European Golden Plover, ME - Update Oct 12th

It would appear that, despite a concerted effort by many birders, the European Golden Plover was not relocated today. Since posting last night, quite a few other details have emerged which emphasized just how lucky we really were yesterday! Although we couldn't have known at the time, it appears that the plover wasn't seen at all between 10am and 3:00pm. So, having left the apartment on a positive update and arrived at Scarborough Marsh when the bird had just been relocated, we'd assumed (quite incorrectly) that the bird had consistently been in view for much of the day. Clearly that wasn't the case. We're therefore very grateful to the huge effort put in by yesterday's on-site birders to relocate the European Golden Plover.

In addition, I should apologize for calling the bird 'Eurasian' rather than 'European' Golden Plover in my original blog entry (now corrected). Both the ABA and the BOU refer to this species as European Golden Plover - whatever was I thinking?

European Golden Plover, Maine - Oct 11th

Scene at Scarborough Marsh, ME - The bird inspires only a modest 'twitch'.


Matan bags another lifer!


And we flush a Marsh Wren on the way out.

After several positive updates on the Maine birding listserve and a short discussion, Susannah and I set off for coastal Maine just before noon. By 3:30pm we'd arrived at Scarborough Marsh and began the long walk out into the saltmarsh along the ET trail. A group of birders held vigil out in the marsh whilst we passed numerous successful birders on the walk in, which is always a comforting feeling after a long drive! The bird sat alone during the entire time we watched and didn't even leave when 2 American Golden Plovers got up from the marsh and departed at around 4:25pm. The European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria), a most handsome transitional adult was found by Robby Lambert (originally on Thursday) and identified by Lysle Brinker yesterday, apparently the first record in the Lower 48 states. A fantastic find for all concerned and well worth the three hour drive from Amherst. This was our first birding experience in Maine and I must say it was extremely positive.


Other birds in the marsh included about 5 Pectoral Sandpipers and a Marsh Wren.


Best birding,


James.

BT Blue - Oct 9th

Black-throated Blue Warbler - male in Quabbin Park.

A return visit to Quabbin Park this morning began slowly with the Lookout Tower being fogbound so I pressed on to Enfield Overlook, and then the 'Blueberry Patch' where I eventually found an impressive feeding flock working the berries on the one of the fruiting shrubs. This spot provided the best birding of the morning, including a dapper male Black-throated Blue Warbler. An Orange-crowned Warbler suddenly appeared in the same shrub and just as suddenly disappeared! No pics of that one unfortunately, but the views were great and at last I caught with an Orange-crowned in the Pioneer Valley! Otherwise it was much the usual fare though thrushes were more obvious today with 5 Hermit and 3 Swainson's Thrushes in the same spot as the Black-throated Blue Warbler. Other notable species included Ruffed Grouse, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler (5+), Blue-headed Vireo (5+), Eastern Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

Purple Finches and Pine Siskins were again notable today in Amherst and at Quabbin Park with about five of each at the latter location. A balmy day with temperatures in the mid-seventies in the afternoon.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - juvenile, Quabbin Park.


Hermit Thrush

Hermit Thrush - a different individual to that pictured above.


GB,

James

New arrivals - Geese and finches Oct 8th

More than a hint of change in the air today. After a very chilly start with a sharp frost, the day turned gloriously warm and sunny, perhaps one of the last genuinely warm afternoons of the year? Didn't bird at all this morning but obvious and striking new arrivals along North Whitney Street in Amherst included over 10 Purple Finches and a single flock of 12 Pine Siskins! About 5 Blue-headed Vireos could be heard singing as well.

In the afternoon I had a drive up to Turner's Falls to check the goose situation and was pleased with the result. About 1,000 newly arrived Canada Geese were resting on the power canal. Despite a thorough search I couldn't detect any Cackling Geese in this group, with the flock being composed entirely of the expected forms B.c. canadensis and B.c. interior. As usual, the variation in body size, color and bill shape of these geese was pretty bewildering! One stood out as being a possible example of B. c. maxima.

Finishing off at Barton Cove produced two each of Lesser Scaup and White-crowned Sparrow.

Canada Goose raft - Turner's Falls.


Canada Geese - showing characteristics of B.c. interior.

