'Gambel's' White crowned Sparrow back at the Honey Pot as well as species #100 for the county this year

'Gambel's' White crowned Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Mar 5, 2016

'Gambel's' White crowned Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Mar 5, 2016

Mute Swans, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Mar 5, 2016

Ring necked Ducks, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 5, 2016

Canada Goose with white on neck, Amherst, MA, Mar 5, 2016

I planned on staying around the south Quabbin area this morning but the northerly winds at Quabbin were too strong so I headed over to the Hadley/Amherst area instead.  I spent over an hour at the Honey Pot trying my luck at tracking down sparrows and I managed to relocate the 'Gambel's' White crowned Sparrow that I last had there on January 31st (I assume it is the same individual as this subspecies is quite rare around here and the bird was in roughly the same spot as previously seen).  I also had an adult White crowned Sparrow of the eastern race that was singing and a somewhat early Swamp Sparrow which became species #100 for the county this year.  I beat my previous date to get to 100 species in the county by a week and a half...a very good year so far.  Decent numbers of American Tree Sparrows and Song Sparrows were around too...full eBird list here:  http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S27973025

I found a large group of geese in a field off Meadow Street in Amherst that contained over 1300 individuals but I had no luck turning up anything beyond Canada Geese (one did have some extra white on its neck but that was the only unusual one among the large group).

A stop by Beaver Lake in Ware turned up even more Ring necked Ducks then were there yesterday plus a few other species of waterfowl but nothing too unusual.

Waterfowl continues to arrive in the valley

Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Ring necked Ducks, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Hooded Mergansers, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Bufflehead, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Common Loons, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 4, 2016

River Otter, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Mute Swan, Lake Warner, Hadley, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Green winged Teal, Hadley, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Mallard, Hadley, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Canada Geese, Hadley, MA, Mar 4, 2016

I spent the morning out exploring multiple locations looking primarily for waterfowl.  I managed a total of thirteen species with the following highlights- 18 Ring necked Duck and a couple Bufflehead at Beaver Lake, half a dozen Common Loons at Quabbin Park, a little over 600 Canada Geese in several groups in various fields in Amherst and Hadley, a pair of Green winged Teal along the river in Hadley and a Northern Pintail in the Swift River in Ware.  Nothing too unusual but the numbers and diversity continue to climb slowly.  Also had a few woodcock at various locations predawn.

Wilson cleaning up the dusting of snow, Belchertown, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Wilson and I also took a couple walk late in the morning as a light snow continued to fall...Wilson was happy to help clean up the snow where he could.

Canada Goose with extensive white on head, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Mar 3, 2016

Canada Goose with extensive white on head, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Mar 3, 2016

Common Mergansers, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Mar 3, 2016

Yesterday I stopped at Arcadia before work and after finding the marsh void of birds I went to the nearby oxbow which featured 36 Canada Geese (including one with extensive white on the head), 8 Black Ducks, 18 Mallards and 104 Common Mergansers.

Black Vultures over Florence

Black Vulture, Florence, MA, Mar 1, 2016

Sometimes you just get lucky and stumble across some good birds and that was the case today when I was driving along at work and noticed two dark birds circling around.  I was able to make a quick stop and watch as two Black Vultures (#99) moved past.  It is amazing how much more common this species has become around here in the last several years.

I have also stopped to briefly check for waterfowl along the river the last few morning but I didn't find anything unusual.

The last few days around the valley add a couple more species for the year

Common Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 28, 2016

Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 28, 2016

Bald Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 28, 2016

Got up bright and early this morning to head out to try to find an early American Woodcock over at Covey WMA. I arrived there just after 5:30 and had a woodcock almost immediately fluttering around and added another new species for the county becoming #98. I then made the walk out to the larger fields where I typically find numerous woodcocks but oddly I didn't have any there. I then headed over to Winsor Dam where I had another American Woodcock plus a couple Common Loons and a nice roost of gulls including 228 Ring billed Gulls. I then spent a few hours exploring the fields and a few bodies of water from Amherst to Hadley and manage to turn up a few species of waterfowl but nothing really unexpected and the goose flocks I came across were relatively small. Although the conditions and weather look and feel more like mid March the birds still know it is the end of February. Without too much to speak of over near the river I headed back to the south Quabbin area with stops at Quabbin Park and Beaver Lake but once again low numbers of waterfowl with nothing out of the ordinary. Another nice day to be outside in February with above normal temperatures and no snow. 

Common Mergansers, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Feb 26, 2016

Ring necked Ducks, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Feb 26, 2016

Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 27, 2016

After getting in late from work early Saturday morning I didn't have much energy to get out early so when I finally did get out I stayed local covering a few areas around south Quabbin. Not too much noteworthy stuff but I had three Common Loons at Winsor Dam and a pair of Common Goldeneye at Hank's Meadow.

On Friday I had some time in the morning to explore a few spots before work and I managed to catch up with another new species for the year when I found a Rusty Blackbird (#97) at Arcadia. The area was quite flooded but was fairly quiet waterfowl wise despite some great looking flooded fields. A brief check for geese in the Hadley/Amherst fields turned up several hundred Canada Geese but not much else.


