MA - noteworthy passerines

Aside from the Olive-sided Flycatcher at Hell's Kitchen, Northfield on the 11th mentioned in a previous post, other flycatchers of interest included a Great Crested on North Cross Road, Gill on the 6th, two Yellow-bellied at Hell's Kitchen on the 7th, and a Least on Riverview Drive, Gill on the 8th. And there was also 'getting late' singing Yellow-throated Vireo at Hell's Kitchen on the 12th.

Northern Parula - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. September 13th, 2018.

Yet more overnight rain on the 13th brought an obvious arrival of passerines to the area including our yard in Northfield at dawn with a calling Swainson's Thrush as well as a Wood Thrush. But it was a large flock of migrant warblers at Turner's Falls Rod and Gun club in mid-morning that really caught me off-guard. As I arrived, I heard several titmice and chickadees calling overhead and looked up to see numbers of warblers filtering through the oaks in a non-stop wave that lasted five minutes or so. The light was awkward and I had difficulty in getting my bins onto many of the birds passing through but I estimated that 70+ warblers were involved. Of those that I managed to identify Northern Parula (12+), Tennessee (7+), and Bay-breasted (4) were the most common with other notable species including Magnolia, Blackburnian, Cape May and my first Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the fall. And for the rest, who knows?!

Magnolia Warbler - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. September 13th, 2018.

Tennessee Warbler - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. September 13th, 2018.

Also of note on the 13th, quite a few raptors with 8+ American Kestrels scattered around the sod fields in Northfield, a migrant Osprey in Northfield, a Northern Harrier heading south through Gill and several juvenile Broad-winged Hawks seemingly waiting for the gloom to clear to start the southward migration. 

American Kestrel - Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 13th, 2018.

Heavy rain throughout most of the 12th created a number of fresh rain pools in the Northfield sod fields attracting five Killdeer and a Least Sandpiper, all of which had moved on by the next day.

Killdeer - River Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 12th, 2018.

Least Sandpiper - River Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 12th, 2018.

MA - late Mag

This morning I made a couple of brief stops in between errands. A warm frontal system brought heavy showers and rain, and I had a quick look at Barton Cove ever hopeful that the storm might produce something of interest. One Pied-billed Grebe continued but little else was present. The Turner's Falls power canal, or rather the wooded edges of the power canal, proved more interesting with a small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers producing a 'getting late' Magnolia Warbler that appeared all too briefly....Eastern Phoebes and Gray Catbirds also associated with this flock.

Pied-billed Grebe in downpour - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 16th, 2014.

Magnolia Warbler - distant, out of focus and about to drop out of view....but still showing the unique tail and underside pattern with a thick black tip to the crisp white undertail, vent and lower belly combined with bright yellow flanks and belly, Can any other North American passerine match this pattern? By the way, I had clean looks at the bird before attempting to take a shot. It was about 25 meters away and the auto-focus picked up the foliage rather than the bird.....and then it was gone. 

MA - mini fall-out in Gill - 05/03

The morning dawned dull, foggy, slightly muggy and full of drizzle. Perhaps not very encouraging to most and I admit that I was still waking up when Susannah announced a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the feeders! Over the next 30 minutes, the yard produced several exciting year firsts including a singing Warbling Vireo and superb Magnolia Warbler, not to mention a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and our resident, singing Louisiana Waterthrush.

Conditions looked good for a quick visit to Barton Cove and sure enough, fresh birds were present including no less than 70 Double-crested Cormorants (!), two Bonaparte's Gulls and two breeding plumaged Common Loons. Numerous Baltimore Orioles, Gray Catbirds and Black-throated Green Warblers all over Gill were sure indications of a wider incursion of those species. 

All images taken in Gill, Franklin Co., MA, on May 3rd 2012.

 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - male in the yard!

 

Magnolia Warbler - first of the year. 

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - north-bound bird in full song. 

 Bonaparte's Gulls - Barton Cove, public boat ramp off Rt 2.

 Double-crested Cormorants - Barton Cove, public boat ramp off Rt 2. Most of the 70 birds present in this shot.

 Double-crested Cormorants - Barton Cove, public boat ramp off Rt2 but including this rather odd looking bird with very dull lores and gular, reminding me (for some reason) of the Pacific species, Brandt's Cormorant.

MA - yard Mag - 05/11

Northern Parula - singing male, North Whitney Street, Amherst, Hampshire Co., MA. May 11th, 2010.

Magnolia Warbler - singing male, North Whitney Street, Amherst, Hampshire Co., MA. May 11th, 2010.

Very cold to start with this morning, frost much evidence in the early hours. However, the local streets and woods were, once again, full of bird song. During my morning run I tallied at least a dozen Northern Parulas singing, none of which will stay in our area to breed. Also numerous Scarlet Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles, Blue-winged, Black-throated Blue and Blackburnian Warblers.

At home, a single Black Cherry tree held Northern Parula, Magnolia, Blackburnian, and Yellow-rumped Warblers so I took the opportunity to take a few digibin shots from the bedroom window! Off the rear deck, a Swainson's Thrush was grubbing around in the leaf litter.

Later in the day, a Common Yellowthroat was a surprise in the flower beds outside Holdsworth Hall on the UMass-Amherst Campus.

JPS

Hadley migrants - Sept 22nd.

Had a nice run out to the Connecticut River at Hadley this morning, checking several scrubby tangles and field fringes. Nothing too exciting but good to be out in the morning watching migrants filter through the bushes. Most noteworthy were an Ovenbird, 2 Blackpoll Warblers, 3 Magnolia Warblers, 3 American Redstarts, 1 Black-and-White Warbler, 12+ Common Yellowthroats, 5 Red-eyed Vireos, 1 Blue-headed Vireo, 2 House Wrens and at least 6 White-throated Sparrows.

Magnolia Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler - Images 2 & 3. First-winter.

American Redstart - first-winter.

JPS

More New Arrivals

Magnolia Warbler - The first of the year, and always a thrill.


Solitary Sandpiper - One of two on the Aqua Vitae road in Hadley.


Black-throated Green Warbler - A decent wave of these today with at least 12 along a short section of the Northampton Bike Path.


Singing Baltimore Orioles and White-throated Sparrows got the day off to a positive start on North Whitney Street, Amherst with further singing male orioles along the Connecticut River in Northampton near the Route 9 bridge.

Spent much of the morning successfully searching for cavity nesting species along the Northampton bike path from Damon Street West to the railroad bed in Northampton. After two days of gloom, bird activity was high with many singing warblers towards the West end of the bike path. Most notably - 12 Yellow-rumped, 5 Nashville, 12 Black-throated Green, 2 Black-and-White, and a male Magnolia Warbler. At least 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglets were also singing, as well as Wood Thrush, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Warbling and Blue-headed Vireos and a rather nice male Orchard Oriole just where the bike path passes underneath I-91! A calling Least Flycatcher stayed high in the tops and was probably a migrant. On the way home a couple of very quick stops, one at the Aqua Vitae road in Hadley, and one at Moody Bridge road in Hadley were both productive, with 2 Solitary Sandpipers and both yellowlegs at the former, and over 10 Bobolinks and a Brown Thrasher at the latter. Very cool indeed and all a beautiful spring day.

JPS.