Pioneer Birding

CA - Thayer's Gulls

2012-01-26T16:04:00.000-05:00

One of the hopes for our time at the Salton Sea was to see reasonable numbers of Thayer's Gulls. These hopes were soured a little when there appeared to be very few reports of Thayer's on the South-eastern California RBA but with a little persistence my group and I found one on Jan 14th, at least nine on Jan 15th, and then over ten during a solo effort on Jan 18th. Most were first-year birds, but I managed to find all the age classes including a nice adult with an American Herring Gull at Red Hill on Jan 18th. This post details some of the first-cycle birds.

Thayer's Gull - first-cycle (with another first-cycle Thayer's immediately behind) with American Herring and Ring-billed Gulls. Niland, Imperial Co., CA. January 15th, 2012.

Thayer's Gull - first-cycle, Niland, Imperial Co., CA. January 15th, 2012.

Thayer's Gull - first-cycle with Ring-billed Gulls. West end of Lindsey Road, Imperial Co., CA. Jan 18th, 2012.

Thayer's Gull - first-cycle (same as above), West end of Lindsey Road, Imperial Co., CA. Jan 18th, 2012.

Thayer's Gull - first-cycle with Ring-billed and American Herring Gulls. Obsidian Butte, Imperial Co., CA. January 18th, 2012.

JPS

CA - Glaucous Gulls

2012-01-25T11:44:00.001-05:00

Sorting through the many thousands of gulls on the shore of the Salton Sea produced some nice surprises including two Glaucous Gulls, one at Niland on Jan 15th with my group, and one at the end of Lindsey Road on the 18th. Initially, I took both to be first-cycle birds but I'm no longer sure that the Lindsey Road bird can be aged as such and may be actually be a second-cycle.

Glaucous Gull - first-cycle with American Herring Gull, Niland, Imperial Co., CA. January 15th, 2012.

Glaucous Gull - first/second-cycle with American Herring Gulls, West end of Lindsey Road, Imperial Co., CA. January 18th, 2012. Seems to show quite poorly defined black tip to the bill and a paler eye than the bird at Niland on the 15th. Also notable, quite obvious blotchy brown markings on the upperparts and on the lower flanks and vent. Heat haze caused some blurring of the images along with the on-going problem of getting close to gulls at the Salton Sea. Apologies for the poor quality shots.

JPS

AZ - Rufous-capped Warblers - 01/10

2012-01-24T15:37:00.004-05:00

January 10th marked our second attempt within a week at trying to see Rufous-capped Warblers in Florida Canyon. It was no hardship to go back. It's a lovely place filled with plenty of birds of interest. As for the warblers, well these birds (apparently a pair) gave us the run around for the best part of the morning until we finally found them in the extreme upper reaches of the canyon. The spot was a small oak cluster next to the river bed, a place which had already given us Painted Redstart, Red-naped Sapsucker and three Olive Warblers before the Rufous-capped Warblers were finally heard calling from grasses on the hillside. From this moment on we were treated to excellent, close range views as the birds moved down stream. Farther down the canyon, the remainder of our group who'd decided not to venture any further were treated to good views of a Rufous-backed Robin - our third of the tour!

All pics taken with a Panasonic Lumix FZ40;

This is more or less how I expected to see the Rufous-capped Warblers - skulking and difficult to observe.

But I wasn't quite ready for this! Prolonged views of an inquisitive little sprite, more than enough to brighten up any January day.

JPS

AZ - NUTTING'S FLYCATCHER - 01/13

2012-01-23T12:15:00.005-05:00

Friday the 13th didn't turn out to be that bad after all. Having tried for the long staying Nutting's Flycatcher the previous evening, my group and I felt well rested and energized for another attempt the following morning. Despite being an ABA Code 5 (no less!), only a handful of birders were present at the scene but included Massachusetts stalwart and trip leader Bill Drummond, and his wife Barbara. After about an hour of waiting patiently and enjoying some of the local birds (Canyon Wren, Crissal Thrasher and Phainopepla), both Barbara and I independently heard a single, drawn out 'wheeep' call, quite loud and strident and undoubtedly the Nutting's. We signaled to all the birders down the road to come and join us. Anxious moments followed without so much of a 'sniff' of a visual. Then the bird called again, this time very close to the assembled birders. It wasn't long before one of our party, Sue Milks, detected the flycatcher in a Palo Verde before it dropped quickly out of sight to feed very low in the understorey. From here, after some initial, frustrating and mostly obscured views we were treated to superb looks and vocals for the next 45 minutes. Such prolonged observations seemed totally justified for a species that offers so many identification challenges in the US, most often compared with Ash-throated Flycatcher. It was also a rare moment for me - a life bird on a US tour! Moreover, it was a bird to enjoy in a completely beautiful place - the Bill Williams NWR right on the fringe of a major riparian area in the middle of some fairly harsh desert. All in all, a glorious morning and one to remember.

As always on such occasions, gracious thanks to the original finders, David Vander Pluym and Lauren Harter who initially detected this bird (by call) back on December 18th, 2011.

All pics taken with a Panasonic Lumix FZ40;

JPS.

CA - unidentified empid - 01/17

2012-01-20T11:09:00.004-05:00

Update January 25th; Both Dan Cooper and Jay Keller have been kind enough to comment on this bird, both of them coming to the same conclusion - this bird looks find for a 'western' (Pacific-slope/Cordilleran) flycatcher. Since specific identification appears to depend entirely on call notes uttered by the males on the breeding grounds, the identification can't be taken any further. As it happens, Gareth Rees has just sent two more images of the same bird, one of them being the only profile shot we have so far. It shows, rather nicely, the obvious shaggy 'crest' that was so visible on the bird in the field and noticed by the entire group. Thanks very much to Dan and Jay for commenting, and to Gareth for supplying additional images.

Images appear courtesy of Gareth Rees;

Just back from a really fantastic two week tour of Arizona and California with Birdfinders. We had a thoroughly nice and enthusiastic group, and some extremely exciting birding. Ironically, my first post from the trip depicts a bird that eluded definitive identification. Whilst checking some Lesser Goldfinches feeding in an Alder at Sweetwater Summit in San Diego, I was totally thrown off balance when this empidonax flycatcher flew in to view. Having seen Gray, Hammond's and possibly Dusky the previous week in Arizona, this bird struck me as immediately different, most notably in the bill shape and color. The entire lower mandible appeared to uniform pale orange with little to no darkening at the tip. Moreover, the base of the bill was extremely broad reminding me much of Acadian Flycatcher. I raised the alert with my group and over the next 15 minutes we wrestled between views and photos. Included below, three of my better shots, though several of our party achieved much better results than I. Hopefully, some of those images can be added to this post in the not too distant future.

unidentified empidonax - Sweetwater Summit, San Diego, CA. January 17th, 2012. Most of my initial views were much like this with the bill looking notably broad at the base, and somewhat long and uniformly pale-orange throughout.

unidentified empidonax - Sweetwater Summit, San Diego, CA. January 17th, 2012. The bird regularly flicked its tail upward versus the distinctive downward flick of Gray Flycatcher seen the previous week in Arizona.

unidentified empidonax - Sweetwater Summit, San Diego, CA. January 17th, 2012. Distinct shaggy crest,obvious during most views, and again the largely pale lower mandible noatble in this shot. Seemingly broken eye-ring, narrow at the top, and much broader and pointed at the rear. Primary projection appeared medium to short, though wasn't seen well in the field. Hopefully, the better images to come will reveal more on this. Wings rather brown with low contrast between tertial edges and wing bars compared to my memory of 'eastern' empids (Acadian, Yellow-bellied and Least). I initially considered the possibility of an 'eastern-type' empid but review of the images has drawn me back, quite sensibly I think, to 'Western' Flycatcher, either Pacific-slope or Cordilleran. The bird wasn't heard vocalizing.

Just added - three more images courtesy of tour participant Dr. Bill Dixon;

As always, all comments welcome.

JPS

MA - Lesser Black-backed Gull - 12/27

2011-12-30T15:05:00.000-05:00

Lesser Black-backed Gull - one of the two regular winter adults. Poor record shot taken from the bike path at Unity Park on a gloomy evening with drizzle. Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. December 27th, 2011.

CA - Great Gray Owl - 09/14/11

2011-12-20T15:32:00.032-05:00

Update: December 30th, 2011; Gracious thanks to everyone for the comments received on this bird. In particular Peter Pyle, Ian Paulsen and Jeffery Davis provided some very useful links on Great Gray Owls, some of these with specific reference to the Sierra Nevada population;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffamy/3310440610/

http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/great-gray-owl.htm

http://www.ofo.ca/reportsandarticles/aginggreatgrays.php

http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=381142

Great Gray Owl - Yosemite, Mariposa Co., CA. September 14th, 2011.

Although I've been fortunate enough to see quite a few Great Gray Owls in North America this bird struck me as being especially small, dark and distinctly brown-toned. The image set was taken at dusk in low light, but even so, the colors are relatively true to what we observed in the field. It wasn't at all what I 'expected' to see in a Great Gray, without doubt the smallest, brownest individual I've seen. Apologies for the poor quality shots digi-scoped at dusk but I'd rather come away with some images than go home empty handed.

Great Gray Owl - Yosemite, Mariposa Co., CA. September 14th, 2010. By way of comparison, this bird was observed at a different site in Yosemite a year earlier and more in keeping with what I'd expect to see in a Great Gray Owl.

Great Gray Owl - Montreal, Quebec, Canada. February 5th, 2005. Images from the incredible incursion of northern owls in the winter of 2004/05. We saw six Great Grays at one site alone and haven't see anything like it since!

MA - back to gulling - 12/14

2011-12-15T11:51:00.001-05:00

My first outing (since returning from Israel) to Turner's Falls produced the first Kumlien's Gull of the winter, along with two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls. I suspect that these are the same two adult Lesser Black-backs that have been consistently wintering at Turner's Falls/Barton Cove for the last two or three winters. There's a good chance that they will remain part of the local gull flock until mid-March or so. Numbers of other large gulls were difficult to assess this evening with a constant rotation of birds dropping into bath, then heading out to the north, but I think less than 100 birds were involved.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (right) - adult, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. December 14th, 2011. Smaller than the bird featured below which was quite a bit larger (Herring Gull sized) with a heavier bill.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (center) - adult, the larger of the two Lesser Black-backed Gulls present, flanked by two Great Black-backed Gulls, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. December 14th, 2011.

Kumlien's Gull - first-cycle, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. December 14th, 2011.

JPS

Israel - Blackstart

2011-12-13T20:55:00.000-05:00

Blackstart - Wadi Mishmar, Dead Sea region, November 25th, 2011. Surely one of the most confiding and inquisitive of all desert birds in Israel. Just sit down by a hiking trail in a beautiful wadi and a Blackstart will appear and just hang around with you.This one was tried to grab our attention as we watched a small flock of Sinai Rosefinches.

Wadi Mishmar, Dead Sea region. A national nature reserve and home to many desert species including the Blackstart pictured above.

Israel - more from November

2011-12-09T15:50:00.006-05:00

Macqueen's Bustard - Nizzana, November 28th, 2011. One of three together. Much sought-after on any trip to Israel. Below, more highlights from the recent Birdfinders trips to Southern Israel.

Sinai Rosefinch - male, Wadi Mishmar, Dead Sea region, November 25th, 2011. One of a small, confiding party of five birds, including three males.

Arabian Warbler - male, Hazeva area, November 25th, 2011.

