Trip to Florida in late March

Least Bittern, Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL, Mar 26, 2021

We finally managed to get away for a little this year with a short trip down to Florida after being stuck in the north due to the ongoing travel issues from the pandemic. With some of the travel rules relaxed for travel in the US and with both of us being vaccinated we felt comfortable with going. Unfortunately there are still too many rules for international travel so no luck with going to more exotic locales for now. We flew down to West Palm Beach on Thursday and spent one night in that area before heading north to Melbourne Beach where we spent four nights before ending the trip with one night in Orlando.

Black bellied Whistling Duck, Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL, Mar 26, 2021

Green Heron, Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL, Mar 26, 2021

Anhinga on nest, Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL, Mar 26, 2021

Solitary Sandpiper, Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL, Mar 26, 2021

Ovenbird, Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL, Mar 26, 2021

Ocean view, Melbourne Beach, FL, Mar 26, 2021

On the first full day we spent about an hour and a half at the always productive Green Cay Wetlands before visiting with some family. Not much unexpected at Green Cay but I did finally add a new species with sightings of the now well established introduced population of Egyptian Geese in the nearby area. After lunch we started the drive north along the east coast of the state up to Melbourne Beach. 

Brown Pelican, Coconut Point Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach, FL, Mar 27, 2021

With three full days available to explore the local area around our lodging in Melbourne Beach I spent all of my time in the local area with multiple visits to Maritime Hammock Sanctuary, Coconut Point Sanctuary and Pelican Island NWR (plus a few other spots).

Saturday morning I started off at Maritime Hammock Sanctuary before sunrise (sunrise at this time of year is not until 7:15 which is about 45 minutes later than it is at home at this time of year). I then headed to Coconut Point Sanctuary before a return trip back to Maritime Hammock. Nothing too unusual to report and in fact many areas were very quiet with little bird activity with warblers especially sparse.

Western Spindalis, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 28, 2021

Western Spindalis, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 28, 2021

Common Yellowthroat, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 28, 2021

Bobcat, Pelican Island NWR, Vero Beach, FL, Mar 28, 2021

Osprey, Maritime Hammock Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach, FL, Mar 28, 2021

On Sunday I decided to head a bit further south to Pelican Island NWR (the first NWR in the country). I arrived just as it was getting light enough to see and headed out on one of the trails. It was fairly quiet on the trail so I headed back toward the parking lot in the hopes of finding some birds elsewhere. I quickly noticed a bunch of birders and stopped to talk to them. Apparently a Western Spindalis was seen at the location yesterday afternoon and several birders had arrived to try to relocate it. This species occurs in The Bahamas and Cuba (and a few other islands) but is very rare in the United States with a handful of records in southern Florida. I had seen the species in the US once before back in February 2017 at Bill Baggs Cape Florida SP and on multiple occasions outside the US so not a new bird for me but to see one this far north would be nice so I spent some time looking. After a bit of looking someone else turned the bird up actively feeding and very occasionally calling. I got some great looks at it as well as some distant photos. I assume the bird came north courtesy of southeast winds the previous few days. Unfortunately the winds didn’t seem to bring in much in the way of other migrants and all the areas I checked for the remainder of the morning were quiet. I stayed out until midday enjoying another hot and sunny day. In addition to the birds I had a sighting of a Bobcat as well as a snake (racer species I believe). 

Cattle Egret, Indian River Lagoon Preserve SP, Melbourne Beach, FL, Mar 29, 2021

Snowy Egret, Indian River Lagoon Preserve SP, Melbourne Beach, FL, Mar 29, 2021

Raccoon, Maritime Hammock Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach, FL, Mar 29, 2021

Monday was a little cloudier and cooler but still in the 70’s for most of the day. I tried my luck once again at Maritime Hammock but it was once again very quiet. After my fairly short time there I headed back to the lodging and then we went nearby to kayak for a few hours along the Indian River where we saw some Manatees and dolphins as well as a decent selection of birds. After our kayaking time I went out for another few miles of walking at the nearby Indian River Lagoon Preserve SP. As it was midday and the breeze had picked up quite a bit it was not too active. 