Elsewhere in the state it appears that another new species has been added to the state bird list with the sighting of a Yellow billed Loon at Race Point out on the cape yesterday by Steve Arena (and relocated today)...I have attached his eBird list here: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S27850033  There was also a Pacific Loon (which increased to two Pacific Loons today!) in the same area which resulted in four loon species in one day.  Yellow billed Loon is a species that has been overdue to show up in the state and I actually had a sighting of an interesting loon that may have been a Yellow billed Loon but more likely an odd Common Loon or some hybrid...http://quabbinbirdingandbeyond.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-loon-is-itcommon-yellow-billed-or.html

More waterfowl continue to arrive with more warm weather

Winter Wren, Ware, MA, Feb 25, 2016

Winter Wren, Ware, MA, Feb 25, 2016

Snow Goose, Amherst, MA, Feb 25, 2016

Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 25, 2016

Ring necked Duck, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 25, 2016

I enjoyed a day off today which coincided with warm weather and strong southerly winds through midday which certainly got some birds moving with some obvious raptor movement (Red tailed Hawks, Northern Harrier and Turkey Vulture) as well as crows.  I spent a good portion of my morning checking fields in Amherst and Hadley for geese and I eventually caught up with a group of almost 1100 birds along Meadow St which included a Snow Goose.  The area also held at least a couple Killdeer. Lots of other fields looked great to host a variety of species but they were empty today.  I also checked the river briefly but it was running fast and was very muddy so very few species of waterfowl were around.  I also stopped at Quabbin on my way home and had a couple Common Loons as well as a Ring necked Duck and both expected species of mergansers.  The Swift River also held a few species of waterfowl but nothing unexpected.  I did run across a vocal Winter Wren there that allowed for some photos but it would never pop out into the open for a good shot.  Most bodies of water have now thawed at least partially with some totally ice free...very different from the last few years when the ice hung on for most of March (or later).

Wood Ducks, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 22, 2016

Canada Goose with white spot on head, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 22, 2016

I made a few stops in the morning (and one in the evening) earlier this week that produced a fair number of waterfowl but nothing too unusual. On Monday I stopped to check below the Coolidge Bridge and found 800+ Canada Geese (with one having extra white on its head), five Wood Ducks, 7 Black Ducks, 34 Mallards, four Northern Pintails, four Common Goldeneyes and a pair of Common Mergansers. During the day on Monday I saw a report of a Snow Goose and Cackling Goose among the other geese at the UMASS pond but I did not get a chance to check the pond until Tuesday morning. Neither unusual goose showed itself predawn and I checked the river once again below the bridge and they were not roosting at that location either (the Snow Goose did show again later on Tuesday so it must be roosting elsewhere along the river). I also tried without success to relocate the Long eared Owl in the spot I heard it a few days ago. On my way home on Tuesday I made a stop off at the Wentworth Conservation Area and was able to relocate a Field Sparrow (#96) that Keenan found earlier in the day. A stop on Wednesday morning below the bridge in the rain produced lesser numbers and variety compared to earlier in the week with nothing too notable.

A very odd roller coaster of weather this week with cold mornings Monday and Tuesday, some snow/sleet/rain Tuesday night into Wednesday morning and then heavy rain later Wednesday into Thursday with temperatures that climbed up to the mid 60's overnight plus severe thunderstorms.

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.

Another fruitless search for Long eared Owls but did find a Northern Shrike and some unusual waterfowl (at least unusual for winter)

Cedar Waxwing, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2016

Ring necked Pheasant, Hatfield, MA, Feb 19, 2016

I started off a rather cold morning in southern Hatfield looking for any Long eared Owls that might be around. Despite a lot of looking over the course of a few hours I didn't have any luck but there is so much good habitat for a roosting bird to hang out in I may have just missed them. The best I could come up with was an old owl pellet but no new ones. The best bird I had there was a male Ring necked Pheasant that called a few times and gave brief looks. I worked my way north up through Whately but didn't see anything noteworthy although a few of the fields look ripe to welcome geese as they move north in a few weeks. I then crossed back across the river and headed south on Route 47. When I was just past the Hadley/Sunderland line I had a Northern Shrike (#93) sitting at the top of a small tree just off the road. I got a great but brief look at it before I had to move due to traffic. I turned back around and came back but the bird was gone. I could not find a good spot to park in the area so I couldn't spend more time trying to relocate it.

Green winged Teal, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Feb 19, 2016

Gadwall, UMASS campus pond, Amherst, MA, Feb 19, 2016

Canada Geese on fields, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Feb 19, 2016

I checked numerous fields in northern Hadley and Amherst but didn't find any geese until I stopped at UMASS where I had 1300+ geese on the athletic fields near the Mullins Center. I scanned through them all three times but couldn't find anything besides Canada Geese although some birds were hidden from view, others were tucked in and the heat shimmer was a bit of an issue. My biggest group of geese so far this year and hopefully a good sign of more to come. I also stopped by the nearby campus pond and the Green winged Teal and Gadwall continue along with a few Black Ducks and hundreds of Mallards (much better looks at the birds today compared to a few days ago in a wind swept rain). I searched a few more fields to the south for geese or some other notable species but no luck.

Common Loons, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2016

Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2016

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2016

Cedar Waxwing, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2016

I then headed over to Winsor Dam where I had four Common Loons (the highest count ever for this species around here in February on eBird). The only other waterfowl I had there were 22 Common Mergansers. I then made it home to get Wilson and we went for a walk at Covey WMA and also stopped along the Swift River where we had a dozen each of Hooded Mergansers and Mallards. A pair of Mallards kept repeatedly diving under the water for up to ten seconds at a time....not very dabbling duck like behavior! Overall another nice morning out despite the cold start.