MA - every day Crossbills

Semi-palmated Sandpiper (adult) - Hell's Kitchen, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. August 2nd, 2020.

In the first week of August, Hell's Kitchen in Northfield remained a reliable spot for small numbers of shorebirds including Killdeer, Least and Solitary Sandpipers but an adult Semi-palmated Sandpiper there on the 2nd was far less usual and my first of the fall locally. 

Tropical Storm Isaias was the most significant weather event of the week bringing thundery, squally showers and damaging wind gusts late in the day on the 4th but sadly, in terms of northern Franklin County, there were no major fall-outs of seabirds while both Worcester and Berkshire Counties enjoyed significant arrivals of Sooty Terns. The best bird at Barton Cove during the storm was an unidentified white heron, either a Snowy Egret or juvenile Little Blue Heron first spotted by Josh Layfield. Unfortunately, the views were brief and in flight, and we were unable to settle on an identification but either species would have been good for Franklin County. The day after the storm, August 5th, did produce 6 Double-crested Cormorants and 3 Ring-billed Gulls but these and the two Great Egrets loafing around the cove were probably unconnected to the storm. 

The avian event of the week, at least locally, was the continued and unabated movement of Red Crossbills through northern Franklin County with 1- 10 birds noted daily between the 1st and 7th at sites in Gill, Northfield, Bernardston and Deerfield. In most cases, these were of birds passing over heading in a South-westerly direction but the few birds seen foraging appeared to be feeding in White Pines. Matt Young of Cornell identified my sound recording from North Cross Road on July 31st at 'Type 10' and I'm hoping to get the results of a further sound recording taken from a single bird, also on North Cross Road, Gill later today. Other passerines of note this week included a Bobolink over Boyle Road on the 6th (most likely a migrant) and at least five Red-breasted Nuthatches at Hell's Kitchen on the 7th, probably a family of local breeders. 

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Great Egrets - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. August 4th, 2020.

Double-crested Cormorants and Ring-billed Gulls - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. August 5th, 2020.

Bald Eagle (adult) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. August 5th, 2020.

MA - late nighthawk migration around the autumn equinox

Common Nighthawk - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. September 22nd, 2019.

After a busy summer/early autumn of tours and family commitments, I've finally managed to do at least a little local birding around the autumn equinox and pleased to have found a few species of local interest. The warm, muggy air (89 deg F in Turner's Falls on the afternoon of the 23rd) produced a late migration of Common Nighthawks with eight over Turner's Falls, and six over downtown Greenfield on the 22nd and a remarkable 15 over Main Road, Gill on 23rd when Josh Layfield had five over Montague WMA, and a further 11 over the Green River at Deerfield Street in Greenfield.  Clearly a strong, late push of nighthawks and quite unusual to see actual flocks gathering this late into the fall.

Common Nighthawks - over Main Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. September 23rd, 2019.

The 23rd also produced an eclipse American Wigeon with the Mallards at Turner's Falls, and a Mourning Warbler (first-winter), an American Golden Plover and several Purple Finches migrating over North Cross Road earlier during the morning. 

American Wigeon - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. September 23rd, 2019.

MA - local Black-crowned Night Heron

 Black-crowned Night -Heron (immature) - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. August 28th, 2018.

Typically, I wouldn't be too interested in chasing a Black-crowned Night Heron but when Scott Surner found an immature in Deerfield Meadows on August 25th I became distinctly edgy. This particular species has, in my experience, been incredibly difficult to find in Franklin County with my only other observation coming from Unity Park, Turner's Falls on November 1st 2005. Fortunately, the Night-Heron was courteous enough to stick around until we returned from a family holiday on Cape Cod and was last seen on August 29th. 

Great Egrets continued to be seen throughout August peaking at around eight birds early in the month. They were most obvious at the Turner's Falls power canal but also regular at Barton Cove, the Turner's Falls Rod and Gun club, and downstream towards Montague and Deerfield. 

Great Egret - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. August 28th, 2018.

Waterfowl diversity picked up slightly towards the end of August with two to three Blue-winged Teal at Barton Cove, Gill on the 29th and a Green-winged Teal with the Mallards at Turner's Falls power canal on the 31st. Aaron Hulsey also recorded a Semi-palmated Plover at Unity Park, Turner's Falls on the 29th but overall, the shorebird migration was fairly slow in August. 

Green-winged Teal - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. August 31st, 2018.

MA - Great Egrets aplenty

This morning I made a casual check of Barton Cove from the Turner's Falls side of the Connecticut River. Water levels (controlled) were nice and low and it seemed more than reasonable to hope for a few shorebirds. Alas no shorebirds could be found but that was more than compensated for by an actual flock of Great Egrets! Although late summer Great Egret sightings are not rare in Turner's Falls, all of my observations in recent years have been of singles so to have a flock of six was almost too good to be true! The birds spent time on the Turner's Falls side of the Connecticut River before a dog walker flushed them over to the Gill side where they landed on a fully exposed sand bar. It should be interesting to see how long they stick around, if at all.

Great Egrets - Unity Park, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. July 30th, 2015.

First time I've seen an actual 'flock' of Great Egrets in Franklin County!

Also of interest this morning, several Yellow Warblers moving south over Barton Cove and at least 100 Chimney Swifts hawking of the residential areas of Turner's Falls.

MA - Great Egret and Snipe at Turner's - 10/18

Great Egret - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 18th, 2010. This bird, along with the snipe featured below, provided two site 'firsts' for me in one evening!

Bald Eagle - juv/imm, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 18th, 2010.

Redheads - still present a week after they were found. Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 18th, 2010.

Wilson's Snipe - digi-bin shot of 8 birds together, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 18th, 2010.