Three autumn firsts - Oct 29th

Bald Eagle - juvenile, Barton Cove, Turner's Falls.

American Pipit - Hatfield, over 100 today.

American Tree Sparrow - Hatfield.

Vesper Sparrow - Hatfield.

Bufflehead - Turner's Falls Power Canal.

Tough day, well relatively tough. Most of today's best birds were either too distant or too skittish to entertain thoughts of digiscoping, and a strong, raw Westerly wind probably didn't help. I spent much of the day working sites along the Connecticut River between Hatfield and Gill. Birds were fewer in volume than in recent visits to Hatfield with a notable drop in sparrow numbers, perhaps with the possible exception of Song Sparrow. Geese were hard to come by, or at least settled geese that I could scan through. Hunters have been about this week and geese have become increasingly skittish.

The first snow flurries, American Tree Sparrows and Buffleheads of the fall all appeared today! Notables included c.160 Brant moving south at speed well West of Hatfield, 2 Wilson's Snipe, 98 Horned Larks moving south in three flocks, 105 American Pipits on rough pasture at Hatfield, 3 American Tree Sparrows, Vesper and Grasshopper Sparrows at Hatfield, 3 drake Bufflehead at Turner's Falls and an incredibly naive Bald Eagle at Barton Cove. Also, a noteworthy migration of about 700 American Robins and 60 Pine Siskins over Hatfield as well.