-- 2006 Schedule --
NOTE: VERY BAD WEATHER CANCELS WALK
*** All Are Welcome ***

January 1 - Sunday - New Year's Day Birds
February 25 - Saturday - Turners Falls
March 19 - Arcadia - Waterfowl - 8a.m. Sunday.
April 22 - Northampton/Hadley
May 20 - Big Dawn. 3:45-8:45 a.m. Fitz Lake Blind/Dam/Cook's Pasture
June 10 - Poverty Mountain Farm Bird Census
July 8 - Nasami Farm - Whately
August 19, Saturday. Full Day - Shorebird trip to Connecticut.
September 9, Saturday - Local Shorebirds
October 7 - Northampton - Sparrows - Meet at Ibis Pool - 7am
November 4 - Northampton -Waterfowl - Meet Arcadia Headquarters - 7am
December 17 (Sunday) - Northampton Christmas Bird Count

-- 2006 Results --
New for Club in 2006
#232-Glaucous Gull, #233-Boreal Chickadee, #234-White-tailed Hawk
MOOSE on May 20!

January 1 - Sunday - New Year's Day Birds. 9am - 4:45pm
Weather - Snowed a few inches overnight. Cloudy all day and Cold.

Total Species - 45
Participants: Mary McDermott, Janice Jorgensen, Heather McQueen & Chris Gentes
NEW FOR CLUB (233) - Glaucous Gull, Boreal Chickadee

We started out at 9am near the airport. It was overcast with a few inches of snow on the ground. Near the fairgrounds there was a Kestrel. Out in the meadows were a few Red-tailed Hawks. Janice drove us out to a nice weedy patch in the middle of the meadows where we saw a flock of 50 goldfinches and some sparrows. All we could pick out were Song & Tree. A flock of 21 Horned Larks were in the area. We headed back to the airport where we saw some more Horned Larks. No Snow Buntings or Longspurs. Then we saw a male Harrier. We drove over to the river but there was no waterfowl to be had. There was a birdy area with a half dozen cardinals and a few other common birds. The Harrier was out in the field and put up at least 100 Mourning Doves. Then we saw a Peregrine Falcon flying away from us over the meadows. At around 11am Chris and Heather continued on to Turners Falls, via King Street [no Fish Crows].

At the canal there was a drake Pintail in with some Mallards and a new club bird GLAUCOUS GULL (232) in with some Ring-billed Gulls. We saw 10 Common Goldeneyes, but couldn't find a Barrow's. The Screech-owl was not home, but a Red-bellied Woodpecker was in the area. Over at Bartons Cove we added Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Mute Swans. We then went up into Gill and on River Street we found a nice winter flock with Black-capped Chickadees, 3 Golden-crowned Kinglets, a Brown Creeper and 6 Red-breasted Nuthatches. Out in the fields we saw 1 Turkey. Near a house there was a flock of Cedar Waxings and a half dozen Bluebirds. On the way to Northfield we saw a Mockingbird. We checked some feeders and fields in Northfield but had no new birds.

We then raced over to Orange where at 3:35pm we added a new club bird - BOREAL CHICKADEE (233). We headed back to Hadley, stopping first at the UMass Pond where we added Black Duck. Driving along Stockbridge Road toward Rte. 47 we spotted a bird flying out over the fields. We immediately pulled over and hopped out of the car. It was a Short-eared Owl. It perched up in a tree for fifteen minutes and we watched it through the scope. It was slowly getting darker and darker. At about 4:50pm the owl flew.

Complete List : Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Common Goldeneye, Wild Turkey, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Short-eared Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Horned Lark, Black-capped Chickadee, Boreal Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow.

Other 1st of the Year Birds -

Pete Yeskie had Common Mergansers on the River and Carolina Wren in the yard. Also Red-bellied Woodpecker and Bald Eagle.

Larry Therrien had Ruffed Grouse, Hairy Woodpecker, Golden Crowned Kinglet, and Red breasted Nuthatch in his yard.

Janice had House Finch, Carolina Wren, Brown Creeper in her yard.