Crowned Sandgrouse - male, Ovda Valley, Eilot region, November 20th, 2011.

Black-bellied Sandgrouse - Nizzana, November 28th, 2011.

Temminck's Lark - male, Ovda Valley, Eilot region, November 20th, 2011.

Indian Silverbills - Eilat, November 16th, 2011. We saw surprisingly large numbers of these compared to our spring trips. Flocks of 25-30 were encountered from Eilat to Yotvata.

Whiskered Tern - adult, Nizzana, November 21st, 2011. Given the late date, somewhat surprisingly still almost in full summer plumage.

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse - part of a large flock of c.1500 birds near Urim, Western Negev. November 28th, 2011.

Namaqua Dove - juvenile, Yotvata, Eilot region, November 16th, 2011. The fresh, scaled appearance of this juvenile would suggest relatively recent fledging from a local nest. The adult female was closely attending this juvenile.

Israel - a few more rarities - Nov 2011

2011-12-03T08:19:00.007-05:00

Olive-backed Pipit - one of a small flock of four, the flock also including a single Tree Pipit. Eilot Date Plantation, Eilat. November 24th, 2011. These birds were initially found by Barak Granit on November 19th. Nice to see them in autumn looking so fresh and 'olive'.

Blyth's Pipit - Yotvata southern fields, Eilot Region, November 23rd, 2011 - subject to ratification by the IRDC. This bird was initially discovered by flight call, flight shape and size in direct comparison to several Richard's Pipits in the same field. Apparently seen again by Rami Mizrahi on November 25th. In addition, we have more images and some video footage which will go towards documenting the record. About the 5th for Israel if accepted.

Pallid Scops Owl - Nahal Ketura, Eilot Region. November 24th, 2011. Rare, low density winter resident and passage migrant mostly in Acacia wadis in the Southern Arava Valley. A true denizen of the desert and often very difficult to find.

Little Bunting - Yotvata southern fields, Eilot Region. November 23rd, 2011. We also saw the same bird at the same location on November 26th. Extremely rare migrant, and only my second in Israel, the first being way back in October 1992 at Kefar Ruppin in the Bet Shean Valley. First found by Birdfinders tour participant Richard Patient.

Steppe Grey Shrike - Yotvata, Eilot Region. November 24th, 2011. Rare migrant from Central Asia.

Red-breasted Flycatcher - Ofira Park, Eilat. November 19th, 2011. Scarce autumn late autumn migrant, rather rare in spring.

Israel - Grey Hypocolius - Nov 27th

2011-12-02T10:57:00.001-05:00

Despite every intention to leave Eilat early in the morning, Birdfinders first attempt at the long drive across the Negev was nicely interrupted by a timely phone call from Barak Granit just as we were leaving town. Eilat pulled us back like a magnet when Barak said he had a male Grey Hypocolius at the birdwatching park. It was a blatant twitch! Within five minutes were on site, first finding Barak and Rami, and then finding the bird. It was flighty and difficult to observe at times, but ultimately gave wonderful views. Its presence was often betrayed by mobbing bulbuls which, for some reason, wouldn't leave it alone. We all enjoyed fantastic views of this great rarity, and there was still more magic to come. A flurry of thrushes included mostly Song Thrushes but also a Redwing, the latter being only my third ever in Israel. An Olive-backed Pipit called from the same spot and it sounds like we narrowly missed a Rose-coloured Starling seen by Barak and Rami just as we arrived. After twenty or so minutes in the area, it was with great reluctance that we eventually left Eilat for the 300 Km drive NW across the Negev leaving only the imagination to wonder what else we might be leaving behind!

Grey Hypocolius - male, IBRCE birdwatching park, Eilat. November 27th, 2011. Rare and unpredictable, Hadoram Shirihai documents only four birds in the 'Birds of Israel' published in 1996. It has probably been slightly less than annual since that time. Almost all of the reports have come from the Eilat area, but occasionally as far north as Samar and Yotvata. On a personal level, this was my first since 2000 despite annual visits to Israel. The image below shows the ever attendant White-spectacled Bulbuls which seemed to harass the hypocolius where ever it went.

Israel - Red-flanked Beauty - Nov 19th.

2011-12-01T15:41:00.004-05:00

Just back from two phenomenal autumn migration weeks in Israel with Birdfinders. November, the month of 'infinite possibility', more than lived up to its reputation producing a slew of rare and scarce birds of Asian descent. This stunning Red-flanked Bluetail, initially found by Birdfinders tour participants Simon Ingram and Martin Wolinski, furnished only the second National record for Israel, instantly becoming the first truly twitchable example in the country. The first record was found by Barak Granit in the Galilee region, way back in January 1996.

Red-flanked Bluetail - first-winter, Eilat Cemetery, Israel. November 19th, 2011.

Eurasian Woodcock - sharing the cemetery with the Red-flanked Bluetail and another nice surprise for the Birdfinders group. Rare as far south as Eilat.

Much more to come from an incredible two weeks in Israel...............................

JPS

MA - Western Kingbird & Golden Eagle - 11/11/11

2011-11-11T20:50:00.002-05:00

Western Kingbird - poor record shot of bird at disatnce, but diagnostic black uppertail with white outer feathers rather striking on this individual. Feeding in a sheltered spot at the rear of the field behind the Central Congregational Church in New Salem, Franklin Co., November 11th, 2011.

After a very mild week, the day became one of brisk Westerlies and signficantly colder than of late. Being a national holiday we had plans for a family hike into North Quabbin. Having dipped miserably on the reported Western Kingbird at New Salem yesterday, I couldn't resist swinging by there on the way to Gate 35. Fortunately, Jacob Drucker and others were on South Main Street, New Salem searching for the bird and it wasn't long before Jacob refound it feeding in a sheltered field behind the Congregational Church. Views were distant but good enough in the scope.

A little later we were at Gate 35 at the North end of the Quabbin Reservoir and had a pleasant but bracing stroll down to the water's edge. Ten Bufflehead and a Common Loon were the only birds visible on the water, and two immature Bald Eagles drifted slowly SW giving reasonable views. As we packed up an early lunch, a high flying raptor gliding south at speed caught my eye. One glance through the bins and I immediately yelled to Susannah "it's a Golden Eagle!!". Sure enough, we both had great views as it bolted south at speed without flapping its wings once! Personally, I've found Golden Eagle to be a rare bird in the Pioneer Valley having seen it just once before in Whately in October 2005. On the walk back to the gate, we had nice looks at a Porcupine on the ground rounding off a fine family walk in the Quabbin.

Golden Eagle - high flying migrant gliding south, North Quabbin, Franklin Co., MA. November 11th, 2011. First identified by 'classic' Aquila flight shape and pale based remiges contrasting with dark brown underwing coverts. The golden brown nape was surprisingly striking, even though this bird was more or less overhead. The dark terminal band to the tail and buffy undertail coverts were also notable. In view only for a few seconds at it glided south at terrific speed.

Quabbin Reservoir - North end on a raw day in November.

North American Porcupine, North Quabbin, Franklin Co., MA. November 11th, 2011.

Closer to home, the best bird of the day was a Pine Siskin over Main Road, Gill just after dawn.

Overall, a fine day to be in Franklin County.

JPS

MA - Gill in November (recent sightings).

2011-11-09T19:58:00.002-05:00

American Woodcocks have been pretty consistent at dawn on most mornings flying over Boyle, North Cross and Main Roads, sometimes flushing from the roadside. On the 7th, yet another Snow Bunting, this time flying over Lyons Hill Road, just off Main Road less than a half mile from our house.

Predawn on the 8th saw a Northern Saw-whet Owl spontaneously give a drawn out 'whine' (or 'wail') call from a nice patch of mixed woodland along Boyle Street. Only seconds later, a Great Horned Owl began calling from the opposite side of the street. This is not a rare event in my experience, and over the last two years I've heard numerous Barred and Great Horned Owls calling back in response to my imitation of Northern Saw-whet Owl. In this case the Great Horned seemed to be responding to the real thing! Later, in mid-morning, our yard was suddenly full of birds: 10+ American Goldfinches on the feeders, a calling Purple Finch, 15+ Cedar Waxwings, and 4 Northern Cardinals amongst the rest.

American Goldfinches - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 8th, 2011.

Cedar Waxwing - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 8th, 2011.

Eastern Chipmunk - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 8th, 2011.

Dawn temperatures have gone from freezing at the weekend to currently mild, balmy and foggy. It couldn't be more of a contrast to last week. This morning (11/09) in the predawn fog a Catharus thrush called just once, which I think was a Hermit Thrush though I couldn't rule out Swainson's - but it's getting late for the latter. A Golden-crowned Kinglet spent much of the day in the yard, as did 10 or so American Goldfinches which have finally discovered the thistle seed feeders after a 'cool' two weeks or so.

MA - Purple Finch - 11/06

2011-11-06T18:58:00.002-05:00

After a cold start (21 deg F) the day started with more Snow Buntings in Gill, this time a small flock moving SW over Boyle Street just after first light. Although I didn't get to do any 'proper' birding today, a smart male Purple Finch graced the yard provided in the middle of the morning. At least locally it seems to have been a slow autumn for this species with just one before this on October 22nd. That bird too, was a male. The Purple Finch, along with a handful of American Goldfinches, showed interest in the thistle seed feeders for the first time this season.

Purple Finch - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 6th, 2011.

Similarly, a handsome male Northern Cardinal showed interest in the seed for the first time, despite the pair being present in the yard throughout the summer and fall. Otherwise, up to 10 each of Dark-eyed Junco and White-throated Sparrow on the feeders, plus regular visitors such as Downy Woodpecker and White-breasted Nuthatch.

Northern Cardinal - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 6th, 2011.

JPS

MA - yard Snow Bunting - 11/05

2011-11-06T13:55:00.002-05:00

The day began in the nicest possible way with a Great Horned Owl calling well before dawn. A little later a Snow Bunting flew over calling and heading SW, especially audible in the predawn darkness. We've heard and seen Snow Buntings close to home before, but haven't had one directly over the yard until today.

Belted Kingfisher - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 5th, 2011.

In the afternoon, I took Matan for a ride down to the bike path at the Turner's Falls power canal. It felt good to finally get a shot of this lingering Belted Kingfisher, present for a while but a little camera shy. Scott Surner, Ian Davies and Jacob Drucker were there hoping to get a little more detail on the possible Brewer's Blackbird that I saw on Nov 2nd, but apparently didn't meet with success, nor did they see any Rusty Blackbirds.

Returning home, Matan and I were greeted by the Great Horned Owl calling close to the house at dusk.

JPS

MA - Buffleheads and Surf Scoters - 11/04

2011-11-05T15:47:00.004-04:00

Buffleheads - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. November 4th, 2011.

Made a quick run down to Barton Cove this morning hoping for scoters, and I wasn't disappointed. Four Surf Scoters, including three handsome males were loafing around in the middle of the cove. Just as impressive were 10 newly arrived Buffleheads, with other diving ducks including a Lesser Scaup, 3 Common and 2 Hooded Mergansers and an unidentified aythya which may have been a Ring-necked Duck. By late afternoon, the Buffleheads had moved to the power canal in Turner's Falls affording excellent views. Otherwise, nothing unusual amongst the 500 or so Canada Geese this afternoon. I couldn't stay late enough for the blackbird roost so have nothing more to add on the Rusty/Brewer's Blackbird from Nov 2nd.

