nohobirdclub home (send sighting reports to nohobirdclub@hotmail.com)

June 2004 Sightings FIRST OF THE YEAR IN RED
Hampshire, Hampden & Franklin Counties of Massachusetts

June 1, Tuesday - Overcast, Damp and Cool
MONTAGUE (from Bob Packard) I heard a BBCuckoo up in the Montague Plains today.

SHUTESBURY (from Kevin Weir) We have Pileated fledglings leaving the nest with lots of fanfare and Hairy fledglings with parents on guard.

DEERFIELD+ (from Larry Therrien) Went up to Deerfield and Bartons Cove to see if the rainy weather forced anything down. Old Deerfield marsh: Green Heron (2), Common Yellowthroat (2), Yellow Warbler (4), and a Baltimore Oriole...not much else of note. Bartons Cove: Common Yellowthroat (2), Yellow Warbler (3), Warbling Vireo (1), Bank Swallow (75+), Double Crested Cormorant (4) and the resident Bald eagles. No waterfowl at all noted up there.

VOICE OF AUDUBON HIGHLIGHTS FROM JUNE 1:
A LEAST BITTERN was seen off and on for several days last week in Longmeadow in the swamp along Pondside Road near the beaver house.
GOLDEN EAGLES were seen circling overhead in Williamstown and Montague.
Seen in Belchertown were an AMERICAN BITTERN and a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO.

June 2, Wednesday - Partly Sunny, Warm, Late Thunderstorm
NORTHAMPTON (from Larry Therrien) Made an AM trip to the swamp near Stop and Shop: Yellow Warbler (5), Common Yellowthroat (2), Alder Flycatcher (1), Willow Flycatcher (2)...nice comparisons of the two songs.
Drive through Arcadia Meadows. Little in the way of flooded fields despite the rain. Highlights of Yellow Warbler (2), Common yellowthroat (1), Eastern Wood Pewee (1), Savannah Sparrow (3), Bobolink (10+).
Trails near state hospital: Yellow warbler (5), Common Yellowthroat (3), Blue Winged Warbler (1), Red Eyed Vireo (4), Warbling Vireo (1), Field Sparrow (1), Wood Thrush (3), Indigo Bunting (2), and Great Crested Flycatcher (1).
Made a walk to Fitzgerald Lake from North Farms Rd. Before a thunderstorm drove me back to the car I had the following highlights: Common yellowthroat (3), Yellow Warbler (3), Ovenbird (3), Red eyed Vireo (4), Wood Duck (2), Green Heron (1), Willow Flycatcher (1), Hooded Merganser (1) female, Baltimore Oriole (2), Swamp Sparrow (1), Red Shouldered Hawk (1), Hermit Thrush (1), Great Blue Heron (1) and quite a few Common Grackles and Red Winged Blackbirds bringing food to nests.

AMHERST (from Heather McQueen) Heard a Marsh Wren out in the swamp.

June 3, Thursday - Sunny, Warm, Late Thunderstorm
TURNERS FALLS (posted to Massbird by Amy Moeckel) I am following up on my May 19th post about the "resident" female (year round for at least three years) common goldeneye and the first male that I have seen stay past early spring. I watched them this morning engaged in courtship rituals and copulation. She was midway down the power canal on Migratory way, fairly close to the road. She was tucked down low in the water with her head extended. He was behind her throwing his head in the air, and then mounting her for very brief intervals. I am very interested to see if they become the first pair on record to successfully nest in Massachusetts. According to Jim Berry (thanks Jim) the Mass breeding bird atlas shows no record of breeding goldeneyes in the state, so already this is exciting news.

WILLIAMSBURG+ (from Larry Therrien) Graves Farm: Black Throated Green Warbler (1), Ovenbird (9), American Redstart (2), Yellow Warbler (1), Black and White Warbler (1), Common Yellowthroat (1), Pine Warbler (1), Warbling Vireo (1), Red eyed Vireo (5), Wood Thrush (3), Cliff Swallow (18), Hermit Thrush (1), Indigo Bunting (1), Eastern Bluebird (2), Great Crested Flycatcher (1), Bobolink (4).
Fitzgerald Lake from North Farms Rd: Ovenbird (7), Common Yellowthroat (5), Yellow Warbler (3), Pine Warbler (1), Red eyed Vireo (3), Blue Gray Gnatcatcher (1), Wood Thrush (5), Willow Flycatcher (2), Hermit Thrush (2), Swamp Sparrow (1), Indigo Bunting (2), Wood Duck 91), Baltimore Oriole (1), and Pileated Woodpecker (1).

