MA - early June, and still plenty to see in Franklin County!

American Bittern - New Salem, Franklin Co., MA. June 5th, 2019.

Migration started to wind down rather abruptly in early June and many local summer residents already settled well into their respective breeding cycles. Even so,  a few migrant passerines were still fairly evident on the 1st with a Canada Warbler on North Cross  Road, Gill and a Nashville Warbler in our yard in Northfield neither of which would be expected breeding locations for those species. Additional migrants on the 1st included Olive-side Flycatcher (Deerfield), Blackpoll Warbler (Warwick), Tennessee Warbler (Turner's Falls) and Northern Parula (Gill).

Green Heron - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. June 3rd, 2019.

Loggerhead Shrike - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. June 3rd, 2019.

Pride of place would have to be the Loggerhead Shrike at Turner's Falls Airport found by Peter Garagin on June 3rd, a local 'mega' and a state documentation species. Considering it was a major rarity, the bird couldn't have been more obliging and entertained tens of birders but disappointed those who could only make it the following day. Despite looking settled and comfortable on the 3rd, the shrike would ultimately prove to be a one-day-wonder. The Loggerhead Shrike could well have been the last 'trump from the horn' of spring but four Semi-palmated Plovers at the Caldwell Road sod fields on the 6th showed that northbound migrants were still passing through.

Semi-palmated Plovers (4) - Caldwell Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. June 6th, 2019.

Red-headed Woodpecker - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. June 6th, 2019.

Red-headed Woodpecker - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. May 29th, 2019.

Grasshopper Sparrow - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. June 2nd, 2019.

With so many species settling down for breeding in Franklin County it's a little difficult to pick out some of the highlights but last month's Red-headed Woodpecker continued trying attract a mate in the Montague Plains until the 6th at least. The sandplains also hosted 11 singing Eastern Whip-poor-wills on June 1st with the nearby Turner's Falls Airfield hosting 3 - 5 Grasshopper Sparrows throughout the period, and an Eastern Meadowlark on the 2nd.  And a 'singing' American Bittern in New Salem on the 5th gave me as much pleasure as any of the above primarily because I've found it an exceptionally difficult bird to see well in Franklin County over the years.

Worm-eating Warblers - Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. June 3rd, 2019.

MA - bittern, rough-winged swallow and Bald Eagles aplenty!

American Robin - partially leucistic individual, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. April 6th, 2018.

Cold air persisted during 6th - 10th April with frequent snow showers and dawn temperatures often at freezing or below. Franklin County seemingly saw few new arrivals and indeed, the scene at Barton Cove was one of gradually reduced numbers of geese and gulls, though diving ducks continued to show in good numbers and included a fine male Red-breasted Merganser on the 10th.

Buffleheads - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 8th, 2018. 

 Common Mergansers - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 9th, 2018. 

Red-breasted Merganser - male with female Common Merganser, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 10th, 2018. 

But there have been a few highlights, the most significant of which was an American Bittern which totally caught me off-guard as I ran along North Cross Road, Gill early on the morning of the 6th. The bittern was already in flight when I saw it and had likely flushed from a small cattail marsh near the roadside before departing north below the tree line never to be seen again. Interestingly enough, that particular spot on North Cross Road has no history of herons of any kind which only added to my surprise in seeing a mid-size brown heron in flight over the cattails! Eric Huston and Marshall Iliff were kind enough to send me some ebird information on the status of the species in Franklin County as I felt sure that I hadn't seen an American Bittern any closer to home the than Keene, New Hamsphire. It turns out that American Bittern reports numbered only 1 - 6 per year between 2012-2017, and some of those involved the same bird reported by several different observers with most of the records concentrated around the north Quabbin region. I hadn't quite appreciated it was quite that rare (and difficult to see) in Franklin County.


Two Black Vultures showed among 20 or so Turkey Vultures in Shelbourne on the 9th, and the Bald Eagles at Barton Cove/Turner's Falls have been nothing short of spectacular with up to three adults and seven immatures in the air together at times, the immatures sparring a lot over the cove sometimes pursuing the flocks of waterfowl.

Bald Eagles - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 9th, 2018. 

The cold air understandably subdued passerine activity but Pine Warblers began to arrive in Gill in small numbers around the 8th and 9th, along with a few Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and a couple of Winter Wrens began to sing from traditional territories along North Cross Road, Gill. An American Pipit migrated north-west over Gill School on the 9th. Brown-headed Cowbirds arrived numbers around the 9th/10th with several large foraging flocks including 175 at Four Star Farms in Northfield with tens of American Robins and Cedar Waxwings ground feeding on fallen crab apples at the same location. 

American Robins and Cedar Waxwings, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. April 10th, 2018. 

Red Crossbill - male, Montague Plains, Franklin Co., MA. April 6th, 2018. 

Up to five continuing to show well, though sometimes aloof.