Surf Scoters - three males, the female being hidden in the center of the group. Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 4th, 2011. Fantastic birds, and always exciting to have 'sea ducks' on inland waters.

Despite a breezy evening, the local Great Horned Owls were dueting at 19:00 hrs, clearly audible from our yard. These birds have been very vocal of late and audible on most mornings and evenings, and sometimes throughout the night.

JPS

MA - Unprecented late October weather event - 10/30

2011-11-04T20:24:00.006-04:00

Gill, Franklin Co, MA. 17:00 hrs on October 29th, 2011. Main Road can just be made out on the extreme right.

There was a lot talk of how big and bad this storm was going to be. I'm often sceptical about these discussions but this one lived up to its formidable reputation. Snow began falling in Gill at about 15:00 hrs on Saturday October 29th. By 17:00 hrs we'd accumulated about 3 inches in the yard. As the snow came down in broad, heavy, wet flakes it was sobering to watch a Ruby-crowned Kinglet trying to glean insects from the undersides of willow leaves in the yard. Snow continued to fall hard and heavy, and by 20:20hrs we'd lost power altogether in the house. We would have to wait three full days before it was restored, and I think we were the lucky ones!

View from the yard looking SW towards Pisgah Mountain. 08:00 hrs, October 30th, 2011.

The following morning (October 30th) dawned crisp and a little breezy. Snow had stopped falling but about eight inches had accumulated overnight. My early morning run was challenging to say the least with black ice every where, several downed trees on the roads, and even worse, downed electricity lines. It was pretty clear it was going to take days to clear up the mess. Thank goodness for our wood stove.........

Snow Geese - 22 migrating SW over our yard (very cool!), Gill, Franklin Co. MA. October 30th, 2011.

But the storm, or rather post-storm, did produce some good birds including the first Snow Geese that we've had over the yard. At Barton Cove the first Buffleheads of the fall appeared plus another party of 12 Snow Geese moving SW. The Turner's Falls power canal was also quite productive with 2 Bonaparte's Gulls in with the loafing Canada Geese, an American Wigeon and 3 'Eastern' Palm Warblers, plus 6 Yellow-rumps.

'Eastern' Palm Warbler - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. October 30th, 2011.

Bonaparte's Gull - first-cycle, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. October 30th, 2011.

Despite the presence of 650 Canada Geese at Barton Cove and Turner's Falls, there was absolutely no sign of the Pink-footed or any other unusual geese. Later in the afternoon, a Red-tailed Hawk and 4 American Herring Gulls migrated SW very high over the yard.

JPS

MA - two seasonal firsts - 11/01

2011-11-03T21:48:00.000-04:00

American Tree Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 1st, 2011.

A Rusty Blackbird calling in the yard at dawn provided a nice opener to the month. Unfortunately, it spent most of its time high in the maples and didn't come down to the feeders. However, the feeders did produce our first American Tree Sparrow of the fall/winter feeding with about 20 Dark-eyed Juncos and 15 White-throated Sparrows. Despite morning temperatures being around freezing, up to 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets remain in the yard and surroudings.

The same American Tree Sparrow with a White-throated Sparrow (left). Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 1st, 2011.

JPS.

MA - Rusty Blackbird or something else? - 11/02

2011-11-03T15:55:00.001-04:00

I checked the Turner's Falls power canal this evening looking for geese especially with the recent Pink-footed, Cackling and others in mind. Despite a decent sized flock of 750 Canada Geese, I couldn't find anything unusual amongst them. By 17:30 hrs, all but eight of the geese had left the canal, presumably heading out to the fields to feed. As the light faded, 15 Common and 6 Hooded Mergansers came into roost on the canal.

In the mean time, small numbers of Starlings and Red-winged Blackbirds had been forming a pre-roost gathering in a leafless tree on the opposite side of the canal before dropping down to a small clump of Phragmites by the water. The views were reasonable but distant, and illuminated by late afternoon sun. I started checking the flock optimistically hoping for Yellow-headed Blackbird, a species which I've never encountered locally. One blackbird flew in and immediately caught my attention - Rusty Blackbird, perfectly appropriate for the place and time of year. But it looked odd from the outset, and I immediately started to question my initial id. I couldn't ever recall seeing a 'fall' Rusty that was uniform, glossy black and completely lacking in any type of rufous feathering. It looked much as a male might do in late spring/early summer including the strikingly contrasting pale yellow eye. Surely, a Rusty Blackbird in November should show at least some rufous fringing to the feathers, much like this bird in our yard last November.

Continued observation, albeit distant, revealed a complete lack of rusty tinged feathers. The only color (other than black) that I could detect at this range came from a hint of purple iridescence across the upper breast/lower throat. Brewer's Blackbird crossed my mind numerous times as I watched and digi-scoped, trying to glean as much information as possible. The bill looked also looked short for Rusty Blackbird, but given the distance I couldn't be sure. It remained in view for about fifteen minutes and during that time I never saw a hint of rustiness in the plumage.

Rusty/Brewer's Blackbird - outer left of image, male with European Starlings and female Red-winged Blackbirds. Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. November 2nd, 2011. Extreme digiscope shot taken at about 250 meters range in late afternoon. Uniformly glossy black, with pale yellow eye and a hint of purple iridescence seen on the upper breast in late afternoon sunlight.

Rusty/Brewer's Blackbird - male, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. November 2nd, 2011. Extreme digi-scope shot taken at about 250 meters in late afternoon. Uniformly glossy blackish with pale yellow eye. I may be to add more shots to these later.

A quick perusal of the references and the Internet would suggest that male Rusty Blackbirds should not be in breeding plumage in early November, but at least some male Brewer's Blackbirds can appear to be, as shown in these links;
http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/BirdsA-C/BrewersBlackbird.htm
http://columbiariverimages.com/Birds/Birds/brewers_blackbird.html

Since moving to the Pioneer Valley in 2005, I've only heard of one Brewer's Blackbird report, a bird found by Harvey Allen in Amherst in October of the same year. It's with some caution that I raise the possibility here, but it would seem that a male blackbird with uniformly glossy black plumage in November is likely to be a strong candidate for Brewer's. The burning question - can male Rusty Blackbirds completely lack rufous feathering in November, appearing like a breeding plumage male?

JPS

MA - Pink-footed Goose not seen on Friday evening - 10/28

2011-10-29T10:03:00.003-04:00

First snow of the fall/winter. Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 28th, 2011. This light dusting did little to prepare us for an unprecedented snow event over the weekend.

A small gathering of birders assembled at the Turner's Falls power canal this afternoon, waiting right up until dusk. Up to 350 Canada Geese were present at times, but the Pink-footed Goose never arrived resulting in some understandably disappointed faces. About a dozen Common Mergansers and 2 Hooded Mergansers did fly in towards dusk, but there was no obvious sign of a waterfowl roost.

Greater Scaup - female, Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA. October 28th, 2011. First of the fall here.

Mid-afternoon at Barton Cove was actually a little more productive with a Greater Scaup (my first of the fall), an adult Brant (different bird to the two at Gill yesterday), 5 remaining American Coots, 250 Canada Geese, 15 Ring-billed Gulls, and 5 high flying Red-tailed Hawks which may have been migrants.

Brant - pale-bellied adult with (presumed) Atlantic Canada Geese (B. c. canadensis), Unity Park, Turner's Falls, MA. October 28th, 2011.

JPS

MA - Pink-footed Goose again on Friday morning 10/28

2011-10-28T09:37:00.000-04:00

This morning (October 28th), I got another positive update on the Pink-footed Goose at the Turner's Falls power canal from Ellisa Rubinstein. Mark Taylor was already watching the bird at 07:45hrs when she arrived, affording 15-20 minutes of excellent views before it departed with just six Canada Geese. Elissa mentioned that the flock headed towards Deerfield so it would certainly scouring the empty cornfields in the greater Deerfield area. Deerfield is only a few miles south (slightly south-west) of Turner's Falls.

Thanks very much to Ellissa for the positive report.

BTW - No geese at all in the favored cornfield at Upinngil Farm this morning.

JPS

MA - Brant, Coots, Ruddies and a Snow Bunting!

2011-10-27T20:44:00.001-04:00

Rain, drizzle, and later snow flurries all day long. Tough conditions to be out but definitely producing some interesting birds in Gill. Two Brants in the 'goose field' at Upinngil Farm were a pleasing find amongst 140 Canada Geese in the morning, and a quick of Barton Cove produced five American Coots, 5 Ring-necked Ducks and 2 Ruddy Ducks all off the public boat ramp. A late morning check back at Upinngil Farm found the Brants still present along with an increase to 400 Canada Geese, that's until a Bald Eagle flushed the lot with less than half the flock returning to the field. But, whilst waiting for more geese to arrive, a Snow Bunting flew over the field giving its delightful ringing calls - another nice arrival and my first of the fall. At home a bedraggled Northern Harrier flew low over the tree tops heading towards Gill center, and up to three Yellow-rumped Warblers remained in the yard.

Also of note, a flock of about 100 Dark-eyed Juncos on Barney Hale Road - my first large flock of the fall.

Here's a few images from the day;

American Coot - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 27th, 2011.

Ruddy Duck - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 27th, 2011.

Ring-necked Ducks - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 27th, 2011.

Brant (B.b. hrota) - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 27th, 2011.

As for the Pink-footed Goose, well it sounds like it eluded most of the birders that tried for it today, but I did hear of positive reports from the power canal in the very early morning and again late in the evening.

JPS.

MA - new, better pics of the Pink-footed Goose - 10/26

2011-10-27T15:55:00.002-04:00

Fortunately Chris and Diane Fisher (the couple from Connecticut mentioned in my original post) found me through the internet and kindly sent along their images of the Pink-footed Goose, all taken on the evening of 10/26/11. These shots were taken from the bike path side of the power canal, and not Migratory Way. The images are superb and make a great contribution to the record. They appear here, along with a link to a Google Map created by Chris, with full permission. Thanks very much Chris and Diane!

MAP of Turner's Falls including the goose viewing spots.

Pink-footed Goose - Adult, Turner's Fall power canal, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2011.

All images appear courtesy of Chris and Diane Fisher.

Interesting shot at take off showing the striking blue-gray upperwing, and currently the only image we have showing the legs and feet.

Thanks again to Chris and Diane for their fantastic contribution.

JPS.

MA - PINK-FOOTED GOOSE - 10/26

2011-10-26T21:16:00.024-04:00

Pink-footed Goose - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2011. Potentially the 4th state record if accepted by MARC, and the first in the Pioneer Valley. Smallish 'gray goose' with distinct blue-gray cast to the upperparts and well marked white fringes to the upperpart feathers indicating an adult. The short neck and small dark brown head, combined with the relatively short, pink-banded bill all point towards Pink-footed Goose, even without seeing the legs and feet!

This afternoon I came across a Pink-footed Goose with a handful of Canada Geese on the power canal in Turner's Falls. My expectations were low as I arrived with perhaps less than 100 birds on the water. I'd also just arrived from Barton Cove which, aside from five American Coots found by Bill Lafley the day before, was eerily devoid of birds.

My first two scans of the Canada Geese on the power canal yielded nothing of interest, but I set up my scope anyway and began a more thorough effort. After going through two thirds of the flock, I picked up the frosty blue-gray upperparts of a 'gray' goose (Anser sp.), and as it lifted its head from preening, the dark brown head, short neck and pink band on the bill gave me all the information I needed - a Pink-footed Goose! Having seen rare geese suddenly take off and leave the power canal for no obvious reason, I first worked on getting as much photo-documentation as possible. A couple from Connecticut passing through the area on their way to Vermont arrived about 10 minutes later, and also spent time trying to get images - unfortunately I didn't get their names, nor did I see their results.

