MA - Cackling Goose, sparrow surge and continuing Cape May Warblers

Cackling Goose (right) - Turner's Falls power canal. Franklin Co., MA. October 2nd, 2018.

Early October was characterized by hordes of migrant sparrows showing up along most of the field and woodland edges in northern Franklin County. Most abundant have been White-throated, Swamp Sparrow and Song Sparrows in that order with the numbers of Swamp Sparrows being especially impressive. For example, I estimated about 200 of the latter in the Caldwell Road fields in Northfield on the 2nd, although I shaved that down to a more conservative 160 for my ebird entry. I haven't come across any of the scarcer sparrows yet, but Lincoln's Sparrows have been consistently present throughout with 3 - 6 at many of the locations that I've visited. Plus, it was especially sweet to catch up with about 5 Field Sparrows in Turner's Falls on the 2nd, a species that I don't stumble across all that frequently in the fall. Also of note, a seasonally high concentration of 5 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks on Pine Meadow Road, Northfield on the 1st.

Field Sparrow - Turner's Falls power canal. Franklin Co., MA. October 2nd, 2018.

Swamp Sparrow - Caldwell Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 2nd, 2018.

 Swamp Sparrow - Pine Meadow Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 3rd, 2018.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male) - Pine Meadow Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 1st, 2018.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (fem/imm) - Pine Meadow Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 1st, 2018.

Warblers and vireos have noticeably tapered in the first few days of October which is only to be expected but I continue to be blown away by the Cape May Warbler show, many of which I've found around unharvested cornfields. For example, there were still 9 on Pine Meadow Road, Northfield on the 3rd loosely associating with 12 Blackpoll and around 25 Yellow-rumped Warblers along with singles of Tennessee, Nashville and Black-and-white Warblers and a notable increase in Ruby-crowned Kinglets.

Nashville Warbler - Pine Meadow Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 3rd, 2018.

Cape May Warbler - Pine Meadow Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 3rd, 2018.

In terms of non-passerines, well October 2nd produced a fly-over Black-bellied Plover and a Red-shouldered Hawk at Caldwell Road fields, and a Cackling Goose at the Turner's Falls power canal. The latter was my personal earliest for a returning fall migrant and was present at the power canal the following day. Shorebirds included 2 Least Sandpipers (with 17 Killdeer) at Deerfield Meadows on the 1st and 2 Solitary Sandpipers at Hell's Kitchen on the 2nd where an eclipse Blue-winged Teal continued from late September.

Cackling Goose (left) - Turner's Falls power canal. Franklin Co., MA. October 2nd, 2018.