MA - more 'winter finches' and a saw-whet owl

 

Common Redpoll - Pine Meadow Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. November 22nd, 2020.

The march of irruptive finches into Franklin County appears to be raging on, at least for some of the species. Common Redpolls showed up in numbers this weekend though these were generally composed of aloof, fast moving flocks that were difficult to study. Larger flocks included 35 at New Salem Vista on Nov 19th and 50 plus at High Ledges in Shelburne on Nov 21st. Flocks two to seven Common Redpolls also showed up at Montague Sand Plains, Turner's Falls, Northfield and Gill. Of the smaller, closer flocks I've been unable to detect any Hoary Redpolls to date but I think it's only a matter of time before they appear. It's been a cool ten years since I've seen a Hoary Redpoll close to home so the next one is going to be very welcome indeed!

White-winged Crossbills continue to filter through with flyover singles at Gate 22 in the Quabbin on Nov 19th, and North Cross Road, Gill on Nov 20th and 22nd. I'm still hoping and waiting for a photogenic flock that will actually settle for just a few minutes. Pine Grosbeaks too, remain elusive (for me) with just a single over North Cross Road, Gill on Nov 22nd. 

Meanwhile, the Red Crossbill show in the Montague Sand Plains continues unabated and I've personally logged 65-75 birds on every recent visit. It's a true audio and visual spectacle with roaming flocks constantly 'buzzing' in and out of Old Northfield Road dropping down to drink from puddles on the road as well as feeding in the surrounding Pitch Pines. Results from the audio clips, thanks to Tim Spahr, have shown that the vast majority are eastern Type 10 (Sitka Spruce) but also include Types 1 (Appalachian), 2 (Ponderosa Pine) and 3 (Western Hemlock) - not too shabby!

Evening Grosbeaks have been far fewer, in fact the only birds I came across this week were singles over downtown Turner's Falls and over North Cross Road, Gill on Nov 20th. 

Lingering waterbirds at Turner's Falls included a Cackling Goose through to the 21st at least, and 5 American Coots and a Double-crested Cormorant through to the 23rd. 

Northern Saw-whet Owl - Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. November 22nd, 2020.

November 22nd saw a completely windless afternoon and heavily overcast, brooding sky. While family commitments prevented me from making the most of the remaining daylight hours I did sneak out at dusk for my first serious owling attempt of the fall and met with great success! My prize was a fantastically close encounter with a Northern Saw-whet Owl that responded aggressively to my whistled imitations by dive bombing me! After that initial greeting I was treated to a long sequence of vocalizations including drawn out 'whine' or 'wail' calls and a lot of soft, staggered 'tooting'. I'm not really a photographer and struggle with owls at night, and this particular bird never perched in one spot for long, so I ended up with just one record shot to show. But no matter, the experience was wonderful and a powerful reminder that Northern Saw-whet Owl  is probably my favorite North American bird. As if not wanting to be overlooked, a Barred Owl called in the distance while the saw-whet was tooting, and all of this took place within the Hemlock forests not too far from our home in Northfield. 

MA - migration and a little more Le Conte's.........

Le Conte's Sparrow - Mill Village Road, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 16th, 2019.

The last few days have been characterized by cool, foggy nights giving way to glorious autumnal days. The temptation to be outside has been huge, and I've been sneaking out when ever the opportunity arises. Fresh migrants have appeared on all of the last three mornings, particularly on North Cross Road, Gill with a Swainson's Thrush and 2 Blue-headed Vireos on the 14th, more Blue-headed Vireos and a wave of Ruby-crowned Kinglets on the 15th, and 45 White-throated Sparrows, 35 Chipping Sparrows, 6 Golden-crowned Kinglets and 9 Hermit Thrushes on the 16th. The 15th saw a notable push of Chipping Sparrows and I tallied 115 birds in the Gill/Northfield area, all of them in flocks in roadside yards and on street corners, areas where I  wouldn't typically go birding.