The Pink-footed Goose remained in view, mostly hugging the bike path side of the canal, until I had to leave to pick-up Matan from nursery school at 15:45hrs. The couple from CT may have moved around to the bike path side to get better images as I was leaving, though I don't know if they succeeded.

Provided this bird is accepted by the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee, it should become the 4th state record and the first in the Pioneer Valley. Two other Massachusetts records come from Cape Cod, and there was a third which spent some time the Concord/Acton area in late fall/early winter 2010. Some images of that individual can be seen here; Concord Pink-foot Dec 25th, 2010.

All the images below relate to the Turner's Falls bird, taken on October 26th, 2011.

Pink-footed Goose - spent virtually the whole time preening.

Showed the blue-gray upperwings well several times, but this was the closest I got to an image.

JPS

MA - North American Porcupines - 10/23

2011-10-25T15:10:00.008-04:00

North American Porcupines - Warwick State Forest, Franklin Co., MA. October 23rd, 2011.

On Sunday we enjoyed a family walk along the lower slopes of Mount Grace in Warwick. The trail we chose, actually part of the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, was rather quiet bird-wise but got a little more exciting when we came across not one, not two, but three porcupines all feeding in the same Eastern Hemlock! Two of them even got into a confrontational dispute resulting in some very weird, eerie squeals ringing around the forest. Close by, a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker fed during the whole time completely unconcerned as we clambered through the undergrowth to get better views of the porcupines. Perhaps it's just coincidence but I can recall at least two other ocassions where I've found sapsuckers feeding close to porcupines. Both of those sightings came from the Prescott Peninsula in the Quabbin watershed.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - juvenile, Warwick State Forest, Franklin Co., MA. October 23rd, 2011.

Foliage along the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail.

JPS.

MA - Hermit Thrushes - 10/24

2011-10-24T09:39:00.008-04:00

Hermit Thrush - first-winter, presumably of the Eastern race C. g. faxoni. Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. October 24th, 2011.

This morning's damp, cold, foggy dawn was enlivened by the calls of Hermit Thrushes along Main Road in Gill. Several birds were heard in flight and may have been disoriented by the fog. The birds were clearly audible giving soft but piping 'peew' calls. I must have heard 6 - 8 individual birds. After dropping Matan at nursery school, I came home to find a Hermit Thrush calling ( a weezy 'rheeee' and plus 'chup' calls) right outside the kitchen window! It was a feisty first-year bird allowing for a close approach and some nice pics in the morning fog.

No other Catharus thrushes heard this morning after last week's Swainson's Thrush influx.

Also in the yard today, a singing and calling Carolina Wren, the first that we've had in months.

JPS

MA - Gill in October: Third Week

2011-10-21T15:30:00.011-04:00

Yellow-rumped Warbler - getting comfortable in the yard. It's been a great week for these with up 25 around the homestead on most days. The bulk will have moved south by early November. Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 19th, 2011.

Gill - Another terrific week for local incidental sightings. Great Horned Owls have been vocal on several mornings this week predawn being the best time to hear them. The 'event' of the week was a mini fall-out of Catharus thrushes on Oct 19th along Main Road, with Swainson's Thrushes (6) and a Gray-cheeked Thrush frequenting the yards and woodland fringe at dawn, but also including a nice Swainson's in our yard in mid-morning. The following day saw 4 Swainson's, again birds calling at dawn and likely birds left over from the previous day. October 21st had singles of Swainson's, Gray-cheeked and Hermit Thrushes calling at dawn from yards on Main Road.

Northern Harrier - first-winter migrating over our yard in Gill. Franklin Co. MA. October 17th, 2011.

Our yard has seen some fantastic feeding flocks consisting mainly of Yellow-rumped Warblers (20+), Eastern Bluebirds (8), Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets (2 of each), and surprisingly, Chipping Sparrows with up 20 occasionally dropping down onto the lawn to feed. After last week's post, Swamp Sparrows have been a permanent feature in the weedy tangles around the vegetable plot with up 8 present at times.

Chipping Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. October 17th, 2011.

Swamp Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. October 17th, 2011.

Interesting ' fly-over' migrants included another Northern Harrier (Oct 17th) and an American Pipit (Oct 18th) with Canada Geese commuting everyday between Gill's fields and the CT River at Barton Cove. Despite regular checks, I never did relocate the putative 'Taverner's' Cackling Geese from Oct 14th but on Oct 19th and 20th, there was a large Canada Goose closely resembling the maxima subspecies - 'Giant' Canada Goose. This bird was seen both at Upinngil Farm and Barton Cove.

A few late/lingering migrants in the yard included an Eastern Phoebe and a Blackpoll Warbler on the 17th, Palm Warbler on the 18th, a Gray Catbird on the 20th and up to 2 Common Yellowthroats through to the 21st.

Ring-necked Ducks - Turner's Fall power canal, Franlin Co., MA. October 16th, 2011.

Despite several visits, Barton Cove and Turner's Fall power canal have been slow for waterfowl with only a Hooded Merganser and 5 Ring-necked Ducks last Sunday (Oct 16th).

Finally, Oct 17th produced the first calm evening for days which seemed liked a good cue to try a few local plots for Northern Saw-whet Owls. I tried three areas coming away with nothing definitive but did have possible contacts in two plots. All three spots produced saw-whets last fall/winter. Doubtless, I'll be trying again next week!

JPS

Palm Warbler - possibly a dull Eastern showing a weak yellow wash on the underparts, but I decided to leave this one unidentified as it looked quite pallid and washed out at times, more closely resembling a Western Palm Warbler.

MA - probable 'Giant' Canada Goose - 10/20

2011-10-20T15:31:00.010-04:00

This morning I had good views of a very large Canada Goose at Barton Cove, Gill. It showed a number of characteristics that I've come to associate with B.c. maxima - 'Giant' Canada Goose. Giant Canada Goose could be a regular (but rare) fall migrant through the CT River Valley where I've detected birds resembling this form annually since 2006. I also recall Marshall Iliff photographing a similar bird in Concord, MA a couple of years ago, also in October.

probable 'Giant' Canada Goose (B. c. maxima) - subject bird at the upper right of the image, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 20th, 2011. The same bird was also present in the 'goose field' at Upinngil Farm on Main Road, Gill, yesterday, October 19th.

My notes included;

1) Obviously very large in direct comparison to surrounding Canada Geese (likely B. c. canadensis and B. c. interior). Looked massive and much more 'stately' at all times.

2) Much larger white cheek patch than surrounding birds, especially at the upper rear of the cheek resulting in more visible white wrapping around towards the nape. Also notable, uneven amounts of white flecking across the forehead forming a near complete band. This, combined with the broader expanse on the white cheeks created a much 'whiter-headed' impression visible at considerable range.

3) Very white breast, and overall paler cast to the underparts and flanks.

4) Slightly paler cast to the upperparts.

5) Looked curiously flat-backed in the water, especially when swimming in direct comparison to canadensis/interior. This may have been posture related but it was interesting to compare to the more hunched of appearance canadensis/interior.

probable 'Giant' Canada Goose (B. c. maxima) - subject bird again at the upper right of the image, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 20th, 2011.

probable 'Giant' Canada Goose (B. c. maxima) - subject bird at the rear of the image, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 20th, 2011.

probable 'Giant' Canada Goose (B. c. maxima) - subject bird at the front left of the image, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 20th, 2011.

probable 'Giant' Canada Goose (B. c. maxima) - subject bird at the rear center of the image, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 20th, 2011.

probable 'Giant' Canada Goose (B. c. maxima) - subject bird at the rear of the image, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 20th, 2011. Frontal view shows near complete but uneven white band across the forehead.

Posted with the understanding that subspecies of Canada Geese may not be identified with certainty in the field.

JPS

NJ - more 'Cape May' warblers

2011-10-18T20:03:00.005-04:00

Black-throated Gray Warbler - female, Higbees fields, Cape May, NJ. September 29th, 2011. Found by visiting Brit, Jonathan Wasse on his first morning at Cape May, and apparently only about the sixth record for Cape May!

Aside from an outstanding show of Cape May Warblers featured in this post, our Birdfinders group thoroughly enjoyed close up looks at a broad range of North American wood-warblers. Many of these occurred in the gardens of the ever courteous residents of Cape May Point on October 1st. Our week at Cape May did not include a major warbler flight at Higbees Beach, nor did it include any kind of major fall-out but for good, consistent views of a wide variety of warblers it was just an excellent week and our best tour yet. Here's just a handful of images from the week (Sept 25th-Oct 2nd);

Magnolia Warbler - first-winter, Cape May Point, NJ. October 1st, 2011.

Tennessee Warbler - first-winter, Cape May State Park, NJ. October 1st, 2011.

Chestnut-sided Warbler - first-winter, Higbees fields, Cape May, NJ. October 2nd, 2011.

Cape May Warbler - Cape May Point, NJ. October 1st, 2011.

Black-throated Blue Warbler - first-winter female, Cape May Point, NJ. October 1st, 2011.

Black-throated Blue Warbler - male, Cape May Point, NJ. October 1st, 2011.

Black-throated Green Warbler - Cape May Point, NJ. October 1st, 2011.

Blackpoll Warbler - first-winter, Cape May Point, NJ. October 1st, 2011.

American Redstart - first-winter/female, Higbees fields, Cape May, NJ. October 2nd, 2011.

Brits enjoying their warblers (Nashville and Black-throated Blue) at Cape May.

JPS

MA - Gill sightings 10/15

2011-10-15T20:23:00.006-04:00

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - off Mountain Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 15th, 2011.

Cooler, fresher and quite breezy today. With the wind coming from the SW the day wasn't quite as productive for visible migration as we might have hoped. However, my run at dawn was still interesting with 4 or 5 Hermit Thrushes and a singing White-crowned Sparrow on Boyle Street at first light. Even better, North Cross Road had a Barred Owl giving the classic 'who-cooks-for-you' call. All of the wet corn stubble fields held American Pipits. The middle part of the day was spent in New Hampshire, but as we drove back through Northfield a Gray Fox ran across the main street in the middle of the afternoon!

In late afternoon, I birded our neighbors property off Mountain Road in Gill. It was simply loaded with birds! Nothing unusual, but lots to look at including 300 American Robins, 25 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 5 Ruby-crowned and 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrush, Pileated and Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Phoebe, 10 plus Chipping Sparrows, 2 Swamp Sparrows, 5 Dark-eyed Juncos and a couple of Brown Creepers.

Yellow-rumped Warbler - off Mountain Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 15th, 2011.

A Striped Skunk in our yard rounded off the day nicely - it was the same that found its way into our basement the previous evening!

JPS

MA - possible Taverner's Cackling Geese? - 10/14

2011-10-14T10:45:00.010-04:00

Taverner's Cackling Goose? - center bird between two Canada Geese (probably B.c. canadensis).Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 14th, 2011. Note tiny size and medium gray breast compared to surrounding Canada Geese. Could this be a Taverner's Cackling Goose?

