MA - fall migration underway!

Solitary Sandpiper - Hell's Kitchen, Northfield, MA. July 14th, 2020. 

Rather distant and one of two birds present. This is a phone-scoped image. 

Traditionally, mid-July almost always brings the first obvious signs that fall migration is underway. This year has been no exception and migrant shorebirds (from much further north) made an appearance this week with two Solitary Sandpipers at Hell's Kitchen, Northfield on the 14th and a Least Sandpiper over Hilltop Farm, Deerfield on the 15th (sound recorded by David Sibley). And July 17th brought three Solitary Sandpipers and my first Least Sandpiper of the season to Hell's Kitchen as well as up to a dozen Killdeers. 

Least Sandpiper (adult) - Hell's Kitchen, Northfield, MA. July 17th, 2020. 

Rather distant and another phone-scoped image. 

Solitary Sandpiper - Hell's Kitchen, Northfield, MA. July 17th, 2020. 

One of three birds present. Phone-scoped image. 

Migrating passerines are usually more difficult to detect at this time but an Eastern Kingbird moving high and direct to the south over Barton Cove on 15th looked like a strong candidate for a genuine migrant. Many species have also been forming post-breeding flocks. In particular, I came across a nice gathering of 120 Tree, 35 Barn and 2 Cliff Swallows at Beaver Meadow in Leyden where there was an impressive selection of other species including three Bobolinks. 

Cliff Swallow (center) - juvenile with Tree Swallows, Leyden, Franklin Co., MA. July 14th, 2020.

May - fourth week; Canada Warblers, Black Bears and a Sandhill Crane!

Canada Warbler (male) - Orchard Hill, Umass-Amherst, Hampshire Co., MA. May 25th, 2020. 

The last week of May began with an especially notable arrival of Canada Warblers on the 25th, most of which appeared to be pure migrants with singles singing on Boyle Road, Gill, Smiarowski Road, Montague (Brian Kane and Noel Watkins) and Hilltop Farm, Deerfield (David Sibley). I say "especially notable' because Canada Warblers have been especially scarce this spring. As luck would have it, I found a further three Canada Warblers during a mid-morning visit to Orchard Hill at Umass-Amherst where I came across an unexpectedly good fall-out of northern passerines including; Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (1), Swainson's Thrush (3), Tennessee Warbler (11), Northern Parula (3), Magnolia Warbler (9), Bay-breasted Warbler (3), Blackpoll Warbler (6), Black-throated Green Warbler (12). In the evening a Common Nighthawk flew NNE over the Sunderland/Montague townline, one of the very few local nighthawks seen in migration this spring.

Magnolia Warbler (male) - Orchard Hill, Umass-Amherst, Hampshire Co., MA. May 25th, 2020. 

Black-throated Blue Warbler (female) - Orchard Hill, Umass-Amherst, Hampshire Co., MA. May 25th, 2020. 

Swainson's Thrush - Orchard Hill, Umass-Amherst, Hampshire Co., MA. May 25th, 2020. 

Ovenbird - Orchard Hill, Umass-Amherst, Hampshire Co., MA. May 25th, 2020. 

Bay-breasted Warbler - Orchard Hill, Umass-Amherst, Hampshire Co., MA. May 25th, 2020. 

The following day (May 26th), saw two Blackpoll Warblers, an Alder Flycatcher and a new Canada Warbler all singing on North Cross Road, Gill and single Olive-sided Flycatchers at Hell's Kitchen, Northfield (Josh Layfield) and Hilltop Farm, Deerfield (David Sibley).


The 27th saw a further three Blackpoll Warblers along North Cross Road, Gill where there was also had a singing Black-billed Cuckoo but I think the highlight would have to be the discovery of one, possibly two, Grasshopper Sparrows at a new site in Deerfield.

Grasshopper Sparrow - Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. May 27th, 2020. 

