MA - a little more from Northfield

 

Red-eyed Vireo - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 19th, 2021.

It's late September and the last few days have seen glorious autumnal days and cool, refreshingly comfortable nights. But the mostly stable air has allowed many migrants to pass through our area uninterrupted and this morning in particular there was a small but notable visible migration of southbound warblers along the Connecticut River in Northfield. Most were Blackpoll and Yellow-rumped Warblers but I was also able to pick out a couple of Tennessee Warblers and a single Nashville Warbler. Even better, I tallied my 7th Connecticut Warbler of the month when a single flew over giving buzzy 'zeet' flight calls before landing at the edge of a belt of deciduous trees and giving a loud, emphatic 'pwik' call, difficult to describe but distinctive once learned. Unfortunately, this particular Connecticut Warbler got away without being documented but I was very comfortable with what I heard, comfortable enough in fact to add it to the six I've already seen and heard in the Caldwell Road fields in September; photos and audio of two, plus audio of at least two more unseen, and three others heard well enough to be certain but simply too fast to be recorded. However, I do get the impression that we're well past the peak for Connecticut Warblers and this morning's bird was my first since the well photographed bird on Sep 16th.  The middle part of the month did host a very good showing of fairly late Yellow Warblers with five still present on the 19th. 

Yellow Warbler - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 19th, 2021.

Yellow Warbler - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 19th, 2021.

Blue-headed Vireo - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 21st, 2021.

Red-eyed Vireos have certainly been present and passing through in numbers, often in tight flocks of 3 - 4 birds but I've yet to have any luck with a Philadelphia Vireo this fall. 

While the warbler numbers may have been dwindling we are in the midst of several major waves of White-throated Sparrows, the first of which occurred on Sep 19th with 80-100 in the fields around Caldwell Road. With them have come modest numbers of Savannah, Swamp and Lincoln's Sparrows though today (Sep 27th) saw a major incursion of migrant Song Sparrows as well. Meanwhile, I did hear and sound record a lonely Dickcissel on North Cross Road, Gill on Sep 17th but decided against entering the cornfield where is was feeding to try for photos. Dickcissel is a pretty scarce migrant in Franklin County but September is probable the single most productive month to find them. 

ME - a REDWING in Portland!

 

Redwing (1st-winter) - Capisic Pond Park, Portland, Cumberland Co., ME. February 4th, 2021.

Few ABA area birds have haunted me more than two Scandinavian thrushes - Redwing and Fieldfare. Having grown up in the UK both species were familiar winterers, and migrants often occurred in spectacular flights of thousands (literally) during sustained migration watches carried out at my local park in Sheffield. The key period was late autumn but mid-winter flights or 'hard weather movements' would sometimes involve thousands of birds and rival the biggest days of fall migration. Outside of Atlantic Canada, there can be little doubt that the New England states offer slim but realistic opportunities for seeing both species. In fact, I've already narrowly missed chances to see a Fieldfare in Carlisle, Massachusetts (mid-March 2013) and a Redwing in Hollis, New Hampshire (mid-March 2018), both of which directly overlapped with my traditional spring migration tour in Israel. Needless to say, when I learned (last Saturday) of a Redwing being seen incredibly well in a city park in Portland, Maine, I became distinctly 'edgy' and waited patiently for a pause in family commitments before heading out towards the Maine Coast.

February 4th saw me join a modest group of no more than ten birders at Capisic Pond Park, Portland at about 09:45 am. Early reports from birders leaving the site had been favorable offering plenty of room for optimism. The day was warming up nicely with periods of bright sunshine and conditions simply 'felt' good. It wasn't long before the Redwing flicked from ground level up through the undergrowth but stayed faithful to its favored thicket. It put on the most fantastic show devouring Multiflora Rose berries right in front the assembled birders. After 20 minutes or so I was surprised to find myself alone with the Redwing, nothing short a surreal experience given its 'mega' status and not something I'd envisaged on the drive out. But there was the Redwing in plain sight, feeding and soft-singing only feet away with no one in the audience but myself! It seems that my field companions had already seen what they wanted to and moved on to chase the other rarities present within the park. 

While trying to assign Redwings to sub-species in the field isn't recommended and might not be reliably possible, the dark brown upperparts with an olive tint, the dense blurry streaking on the underparts and the brown rear flanks appear to favor coburni, the Icelandic breeding form. 

Breeding, migration and winter range of Redwing Turdus iliacus in the Western Palearctic. 

Courtesy H. Shirihai and L. Svensson from the Handbook of Western Palearctic Birds, Volume 1. (2018)

While I was aware of other rarities being seen in Capisic Pond Park, I hadn't appreciated that they'd be such a compelling draw for visiting birders. But, having already had views of the Redwing that couldn't be bettered, I wandered off to check for the previously reported Dickcissel and a Black-headed Grosbeak, finding the Dickcissel with ease and eventually having satisfactory views of the Black-headed Grosbeak. The latter was perhaps the most tricky of the three rarities present within the park and just happened to be my first in the New England states so was well worth the wait. 

Black-headed Grosbeak - Capisic Pond Park, Portland, Cumberland Co., ME. February 4th, 2021.