It's that time of year again! Scanning through hordes of Canada Geese, hoping to find something rare or perhaps more realistically, a bird of interest. After dropping off Matan at Nursery School I decided to scour the fields around Gill looking for feeding flocks of geese. I didn't have to go far at all. Two hundred yards down the hill, a nice concentration of about 800 Canada Geese were feeding in a corn stubble field directly across the road from Upinngil Farm. The birds were close to the road, and the opportunity perfect for sifting and sorting through the flock. The first two scans yielded nothing eye-catchingly different, but I then realized I'd been looking too far into the crowd. The most interesting birds, likely a family group, were the closest birds to me. The birds were small, appropriate in size for Cackling Geese but they lacked the frosty-gray appearance and boxy head shape that I'd look for in the expected form of Cackling Goose hutchinsii (Richardson's Cackling Goose). One bird was very slightly larger than the other two and may have been a male but they were all readily identifiable by a combination of features;

1) Overall small size, smaller than any of the accompanying Canada Geese.

2) Overall gray breasted, medium gray and certainly not white, becoming darker on the belly and flanks.

3) Relatively weakly patterned upperparts, lacking any real contrast. (hutchinsii often has quite marked pale fringes to the wing coverts creating more contrast.)

4) Head and bill profile distinctive with rather triangular bill blending neatly into the forehead with no obvious break or step, and blending into a rather rounded crown.

5) Birds appeared to be moving around as a family group, with two of the three possessing an obvious gular stripe.

The birds were feeding with heads down most of the time, so it was a struggle producing images. However, the shots below offer a fair representation of the features observed in the field. I'm certainly open to opinions and suggestions on the identification, though at this stage I feel somewhat committed to an identification of taverneri. I'm sure I'll be adding further thoughts to this post over the forthcoming days.

1) Taverner's Cackling Goose? - one of a group of three, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 14th, 2011. Aside from the small size, note the triangular bill shape with the forehead sloping neatly into the upper mandible and a rather rounded crown. This bird has a gular stripe and a medium gray breast which, combined with the head and bill shape, would effectively rule out B. c. parvipes (Lesser Canada Goose).

2) Taverner's Cackling Geese? - two of a group of three, both birds at the front of the image. Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 14th, 2011. Again, note the smaller body bulk of the bird on the right compared to the Canada Geese at the rear, and the triangular bill shape with the forehead sloping neatly into the upper mandible, and a rather rounded crown. The bird on the right also displays a slight bulge at the base of the lower mandible.

3) Taverner's Cackling Goose? - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 14th, 2011. Interesting profile shot, again reflecting the features described above.

4) Taverner's Cackling Geese? - two of a group of three, with both birds at the front of the image. Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 14th, 2011. The bird in the foreground was the largest of the three and also lacked the well marked gular stripe present on the other two. Again, a neat view of the triangular bill shape so obvious on all three birds.

5) Taverner's Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii taverneri - Umass Amherst Campus, Hampshire Co., MA. October 17th, 2007. First found on the Umass Campus on October 13th and present for at least a week thereafter. Identification confirmed by S. G. Mlodinow, B. Deuel and L.S. Semo representing one of only a handful of documented records from eastern North America.

6) Taverner's Cackling Goose? - right with Canada Goose (probably B.c. canadensis).Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 14th, 2011. Alert posture, at times looking quite long necked but a nice comparison of head and bill shapes between this and the Canada Goose to the left.

7) Taverner's Cackling Goose? - center bird in foreground .Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 14th, 2011. Another size comparison between the subject birds and the Canada Geese at the rear.

8) Taverner's Cackling Goose? - center bird in comparison with Canada Geese (probably B.c. canadensis).Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 14th, 2011. Not much of a shot with its head down and feeding, but note tiny size and medium gray breast compared to surrounding Canada Geese. Rather weakly patterned upperparts compared to hutchinsii, the 'expected' form of Cackling Goose in the North-east.

JPS

MA - yard Swamp Sparrows - 10/13

2011-10-13T15:50:00.007-04:00

Swamp Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. October 13th, 2011.

Another day of interest after heavy overnight rain. It brightened up a little in the afternoon, and I ventured out finding three Swamp Sparrows lurking around our compost pile, the first that we've had in the yard this fall. Interestingly, numbers of Swamp Sparrows at the edge of the pumpkin field on River Road in Gill had swollen from five to over thirty birds since my last visit there on October 7th. There was also White-crowned Sparrow there and at least 50 White-throated Sparrows.

Late afternoon proved to be the most productive time of the day, with a mass of 1300 Canada Geese moving SW over the yard just before 3pm along with a juvenile Bald Eagle.

Canada Geese - part of a movement of 1300 birds over Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 13th, 2011.

There was also a fast moving feeding flock of about 15 Yellow-rumped Warblers with 1 (Eastern) Palm Warbler, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a couple of Blue-headed Vireos.

White-throated Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. October 13th, 2011.

White-crowned Sparrow - immature in song, River Road, Gill, October 13th, 2011.

Earlier, in mid-morning, a brief visit to Barton Cove again produced a nice feeding flock along Riverview Drive. No warblers this time, other than Yellow-rumped, but half a dozen each of Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and about 20 Chipping Sparrows.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Barton Cove, Gill, MA. October 13th, 2011.

JPS

MA - yard harrier - 10/12

2011-10-12T19:06:00.003-04:00

A nice mild dawn this morning and the first one without fog in almost a week. Lots of White-throated and Song Sparrows singing and calling from the yard at first light, along with a couple of fly-over Savannah Sparrows. An American Woodcock flew over the yard giving 'chitter' calls, my first here since the spring.

An immature Northern Harrier flopped steadily SW over the yard at 07:35hrs being pursued by about 65 mobbing Red-winged Blackbirds. The blackbirds eventually gave up leaving the harrier to continue migrating unmolested heading for Turner's Falls. This would be about the fifth migrant harrier that we've had over the yard since moving in September 2010.

JPS.

NJ - Cape Mays in Cape May

2011-10-12T15:38:00.007-04:00

Cape May Warblers - Cape May Point, Cape May, NJ. September 29th, and October 1st, 2011.

Images from the recent Birdfinders tour of Cape May (Sep 25th - October 2nd, 2011) - a selection from the best display of Cape May Warblers that we've seen on this particular tour. Up to ten Cape Mays graced the picturesque gardens of Cape May Point and the birds seemed oblivious to their ever growing audience.

JPS

MA - lingering warblers - 10/11

2011-10-11T14:53:00.007-04:00

Black-throated Green Warbler - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 11th, 2011.

Another early morning shrouded in fog but clearing by 9am, and developing into another glorious fall day. I swung by Barton Cove on the way to an appointment and found little in the way of waterfowl except a Green-winged Teal with the Canada Geese. However, a nice feeding flock of passerines in a yard just off Riverview Drive immediately grabbed my attention and I regretted having restrictions on my time. In just ten minutes I had excellent views of Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Blue-headed Vireo, and Blackpoll, Tennessee and Black-throated Green Warblers. The Tennessee Warbler in particular was a nice find being my first locally since a singing bird in our yard in late May.

Blue-headed Vireo - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 11th, 2011.

JPS

MA - yard Winter Wren - 10/10

2011-10-10T16:25:00.005-04:00

Eastern Phoebe - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. October 5th, 2011. One of at least three lingering in the yard until at least October 10th.

First bird of the morning was an Eastern Winter Wren giving hard chip notes from the undergrowth below our kitchen window. Certainly a 'yard bird', though there's at least one breeding pair less than a half mile up-river along Darby Brook. Post breeding dispersal perhaps?

Another very foggy dawn was breaking when I was surprised but pleased to hear a Swainson's Thrush actually singing (rather than just calling) from a neighbors yard. Yesterday I was similarly impressed to hear a couple of White-crowned Sparrows in song just across the street from our yard. Perhaps the prolonged warm spell, with daytime temperatures often reaching the eighties, is encouraging otherwise furtive migrants to periodically burst into song. The local pair of Great Horned Owls have been in good voice too, both birds of the pair calling close to house on the evening of the 9th.

Along Main Road in Gill, both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets have been common migrants in the woods and gardens, often with Yellow-rumped, Palm and Blackpoll Warblers, and a few Blue-headed Vireos in tow.

Dark-eyed Juncos first appeared in the yard on October 5th and will likely feature throughout the fall and winter.

Dark-eyed Junco - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. October 7th, 2011.

JPS

MA - Dickcissel - 10/07

2011-10-07T15:17:00.008-04:00

Dickcissel - nice bright individual. River Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 7th, 2011.

The first frosts have really brought home the fact that we're well into October so after dropping off Matan at school, I couldn't resist a local drive to check some sparrow fields on River Road in Gill. I first came across the fields on October 5th, actually pumpkin fields, and found the weedy fringes full of birds. This morning was a similar story, but I also found some obvious new arrivals - a Dickcissel and at least three White-crowned Sparrows.

Here's a list of the more interesting species present on both the 5th and 7th unless stated otherwise;

60 Savannah Sparrows, 45 White-throated Sparrows, 3 White-crowned Sparrows (all on 7th, including one potentially showing characteristics of the gambelli form).

White-crowned Sparrow - individual with plain lores (recalling Field Sparrow) showing some resemblance to gambelli form. River Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 7th, 2011.

1 Field Sparrow (on 7th only), 12 Chipping Sparrows, 6 Lincoln's Sparrows, 5 Swamp Sparrows, 50 Song Sparrows, 1 Dickcissel (on 7th only). Also, a few warblers around including up to three Eastern Palm Warblers, plus one Western Palm on the 5th, this being one of only a handful of Westerns I've seen in the Pioneer Valley in fall. Also today, 2 Nashville Warblers and a couple of Common Yellowthroats, plus a Blue-headed Vireo calling from the woods.

Several Pine Siskins flew over this site on both the 5th and the 7th.

PS. Five or six each of American Pipit and Indigo Bunting were also present on the dates mentioned above.

Happy Autumn,

JPS

MA - yellowlegs and waterthrush - 09/02

2011-09-02T20:00:00.003-04:00

A few casual observations from the day revealing more cool birds in our local area (Gill). Swung by Barton Cove this morning, again finding no sign of the phalarope from August 31st but 4 Lesser and 1 Greater Yellowlegs were really nice. The birds fed briefly in the shallows off Riverview Drive but without enough muddy margins to keep them there, they moved quickly on down river. A Purple Finch was calling from the same spot, and there was another Purple Finch, this time a singing bird, in our yard around noon. Yard bird of the day was a nice Northern Waterthrush this evening, located by call in the Alder patch.

Elsewhere, an unidentified cuckoo in flight over Rt 2 in Greenfield, and an Indigo Bunting still singing at Upinngil Farm this evening. Great stuff!

JPS.

MA - Pec Sand and Common Nighthawk - 09/01

2011-09-01T21:37:00.003-04:00

September at last, and thank goodness for increasingly cool nights and foggy, autumnal dawns.

Two nice local sightings today, as if to welcome one of the most exciting birding months on the calender. This morning I saw heard, then saw a Pectoral Sandpiper flying around Upinngil Farm with a small flock of Feral Doves and Starlings! It spent a good seven minutes circling the fields and paddocks in the area before heading off North.

And this evening, between the thundery showers, a Common Nighthawk over Rt 2 in Gill near the intersection with Main Road and the Turner's Falls bridge.

Of note, the calls of Red-eyed Vireos and Eastern Wood Pewees have been common sounds through out Gill over the last two days.

Alas, a brief check of Barton Cove in mid-morning did not produce any sign of yesterday's Re-necked Phalarope though I did see a Great Black-backed Gull, 7 Ring-billed Gulls and 4 or 5 immature Bald Eagles.