June 4, Friday - A Perfect Day
CHESTERFIELD (posted to Massbird by Geoff LeBaron) While waiting to start my Breeding Bird Survey in south Chesterfield this morning, from 4:28 to 4:38 a Chuck-will's-widow was calling near the intersection of Bryant Road and Munson Road in south Chesterfield. Unfortunately my BBS start time was 4:42! To reach this location, take Rt. 143 to the center of Chesterfield, and turn south (left if you're coming from Rt. 9 in Williamsburg) onto South Street. Shortly (approximately 1/10 mile) bear right onto Bryant Road. Follow Bryant Road south about 1.5 miles to the first dirt road on the left--that's Munson Road (it may not be marked). The bird was calling from the woodlot that borders a small wetland across from the intersection where Munson Road joins Bryant Road from the east.

WESTFIELD (posted to Massbird by John Hutchison) Conti Refuge- At 6am a Saw whet was calling the bird responded to my "Toot" and followed me around the refuge. This was the annual breeding bird census other highlights: BB Cuckoo- 1, Blackburian-1, BTGreen-2, Redstart-1 worm-eating-1.

OLD DEERFIELD+ (from Larry Therrien) Old Deerfield marsh area: Common Yellowthroat (4), Yellow Warbler (6), Green Heron (4) or more, Willow Flycatcher (2), Baltimore Oriole (1), Bank Swallow (4), and lots of other usual stuff.
Mount Sugarloaf: Black and White Warbler (2), Pine Warbler (1), Blackburnian Warbler (1), Chestnut Sided Warbler (1), Ovenbird (2), Red eyed Vireo (7), Eastern Wood Pewee (4), Great Crested Flycatcher (1), Indigo Bunting (2), Eastern Phoebe (1), Peregrine Flacon (1), Common Raven (1), Pileated Woodpecker (1), Hermit Thrush (3), Wood Thrush (2).

MONTAGUE+ (posted to Massbird by Bob Packard) This morning while trudging through the Pitch Pine and oak forests in the Montague Plains I flushed a Whip-poor-will. Unlike the previous two I flushed this year, which just fluttered off a ways and settled on a branch w/ eyes half-closed, this one stayed close, w/ eyes wide open, wings aflutter, and uttered odd soft clucks. A quick look on the ground revealed two spotted whitish eggs laid on the bed of oak leaves. No nest at all, not even a depression. Also nesting at the Montague Plains: Hermit Thrush-nest in lowbush blueberry w/ 3 large young. Prairie Warbler-nest in Meadowsweet w/ 5 eggs. Field Sparrow-two nests, one in Meadowsweet w/ 3 eggs, one in tiny pine w/ 4 small young. Catbird-two nests in Scrub Oak, both w/ four eggs. Ovenbird-nest w/ bracken fern hiding the entrance which must be raised to enter or exit. 3 young.
And Pat Serrentino found a BCChickadee nest yesterday afternoon in the top of a wooden guardrail post at Barton Cove in Gill. The post is about 3 feet tall w. a beveled cut on top. The holes in the top look like natural rot or erosion, and three chicks were wedged in the bottom of an app. 6 inch deep hole. They looked to be only a few days from fledging.

June 5, Saturday - Mostly Sunny and Warm
CHESTERFIELD (posted to Massbird by Tom Collins) This early am Tom Begley and this writer made the trip from the central Berkshires over the hills to Chesterfield to check the report off Geof LeBarron inre the Chuck-will's-widow. On site at 04:40 (excellent directions, by the way), we found one other birder present who had been at the intersection since 4:05 and he reported no calling bird. Our party remained on-site until 05:00 and we left to head west to our home county. No luck but a beautiful sunrise, bird song in full chorus among being black-billed cuckoo, willow flycatcher, yellow-throats, and the assorted swallow species. The other birder reported a barred owl calling upon his arrival at 04:05.