Canada Goose - possible B.c. maxima. Large bird just left of center with the extensive white cheek and white spot on the forehead. Surrounded mostly by B.c. canadensis.


White-crowned Sparrow - first-winter, Barton Cove. An adult was present with this bird.


GB,


James.
PS. A brief stop at Mt. Warner road in Hadley produced a Northern Harrier and 6 Eastern Meadowlarks.

Northern River Otters - Quabbin Oct 6th

Close to the bank of Quabbin Reservoir just north of Goodnough Dike. These three seen together plus a larger animal (I'd guess a male) farther out in the open water. A welcome and unexpected surprise.

Quabbin Park migration - Oct 6th

Vesper Sparrow - Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park.


Peregrine Falcons - 2 on migration over Quabbin Park.


Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 of 10 around the Lookout Tower at Quabbin Park.

Had a good morning at Quabbin Park concentrating on Winsor Dam from the HQ buildings, the Lookout Tower area and a brief scan over Goodnough Dike. Migration was much in evidence throughout the morning (07:35hrs - 11:30 hrs) with highlights including a sudden and unexpected arrival of birds on Winsor Dam wall, a busy and rather intense feeding flock around the base of the Lookout Tower, and a small but decent collection of migrant waterfowl at Goodnough Dike. Four American River Otters at the latter spot came as a complete surprise, a species which I don't recall seeing anywhere in the Quabbin in previous years.

Here's some of the more notable species from this morning;

Common Loon - 2.
Bald Eagle - 2 (ad and juv).
Canada Goose - 114 migrants moving south (4 flock). 20 'resident' birds below Winsor Dam
BRANT - 12, departing south from Goodnough Dike area at around 11:25hrs.
NORTHERN PINTAIL - 2 (both juvs) with drake Mallard off Goodnough Dike.
Common Merganser - 1 Goodnough Dike.
Osprey -2 migrants south.
Peregrine - 2 migrants south over Lookout Tower.
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 3 south over Lookout Tower.
American Kestrel - 2 (1 certainly migrating high over Winsor Dam).
Wild Turkey - 20 (two flocks).
American Pipit - 4 Winsor Dam.
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 110 migrating high over Winsor Dam.
'Eastern' Palm Warbler - 5 (2 Winsor Dam).
Blackpoll Warbler - 25 (most moving over and along Winsor Dam before 9am).
Black-throated Green Warbler - 10 (all around Lookout Tower).
Pine Warbler - 3 (including adult male) Winsor Dam.
Nashville Warbler - 1 at Lookout Tower.
Blue-headed Vireo -1 at Lookout Tower.
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 22 (most around Lookout Tower).
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 25 (most around Lookout Tower giving exceptional views).
Eastern Phoebe - 5
Eastern Bluebird - 16 (on dam wall, Winsor Dam).
RUSTY BLACKBIRD - 4 moving south-west over Winsor Dam.
VESPER SPARROW - 1 good views of this bird with Eastern Bluebirds and Pine Warblers on Winsor Dam.
White-throated Sparrow - c. 60 around Lookout Tower.
PINE SISKIN - 2 south over Winsor Dam
Purple Finch - 5 south Lookout Tower.
Dark-eyed Junco - 8 around Lookout Tower.

Brant - Twelve moving south above Goodnough Dike, Quabbin Park.


Northern Pintail - Two with drake Mallard (left), Goodnough Dike, Quabbin Park.


Winsor Dam wall - busy with Eastern Bluebirds, Palm Warblers and Chipping Sparrows.


Nasville Warbler - below the Lookout Tower, Quabbin Park.


Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Plenty below the Lookout Tower today at Quabbin Park.

Blueberry Hill, Granville - Oct 5th

Blueberry Hill, Granville, MA. - Susannah chats with resident hawk counter John Weeks.

The day started off in the nicest possible manner with 3 Black-throated Green Warblers together in the trees at the rear of the apartment, visible from the rear balcony. Lots of American Robins, some Tufted Titmice and a White-breasted Nuthatch too.

