NH - Hinsdale Rough-legged Hawk

 

Rough-legged Hawk (first-winter) - Patterson Farm, Hinsdale, Cheshire Co., NH. February 24th, 2021.

While running errands this morning I was more than happy to have five minutes of quality time with the Hinsdale Rough-legged Hawk just off Route 63. It looked healthy and settled, and even had a brief altercation with a young Red-tailed Hawk that had the nerve to take a vole from the Rough-leg's favored field at the Patterson Farm! I first noted this particular Rough-legged Hawk on Feb 22nd and fully expect it to stick around for a few more days at least. 

NH - Rough-legged Hawk in Hinsdale

 

Rough-legged Hawk - first-winter, Hinsdale, Cheshire Co., NH. February 22nd, 2021.

The generally excellent run of good fortune with local Rough-legged Hawks continued today when I found this beauty hunting farmland just eight minutes north of my house in Northfield. Much like the two individuals along the Mohawk Trail in Charlemont, MA during Jan-Feb, this was another light morph but with notably thick black striations and a pretty extensive black-brown belly patch giving it an overall darker cast than the other light morphs that I've seen so far this winter. Fortunately there was enough snow-free verge to pull completely off Northfield Road and watch it hunt (successfully) from the roadside. Great views of my favorite North American buteo!

Rough-legged Hawk - first-winter, Hinsdale, Cheshire Co., NH. February 22nd, 2021.

Successfully caught a rodent!

Rough-legged Hawk - location relative to Hinsdale and Northfield, February 22nd, 2021.

MA - excellent local birding continues through mid-January

Harlequin Duck (first-winter male) - Millers River, Erving, Franklin Co., MA. January 12th, 2021.

Remaining faithful to the Millers River and first found by Anne Jemas on January 1st, 2021.

The general excellence of birding has continued unabated along the Connecticut River Valley. While it might be true to say that new arrivals have been relatively few, the ongoing presence of species such as Harlequin Duck, Barrow's Goldeneye, Sage Thrasher, Red Crossbill and Pine Grosbeak have been enough to keep spirits high and the motivation strong. In addition, the weather has been calm, relatively mild and almost spring-like inducing an increase in bird song, and especially woodpecker activity. Here's a relatively small selection of pictorial highlights from recent days. 

Winter Wren - Pauchaug Brook WMA, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. January 13th, 2021.

One of two birds present in what seems to be a good winter for them with others at the Turner's Falls power canal, and North Cross Road, Gill. 

Sage Thrasher - Hinsdale Setbacks, Cheshire Co., NH. January 13th, 2021.

Seemingly getting bolder by the day. First found by Cory Ross on Dec 19th, 2020.

Black Vultures - three of the four in flight over Montague Sandplains, Franklin Co., MA. January 9th, 2021.

Actually my first January record of the species in Franklin County.

Red Crossbills - Montague Sandplains, Franklin Co., MA. January 9th, 2021.

Still very much in evidence in northern Franklin County with singles and small numbers in Gill,

and up to 25 together in the Montague Sandplains. 

Barrow's Goldeneye (center) - first-winter male, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. January 13th, 2021.

A regular late evening visitor to the power canal and present in the area since Christmas Day 2020. 

Harlequin Duck (first-winter male) - Millers River, Erving, Franklin Co., MA. January 12th, 2021.

On the Millers River, first found by Anne Jemas on January 1st, 2021.

Barred Owl - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. January 13th, 2021.

This species has been a little more visible of late. 

I took this shot directly through the car windscreen as it perched right above North Cross Road, in Gill. 

Boreal Chickadee - North Hoosac Road, Wlliamstown, Berkshire Co., MA. January 14th, 2020.

Working the spruces in a residential neighborhood. Found and first reported by Lori Van Handel on Jan 11th, 2020.

(Kumlien's) Iceland Gull (center) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. January 14th, 2021.

Nice dark winged bird, and the first adult of the winter season. 

 

NH - SAGE THRASHER!!!

 

Sage Thrasher - Hinsdale, Cheshire Co., NH. December 21st, 2020. 

First state record found by Cory Ross on December 19th. 

Absolutely incredible! Another Monday in December and another Sage Thrasher! Found, and photographed by Cory Ross on Saturday (12/19) at Hinsdale Setbacks, with news circulated more widely by Steve Mirick on the NH Birds listserve on Sunday evening. Not only the second in the Connecticut River Valley inside a week but also a stunning state first for New Hampshire. 

Sage Thrasher - Hinsdale, Cheshire Co., NH. December 21st, 2020. 

First state record found by Cory Ross on December 19th. 

No surprise then to find me at the Hinsdale Setbacks on a calm, misty and quite pleasant Monday morning. What did come as a surprise was the lack of birders present with Jason Lambert being the only birder on site when I arrived at about 8:35 am. Three hours later I was on verge of leaving with nothing to show other than a couple of possible glimpses of the bird flying across the snowmobile trail some 200 yards north of the parking lot. No sooner had I committed to my final check of the morning than Jason beckoned me over.....he'd relocated the thrasher! Moreover, it was only 50 yards from the parking lot and totally unconcerned by the local fisherman drilling holes in the ice only yards from where it fed on Winterberry and Multiflora Rose. It put on the most fabulous show for the half dozen birders that had since gathered, and I last saw it disappearing north parallel to the snowmobile trail at around 12 noon. 

Rusty Blackbird - Hinsdale, Cheshire Co., NH. December 21st, 2020. One of five present. 

Aside from the thrasher, the setbacks were pretty birdy today with five Rusty Blackbirds, four Eastern Bluebirds, a Swamp Sparrow and at least 90 Common Redpolls being some of the highlights. Jason also reported seeing a late Gray Catbird. Nice birds indeed but I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that there are now two Sage Thrashers just thirty miles apart in Connecticut River Valley. With birds present in Cheshire County, NH and Hampshire County, MA, surely there must be a chance of finding one lurking in Franklin County?!

First and foremost, gracious thanks go to Cory Ross for the incredible find and initial photos, to Steve Mirick for getting the word out to a wider audience and to Jason Lambert for keeping in touch during this morning's search and neatly locating the bird just before I was about to leave!

'Twitching' New Hampshire style. The snowmobile track looked like this through much of the morning.

I don't know why but I somehow expected a lot more birders to be present and looking for the thrasher, a state first no less. 

After three hours of hard searching Jason Lambert (lower right) finally locates the thrasher and inspires a modest gathering !

*Sage Thrasher is a true denizen of the vast sage brush flats and high desert of the American West. A relatively short distance migrant, I've most easily found them in numbers on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in Mono County, California in September. They're evidently pretty hardy birds with singing males already on territory when we visit Greater Sage-grouse leks in late April around Walden Colorado, that's at a time of year when temperatures at dawn are often well below freezing. To find one in south-west New Hampshire way east of its normal range is absolutely extraordinary.