Le Conte's Sparrow - Mill Village Road, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 16th, 2019.

Le Conte's Sparrow - Mill Village Road, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 16th, 2019.

Le Conte's Sparrow - Mill Village Road, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 16th, 2019.

The cold October evenings also brought to mind owls, more specifically Northern Saw-whet Owl and on the 15th Josh Layfield and I made our first owling attempt of the autumn. Our chosen site was Wendell, and we tried three spots hearing a Barred Owl at the first, nothing at the second but managed to confirm our first Saw-whet of the fall at the third site. The latter bird gave one clear, unambiguous "keew" , a call usually associated with hatch-year birds and most typically heard on fall migration. Needless to say we were delighted!

Savannah Sparrow - Mill Village Road, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 16th, 2019.

Northern Harrier (juvenile) - Mill Village Road, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 16th, 2019.

The 16th found me back down at Mill Village Road in Deerfield trying get lucky (between errands) with the Le Conte's Sparrow.  It was late morning so hardly the best time, plus I hadn't seen any successful reports from that time of day, but I was curious to see what else the fields could offer. The answer was 'scads' of Savannah Sparrows (120+) and the continuing Le Conte's Sparrow. The latter seemed to be so focused on feeding that it was exceptionally difficult to see and the call note, which seemed so distinctive when I heard it two days ago, was somehow lost amid the frequent and similar sounding call notes of Savannah Sparrow. Even so, it was close to noon when I caught up with the Le Conte's Sparrow and I can admit to being delighted to see it skulk in the rank grasses at that time of day.

MA - the first Louisiana Waterthrush - 04/11

Louisiana Waterthrush - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 15th, 2019.

There's nothing like the sweet cadence of a singing Louisiana Waterthrush to brighten up a chilly April morning. Even the haunting ethereal song of a nearby Hermit Thrush was no match for this beauty at a traditional spot in Gill today. In fact, this bird was along exactly the same stream as my first of the spring in each April since 2015! It's hard to imagine that it's the same male returning every year but if so, it's usually been about three days ahead of the first major influx. I expect the bulk will arrive in a few days time, around the 14th/15th, and pretty soon most of the fast flowing streams in the local Hemlock woods will be hosting a pair, or a singing male.

Louisiana Waterthrush - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 15th, 2019.

Louisiana Waterthrush - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 15th, 2019.

On a more sobering note, I learned in the evening that Susannah had come across a freshly dead Northern Saw-whet Owl along Main Road, Gill close to the intersection with North Cross Road. I'm ashamed to say that I haven't put in any real work looking for saw-whets in this particular winter, but this bird was found only 200 meters from where I heard one calling unsolicited (pre-dawn) on October 22nd, 2018. 

Northern Saw-whet Owl - roadside casualty, Main Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 11th, 2019.

MA - good stuff in northern Franklin County

Rusty Blackbird (first-winter) - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 24th, 2018. 

Since returning from Cape May on October 19th I've been struck with a barrage of scarce and noteworthy bird species virtually every day, and all within about 15 minutes drive of home in Northfield. In particular, Northfield Meadows has been outstanding, each day producing something new including concentrations of White-crowned Sparrows the likes of which I've never seen in the eastern US, least of all in Franklin County!

Some of my personal highlights from October 20th - 25th are as follows:

Cackling Geese (2) - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 22nd, 2018. Distant digi-scoped shots. 

Cackling Geese (2) - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 25th, 2018.

Cackling Geese - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 25th, 2018. 

Present at the same time as the above pair but choosing not to associate with them. 

Cackling Goose; 1 - 3 daily at Turner's Falls including 3 close together in a relatively small flock of Canada Geese on the 25th. Also, 1 - 2 regularly at Tri-town beach during the same period. This is already shaping up into one of the best late fall periods that we've had for this species locally.


Bufflehead - regularly in the Barton Cove/Turner's Falls power canal area including 4 males on the 21st, and 6 (3 male, 3 female) together on the 25th.

