MA - early October bonanza!

Lincoln's Sparrow - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., October 4th, 2016. 

Bird-wise, the first week of October has been rich indeed in terms of volume and diversity. Dull, heavily overcast conditions (often accompanied by heavy rain) and winds in the northern quarter persisted for the first four days of the month littering the the fields and woodland fringes with hundreds of migrants including a major incursion of White-throated, Song, Savannah and Swamp Sparrows. As always, it was difficult to develop a firm grasp of numbers but the pumpkin fields on North Cross Road, Gill and Caldwell Road, Northfield supported hundreds of sparrows for several days in succession. Among them, a smattering of scarcer species such as Lincoln's, Field and White-crowned Sparrows and the odd Indigo Bunting.

 Lincoln's Sparrow - North Cross Road, Gill, Franklin Co., October 3rd, 2016. 

Field Sparrow - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., October 1st, 2016. 

Warblers have been scarce with Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers being the only 'common' species, as might be expected for early October but Blackpoll Warblers have been present at most sites that I've visited along the Connecticut River between Deerfield and Northfield as well as a tiny handful of Black-and-white, Tennessee, Nashville and Black-throated Green Warblers. Prize among the warblers, however, would have to be a late Connecticut Warbler at the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton on the 5th. Susannah and I worked hard to get a mere sniff of this aloof and much prized migrant but we were eventually rewarded with unambiguous views and calls.....I'm still in the process of checking my images but it looks like the little devil may have eluded the camera!

Blackpoll Warbler - Unity Park, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., October 2nd, 2016. 

Barton Cove has been relatively quiet compared to previous years with a continuing molting Gadwall, American Coot and the odd Ring-necked Duck and Green-winged Teal being the only waterbirds of note. Raptors have been more impressive with up to eight Bald Eagles in the area and three Black Vultures on the 3rd.

Gadwall - eclipse drake, Unity Park, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., October 3rd, 2016. 

Continuing bird from late August after being first found by Eric Huston. Almost certainly the same male that summered at Unity Park and Barton Cove in 2015.

And today (Oct 6th), the fields north of Old Deerfield hosted some very close American (Buff-bellied) Pipits with at least 110 rising up whenever two local Peregrines cruised over the fields. It was certainly a treat to get that close to foraging pipits.

 American (Buff-bellied) Pipits - Old Deerfield, Franklin Co., October 6th, 2016. 

American Kestrel (front) and Merlin - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., October 4th, 2016. 

American Kestrel (right) and Merlin - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., October 4th, 2016. 

Merlin - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., October 4th, 2016. 

Purple Finch with House Finch (rear) - Old Deerfield, Franklin Co., October 6th, 2016. 

Purple Finch - Old Deerfield, Franklin Co., October 6th, 2016. 

These bulky finches seem to be widespread in CT River Valley at the moment and I'm finding 
them at all the sites I visit, at least for the time being!

Scarlet Tanager (female-type)- Gill Center, Franklin Co., October 5th, 2016.  

Red-eyed Vireo - Unity Park, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., October 2nd, 2016. 

Small numbers still passing through in early October. 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton, Hampshire Co., October 5th, 2016. 

 Blue Jays - Unity Park, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., October 3rd, 2016. 

Several large wave of Blue Jays passing south on the 3rd with over 400 birds recorded in just one hour. 

 Blue Jays - migrants seen from Unity Park, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., October 3rd, 2016.