JPS

MA - Red-necked Phalarope in Gill - 08/30

2011-08-31T15:29:00.010-04:00

Red-necked Phalarope - (juvenile), Connecticut River at Barton Cove, Riverview Drive, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. August 31st, 2011.

Since Hurricane Irene hit our area on Sunday, August 28th, I've made a few casual 'passes' through Barton Cove hoping for the odd stray, or perhaps a bird getting re-orientated after the storm. Sunday's storm did produce some stellar pelagic species either side of the Connecticut River Valley with White-tailed Tropicbirds, Sooty Terns and storm-petrels being reported inland from Winsor Dam in the Quabbin, and from Lake Onota in Pittsfield. The only 'storm birds' I could muster during two hours at Barton Cove on Sunday were five Common Terns and a very brief juvenile Red-necked Phalarope.

Anyhow, it looks like the phalarope may lingered in the cove, recuperating and getting ready for the next stage of its migration. Today, I had great views as it picked morsels from the debris and flotsam in the main river channel just off Riverview Drive in Gill. The bird was constantly drifting downstream on the current and then flying back upriver for two hundred meters or so before floating back down once again, feeding as it drifted.

Also of note today, my first Palm Warblers of the fall, both of them Western types, one off Mountain Road in Gill and one on Riverview Drive, also in Gill.

NC - Band-rumped Storm-petrels - 05/25-26/11

2011-07-07T16:41:00.018-04:00

Band-rumped Storm-petrel - Gulf stream waters, SE of Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina - May 26th, 2011. Flight style often compared to a small shearwater and somewhat evident in this shot. Overall quite warm brown, not so black-brown as Wilson's Storm-petrel. Digi-bin shot, along with all the other images in this post, taken using Canon Powershot A560 and Leica 8 x 42 binoculars.
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*NB. There are still some spaces available on the forthcoming BBC Extreme Pelagic departing from Hyannis, MA at 4am on Saturday July 16th, 2011. The trip will target core eddies of warm water at the edge of the Continental Shelf which may attract rare species typically associated with the Gulf Stream. Band-rumped Storm-petrels will be high on the list of possible species, along with Audubon's Shearwaters, Bridled Terns and perhaps White-faced Storm-petrels. Rarities are being detected with increasing frequency on these trips and a rare pterodroma, such as the Black-capped Petrel we found July 2009, will be high on the 'wish list' for many.

Full details are available from Ida Giriunas; ida8@verizon.net
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Yet another dedicated offshore pelagic with the Brookline Bird Club is fast approaching, departing on Saturday July 16th. It seems like as good a time as any for a quick review of the Band-rumped Storm-petrels images I collected in North Carolina in late May.

Aside from Black-capped Petrels and the reasonable possibility of rarities, one of the species that I really hoped to see well on the North Carolina pelagics was Band-rumped Storm-petrel. My previous experience of Band-rumpeds was limited to just a handful of individuals seen rather fleetingly on the BBC extreme pelagics. Two days of pelagics off Cape Hatteras on May 25th and 26th produced about half a dozen Band-rumpeds on each day. They were often shy, rarely coming close to the boat and usually passed through the chum-slick without really hanging around (unlike the many tens of Wilson's Storm-petrels). It did, however, provide the opportunity I was looking for to get a firmer grasp of key identification features compared to Wilson's and Leach's Storm-petrels. My level of comfort increased with each and every observation and, once again, I was reminded that there is absolutely no substitute for field experience!

The photographers on board spoke of this species as being notoriously difficult to capture in images, something with which I'd agree. Even so, despite the distance and speed with which these birds worked around the boat, I was quite happy to come away with a handful of digi-bin images. Impressively, the crew of the Stormy Petrel II worked really hard to ensure that everyone on board had acceptable views of Band-rumped Storm-petrels. Thanks to Brian and his crew for announcing every individual bird!

Band-rumped Storm-petrel - Gulf stream waters, SE of Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina - May 25th, 2011. This bird shows a chunky impression, with fairly 'muted' carpal bars and a fairly long, broad 'arm' compared to Wilson's SP. The tail of this bird is also slightly notched.

Band-rumped Storm-petrel - Gulf stream waters, SE of Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina - May 25th, 2011. This bird shows similar features to the bird above, with dull, sullied carpal bars and looking rather long-winged and heavy-billed, and with a narrow band of white across the rump.

Band-rumped Storm-petrel - Gulf stream waters, SE of Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina - May 25th, 2011.

Band-rumped Storm-petrel - Gulf stream waters, SE of Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina - May 25th, 2011.

Band-rumped Storm-petrel - Gulf stream waters, off Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina - May 25th, 2011. Again, hinting at the shearwater-like flight style, this bird showing obvious signs of primary molt.

Band-rumped Storm-petrel - Gulf stream waters, off Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina - May 25th, 2011. Always looking longer winged and warmer brown compared to the many Wilson's Storm-petrels present.

Band-rumped Storm-petrel (lower right) - Gulf stream waters, SE of Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina - May 25th, 2011. With Wilson's Storm-petrel (upper left).

Band-rumped Storm-petrel (upper left) - Gulf stream waters, SE of Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina - May 25th, 2011. With Wilson's Storm-petrel (lower right). Even on this poor shot, the Band-rumped SP looks larger, browner and longer-winged than the small, blackish-brown Wilson's SP.

Bob Fogg - hard at work on the bow of the Stormy Petrell II, one of Brian Patteson's very capable team of leaders. Gulf stream waters, SE of Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina - May 25th, 2011.

ME - Chasing a 'Mega' - 06/30

2011-07-01T20:48:00.010-04:00

Little Egret - Scarborough Marsh, ME. June 30th, 2011. First state record found by Doug Hitchcox on June 29th, 2011 - an ABA Code 4 species. Views off the Eastern Road Trail proved to be distant at all times, but the extra-ordinary nape plumes, in combination with greenish-gray lores and straight black bill provided relatively 'easy' separation from the neighboring Snow Egrets. Kudos to Doug for his excellent bird finding and obvious knowledge of the key identification features for separating these two very similar species.

On June 29th Steve Mirick forwarded a message from the Maine list-serve describing a Little Egret that Doug Hitchcox had found and photographed at Scarborough Marsh just south of Portland. I already had fond memories of this marsh, a spot which had hosted another 'mega' in the form of a European Golden Plover, which Susannah, Matan and I traveled to see on October 11th, 2008.

Having lived in New England since 2003, I couldn't recall hearing of a solid report of a Little Egret in any of the New England states in recent years, though I was aware of two historical records for Massachusetts (1989 & 1992). It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I've seen many tens of thousands of Little Egrets in the Old World, mostly in Israel but also on my travels in Europe, Asia and Africa. But I'd never come across one in North America, or had the opportunity to chase one so close to home!

With no further reports through the early morning of June 30th, but with the knowledge that the bird had been seen for most of the 29th, I decided to take my chances and set off from Gill in mid-morning. Wrestling with holiday traffic heading into New Hampshire and Maine was no fun and I arrived at the scene much later than I wanted to at 1:30pm. Luckily, the first birder I spoke to had just seen the egret and I walked along the trail to join Steve Grinley and Margo Goetschkes, remarkably the only birders present at the time. A few other birders came and went but I was surprised not to see more people at the scene. The Little Egret was in view, albeit distantly, throughout the 75 minutes that I spent at Scarborough Marsh, at times feeding alongside Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Heron and Glossy Ibis. Aside from myriads of tiny black biting flies, the marshes were full of the sounds of Eastern Willets, Bobolinks, and both sharp-tailed sparrows - Nelson's and Saltmarsh - all in all, a very pleasant experience and well worth the drive from Western Mass.

JPS.

This shot, and the one below, were taken with a Panasonic Lumix FZ 40 - one of the so called 'super-zoom' cameras. Here the Little Egret is the right most bird in both shots, with Snowy Egrets and a Glossy Ibis further left. Even on these distant 'grainy' images the extended nape plumes stand out as a key feature.

MA - more Orchard Orioles, plus Willow Flycatcher in Gill - 06/24

2011-06-24T14:33:00.009-04:00

Orchard Oriole - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. June 24th, 2011. Male of a breeding pair close to the Connecticut River off River Road in Gill.

Willow Flycatcher - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. June 24th, 2011.

Virginia Rail - Gill, Franklin Co. MA. May 6th, 2011. One of four present on this date.

Aside from a few incidental observations, and feeling like I'd neglected local field birding this month, I decided to check a small cattail pond off River Road in Gill this morning. The pond held no less than 4 Virginia Rails on May 6th, so I returned with confidence hoping to at least hear a couple of rails, perhaps with a very long shot at Least Bittern. I came up empty on both species but the morning yielded a nice surprise in the form of a breeding pair of Orchard Orioles. The male showed best, occasionally bursting into song, the female being rather more shy and furtive. To add to the flavor of primarily south-eastern species, two Yellow-throated Vireos were singing along River Road as soon as I stopped the car.

I also enjoyed close views of a singing and calling Willow Flycatcher at the same spot whilst Red-tailed and Broad-winged Hawks soared overhead, along with numerous Turkey Vultures. Back home in Gill, a Belted Kingfisher and a Louisiana Waterthrush were on the brook behind the house this morning.

Common Yellowthroat - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. June 24th, 2011.

Cedar Waxwing - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. June 24th, 2011. One of about a dozen feeding at the edge of the cattail pond.

JPS.

MA - Yellow-throated Vireo and Orchard Oriole - 06/20

2011-06-23T12:05:00.004-04:00

Slightly belated post but still notable, concerning a couple of cool yard birds from our home in Gill on Monday June 20th. The first was a singing Yellow-throated Vireo high in the Sugar Maples in the morning, a nice compliment to the daily Red-eyed and Warbling Vireos which seem to go on singing all day long, rain or shine! Later in the afternoon, there was a brief but loud burst of Orchard Oriole song, the first I've heard since this bird visited our yard on June 7th. It's likely the same bird which may have set up a territory close to our yard.

Elsewhere, Willow Flycatchers continue to sing 'fitz-bew' from the sedge meadow to the SW of our yard, whilst the Alder Flycatchers seemed to have ceased singing but can still be located by their distinctive 'pip' calls.

Eastern Kingbirds, Eastern Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings and Baltimore Orioles remain extremely visible and audible members of our birding community. Less so is the Louisiana Waterthrush which is still present, but still extremely shy, on the brook that runs through our yard. Attempts (by me) to find a nest have failed so far. Still on the waterthrush theme, a run along Green River Road in Leyden on the same morning (June 20th) produced at least 15 Louisiana Waterthrushes, some still singing but most calling or seen along the river and adjacent streams. I heard a similar number of mostly singing birds here on the previous weekend of June 12th.

All in all, a pleasant but fairly stable period bird wise and yet, remarkably, we will soon see the first signs of fall migration as south-bound shorebirds, fresh back from the Arctic, will start to gather along the coast.

JPS.

NC - Black-capped Petrels - 05/25-26/11

2011-06-17T11:58:00.019-04:00

Black-capped Petrel - Off Hatteras inlet, c.30 miles offshore, Cape Hatteras, NC. May 25th, 2011. Distinctive, perhaps unmistakable (?), with black cap, broad white nape and broad white rump contrasting with uniform dark brown upperparts and tail. Listed as Endangered by Birdlife International.