February 25 - Saturday - Turners Falls

Weather - Cloudy and Cold, then a front moved in: Very Cold and Snow

Total Species - 28
Participants: Chris Ellison, Heather McQueen & Chris Gentes

This was a very cold cloudy morning. We decided to head up to Turners Falls to see if we could locate the lesser black-baced gull that had been seen up there. We arrived at Bartons Cove and saw many of the common gulls along with one Glaucous Gull, but we could not locate the lesser black-back. Other highlights in the area were 1 male Ring-necked Duck, 8 Common Mergansers, 3 Bald Eagles (2 ad), and 92 Cedar Waxwings. We also checked out the canal but by then it was really, really cold and had started snowing so we headed back to Northampton. We looked for Fish Crows on King Street and thought we had a candidate but it turned out to just be an American Crow. Still no local sightings of Fish Crows this year!?

Complete List : Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Black Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, American Crow, Blue Jay, Starling, Tufted Titmouse, Cedar Waxwing, Robin, Mockingbird, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Junco, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow.

March 19 -Sunday - Arcadia Marsh/Oxbow - 8-10 am

Weather - Very Cold, Partly Cloudy

Total Species - 41
Participants: Andrea Wolf, Chris Ellison, Mary McDermott, Chris Surprenant, Nancy Eaton, Joe Wojtanowski, Terry Wojtanowski, Heather McQueen, Chris Gentes.

Nancy Eaton, Heather McQueen, Chris Gentes, Chris Ellison, Joe Wojtanowski, Terry Wojtanowski.

This was a cold morning, but not too windy. We started out with a nice selection of sparrows. Near the parking lot Chris Ellison had a Chipping Sparrow. On the way to the marsh we heard and saw both singing Fox and Field Sparrows, as well as White-throated, Song, and Tree Sparrows. The marsh was mostly frozen over, but there was a little bit of open water. Waterfowl highlights were Wood Duck-20, Northern Pintail-1, Green-winged Teal-1, Ring-necked Duck-8, Hooded Merganser-2, Common Merganser-17. A Great Blue Heron flew over. There were a few Phoebes along the edge of the pond. Red-bellied Woodpeckers were calling. We then went over to the Pontoon Bridge. There were Common Mergansers out in the oxbow, but not much else for waterfowl. An adult Bald Eagle appeared to be eating something out on the sandbar. There was also a Killdeer on the sandbar. We saw the three common gull species, but nothing else of note. Back toward the road that goes in to Arcadia Chris Surprenant spied a Catbird in some brambles.

Complete List: Canada Goose, Wood Duck, American Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Ring-Billed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Gray Catbird, American Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, House Finch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow.

April 22 - Northampton/Hadley - This trip was intended to be a walk through the West Meadows to look at the heron rookery and listen for woodcocks. It was raining and cold, and there was a once-in-a-lifetime bird across the river, so we headed over to Hadley. Driving through the meadows enroute we saw a Vesper Sparrow on the road and 26 Wood Ducks in one of the ponds near Olive Street. In Hadley we arrived at Mt. Warner Rd. and found a group of birders from the eastern part of the state looking at the White-tailed Hawk (#234 for club)! Participants: Chris Gentes & Heather McQueen

May 20 - Big Dawn in Northampton. 3:45-8:45 am Fitzgerald Lake Blind/Dam/Cooke's Pasture

54 Species seen.
Participants: Peggy MacLeod, Frank Bowrys, John Van de Graaff, Natalie Mako, Dave Mako, Heather McQueen and Chris Gentes