Later, we had a family outing to Blueberry Hill in Granville (West of Springfield), a spot famed amongst birders for its raptor migration watch point. It was another glorious fall day, maybe a little too nice for a decent migration of raptors, but in the ninety or so minutes that we were there we saw two Bald Eagles, several Red-tails (non-migrants), about 10 Sharp-shinned Hawks, about 3 Cooper's Hawks, and 2 migrant Peregrines drifting South. Perhaps the highlight for us, simply because we don't see that many in Western MA, was the near constant presence of 2 -3 Red-shouldered Hawks drifting around, sparring with other raptors and frequently calling over the hillside. No pics of these unfortunately, but we all enjoyed good scope views. Quite a few passerines present near the hill top as well, with about 20 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 4 'Eastern' Palm Warblers, a single Nashville Warbler, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. All in all, a most enjoyable trip to Granville. Many thanks to John Weeks for putting up with us and for introducing us to his raptor migration watch point.



Juvenile Accipiter - This bird passed the watch point at relatively close range. We thought Cooper's in the field, based largely on structure, but looking at these images I don't mind admitting that I'm increasingly troubled by the Cooper's/Sharp-shinned species problem, especially with birds like this! Comments would be most welcome.

Peregrine - Adult migrating over Blueberry Hill.



Best birding,


James.

Cool and windy - Oct 3rd

Tried a few sites in Hadley (a couple of Black-throated Green Warblers being the pick) and also had a quick check of the East Meadows in Northampton. It was rather blustery here but somewhat surprising to see flights of Yellow-rumped Warblers moving south-west over the open fields. In thirty minutes I estimated 200 warblers had passed through in groups of up to fifteen birds. A Merlin, Cooper's Hawk and a Sharp-shinned Hawk also moved through during the time that I was there.

Ironically, bird of the day came from much closer to home with a Nashville Warbler in a yard in North Whitney Street. Rather cool, blustery and autumnal-like today.

American Goldfinch - East Meadows, Northampton - one of a nice flock of about 35.


American Goldfinch - East Meadows, Northampton.


Indigo Bunting - East Meadows, Northampton.


Lincoln's Sparrow - East Meadows, Northampton.

Amherst migrants - Oct 2nd

Red-eyed Vireo - One of three along North Whitney Street, Amherst.

Didn't expect to get out birding at all today but a neighborhood walk with Matan produced a few migrants and one or two nice species. On North Whitney Street a small feeding flock was composed of 6 Blackpoll Warblers, 6 Yellow-rumped Warblers, a single Black-and-White Warbler, 3 Blue-headed Vireos, 3 Red-eyed Vireos and my first local Golden-crowned Kinglet of the fall. In Wildwood Cemetery, singles of Northern Parula, Blackpoll Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Blue-headed Vireo. No less than 7 Northern Flickers emerged from just one tree as we walked by and a Pileated Woodpecker was also present in the area.


Blue-headed Vireo - One of three along North Whitney Street, Amherst.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - In Wildwood Cemetery.



Best birding,

James.

North Hadley - Oct 1st

Peregrine Falcon - Juvenile of Arctic race 'tundrius'. Obviously a really poor image but has generally pale-headed appearance with distinct white cheek and well marked, but not especially broad, black mustache.The crown of this bird was pale, creamy-buff, well shown by this bird in Northampton's East Meadows in October 2005.


Lincoln's Sparrow - Five plus today at North Hadley, plus one at Mt. Warner Road, Hadley.

The day started with heavy showers which soon eased up after 07:30am. Not having too much time to play with, I headed across to North Hadley to have an hour checking for migrants by the CT River. It was very slow to begin with, but after a little while I found a decent feeding flock consisting mostly of sparrows, primarily Song and White-throated Sparrows. Loosely associating with the flock were 2 Blue-headed Vireos, 5 Blackpoll Warblers, 1 Magnolia Warbler, a dozen or so Common Yellowthroats, 1 Scarlet Tanager, 6 Indigo Buntings, 2 House Wrens, 10+ Swamp Sparrows and 5+ Lincoln's Sparrows. A latish Chimney Swift also flew over south.

On the way back to Amherst I made a very brief stop at Mt. Warner Road in Hadley and found the place pretty busy with Chipping Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds and at least 5 Eastern Phoebes. The highlight was a stunning 'blond-crown' juvenile tundrius Peregrine which swept through my binocular view as I was scanning the fields for sparrows. The views were immaculate, but were also very fast and the bird was already moving away by the time I'd got the camera to my bins. A fine bird to finish the morning though!


Best birding,


James