Rarely has a bird inspired me as much as the Black-capped Petrel, a large Pterodroma or 'gadfly petrel' that is pretty much unmistakable given anything like a decent view. Chance encounters with this species well outside of its range (Caribbean and Gulf Stream off the south-eastern US) have twice given me some of the most exciting moments I've ever had in birding. The first was a multi-observer sighting from land within a feeding 'frenzy' of Black-vented Shearwaters off the Palos Verdes peninsula, Los Angeles County, CA back in September 2001. Quite naturally, with no other documented records from California or the Pacific, the record was rejected by the CBRC. The second, again a multi-observer record, was discovered on the BBC dedicated pelagic aboard the Helen H about 77 miles south of Martha's Vineyard. This bird was seen by all on board and photographed reasonably well. Some of my digi-bin shots can be seen here, and it's already been accepted by MARC constituting the 4th state record.

During late May 2011 I finally had an opportunity to travel south to North Carolina with my good friend Brian Kane to take part in the famous pelagics trips organized and led by Brian Patteson off Cape Hatteras. As might be expected, the trips were well organized and very professionally led. The boat, the Stormy Petrel II, left the dock at about 0530hrs and returned at around 1630hrs. We were scheduled for three consecutive days, but the first on May 24th was 'weathered out' due to high winds. My friend Brian had to miss the third trip on May 26th due to an unexpected stomach issue which may have been a nasty case of Cliff Bar revenge, though we'll never know for sure. Either way, it was disappointing to see him missing a pelagic trip especially since he'd done most of the organization of our tour as a whole. His absence was certainly felt that day, though fortunately for him he did get to see arguably the best bird of the two trips that we completed - a White-tailed Tropicbird on May 25th. On a personal level, the only disappointment or perhaps frustration, was watching a smallish, compact pterodroma with dark underwings tanking across the horizon at an incredible speed with fast, high arcs interspersed with fast glides - very exciting, but well beyond an acceptable level of identification. However, I do think there's a very good chance that this bird was a Fea's/Zino's Petrel, now being recorded annually off Hatteras thanks to Brian Patteson and his extensive Seabirding Pelagic Trips.

Black-capped Petrels are virtually guaranteed on Brian Patteson's excursions in late May and June and we were not disappointed. Over May 25th and 26th, we probably saw over 100 individuals with the most on the 25th. The following image selection shows a variety of individuals ranging from dark-types to really quite light birds, with some in various states of molt. All of these record shots were taken with a Canon Powershot A560 through Leica 8 x 42 binoculars over May 25th and 26th, 2011.

Black-capped Petrel with Wilson's Storm-petrel

AZ - Elegant Trogon - 07/24/10

2011-06-16T15:45:00.005-04:00

Elegant Trogon - male, Upper Madera Canyon, Santa Cruz Co., AZ. July 24th, 2010. Another one from last year's Arizona tour with Birdfinders. Much sought-after in the canyons of SE Arizona - when a bird looks like this is it any surprise? After an extended search along the Vault Mine Trail in Upper Madera Canyon, this stunning male posed for minutes quite unconcerned by our presence.

JPS

AZ - Violet-crowned Hummingbird - 07/26/10

2011-06-14T21:56:00.002-04:00

Violet-crowned Hummingbird - Paton's yard, Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ. July 26th, 2010. This famous yard must surely be the most consistent spot in the US to see this spectacular hummer? We were treated to two or three individuals on this date, this one being 'digi-scoped' using a Canon Powershot A560 through a Swarovski HD spotting scope.

AZ - Varied Bunting - 07/27/10

2011-06-14T16:32:00.004-04:00

Varied Bunting - male, Kino Springs, Santa Cruz Co., AZ. July 27th, 2010. Another beauty from the Birdfinders' Arizona folder last year. This unusually approachable male was singing just a few miles from the border with Mexico at Kino Springs.'Digi-scoped' using a Canon Poweshot A560 through a Swarovski HD spotting scope.

AZ - White-eared Hummingbird - 07/28/10

2011-06-14T11:54:00.006-04:00

White-eared Hummingbird - male, Beatty's Guest Ranch, Miller Canyon, Cochise Co., AZ. July 28th, 2010. With thoughts turning towards a forthcoming Arizona trip in late July, I came across these images of a smart male White-eared Hummingbird in my folder from last year's Birdfinders tour. I guess time just ran out on me to post them, but better late than never! The carefully placed feeders on Tom Beatty's property in beautiful Miller Canyon provide a unique opportunity to see some incredibly rare hummingbirds - this White-eared Hummingbird is an ABA Code 3 species and was 'digi-scoped' using a Canon Powershot A560 through a Swarovski HD spotting scope.

MA - yard Blue-winged - 05/30

2011-06-07T12:48:00.003-04:00

Blue-winged Warbler - singing male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. May 30th, 2011.

Blue-winged Warbler has long been a favorite wood-warbler of mine, so it's quite a treat to have this male holding territory, and very likely nesting, right in the yard. He was most vocal in the last few days of May and although song has subsided a little in June, recent behavior suggests that it might be paired and nesting in the Alder thicket lining the brook that runs through our yard. Hopefully, I'll have more to report on this later in June.

JPS

MA - yard Orchard Oriole - 06/07

2011-06-07T12:07:00.004-04:00

Orchard Oriole - male, Gill, Franklin Co., MA - June 7th, 2011.

The end of my run this morning was greeted by a rich, throaty, warbling song which sounded familiar, but not quite familiar enough for me to be confident about the id of the songster. I ran to the house for bins and camera and then saw the bird fly down towards to the main road to feed in roadside vegetation. It was an Orchard Oriole - my first in our Gill yard. After I grabbed a couple of shaky record shots the bird continued to sing working its way down Main Road, singing from high exposed perches overlooking the meadow. It seemed quite territorial and will hopefully stick around.

I'm not quite sure why the song didn't register as an Orchard Oriole straight away, though it did sound richer and more melodic than my recent experiences in Texas and North Carolina. Anyhow, it was a most welcome surprise after the opening days of June had produced little in the way of new birds with spring migration more or less drawing to a close.

JPS

NC - White-tailed Tropicbird - 05/25

2011-05-28T20:40:00.007-04:00

White-tailed Tropicbird - c.30 miles SE off Hatteras Inlet, Cape Hatteras, NC. May 25th, 2011. Perhaps the highlight of the first of two days pelagic birding with Brian Patteson off the Outer Banks, North Carolina. This inquisitive bird suddenly appeared over the boat to a scream of "tropicbird!!". It then made at least two more passes of the boat much to the delight of all on board, before heading off across the ocean to the south ( I think). I wasn't quite prepared but managed to grab a few images through my bins using a Canon Powershot A560. More on Brian Patteson's SeaBirding Pelagic Trips can be found here.

MA - White-winged Scoters grace Barton Cove - 05/19

2011-05-19T11:31:00.009-04:00

White-winged Scoters - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 17th, 2011. Two birds, male and female. These had probably moved on before the new group of seven (below) arrived on the 19th.

White-winged Scoters - flock of seven, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 19th, 2011.

The current spell of inclement weather, now in its fifth staright day, brought a nice a flock of seven White-winged Scoters to Barton Cove this morning. The birds remained in a tight, roosting group just off the public ramp off Route 2 in Gill. They only looked up at the occasional marauding Bald Eagle before resuming resting in preparation for the long, tundra-bound journey North. Two White-winged Scoters were also present at Barton Cove on 05/17 though I didn't notice any at all on the the 18th suggesting they may have moved on before the new group arrived today.

Eastern Towhee - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. May 17th, 2011.

Other notables locally included several Alder Flycatchers and Magnolia Warblers along Main Road in Gill and the continued presence of an Eastern Towhee in the yard since the 17th. Our local Louisiana Waterthrush was also singing well on this damp May morning.

Bald Eagle - immature, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 18th, 2011 - regularly present in addition to two breeding adults.

Also of note yesterday, a brief naked eye view of an unidentified egret, probably a Great, at Barton Cove before it was promptly flushed by one of the resident Bald Eagles.

JPS

MA - Brewster's Warbler - 05/13

2011-05-13T15:25:00.006-04:00

Brewster's Warbler (Blue-winged x Golden-winged Warbler Hybrid) - Ferry Road, Montague, Franklin Co., MA. May 13th, 2011. This super bird was found by Brian Kane on May 12th and still present this morning. It was giving a Blue-winged Warbler alternate song and showed very well right above Ferry Road, even singing from the overhead cables at times. This bird most closely resembled the 1st generation male Brewster's illustrated on P.428 of the Sibley Guide. However, the mantle tone is grayer (closer to Golden-winged) and the wing bars whiter (closer to Blue-winged) than Sibley's illustration which may point towards this one being a backcross variant rather than the offspring of pure parents. Either way, a really interesting bird for me having not seen anything like it since a backcross Brewster's in Veracruz, Mexico in October 2001.

MA - everyday yard birds...but still very cool! - 05/10

2011-05-12T10:40:00.000-04:00

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. At least two different males visited the feeders today. The bird in the first image is a mature male in full breeding plumage as shown by the solid black upperparts and black remiges. The bird below is a first-summer male showing a more mottled appearance to the nape and mantle, and clearly worn, brown secondaries and primaries.

The birds in our Gill yard continue to impress, even aside from the daily arrivals of warblers, the feeders still attract many Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches. The Chipping Sparrows and the few remaining White-throated Sparrows have now been joined by newly arrived Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings. There may have been a Brown Thrasher lurking around the Alder patch since late April but this afternoon I found him, boldly turning leaves out in the open.

Chestnut-sided Warbler - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. Like most of the warblers in the yard at the moment, Chestnut-sideds are more often heard than seen. This one showed well in late afternoon whilst giving a quiet alternate song. Up to four have been present since early May and with suitable habitat within the perimeter of the yard, there's a good chance a pair will breed here.

Indigo Bunting - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. The same male, photographed at the same time of day on the same branch but with images taken from two different angles (actually bedroom window - uppershot, and basement - lower shot). I heard my first local Indigo Buntings singing just one day earlier.

Brown Thrasher - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. Often a real skulker and a real treat to have this one foraging out in the open!

White-throated Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. At least some White-throated Sparrows have been present daily since late September but numbers have dwindled sharply in the last couple of days with no more than three birds remaining, presumably as birds disperse to breeding areas.

Pine Siskin - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. Up to twenty remain, visiting the feeders on a daily basis and likely breeding in the local area.

Other notable birds in or close to the yard today; Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-throated and Warbling Vireos, Blue-winged, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Nashville and Pine Warblers, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, Louisiana Waterthrush, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, House Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow and Field Sparrow (singing). I also may have heard a Blackpoll Warbler briefly singing in late morning.

JPS

VT - Black-backed Woodpecker - 05/04

2011-05-10T15:17:00.008-04:00

Black-backed Woodpecker - male, Moose Bog, Wenlock WMA, Ferdinand Co., VT. May 4th, 2011. Our only 'boreal' specialty of the day...but a good one and an ABA Code 2 species.

Susannah and I took our chances on an 'iffy' weather forecast and headed for the North-east Kingdom of Vermont for a long day out. The day remained soggy and gloomy and certainly didn't brighten up from noon as had been predicted...but it was still a marvelous day and very pleasant to have our chosen area (Moose Bog) entirely to ourselves.

The weather may have impacted our chance of seeing Spruce Grouse and the closest we got was the 'whirring' of wings disappearing into the forest as we rounded a promising looking corner. If seeing boreal birds was a our only goal we would have been disappointed but something of the day was salvaged with a fine male Black-backed Woodpecker before it too disappeared into the wet forest. Moose Bog has proven to be an incredibly consistent spot for this species over the last few years and I've found them on all my visits.