Dickcissel - Capisic Pond Park, Portland, Cumberland Co., ME. February 4th, 2021.

Capisic Pond Park, Portland, Cumberland Co., ME. February 4th, 2021.

It's hard to imagine that a  Redwing was lurking the hedgerow to the left when this shot was taken - and nary a birder in sight!

On drive the home I thought about how obliging the Redwing had been, seemingly quite content keeping company with House Finches, Song and White-throated Sparrows. In fact, given the quality and crispness of the New England winter light, I doubt if I've ever had better views of a Redwing anywhere! 

As always, gracious thanks to the finders of these fine rarities. While I was hopeful of simply seeing the Redwing, the close, intimate experience that I had with this bird was way beyond anything that I could have expected. Thank you!

MA - Pacific-slope Flycatcher plus a stellar cast of locally rare passerines

Pacific-slope Flycatcher - Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA. November 4th, 2019.

Pacific-slope Flycatcher - Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA. November 4th, 2019.

Update November 11th; despite ever decreasing temperatures and the potential for snow in tomorrow's weather forecast, the Pacific-slope Flycatcher continues to put on quite the show in Hadley. This morning, Susannah, Matan and I joined not more than half-a-dozen birders patrolling the staked out area off Huntington Road. Initially, things seemed pretty quiet, very quiet in fact and several disappointed birders left the area without success. But around 11:30 hours one sharp-eyed gent kindly waived us over after he'd just had brief views of the flycatcher right off the main track. The bird was low, furtive and very, very difficult to see well but eventually we all had pretty good views over a thirty minute period as it worked up and down the low vegetation along the main pathway under the power lines. One week on from the really good views I had on November 4th, I can admit to being genuinely surprised that it's still hanging on so deep into the fall. 

 Pacific-slope Flycatcher - Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA. November 11th, 2019.

In the mean time, while we were chasing the rarest of flycatchers in Hadley, Josh Layfield was busy finding his own birds in Deerfield and simultaneously came up with a Clay-colored Sparrow in the North Meadows! 

 Clay-colored Sparrow - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. November 11th, 2019.

Found and photographed by Josh Layfield. 

November 4th; A few years ago I ran into Frank Gallo at Hammonassett Beach State Park in Connecticut. It was a brisk November day and I was still relatively new to US birding, but one of Frank's comments from that day really stuck with me when he said, "anything that's green and yellow at this time of year has to be worth a closer look". How right he was. Here we are in early November 2019 being treated to a host of avian gems in the Pioneer Valley, brightly colored and relatively easy to pick out amid the denuded sumac thickets. Chief among these has to be the long staying Pacific-slope Flycatcher off Huntington Road in Hadley right along the eastern bank of the Connecticut River. First found by Joe Oliverio on October 23rd, this unexpected waif from the Pacific Northwest has both treated and frustrated hundreds of birders during its two week stay. It was even courteous enough to allow my UK tour group to catch up with it on October 28th, and stick around offering spectacular views on November 4th. Such rarities only come around once in a generation and this bird looks set to become the first state record for Massachusetts thanks to a wealth of sound recordings, photographs and expert opinion. Thanks go to all of those folks for being so keenly involved in the identification and for keeping tabs on the bird's movements. 

Pacific-slope Flycatcher - Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA. November 4th, 2019.

Often flicked its tail upward when perched. 

Pacific-slope Flycatcher - Hadley, Hampshire Co., October 28th, 2019.

Continuing with the 'green and yellow' theme, and not to be outdone by the flycatcher, Brian Kane and Noel Watkins came up with a local rarity of their own in the form of a White-eyed Vireo in Montague on November 3rd. Only the third Franklin County record that I know of and fitting neatly into a concentrated pattern of late autumn occurrences as follows; Northfield Meadows on Nov 2nd 2013 (Eric Huston), Turner's Falls during Oct 26th - Nov 8th, 2017 (JPS), and now Montague Nov 3rd - 5th, 2019 (BK and NW). 

White-eyed Vireo - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. November 5th, 2019.

Showing characteristics of a first-winter individual and quite strikingly different 

to the Turner's Falls bird from 2017 featured below. 

White-eyed Vireo -  Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 1st, 2017.

Nashville Warbler - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. November 2nd, 2019.

Late, bright and unexpected. My personal latest in Massachusetts. 

Marsh Wren - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 5th, 2019.

Late, super skulking and again, unexpected. Only my second observation of Marsh Wren in Franklin County. 

Aside form the discovery of the Pacific-slope Flycatcher in Hadley, October produced a host of noteworthy grassland species many of which showed in the Deerfield area;

Le Conte's Sparrow - Mill Village Road, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 17th, 2019. 

Found by Chuck Caron on October 13th, 2019.

Le Conte's Sparrow - Mill Village Road, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 14th, 2019. 

Initially found by Chuck Caron on October 13th, 2019.

Blue Grosbeak (first-winter) - North Meadows, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 9th, 2019. 

Found by Aaron Hulsey and Joe Oliverio. 

Dickcissel - North Meadows, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 4th, 2019. 

