VT - Thanksgiving Say's Phoebe!

Say's Phoebe - Allen Brothers Marsh, Westminster, Windham Co., VT. November 28th, 2019.

A super find for Coleen Lawlor on November 24th, lingering through to November 30th. 

It's not especially typical to speak of rare flycatchers lingering in the Connecticut River Valley into late November but this year has been different, very different in fact. Not only did the long staying Pacific-slope Flycatcher remain off Huntington Road in Hadley, Massachusetts through to the month's end but further north, on November 24th, Coleen Lawlor unexpectedly came across a Say's Phoebe at Allen Brothers Marsh in Westminster, Vermont. Simultaneously, we had two ultra-rare flycatchers in the valley within an hour of each other and a few lucky birders even managed to connect with both on the same day - no easy task since both birds could disappear for hours at a time.

Pacific-slope Flycatcher - Huntington Road, Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA. November 2019. 

Say's Phoebe - Allen Brothers Marsh, Westminster, Windham Co., VT. November 28th, 2019.

Otherwise, the last two weeks of November saw the inevitable tapering of migration with the focus shifting from passerines to waterbirds around mid-month. A Greater White-fronted Goose lingered for several days at the Turner's Falls power canal (multiple observers) during the 15th - 20th and was apparently feeding in the fields around Gill/Northfield . There was also a long staying first-winter Iceland Gull at the Turner's Falls power canal initially found by Josh Layfield on the 17th but lingering long enough to be seen by multiple observers through the month's end. Barton Cove saw the the annual late November build-up of Hooded Mergansers with up to 70 birds present but otherwise the cove harbored very few birds of interest aside from two female-type Lesser Scaups present for almost a month, and two first-winter male Greater Scaups at the Turner's Falls Rod and Gun club on the 19th.

Roaming and noteworthy passerines included a White-crowned Sparrow in Deerfield Meadows on Nov 23rd, two Snow Buntings in Montague on Nov 19th and Red Crossbills over Pine Meadow Road, Northfield on the 17th and over the Turner's Falls Rod and Gun club on the 18th.

MA - Say's Phoebe but alas no pics

A frustrating morning in many respects but somewhat exciting in others. The fog was just about lifting as I walked out of the Stop & Shop in Greenfield. I heard a call that I knew well from many trips out West. It was the distinctive but plaintive 'pueeee' call of a Say's Phoebe. Initially I looked for a perched bird but it sounded mobile and I soon picked it up circling the parking lot calling constantly as it flew. It circled the lot about three times behaving as though it had just been flushed and wanted to re-settle. I last saw it heading toward Rt 2A and Silver Street. With my hands full of groceries I could only think about the images I could have taken with my Canon 7D and 400mm waiting to be used just meters away in my car!! The time was about 09:11hrs and the observation was over in just a few seconds though I may have heard it calling once more about 15 minutes later.

Further frustration came when I arrived at the fully drained Turner's Falls power canal only to hear and then see a Semi-palmated Plover departing south bound, a bird which I think had been flushed by the survey crew working inside the canal. However, the bike path side of the canal at Depot Street was full of birds including hordes of sparrows with as many as six Field Sparrows, along with Song, Savannah, White-throated, Swamp and Chipping Sparrows, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Towhee, Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers, Common Yellowthroat and at least half a dozen Gray Catbirds - very birdy indeed. I'm sure a more dedicated effort would have produced more.

Field Sparrow - Turner's Falls bike path at Depot Street. One of about six present.

 Eastern Phoebe - Turner's Falls bike path at Depot Street. If only this morning's Say's Phoebe had co-operated like this!

 Common Yellowthroat - Turner's Falls bike path at Depot Street. 

Common Merganser - juvenile, Turner's Falls bike path at Depot Street.