Throughout the day the most prominent songsters were Winter Wrens (8+) and Golden-crowned Kinglets, and we saw several Hermit Thrushes including one very gray bird which closely resembled one of the pallid, gray Interior Western forms. Unfortunately, by that stage in the day, my camera had frozen due to wet and cold and I only just managed to get the shot of the woodpecker featured above.

Susannah at Moose Bog looking cold and wet but still smiling.

JPS

MA - Evening Grosbeak - 05/01

2011-05-10T10:58:00.007-04:00

Evening Grosbeak - female, Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 1st, 2011. A most unexpected but welcome visitor to the feeders at around 12:45hrs. Stayed for perhaps less than five minutes but long enough to snap a few pics through the living room window. Not quite a new 'yard bird', as I heard a single flying over the house in early April but in terms of birds actually at the feeders it doesn't get much better than this - what an absolute cracker!!

Blue-winged Warbler - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 1st, 2011. Nice find, feeding (quietly) high in the Sugar Maples. Not quite the first of the year locally, but pretty close. I did hear a Blue-winged Warbler singing along Main Road in Gill on April 28th.

Elsewhere in Gill today, an American Kestrel near the Giving Tree Nursery School and a singing Winter Wren on Barney Hale Road.

JPS

MA - Yellow-throated Vireo and more 04/30

2011-05-10T10:19:00.004-04:00

The opening days of May have been something of a whirlwind, both bird-wise and family-wise. The pace of migration continues unabated with each new day bringing fresh arrivals to our area of Gill. The following posts attempt to catch up with some of these events though in reality it's been way too busy to capture them all. Being our spring in Gill, new yards birds have become almost routine whilst others have been returning on migration having not been seen since the fall. It's an incredibly exciting time of year!

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 28th, 2011. First of the year, photographed through the living room window. Looking cold and wet but surely happy to have arrived!

Nashville Warbler - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 30th, 2011. Another yard first, just 'appeared' outside the living room window.

Yellow-throated Vireo - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 30th, 2011. The date is on the early side for this species, with this transient bird singing as it passed through the yard in the morning. Another nice addition to the yard list.

Yellow-rumped Warbler - handsome male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 30th, 2011. Perhaps the most common of the wood-warblers through late April and into May being present (often in numbers) on a daily basis.

Black-throated Green Warbler - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 30th, 2011. Our first of the year in the yard, though birds had been singing in the surroundings since at least April 27th.

JPS

MA - more migrants - 04/28

2011-04-28T21:30:00.003-04:00

American Redstart - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. April 28th, 2011.

Warm, wet southerlies continue bringing many new birds to our yard and immediate surroundings. Most obvious today were Ovenbirds (9), Blackburnian Warblers (3), Wood Thrushes (3), American Redstart (male), and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the feeders - all of which were new for the year.

Notably, after a small incursion of about 30 birds in our yard yesterday, Dark-eyed Juncos seemed to have moved out altogether though most of the 20 or so White-throated Sparrows remain. Purple Finches appear to be everywhere at the moment with singing birds all over Gill and at Barton Cove. There was also a major movement of Yellow-rumped Warblers today, notably through our yard and also at Barton Cove this morning. A few Northern Parulas and Yellow Warblers have also been with these flocks.

JPS

MA - better Caspian Tern shots - 04/28

2011-04-28T20:55:00.005-04:00

Caspian Tern - with first-cycle Ring-billed Gull, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 28th, 2011

After an afternoon of squally, thundery showers I called at Barton Cove late in the day to check for new arrivals. To my delight, three first-cycle Bonaparte's Gulls sat on the water just off Riverview Drive in Gill and a cursory scan of the Ring-billed Gulls resting at the public ramp (just off Rt 2 in Gill) produced the Caspian Tern - I was a tad surprised to find it resting on the shore. It gave exquisite views, both at rest and in flight. Another Common Loon had dropped in to join the two in the Cove from this morning, and a Gray Catbird called from the brambles close to the Emu pens by the boat ramp.

JPS.

Bonaparte's Gull - first-cycle, one of three present, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co. MA. April 28th, 2011

MA - Caspian Tern in Gill - 04/28

2011-04-28T12:00:00.005-04:00

Caspian Tern - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co. MA. April 28th, 2011. Heavily cropped distant record shots taken with Panasonic Lumix FZ40. Uncommon spring migrant in MA and my first in the Pioneer Valley. Bird spent most of its time 'quartering' over the cove surprisingly high above the water.

The balmy South-easterlies, now in their third straight day, brought a plethora of migrants to Gill today including this Caspian Tern quartering high above Barton Cove this morning. The bird remained well above tree top height for most of the fifteen minutes that I watched it. Also present, a Bonaparte's Gull and two Common Loons as well as three marauding Bald Eagles.

The air was heavy with sounds of singing warblers this morning, despite some rain. More year firsts appeared including Chimney Swifts (Barton Cove), 9 Ovenbirds, 3 Wood Thrushes, 2 Blackburnian Warblers and an American Redstart. Hopefully, I'll have a more complete post on the migrant surge over the last three days - it's been quite amazing!

JPS

TX - Calliope and more from a Texas tour

2011-04-27T20:28:00.007-04:00

Calliope Hummingbird - male, Lost Maples State Park, Bandera Co., TX. April 15th, 2011. Beautiful bird coming into the feeders with Black-chinned and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Seen by the restrooms right at the main entrance to Lost Maples.

This year's Texas tour with Birdfinders produced three new additions to our tour loop list, no small achievement considering the tour has run every year since 1995! The additions were all complete surprises ( I like surprises!) since the timing of our trip tends to miss the potential for lingering wintering species (such as the Lark Bunting) and goes out a bit too early for the later passage warblers (such as the Mourning Warbler at Sabine Woods). The highlight was a dazzling male Calliope Hummingbird, a species which we most frequently encounter on our Arizona and Colorado/Wyoming trips. This bird simply wasn't on the 'radar' for a spring tour to Texas.

Calliope Hummingbird - male, Lost Maples State Park, Bandera Co., TX. April 15th, 2011.

Lark Bunting - Neal's Lodges, Uvalde Co., TX. April 16th, 2011. Found by the cattle troughs along the bird trail at Neal's Lodges and hanging out with Lark, Vesper, Clay-colored and Chipping Sparrows.

Mourning Warbler - male, Sabine Woods, Jefferson Co., TX. April 18th, 2011. Another unexpected find and something of a skulker as might have been expected. We were astonished to find out a little later that a male MacGillivray's Warbler had been photographed at the drinking pool in Sabine Woods roughly around the same time that we were watching this bird!

JPS

MA - more arrivals in Gill - 04/25

2011-04-25T15:37:00.005-04:00

The last few days have seen a real surge in migrant arrivals, either in our Gill yard or in the immediate area;

04/25 - In addition to the Louisiana Waterthrush photographed today, Northern Waterthrush, Chestnut-sided Warbler and Yellow Warbler were new, though Susannah reported hearing a Yellow Warbler somewhere in Gill yesterday. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have been drumming on Derby Hill on 23rd and today (2+), with a Hermit Thrush and a Black-throated Green Warbler there today as well. Brown Thrasher in the yard. In the evening, an American Woodcock displaying and a pair of Barred Owls 'caterwauling' from the woods - sounded incredibly eerie on such a damp, foggy night.

Yellow-rumped Warbler - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co. April 24th, 2011.

04/24 - Brown Thrasher and Hermit Thrush in the yard and a light 'wave' of Yellow-rumped Warblers. Three soaring Broad-winged Hawks and a Sharp-shinned Hawk may have been migrants. Six Purple Finches arrived at the feeders.

Hermit Thrush - Gill yard, Franklin Co. April 24th, 2011.

04/23 - Bedraggled Northern Flicker in the yard and about an inch of fresh snow in the surroundings - yuk! Louisiana Waterthrush still singing through the snow showers. American Kestrel and about five Tree Swallows appeared late in the afternoon as the snow turned to drizzle and light rain.

Northern Flicker - bedraggled and sitting out the rain, Gill yard, Franklin Co. April 23rd, 2011.

04/22 - Five Palm Warblers under the feeders in the morning but not there after. All appeared to be yellow 'Eastern' birds, plus a singing Pine Warbler. A calling Broad-winged Hawk and an American Woodcock displaying on our neighbor's property just up the road.

Daily fare includes Red-tailed Hawk, Mourning Dove, Eastern Bluebird, Ruby-crowned Kinglet (3+), American Goldfinch (15+) Pine Siskin (6+), White-throated Sparrow (20+), Song Sparrow (10+), Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco (10+), Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds.

JPS

MA - Louisiana Waterthrush 04/25

2011-04-25T15:03:00.005-04:00

Louisiana Waterthrush - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. April 25th, 2011. Singing male, present since April 17th.

This is such a fantastic time of year in Western Massachusetts. Even if winter does its best to whip back as it did on Saturday, each and every day brings newly arrived migrant birds. Some are keen to settle down and get on with the breeding cycle, whilst others are simply passing through on their way North. Either way, the promise of new arrivals sees me working with windows open in the office, and regularly checking the feeders. Only yesterday (04/24), six Purple Finches arrived seemingly from nowhere and descended on the thistle feeders. Together with resplendent summer plumaged American Goldfinches they provided a 'riot' of color.

American Goldfinches and Purple Finch (male) - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. April 25th, 2011.

The real star, for my money at least, has been a territorial Louisiana Waterthrush on the brook running through our yard. Susannah actually first heard him on April 17th whilst I was still in Texas, and today it was singing right outside my office window from song posts surprisingly high above the water. Described as an "Uncommon and local breeder" in the "Birds of Massachusetts" by Veit and Petersen, we are surely fortunate to have this beauty holding territory in our yard.

JPS

FL - La Sagra's Flycatcher - 02/12

2011-02-22T15:49:00.006-05:00

La Sagra's Flycatcher - Bill Baggs/Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade Co. FL. February 12th, 2011. Images taken using Canon Powershot A495 hand held with Swarovski telescope.

Located by Huig Ouwehand and Bob Bailey after a morning of rain and showers, actually the only wet morning of our two-week trip. This wintering bird is likely the same as this bird http://pioneerbirding.blogspot.com/2010/03/fl-sunshine-birds-part-iii.html which wintered at the exact same location last year. It was associating with a reasonably large feeding flock including Blue-headed and White-eyed Vireos, Northern Parulas, Black-and-White Warblers, Palm Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.

Yet another highlight of a fabulous two weeks in the Sunshine State.

FL - Mangrove Cuckoo - 02/17

2011-02-22T11:11:00.005-05:00

Well, after hearing a few tantalizing calls on Sugarloaf Key on February 15th, I just didn't expect this - a Mangrove Cuckoo, oblivious to tens of admirers and passers-by as it fed by the main wildlife drive at 'Ding Darling' NWR on Sanibel Island, FL. I'd almost given up hope that Mangrove Cuckoo could be a serious consideration in winter, but this bird proved otherwise. What a cracker!

FL - Black-headed Gull - 02/08

2011-02-08T22:26:00.004-05:00

Black-headed Gull - adult-type, Daytona Beach Shores, Volusia Co. FL. February 8th, 2011. A lovely find on the very first day of the Birdfinders tour of Florida. Images taken using Canon Powershot A495 hand held through Swarovski HD telescope.