Common Gallinule with chicks, Orlando Wetlands Preserve, Christmas, FL, Mar 30, 2021

Common Gallinule chick, Orlando Wetlands Preserve, Christmas, FL, Mar 30, 2021

Purple Gallinule, Orlando Wetlands Preserve, Christmas, FL, Mar 30, 2021

Little Blue Heron, Orlando Wetlands Preserve, Christmas, FL, Mar 30, 2021

Pied billed Grebe, Orlando Wetlands Preserve, Christmas, FL, Mar 30, 2021

On our last full day in Florida we left Melbourne Beach and headed north and west toward our final destination in Orlando. We stopped at the always productive Orlando Wetland Park for a few hours in the sun and heat and I walked a few miles adding typical species to my list for the trip. Waterfowl was a present in fairly low diversity as I'm assuming many species have already left for points north (with the main exception being Blue winged Teal). I also had loads of Common Gallinule and American Coots around and came across a few recently hatched Common Gallinule chicks. After finishing up at the park we headed west to Orlando and I got a couple of short walks in late that afternoon and the following morning.

Overall for the trip I found a total of 110 species with three new for Florida and one new life bird bringing my life total to 1580.  Warblers were relatively sparse with only ten species seen during the week (more on warblers on the trip at the following link)

March total for Hampshire County

 

Northern Pintails, Hadley, MA, Mar 23, 2021

March started off cold but ended warm overall with little in the way of large storms.  I spent the last week of the month down in Florida on a much needed getaway (more on that trip in an upcoming post).  The time that I here in Hampshire County for the month proved quite productive with a total of 107 species for the month, which beat my previous best march back in 2018 when I finished the month with 102 species.  A typical March in the county yields a total around 90 or just over.  

First egg in the duck boxes and the opening of the water feature for the season

 

Red breasted Nuthatch, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 22, 2021

Black capped Chickadee, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 22, 2021

Egg in duck box #1, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 22, 2021

Today was another very warm day with temperatures making it into the mid 60's once again and I took the opportunity to get the water feature opened up for the season (after melting the last of the ice in the water reservoir).  I finally got it operating late in the afternoon and within a short time the camera captured two species coming in already (Black capped Chickadee and Red breasted Nuthatch).  Really looking forward to see what species show up at the new water feature which I got late in the fall season last year...spring should be interesting for sure.  I also checked the duck boxes again today after noticing that two of three had been visited by ducks in the last few days (the wood shavings had been moved around and a depression made in them).  Today turned up the first egg of the season (I assume it is from a Hooded Merganser once again as that is the only species I have ever had use the boxes but there is always a chance a Wood Duck will finally use one of the boxes...stay tuned).  

The third week of March end with warmer temperatures

Green winged Teal, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 21, 2021

Tree Swallow, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 21, 2021

American Wigeon, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 20, 2021

Common Mergansers, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 19, 2021

Hooded Merganser, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 19, 2021

American Wigeons, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 19, 2021

Northern Pintail, Hadley, MA, Mar 17, 2021

Common Mergansers, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 15, 2021

Ring necked Ducks, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 15, 2021

Bufflehead, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 15, 2021

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 15, 2021

Wood Duck, Hadley Falls Canal Park, South Hadley, MA, Mar 14, 2021

Mute Swan, Hadley Falls Canal Park, South Hadley, MA, Mar 14, 2021

Common Mergansers, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 13, 2021

The end of the third week of March has now come to a close and it has featured typical March weather with bouts of warmth and record setting cold.  Almost all areas have lost all their ice by the end of the period and the increasing numbers and diversity of waterfowl have spread out and become less concentrated.  The most notable waterfowl species for the last several days included a very early Red throated Loon found by Ted (which has stuck around for several days in South Hadley) and a Common Loon plus large numbers of Ring necked Ducks and Common Mergansers.  In addition a warm surge around the 12th moved in some unusual early migrants including a Sandhill Crane and multiple Eastern Phoebes.  A second surge of warmth starting today has brought in more migrants with a Red breasted Merganser and Red necked Grebe at Winsor Dam this morning.  The next few days will feature light southerly winds which should push in more early season migrants.  In fact the next several days will be above normal for temps and lows may not even get below freezing again until the end of the week...a nice reprieve from winter

Wilson enjoying a sunny warm day, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 11, 2021

The Wilson reached a big milestone in the middle of the month with his tenth birthday on the 15th.  Thankfully he does not seem to be slowing down much at all and continues to be a crazy boy.

