Notes about birds, birding and travel from the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
MA - 'first' Merlin - 08/24
A strong North Easterly with rain and drizzle has persisted since Sunday, so this morning I tried an hour scouting for shorebird pools in the Hatfield/Whately fields along the CT River. Surprisingly, I came empty and found virtually nothing in the way of rain pools. The only bird of note I could muster was a Greater Yellowlegs on a shingle bar on the river itself. But having not done any local birding since returning from Arizona it was just nice to get out do some poking around. I noted a couple of Yellow Warblers and an American Redstart with a chickadee flock by the CT River, and both adult and juvenile Bald Eagles overhead.
The highlight was a juvenile Merlin, my first of the fall locally, perched overlooking the fields at Whately. This species breeds as close as southern New Hampshire and, I think, has recently been found breeding in Florence, MA. I've certainly noted them in our area in August in previous years - for example, this bird at Quabbin Park two years ago;
http://pioneerbirding.blogspot.com/search/label/Merlin
Also of note locally on Sunday morning, August 22nd, a Black-crowned Night Heron over North East Street, Amherst.
JPS
Friday, August 13, 2010
AZ - Short-tailed Hawk, juvenile - 07/30
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0R8l4iT4Aoi83Qwodwx33GWFDmgDoV6xSd5gvPfl7KU2JzmjB0tWRpufK-qhd3yB6zOXquyB9z9Sredwrtn9J2JY3XmAYFqaSFwkuDmwtUVVh5Yoti5L2sUSMbhYtTzhLExTYR8LwqfN/s400/AZ_STHAjuv2_073010.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJF59B9dGFcCI5luXgQ_Eyq61M_KanSCrBl8WgZj__vo6TYpXzPOzDRmXTs2hZZpnrLC1dKuSi-5vNLt5kV9tT1rXpFeEUljPaHG-Lbvd1YCw-wMg69DFfBeRZbAMIneXv-7JYhAVDZiKm/s400/AZ_STHAjuv3_073010.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO4Qqs_fLMSPvTnIlsDSRFz6dP6xdwh_yLasGsa2qwX71fJDDCEdn6PtcLhp8jot0ELHpF-AmTgojYGkSV1p9XrQTvR0wzLel-ZMlrGfRaRV_6XxrvNfZ4OJteeIQOPdrVuBiOlbKDjXA/s400/AZ_STHAjuv4_073010.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrE8Wf-Cw6RAGspxdh5hrjtrEJFYs2yb290hYAjkquH-e2ONfJdbNnyKu-qDSBLW9bzuivXI-G8JCyFQfIZwCk7ONsKyNqA_4v1veEH75RAmG3eX7eyOTTkE-bqpeDzTPD5L6J75dDzkR/s400/AZ_STHAjuv5_073010.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAVpaPPUcvbCiX8ctRsLiQWJBChEj_kTlZNki-zMpmwF29U7v1jKEzNujIfeS9dNIGyU9dws1u8HFTDduKCzlH6ca_qFhADghecmEmFvYOBJGY1YhZFwcnr6mmCJY4iGwf59t3CZgSW13/s400/AZ_STHAjuv_073010.jpg)
Certainly one of the highlights of the recent Birdfinders tour of Arizona. A fantastic morning in the Chiricahuas culminating in the observation of this juvenile Short-tailed Hawk low over Barfoot Lookout. Earlier, under the expert guidance of Helen Snyder, we had a light morph adult and the same juvenile cruising over Barfoot Meadow. Both birds formed part of a successful breeding story from the Chiricahuas this year.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mg9C1DXQXRpw7lRo9jGgybQTU70A0uIu6AwP5kGpN0dpCBtiWcypafAcYfSCCzZv8gZzT3MQNB6pItylT4jzX8-6NbTRpsxqOAmzuAkxLXFV-uBfE7wZgGOn-5BxrUyUoMbLqLi0sZei/s400/AZ_STHA2_ad_073010.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gBJnF86FFBLHDZkyJf9utDHj9BxSUGGJBukJioYRUfi675_Jt5DxDwqWq7OtK_jqDcQjS5Vn4p3-pYmEB1cqy15whJyzIOLMLbgvWW55uDF9YLXmgCIPcyPgYR3Zo9bFGTVHbZmm20rx/s400/AZ_STHA1_ad_073010.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMgnb7i8DqZ7mmw51uVPDd1SykONEDn5yo7fxIMBTa9WyUL1hNbUsE0s3JEAkFn5Mf0jijVQyw5lyL4RxcI4iKjW4wQdQc3jv6FCNJOUWNGTMoKY584Y7Nqozw0AKNu5BwQOky1IDMn9u/s400/AZ_BarfootMeadow_073010.jpg)
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