LITTLE RIVER IBA (posted to Massbird by Seth Kellogg) Today 13 members of the Allen Bird Club conducted a census of the Little River IBA and recorded 114 species. Some notable numbers and species were: 1 Goshawk 7 Red-shouldered Hawk 4 Broad-winged Hawk 1 Kestrel 1 Merlin 1 Virginia Rail 2 Sora 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Black-billed Cuckoo 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Saw-whet Owl 4 Whip-poor-will 10 Ruby-thr Hummingbird 52 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 12 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher 50 Wood Pewee 3 Acadian Flycatcher 13 Alder Flycatcher 3 Willow Flycatcher 15 Least Flycatcher 19 Great Crested Flycatcher 24 Blue-headed Vireo 4 Yellow-thr Vireo 318 Red-eyed Vireo 5 Rough-winged Swallow 32 Barn Swallow 7 Common Raven 125 Black-capped Chickadee 6 Brown Creeper 5 Winter Wren 113 Veery 28 Hermit Thrush 46 Wood Thrush 20 Warbler Species 4 Blue-winged 3 Nashville 47 Yellow 81 Chestnut-sided 24 Magnolia 157 Black-thr Blue 21 Yellowrumped 76 Black-thr Green 69 Blackburnian 9 Pine 3 Prairie 67 Black & White 133 Redstart 2 Wormeating 255 Ovenbird 2 Northern Waterthrush 6 Louisiana Waterthrush 117 Yellowthroat 1 Mourning Warbler 14 Canada Warbler 66 Scarlet Tanager 6 White-throated Sparrow 6 Dark-eyed Junco 13 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 20 Indigo Bunting 46 Bobolink 16 Baltimore oriole 25 Purple Finch

AMHERST (posted to Massbird by Joseph S. Larson) On June 5th the University of Massachusetts, Amherst dedicated its new Henry Vincent Couper 42 bell carillon in the Old Chapel with an afternoon concert by internationally known carillonneur George Matthew, Jr. In the middle of the 11 composition concert a Peregrine Falcon flew in and excited the audience by perching on the golden weather vane on top of the Chapel steeple. This species is surely of refined culture!

June 6, Sunday - Cloudy and Cool
ORANGE (posted to Massbird by Bill Lafley) While flyfishing on Lake Mattawa this evening we spotted an Osprey also fishing in the lake.

QUABBIN PARK+ (posted to Massbird by Eddie Giles) Our first stop was Quabbin Park and the Quabbin Park Road. We were hoping for Cerulean Warbler, but after spending an hour or so with no luck, we headed over to Skinner State Park and the top of Mount Holyoke. After that, we hiked both Gates 14 & 15, and ended the day at Jonathan's Bridge on Fay Road. We enjoyed the following highlights: Green Heron JB Wild Turkey 3 Route 202, Orange Acadian Flycatcher 3 2 birds at Gate 14, and 1 bird at Gate 15. Alder Flycatcher 1 JB Great Crested Flycatcher QP Eastern Phoebe Cooleyville Road, Cooleyville Eastern Kingbird JB Yellow-throated Vireo QP Road, SSP Blue-headed Vireo Gate 15 Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Veery Wood Thrush Warblers: Yellow Chesnut-sided Magnolia Black-throated Blue Black-throated Green Blackburnian Pine Prarie Cerulean SSP This bird was singing in a tree adjacent to the summit parking a mere TEN feet over our heads! Black-and-white American Redstart Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat Scarlet Tanagers many Eastern Towhee Dark-eyed Junco SSP singing from the top of a hemlock at the summit of Mount Holyoke Rose-breated Grosbeak Indigo Bunting QP Purple Finch Cooleyville Road, Cooleyville Evening Grosbeak 2 Cooleyville Road, Cooleyville Non-birds: Red Efts - Gates 14 & 15. So plentiful we had to keep one eye on the ground to keep from trampling them! Blue Flag Iris, Pink Corydalis, and Northern Cranesbill in bloom, Mountain Laurel on the verge Moose tracks in the mud along Gate 14. Moose Tracks ice cream in a sundae at Route 202 Sports!!

June 7, Monday - Mostly Sunny and Warm
ASHFIELD (posted to Massbird by Steve Sauter) Lots of young birds traipsing through the yard the last few days. I just had a Ruffed Grouse march across the driveway with 8 chicks in tow, an immature Hermit thrush sat in a branch above them. BC Chickadees are feeding their 8 nestlings in the nest box. Lots of young DE Juncos scatter as I walk around the yard and the Robins and Red-eyed Vireos are feeding their nest loads in the yard trees. The RT Hummingbirds seem to be still prolonging their wonderful dances of love.

Western Voice of Audubon - A survey of birds in Blandford and Granville produced 114 species. The highlights were 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS, 9 GREEN HERONS, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, 7 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, 4 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS, a VIRGINIA RAIL, 2 SORA, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER, 2 BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS, a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, 4 WHIP-POOR-WILLS, an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, 13 ALDER FLYCATCHERS, and 3 ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS. Among the 20 species of warblers found were 3 NASHVILLE, 3 PRAIRIE, 2 WORM-EATING, 2 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, a MOURNING, and 14 CANADA WARBLERS.