Warm weather arrives for a few days

Eastern Phoebe, Hadley, MA, Mar 11, 2021

Ring necked Ducks, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Mar 11, 2021

American Wigeons, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Mar 11, 2021

Canada Goose with extensive white on head, Meadow St fields, Amherst, MA, Mar 11, 2021

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 11, 2021

Northern Shovelers, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 11, 2021

A real taste of spring arrived today with temperatures that made it to around 70 courtesy of southerly winds and mostly sunny conditions.  The morning started off somewhat cool (upper 20's) and cloudy but the clouds started breaking up from mid morning on and the temperatures responded, rising to near record levels and the warmest weather we have been since fall.  I took advantage of the conditions to get out after work and hit several areas.  My first stop was to check the area in Hadley which has featured an Eastern Phoebe all winter and I relocated it again this morning and it has started to sing....the second year in a row the species has successfully overwintered at the location.  I thought I heard a Yellow rumped Warbler call distantly but I was not able to hear it again nor see it.  Most of rest of the morning I spent looking for waterfowl.  Hadley Cove was fairly quiet with just the expected species around.  A stop down at Mitch's Way found no geese at all (most geese seem to have cleared out of the area and flocks have been seen moving north for the last few days).  The most notable waterfowl there were at least 64 Ring necked Ducks and a pair of American Wigeon (which kept diving to feed...not a common behavior with this normally dabbling species).  I then headed north checking fields in Hadley and Amherst for geese and the only group I found was a flock of 500+ off Meadow Street that had one individual with extensive white on the head.   After heading home to get Wilson and taking him for a walk along the land trust trail I made my way over to Winsor Dam to see what migrants I could find moving north.  The area in front of the administration is building is still mostly frozen with some open water way out toward the boat launch area so not much for waterfowl to be seen on the water.  I did have some Common Mergansers and geese flying north as well as a Double crested Cormorant.  The more notable species were raptors with many moving on the south winds.  The most unusual species was a juvenile Northern Goshawk that flew south against the wind hugging the western shore.  I got great scope views of the bird before it disappeared into the southwest cove.  I tried to get some photos through the scope but the bird was moving too quick and all I ended up with were a few blurry shots.  After waiting awhile to see if the goshawk would reappear I saw that Mary found a pair of Northern Shovelers at Lake Wallace.  I headed over and ran into Mary and we got to see the pair resting in the lake.  This is the first time I have had Northern Shoveler at Lake Wallace (bringing my total species there to 162...a productive little spot for sure).  Tomorrow looks to be a transition day with temperatures still in the 50's before a cold front comes in and cools us down for the weekend into early next week.

Waterfowl begins arriving despite the cold and northerly winds

Greater White fronted Goose, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Mar 6, 2021

Greater White fronted Goose, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Mar 6, 2021

Bufflehead, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Mar 6, 2021

Wood Ducks (and an American Wigeon), Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Mar 6, 2021

American Wigeons, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Mar 6, 2021

Northern Pintails, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Mar 6, 2021

The first week of March has come to an end and overall the month has been colder than normal with a persistent northerly wind for most of the week.  The continued cold weather has kept many areas ice covered but thankfully the Connecticut River has been relatively ice free which has resulted in some nice conglomerations of waterfowl over the last few days.  I didn't make it over to the river today instead staying close to home in the Quabbin area (which featured little in the way of waterfowl).  Yesterday I managed to get two stops in along the river on my way into work some overtime and on my way home.  The morning stop produced a total of nine species of waterfowl with highlights including 69 Wood Ducks, 4 American Wigeon and a pair of Northern Pintails but no sign of the Greater White fronted Goose or Cackling Goose I found at the same location yesterday morning (more on that below).  A brief late afternoon stop did turn the Greater White fronted Goose up as well as none other species of waterfowl including a Bufflehead and an amazing 145 Wood Ducks.  The windy weather and tough lighting conditions late in the day made viewing tough but with a scope you could get decent looks at all the birds.  Thankfully many others got to enjoy the Greater White fronted Goose as well as other waterfowl (the Cackling Goose never turned back up).  So far for the month I have found a total of 15 species of waterfowl and I suspect with the forecast for warming temperatures courtesy of southerly winds I should be able to add to that number.

Greater White fronted Goose, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Mar 5, 2021

Ring necked Ducks, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Mar 5, 2021

I had an entirely free morning on Friday and decided to hit a few spots looking for waterfowl.  With the continued colder than normal temperatures some of the small inlets along the Connecticut River froze back up but the main river remained open.  My most productive stop was in the southern part of Hadley where I had a nice gathering of waterfowl including a Greater White fronted Goose and a Cackling Goose among several hundred Canada Geese as well as a half dozen species of ducks including my first American Wigeon for the year.  I managed to get some distant photos of the Greater White fronted Goose but I missed on the Cackling Goose which I was unable to relocate after getting distracted by the GWFG (several groups of geese flew out heading north and I assume the Cackling Goose was with them.  With a strong north wind (producing wind chills below zero early on) I suspect the geese didn't go too far but I was unable to relocate them in any fields I checked in Hadley and Amherst.