Two Blackpoll Warblers were singing in our Northfield yard on the 28th and a singing Mourning Warbler was in Deerfield (David Sibley), the latter species seems to have been decidedly scarce this month, especially compared to last year.

The week also produced a number of daytime Black Bear sightings including singles in Gill on the 28th and Charlemont on the 31st, and this one neatly photographed by Brian Kane in his backyard in Sunderland on the 27th!

Black Bear - Sunderland, Franklin Co., MA. May 27th, 2020. 

Image appears courtesy of Brian Kane. 

As the month drew to a close, the air was full of the sounds of breeding species settling down for the season in Franklin County with especially an especially vocal Virginia Rail in Gill, and a distinct increase in singing Alder Flycatchers and Black-billed Cuckoos. The last day of the month was neatly rounded off by a stunning Sandhill Crane preening in a roadside marsh, quite oblivious to the Sunday traffic and attention that it was receiving from the passing public! 

Sandhill Crane - Ashfield, Franklin Co., MA. May 31st, 2020.

MA - Loggerhead Shrike in Turner's Falls!!

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

Well I wasn't expect this - a Loggerhead Shrike at Turner's Falls Airfield! Found by Peter Gagarin just before 9am right at the exact spot where the previous evening I'd been watching an Eastern Meadowlark and some Grasshopper Sparrows with Matan. With spring migration tapering I wasn't expecting any new arrivals today, least of all in the form of a Loggerhead Shrike! An incredibly rare bird in Massachusetts nowadays, I think this is only the fourth that I've heard about in the state over the last ten years or so and of those, the first to be found in the interior. Thanks to Peter's prompt post I was able to join him at the site for 35 minutes or so, along with a guest appearance from Beth Finney who just happened to be working locally and couldn't have timed it better! A fabulous find for Peter - thanks to him for sharing his news in such a timely manner.

MA - Grasshopper Sparrows 05/28

This morning saw another rain bearing front pass through Franklin County. Hopeful that some late migrants might have dropped into Barton Cove, I tried a few of the vantage points (Riverview Drive, public boat ramp etc) with little success other than hundreds of hirundines hawking over the waters including good numbers of Bank Swallows. The Turner's Falls Rod and Gun Club had some nice Spotted Sandpipers and a breeding plumage Common Loon but little else. As I drove by the Turner's Falls airfield I started hearing Grasshopper Sparrows singing through the gloom and soon notched up three to five (heard-only) singing birds. Getting a visual proved a lot more difficult but eventually I found a singing bird close to the road giving really nice views.

 Grasshopper Sparrow - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. May 28th, 2014. 

Spotted Sandpiper - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. May 28th, 2014. 

MA - more Hadley sparrows - 10/20

Grasshopper Sparrow. Hadley Honey Pot, Hampshire Co., MA. October 20th, 2009.

White-throated Sparrow. Hadley Honey Pot, Hampshire Co., MA. October 20th, 2009.

Song Sparrow. Hadley Honey Pot, Hampshire Co., MA. October 20th, 2009.

Savannah Sparrow. Hadley Honey Pot, Hampshire Co., MA. October 20th, 2009.

White-crowned Sparrows. Hadley Honey Pot, Hampshire Co., MA. October 20th, 2009.

Lincoln's Sparrow. Hadley Honey Pot, Hampshire Co., MA. October 20th, 2009.

In addition to the previous post concerning the Nelson's Sparrow at Hadley this morning, I had quite a haul of other sparrows in the area including; 300 Savannah Sparrow, 60 Song Sparrow, 25 White-throated Sparrow, 8 White-crowned Sparrow, 1 Grasshopper Sparrow, and 1 Lincoln's Sparrow.

Other birds of interest included, 1 Bobolink (getting late), 1 Common Yellowthroat, 4 Eastern Bluebirds, 1 Eastern Phoebe, 35 American Pipits, 60 Horned Larks and 3 Purple Finches.