Common Goldeneye (male) - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 23rd, 2018. Distant digi-scope. 

Common Goldeneye - male at Barton Cove/Turner's Falls on 23rd-25th. Typical arrival date.


Northern Saw-whet Owl - one heard calling pre-dawn on North Cross Road, Gill on the 22nd.


Golden-crowned Kinglet - 10+ along North Cross Road, Gill on the 21st.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 24th, 2018.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - widespread arrival at many locations over 21st/22nd with 2 -3 together at most of these spots. Fewer by the 25th.


American Robin - noteworthy arrival in Northfield Meadows on the 25th with at least 250 present.


Nashville/Orange-crowned Warbler - 1 seen briefly in Northfield Meadows on the 24th, all too brief to determine the species.


Yellow-rumped Warbler - 100+ along North Cross Road, Gill on the 21st and 45+ in Northfield Meadows on the 23rd. Major overnight departure on the 24th with only one present in Northfield Meadows on the 25th.

Palm Warbler (eastern) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 23rd, 2018.

Palm Warbler - 1 - 3 at many scattered locations but still 20+ in Northfield Meadows on the 23rd.

Black-throated Green Warbler - Erving, Franklin Co., MA. October 25th, 2018.

Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 at Zelinski Field, Erving on the 20th.



Field Sparrow - 1 in Northfield Meadows on the 22nd.



Vesper Sparrow - 1 in Northfield Meadows on the 22nd.

White-throated Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 22nd, 2018.

White-throated Sparrow - good numbers daily at many locations but 200+  in Northfield Meadows on the 24th was impressive.

White-crowned Sparrows - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 22nd, 2018.

White-crowned Sparrows - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 22nd, 2018.

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW - unprecedented influx of migrants concentrated at Northfield Meadows with 45+ on the 22nd, 90+ on the 23rd, 55+ on the 24th but a near complete exodus overnight with only 1 (an adult) on the 25th. Tallies of 3 - 6 would be much more in keeping with October dates but these numbers are off the charts in my experience. Never seen anything quite it in Franklin County.

(Red) Fox Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 24th, 2018.

Fox Sparrow - 2 briefly on North Cross Road, Gill on the 21st, then 1 in Northfield Meadows on the 24th and 2 there on the 25th.

Swamp Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 25th, 2018.

Swamp Sparrow - 6 - 10 regularly in Northfield Meadows.


Lapland Longspur -  1 south over Northfield Meadows on the 23rd.


Brown-headed Cowbird - 75+ by Upinngil Farm on the 23rd.

Rusty Blackbird - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 22nd, 2018.

Rusty Blackbird - 1 at Northfield Meadows on the 23rd, 1 showing very well at Unity Park, Turner's Falls on the 24th.


Evening Grosbeak - 1 on South Main Street, Sunderland on the 23rd (Brian Kane).


Purple Finch - continued high numbers with 12 - 20 regularly in Northfield Meadows.


Pine Siskin - daily flyovers at many locations in Northfield, Gill and Turner's Falls.

MA - White-crowned Sparrow pandemonium in Northfield

White-crowned Sparrows (5) and a Song Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 22nd, 2019. 

A cluster of five birds from a remarkable concentration of  45 White-crowned Sparrows in Northfield this morning. 

