbin I headed down to Palmer to check a few areas and see if the Grasshopper Sparrow was still at the old capped landfill.  The fields south of the landfill area were still quite active despite some roadside mowing going on.  Oddly no Bobolinks but otherwise all the species expected here were around.  At the old landfill the Grasshopper Sparrow was calling as soon as I arrived.  At times it sounded fairly close but then would sound more distant.  Never did get a look at it today but it is nice to know it is still there.  Across from the fenced in landfill is a large marsh/pond.  There were at least five Green Herons fishing in the area.

June ends, July begins

Sunset at Winsor Dam, Belchertown, MA, June 30, 2012

As June comes to an end we are in the middle of yet another heat wave with temperatures Friday nearing 95 and reaching 90 on Saturday.  Thankfully it is not nearly as humid as the last heat wave so it is tolerable to be outside.

Eastern Whip-poor-will calling, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, June 30, 2012

At dusk I spent some time around Winsor Dam at Quabbin Park looking to see if I could find any Eastern Whip-poor-wills calling.  I have not tried for them here for a few weeks so I was not sure they would still be around and calling.  At 8:50 one started calling and was joined by a second.  I then headed to the second entrance to Quabbin Park and had another one there.  My next stop was at Covey WMA where I added two more including a fairly good look at one as it flew past me.

Hooded Warbler, Quabbin, July 1, 2012

Hooded Warbler, Quabbin, July 1, 2012

Broad-winged Hawk, Quabbin Gate 12, July 1, 2012

Red Admiral, Quabbin Gate 12, July 1, 2012

On Sunday I decided to try again for the Hooded Warbler on the west side of Quabbin.  After an absense of a few weeks the male was back singing in the same spot he had been in all spring this year as well as last year.  Although difficult to get a good view of I did manage a few marginal photos.  There was still no sign of suceeful nesting but I certainly hope he was successful this year.  I made a few other stops along the west side of Quabbin with several good looks at various nesting species including a vocal Broad-winged Hawk at gate 12.  By late morning the temperature was well into the 80's so I decided to head in and getb out of the heat

Merlins in Northampton

A couple of days ago, while at work, I came across at least three Merlins near the Clarke School off  Elm Street in Northampton.  There appeared to be two adults and at least one young.  They were in the area that they were suspected of nesting this year.  This was one of two pairs that likely nested in the Northampton/Florence area this season.  This makes at least a few years that nesting has or was suspected of occuring in the local area.  This is only one of a handful of records of nesting Merlins in the state ever.  I'll elaborate on the nesting of Merlins in Massachusetts in a future post.  Sorry no photos of these birds.