The rain moved on in time for this walk which started out on the cool side under starry skies. Peggy MacCleod, John Van de Graaff, Natalie Mako, Dave Mako, Heather McQueen and Chris Gentes headed out to the blind just before 4am. The first bird heard was a robin. As we approached the blind there were, unfortunately, no whip-poor-wills calling from their usual spot. Frank Bowrys joined our group at the blind. The pre-dawn chorus included Swamp Sparrows, Song Sparrows,Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Veery, Wood & Hermit Thrush, Black-billed Cuckoos, Red-winged Blackbirds, a Woodcock, a pair of Great Horned Owls, Willow Flycatcher, Robins, and Spring Peepers to name a few. A Wilson's Warbler was singing and flitting about uncharacteristically high up in a tree near the blind. Just after dawn we walked over to the dam. Along the way we heard many Ovenbirds. At the dam, with a mist rising from the lake we watched a MOOSE walking along the nearby opposite shore. A beaver was also seen. We added a few more birds from the dam including Great Crested Flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole, Rough-winged Swallows, Scarlet Tanagers, and Brown Creeper. Over at Cooke's Pasture we had a few memorable moments - Three Black-billed Cuckoos were calling and perched nearby giving us great looks of this increasingly common bird. Several obliging Blue-winged Warblers perched and sang nearby in the perfect morning light. A pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were mating - and the female was building a nest as well. We also observed a female Baltimore Oriole in a near-finished nest. On the walk back to the Moose Lodge we got some very close looks at a pair of Scarlet Tanagers and heard Black-throated Blue & Blackburnian Warblers.

Heather McQueen, Chris Gentes, Dave Mako, Natalie Mako, Peggy MacLeod, Frank Bowrys.
photo by John Van de Graaff

COMPLETE LIST: Wood Duck, Mallard, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Spotted Sandpiper, American Woodcock, Mourning Dove, Black-billed Cuckoo-5, Great Horned Owl, Chimney Swift, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker, Willow Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Veery, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Blue-winged Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler-4, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Pine Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler-1, Scarlet Tanager, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, House Finch, American Goldfinch.

June 10 - Poverty Mountain Farm Bird Census
including parts of Shutesbury/Pelham/Amherst
Time: 6-11am.
Weather: Light Rain/Clouds, 50s, light Breeze.
Participants: Chris Gentes, Bruce Hart, Heather McQueen, Bob Packard, Larry Therrien and Kevin Weir.

We split in to three survey teams and spread out over this diverse area of upland woods, fields and riparian habitat to count all the birdlife we could find.

Red-shouldered Hawk-1, American Woodcock-3, Mourning Dove-9, Chimney Swift-1, Ruby-throated Hummingbird-4, Red-bellied Woodpecker-4, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-1, Downy Woodpecker-3, Hairy Woodpecker-1, Northern Flicker-1, Eastern Wood-Pewee-14, Least Flycatcher-1, Eastern Phoebe-7, Great Crested Flycatcher-2, Eastern Kingbird-1, Blue-headed Vireo-1, Warbling Vireo-1, Red-eyed Vireo-38, Blue Jay-20, American Crow-3, Tree Swallow-12, Barn Swallow-1, Black-capped Chickadee-22, Tufted Titmouse-8, White-breasted Nuthatch-2, Brown Creeper-1, House Wren-2, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-2, Eastern Bluebird-4, Veery-6, Hermit Thrush-6, Wood Thrush-2, American Robin-7, Gray Catbird-4, Cedar Waxwing-18, Yellow Warbler-3, Black-throated Blue Warbler-9, Yellow-rumped Warbler-1, Black-throated Green Warbler-18, Blackburnian Warbler-4, Pine Warbler-15, Black-and-white Warbler-3, American Redstart-6, Ovenbird-42, Common Yellowthroat-7, Scarlet Tanager-15, Chipping Sparrow-14, Song Sparrow-6, Northern Cardinal-2, Rose-breasted Grosbeak-1, Indigo Bunting-6, Brown-headed Cowbird-4, Baltimore Oriole-11, American Goldfinch-12.

Mammels: Chipmunk-1, Porcupine-1, Red Squirrel-2, Deer-2.

July 8 - Nasami Farm Bird Census - Whately
51 Species seen
Time: 6-11am.
Weather: Sunny and Warm
Participants: Dharam Khalsa, Marty Espinola, Mahn, Phana, Shelley Parker, Jonatahan Gottsche, Andria Wolf, Heather McQueen and Chris Gentes.