A stellar month for this species with  1 - 4 irregularly in Deerfield Meadows between October 4th and 13th. 

Clay-colored Sparrow  - North Meadows, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 2nd, 2019. 

A fairly rare autumn migrant in Franklin County this being only my second record,  

with the first at Turner's Falls on October 12th, 2017. 

MA - more Dickcissels and a Blue Grosbeak!

Blue Grosbeak (first-winter) - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 9th, 2019.

It's been another sensational week of fall birding in Franklin County. From a personal perspective, the highlight would have to be the Blue Grosbeak found by Aaron Hulsey and Joe Oliverio in Deerfield Meadows on the 9th. I don't mind admitting that I've been on the look out for this species in the county for years but hadn't even heard of one until Aaron very kindly sent me a text to let me know of his find. Fortune worked in my favor and I had an appointment that afternoon that placed me only ten minutes away from the spot where Aaron and Joe had found the grosbeak. Within a few minutes of arriving I was watching the bird, albeit briefly and in the rain. No matter, I was really happy with the find and very grateful to Aaron and Joe.

Dickcissel - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 8th, 2019.

Deerfield Meadows was again the 'sweet spot' of the week as it had been in the first week of the month. Numbers of Song, White-throated, White-crowned and Savannah Sparrows concentrated here along with a couple each of Vesper and Lincoln's Sparrows and a good late showing of Indigo Buntings. Among them, more Dickcissels could be found with 4 on the 8th and another on the 10th. In a typical autumn I'm lucky to see a single Dickcissel so to tally 6 individuals from a single site in matter of days was well beyond expectation.

Dickcissel - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 10th, 2019.

Dickcissel - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 10th, 2019.

Other passerines of note included a Vesper Sparrow Caldwell Road Sod fields in Northfield on the 6th, at Red-eyed Vireo at Deerfield Meadows on the 10th,  50 American Pipits together at Caldwell Road Sod fields in Northfield on the 11th, and a Winter Wren in Wendell State Forest on the 12th. Large movements of Yellow-rumped Warblers have been seen over North Cross Road, Gill on most mornings this week, usually involving 45-65 birds with most activity occurring around sunrise. Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Field Sparrow have all featured as migrants on North Cross Road as well this week.

(Western) Palm Warbler - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 10th, 2019.

Vesper Sparrow - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 10th, 2019.

Winter Wren - Wendell State Forest, Franklin Co., MA. October 12th, 2019.

MA - Dickcissel, Clay-colored Sparrow and more...

Dickcissel - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 4th, 2019.

October opened with a welcome change in the weather. Muggy, showery southerlies gave way to breezy, cooler conditions and a cold front on the 4th. By the 5th we'd had our first frost of the fall and the 6th, while pleasant enough, was distinctly dank with the hanging threat of rain throughout the day. All of a sudden, it really felt like autumn had arrived. If late September had been more subdued than average in northern Franklin County, October had gotten off to a cracking start! Deerfield Meadows proved to be something of a 'sweet' spot with a Marsh Wren on the 1st (David Sibley), a Clay-colored Sparrow on the 2nd and a Dickcissel on the 4th.

Clay-colored Sparrow - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 2nd, 2019.

Noteworthy arrivals of passerines to 'greater' Franklin County included Ruby-crowned Kinglets (fairly widespread from the 1st), White-crowned and Song Sparrows from the 2nd, Yellow-rumped Warblers from the 3rd (including 150 at Northfield Meadows on the 5th - Josh Layfield) and White-throated Sparrows from the 4th, Dark-eyed Juncos from the 5th and an early Snow Bunting (over South Ferry Road, Montague) on the 6th.  Less expected was a Winter Wren at Caldwell Road fields, Northfield on the 3rd and an Eastern Meadowlark in Montague on the 6th, a species I almost never encounter locally on fall migration. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler - Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 1st, 2019.

Winter Wren - Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 3rd, 2019.

White-throated Sparrow - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 4th, 2019.

Eastern Meadowlark - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. October 6th, 2019.

Common Yellowthroat - Pine Meadow Road,  Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 1st, 2019.

Good numbers of Common Yellowthroats in early October, certain spots harboring 8 -10 individuals.

Great Blue Heron (juvenile) - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 4th, 2019.

Solitary Sandpipers (2) - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 4th, 2019.

Not an easy species to find in Franklin County but birds have been lingering here, and at Hell's Kitchen in Northfield.

Raptor migration hasn't been particularly strong or obvious in the first week although a smattering of American Kestrels passed through, and a Peregrine migrated over Montague on the 6th. The 4th was probably the best day with 45 Turkey Vultures, 2 Black Vultures, Osprey, Northern Harrier and Sharp-shinned Hawk all passing over Deerfield Meadows within the space of 25 minutes. 

Odds n' ends included 6 Fish Crows still lingering outside the 'Big Y' at Greenfield shopping plaza off the Mohawk Trail on the 5th. (Josh Layfield), a Greater Yellowlegs over Turner's Falls on the 1st, and up to 18 Ring-necked Ducks and 3 Pied-billed Grebes in the Turner's Falls area.

Greater Yellowlegs - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 1st, 2019.