A trip into North Quabbin Reservoir area produced a COMMON LOON, a HOODED MERGANSER, a COMMON MERGANSER, and an ALDER FLYCATCHER. At south Quabbin there were 3 ALDER FLYCATCHERS, a WILLOW FLYCATCHER, and a CAPE MAY WARBLER.

Three WHIP-POOR-WILLS, an EASTERN SCREECH OWL, 2 GREAT HORNED OWLS, a BARRED OWL, a WILLOW FLYCATCHER, and 2 ORCHARD ORIOLES were present in Southwick.

June 8, Tuesday - Hot and Humid

June 9, Wednesday - Very Hot and Humid
NORTHAMPTON (from Larry Therrien) State Hospital trails: Common Yellowthroat (3), Yellow Warbler (4), Black and White Warbler (1), American Redstart (2), Red eyed Vireo (3), Fish Crow (1), Pileated Woodpecker (1), Indigo Bunting (3), Baltimore Oriole (1), Wood Thrush (2), and some young Gray Catbirds.
Fitzgerald Lake from North Farms Rd: Ovenbird (4), Common Yellowthroat (5), Yellow Warbler (4), Pine Warbler (2), Black Throated Blue Warbler (2), Black Throated Green Warbler (2), Red eyed Vireo (5), Blue Gray Gnatcatcher (1), Eastern Wood Pewee (1), Red Shouldered Hawk (1), Green Heron (2) with one vocal bird being chased by an angry Red Winged Blackbird, Swamp Sparrow (1), Willow Flycatcher (1), Hermit Thrush (2), Wood Thrush (1) and other typical birds. Lots of turtles hauled up on any object in the lake above water.

June 10, Thursday - Rainy

June 11, Friday - Pleasant
NORTHAMPTON (from Larry Therrien) Swamp near Stop and Shop: Common Yellowthroat (1), Yellow Warbler (6), Virginia Rail (3) maybe more, Green Heron (1), Swamp Sparrow (3), Black billed Cuckoo (1)...flew right by me near the boardwalk, Fish Crow (1), Willow Flycatcher (2).
Arcadia Meadows: Common Yellowthroat (1), Yellow Warbler (2), Bobolink (13), Willow Flycatcher (3), Savannah Sparrow (5).
Fitzgerald Lake from North Farms Rd out to Cooke's Pasture: Ovenbird (9), Common Yellowthroat (9), Yellow Warbler (3), Pine Warbler (2), Blackburnian Warbler (1), Black Thoated Green Warbler (2), Black Throated Blue Warbler (1), Blue winged Warbler (1), Red eyed Vireo (7), Yellow Throated Vireo (1), Blue Gray Gnatcatcher (2) carrying food to nest, Green Heron (2), Red Shouldered Hawk (1) being harrassed by Red Tailed Hawks in Cooke's pasture, Willow Flycatcher (1), Alder Flycatcher (1), Great Crested Flycatcher (1), Hermit Thrush (5), Wood Thrush (2), Swamp Sparrow (1), Wood Duck (1), Baltimore Oriole (2). Had an odd interaction between myself and some Baltimore Oriole's and vireo's. A Baltimore Oriole male was very vocal along the trail and when he started up a pair of Red eyed Vireo's and a Yellow Throated Vireo flew in along with the Oriole and also became quite vocal...happened both times I went by the same area of the trail. Also had a Northern Cardinal nest in Cooke's Pasture, and some almost full grown Black Capped Chickadees still in their nest hole. Also quite a few snakes along the trail and lots of butterflies in Cooke'e pasture. Fitzgerald Lake (later): Wood Duck (1), Great Blue Heron (1), Swamp Sparrow (1), Willow Flycatcher (1), Common Yellowthroat (1), Hermit Thrush (3) and Great Horned Owl (2) tooting away in the pines.

June 13, Sunday
PALMER (posted to Massbird by John Weeks) While conducting a Fish & Wildlife Service Breeding Bird Survey this morning, Tom Swochak and I found (and saw) a Worm-eating Warbler singing on territory in Palmer. The bird was located along Highway 67 about 1/2 mile from the Palmer-Warren town line, on the wooded hillside above the highway.