The day got off to a pretty good start with a Northern Saw-whet Owl calling spontaneously in the pre-dawn chill on North Cross Road, Gill. The call was not the familiar territorial 'tooting' but an eerie, drawn out 'wail' or 'whine' repeated about three times and proved to be my first migrant saw-whet of the fall. As the morning warmed up a little I found myself in the hoar-frosted fields of Northfield Meadows where I was greeted almost immediately by a half-dozen White-crowned Sparrows. Any October day with a White-crowned Sparrow is noteworthy in our area but to have six together straight of the blocks was a neat precursor to what would become my biggest day (locally) for the species. After an hour of working a relatively small area of fields I'd logged a minimum of 45 White-crowned Sparrows and I couldn't even get to the remainder of the fields because of fumigation taking place nearby. Any autumn morning with 3 - 6 White-crowned Sparrows would be excellent for northern Franklin County but a tally of 45 is totally unprecedented and I've certainly not seen anything quite like it before. It's the first morning that I've had where White-crowned outnumbered the often abundant White-throated Sparrows. In fact, it was quite the sparrow show in Northfield this morning with Savannah (25), Song (30), Chipping (8), Vesper (1) and Field (1) Sparrows all on view. Warblers had virtually cleared out from this particular spot and I only saw one Yellow-rumped all morning. 

White-crowned Sparrows - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 22nd, 2019. 

The majority, about 85%, were immatures.

MA - more Red-throated Loons

Red-throated Loons - Turner's Falls Rod & Gun club, Franklin Co., MA. November 14th, 2017.

After an all-too-brief Red-throated Loon at Barton Cove/Unity Park on Nov 6th, it was more than rewarding to see a mini arrival of the species at the Rod & Gun club this morning. The day had a pretty dreary start with sleet showers and apparently no new waterbirds at Barton Cove but as I arrived at the Rod & Gun club just before 8am, a party of three Red-throated Loons touched down on the water. My impression was that they'd just arrived but I couldn't say for sure. Some 35 minutes later, all three loons began giving wailing calls from the water and a fourth Red-throated Loon dropped out of the sky to join the group. The quartet then settled in for the day and quite a few birders got up to see them. Somewhat surprisingly, no other waterfowl appeared to be associated with the loon movement, at least at Turner's Falls, and I didn't detect anything new although it was nice to see the Common Loon at Barton Cove lingering for its fourth day.

Red-throated Loons - Turner's Falls Rod & Gun club, Franklin Co., MA. November 14th, 2017.

Camera data info placed the fourth bird arriving at 08:38 hours, slightly later than I initially thought.

Other birds of note included single Snow Buntings at Barton Cove boat ramp in Gill, and at South Ferry Road in Montague, plus a 'getting late' Yellow-rumped Warbler, also at the boat ramp.

The evening saw the first significant arrival of Great Black-backed Gulls with around a dozen dropping into the cove at Unity Park. With them came a crisp, smart looking juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull before a pair of Bald Eagles flushed the lot and began chasing down one of the Great Black-backed Gulls.

After sunset, I tried my luck at a traditional spot for Northern Saw-whet Owls in the north of Franklin County and had some excellent success with three individuals heard giving a broad range of vocalizations  including soft 'tooting', squealing or wailing calls, 'kew' calls often delivered in twos or threes and sometimes strung together in a  short series, and a scolding 'chitter' which I tend to hear less frequently than the other call types. In the distance, a pair Barred Owls called back and forth as if to supplement the pair of Great Horned Owls that I heard and saw in courtship in Gill this morning - three owl species for the day! The best actual 'sighting' in the woods this evening was a Flying Squirrel that glided some distance before landing flush on the side of a deciduous trunk. I haven't seen too many Flying Squirrels in Western Mass and to see one actually 'flying' was completely cool! 

MA - a 'mini' big day in Franklin County 02/28

Red Crossbill - first-year male, Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017.

The end of February has been incredibly mild and exceedingly spring-like. Suffering from a little cabin fever, I felt the need for a full day in the field but rather than drive two hours to the coast I chose to stay local. With no fixed agenda or premeditated plan, I attempted a rather low key 'big day' in Franklin County, something that I've never tried before but I am likely to repeat. The goal was to simply poke around and see what I could dig up within a few miles of the house. The day was split into two sessions (06:30-12:30 and 15:00 - 19:30hrs) and I ended up with a tally of 54 species which I thought was pretty decent considering that it was a solo effort. As so often with big days, the 'big misses' hurt and Cooper's Hawk, Wild Turkey, American Woodcock, Horned Lark and Golden-crowned Kinglet somehow managed to elude me, and all of which are present currently in the local area. Then there's the 'near misses' with species such as Black Vulture and Barrow's Goldeneye seen before the 28th, or the Northern Harrier and Merlin in Gill the day after! Anyhow, it was a great test and a nice reminder of just how diverse the Pioneer Valley can be at times.

Red Crossbill - adult male, Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017.

Red Crossbill - adult male, Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017. Apparently collecting nest material.

Red Crossbill - adult male and female, Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017. Courtship feeding?

Red Crossbill - adult female, Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017. 

Highlights were many with just about all of the following sightings within a mile or two of the Connecticut River between Montague and Northfield;

Ring-necked Duck - 42 (one raft of 31 at Barton Cove).
Greater Scaup - 2 males at Turner's Falls. Nice but down from the five males on the 26th.
Great Horned Owl - 1 (seen at 07:15 in Gill)
Barred Owl - 3 (1 seen, pair heard catawauling)
Northern Saw-whet - 3 (all males 'soft' tooting).
Kumlien's Iceland Gull - 4 (3 first-cycle, 1 second-cycle), Barton Cove, Gill.
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 15
Red Crossbill - 12 plus. Males singing, several pairs seen carrying nest material and courtship feeding observed. However, no actual nests located.
Fish Crow - 1 calling Unity Park, Turner's Falls. Back at one of last year's breeding sites.

Weather: 32 deg F at first light rising to around 62 deg F by late afternoon. Clouds and light showers early giving way to a clear, sunny afternoon with a light but sometimes blustery south-westerly breeze.

Miles: 58 driven; 4 walked.

Fish Crow - Unity Park, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017. 

Eight pairs bred in Turner's Falls in 2016 including three pairs in Unity Park alone. 

Greater Scaups - two males with Ring-necked Ducks, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017. 

Hooded Mergansers - adult male and female, Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017. 

Breeding pairs moving back into the small ponds and swamps, this pair was in Gill.

Kumlien's Iceland Gull - first-cycle, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. February 28th, 2017.

Kumlien's Iceland Gull - second-cycle, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. February 28th, 2017.

Red-breasted Nuthatch - Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017.

Barred Owl - Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017.

Northern Saw-whet Owl - Franklin Co., February 28th, 2017.

A busy evening for these with three males calling from just one location. 

NY - ROSS'S GULL in the Adirondacks.......fantastic!

Ross's Gull - first-cycle, Tupper Lake, Franklin Co., NY. January 29th, 2017.

Last Thursday (Jan 26th) Nick Bonomo posted news of a Ross's Gull being seen at Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks, New York State. Nowadays, I don't dwell too much on reported rarities but I would have to confess that Ross's Gull has been at the top of my 'most desired' birdlist for some time. The location was four hours drive from my home in Northfield, just about on the limit of how far I'd be prepared to drive for a bird in a single day. But this was different, it was a Ross's Gull and when Scott Surner suggested that we try for the bird on Sunday (Jan 29th) there was no way that Brian Kane and I could turn it down.

We arrived at Tupper Lake boat ramp at about 10:30 hours and found the Ross's Gull straight away, thanks to a tiny handful of birders already there. The entire experience was just perfect. It was literally the only gull present, delicately picking at the surface of the ice and eleganting careening through horizontal snow showers, a situation seemingly totally appropriate for a true denizen of the Arctic. We were treated to the most fabulous display for next 90 minutes and left feeling totally awestruck. Quite simply, as an experience, it couldn't have been any better.

Gracious thanks to the initial finder and the continued updates from field observers, and especially to my field companions Scott and Brian. Even the sobering sight of a road-killed Northern Saw-whet Owl on the journey home did little to sour the euphoric mood in the car. What a day that was!

Northern Swa-whet Owl - Cambridge, Washington Co., NY. January 29th, 2017.

Very unfortunate road-kill about one mile south of Cambridge.