June 15, Tuesday
HILLTOWNS(posted to Massbird by Bob Packard) While doing a calling amphibian survey in the hilltowns last night: AWoodcock-1-Peru at dusk over road, NRough-winged Swallow-2-Lake Ashmere, Hinsdale, Common Loon-1-calling on Cleveland Brook Reservoir in Hinsdale app 8:50 P.M., Barred Owl-4-Peru after dark. One flushed from the road under a streetlight and perched in a maple in someone's yard.

June 17, Thursday
MONTAGUE PLAINS (posted to Massbird by Bob Packard) Surveying about 75% of the Montague Plains we came up with a count of 21 Whip-poor-wills, 1 Barred Owl, and one Woodcock.

HADLEY (posted to Massbird by Janice F. Jorgensen) Looking out window I saw a Huge bird soaring overhead... went outside with binocs... I had already decided it must be an Eagle of some sorts...Just so enormous. And it was an adult bald eagle soaring on Rt 47 and heading towards the Connecticut River and Hatfield. One more to add to my list of birds seen from my home.

June 18, Friday
QUABBIN GATE 33 (posted to Massbird by Bill Lafley) Yesterday on a walk at Gate 33 in Quabbin I was surprised to hear and eventually see a Bobwhite. That is a first for me this far west.

June 19, Saturday
AMHERST (posted to Massbird by Gina Martel and Jaap Van Heerden) The four Peregrine Falcon chicks that hatched in the nest box on the roof of the 28 story W.E.B. Du Bois Library on the UMass--Amherst campus last month can now be seen from various vantage points on campus. 2 of the larger chicks are venturing out of the nest box located on the northeast corner (Campus pond side) of the library roof. The adults are often seen on the roof antenna or the SE corner of the roof edge. With binoculars the birds can be seen from near the Campus Pond in the center of campus. A better view using a scope can be had by walking up the hill across the street from the pond. The chicks will probably fledge entirely within the next week or two. Parking is free on weekends and after 5pm on weekdays. On Monday through Friday from 7am-5pm parking is available at meters or the Campus Center Garage.

June 20-23. 27 & July 11-12
ASHFIELD (from Bruce Goldstein) We have had a male Bobwhite calling incessantly in Ashfield for 3 days. He's not as shy as he should be, sitting and calling in the open on the ground, fence posts and from trees. It came and went 3 times. It was here June 20 - 23, June 27, and July 11 - 12.

June 26, Saturday
HADLEY (from Chris Gentes) While conducting a dragonfly survey I was surprised to see a Bonaparte's Gull hawking above the C. River in North Hadley. After a few minutes it flew North.

June 27, Sunday
CHESTERFIELD (posted to Massbird by Bob Packard) At the Fisk Meadow WMA in Chesterfield early this morning: GBHeron-2 Canada Goose-30+-many youngsters Wood Duck-1 Hooded Merganser-1 Red-shouldered Hawk-1 definite immature and one possible adult Killdeer-2 AWoodcock-1-flushed from edge of marsh BKingfisher-1 YBSapsucker-1 Hairy Woodpecker-1 NFlicker-1 CSwift-3 MDove-1 Great-crested Flycatcher-2 Alder Flycatcher-3 REVireo-3 Blue-headed Vireo-2 Tree Swallow-6 Bank Swallow-1 Barn Swallow-2 NRaven-15-It's hard to get a good count of all the ravens here, they are very mobile, and incredibly vocal, but there are at least 15, and probably closer to 20. They are always here, and always noisy. ACrow-6 BJ-6 Hermit Thrush-3 Veery-3 ARobin-4 Winter Wren-1 Brown Creeper-3 BCChickadee-6 WBNuthatch-1 RBNuthatch-1 CWaxwing-6 EStarling-12 RBGrosbeak-1 Pine Warbler-1 Yellow Warbler-1 Blackburnian-4 Black-throated Blue-1 Black-throated Green-5 Black and White-2 CYellowthroat-10 Ovenbird-3 Song Sparrow-6 Swamp Sparrow-7 Redwing-5 AGoldfinch-6

June 28, Monday
Western Voice of Audubon: Noted in Robinson State Park in Agawam were 4 EASTERN WOOD PEWEES, a BLUE-HEADED VIREO, 25 RED-EYED VIREOS, a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, 8 SCARLET TANAGERS, an INDIGO BUNTING, 8 PINE WARBLERS and 2 BALTIMORE ORIOLES.

Young and noisy FISH CROWS have been showing up at many places, often at McDonald's restaurants looking for handouts.