We were invited to conduct a bird survey at the New England Wildflower Society's Nasami Farm in Whately. Their property is mainly fields and hedges, with two streams. The parcel is next to the "Great Swamp". We saw many fledgling/juvenile birds incuding Phoebes, Kingbirds, and Cedar Waxwings. Grassland birds of note included Bobolinks, Meadowlarks and Savannah Sparrows. Other birds of interest were Cliff Swallows and 3 migrating Least Sandpipers. While a bird survey the second week of July may seem like a lost cause, this was, in fact, one of the most enjoyable bird trips of the year. Who could ask for more - excellent looks at most of the birds, the excitement of exploring a new location, and the company of friends. Of special interest were 12 Silver-bordered Fritilaries.

Complete List: Ring-necked Pheasant-1, Great Blue Heron-2, Green Heron-1, Sharp-shinned Hawk-1, Red-tailed Hawk-1, Killdeer-2, Least Sandpiper-3, Mourning Dove-7, Ruby-throated Hummingbird-5, Belted Kingfisher-2+, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-3, Downy Woodpecker-1, Northern Flicker-3, Eastern Wood-Pewee-1, Willow Flycatcher-3, Eastern Phoebe-8, Eastern Kingbird-7, Red-eyed Vireo-2, American Crow-3, Tree Swallow-5, Cliff Swallow-2, Barn Swallow-7, Black-capped Chickadee-1, Tufted Titmouse-2, White-breasted Nuthatch-1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-1, Eastern Bluebird-1, Veery-1, Wood Thrush-1, American Robin-6, Gray Catbird-7, Northern Mockingbird-2, Brown Thrasher-2, European Starling-56, Cedar Waxwing-6, Yellow Warbler-4, Black-and-white Warbler-1, American Redstart-3, Common Yellowthroat-7, Chipping Sparrow-6, Savannah Sparrow-6, Song Sparrow-19, Swamp Sparrow-2, Northern Cardinal-3, Bobolink-11, Red-winged Blackbird-8, Eastern Meadowlark-2, Common Grackle-4, Brown-headed Cowbird-3, American Goldfinch-6, House Sparrow-9. BUTTERFLIES: Summer Azure-2, Silver-bordered Fritillary-12, Great Spangeld Fritillary-3+, Baltimore-4, Monarch-2, Eastern Comma-2, Wood Nymph-8, Little Wood Satyr-1.

August 19, Saturday. Full Day - Shorebird trip to Connecticut.

juvenile spotted sandpiper at banding station

66 Species seen
Time: 6am-2pm
Weather: Cloudy and Warm
Participants: Eric Labato, Larry Therrien, Heather McQueen and Chris Gentes.

We headed down to the Connecticut shore for this trip. The Connecticut Ornithological Association was conducting its annual "Shorebird Workshop" so we tagged along with them to see what we might find. The ride down was uneventful other than almost running over a raccoon. Our first interesting bird was an Osprey in New Haven. In Milford we saw 3 or 4 Monk Parakeets and some immature Black-crowned Night-herons in a back yard.

At the Audubon Sanctuary there was a Merlin perched in one of the trees and 2 Northern Harriers out over the marsh. The tide was high and there were a fair number of shorebirds out on the sandbars, but the sun was at a bad location and most of the birds were distant and backlit. However, we did manage to find a lifer for Eric - a Western Sandpiper. Other shorebirds included many Black-bellied Plovers, numerous Semipalmated Plovers, a few Oystercatchers, some Willits, a couple of Spotted Sandpipers, several Ruddy Turnstones, 3 Red Knots, some Sanderlings, plenty of Semipalmated Sandpipers, the Western Sandpiper, groups of Least Sandpipers, a tricky White-rumped Sandpiper, and a handful of Short-billed Dowitchers. Larry spotted some Brant and a Red-breasted Merganser. Over at the sanctuary they were banding birds and had netted a few spotted sandpipers and some catbirds. From the tower we saw 2 juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-herons.

Next we headed over to Sandy Neck in West Haven. The inlet there still had plenty of water even though the tide was going out. The shorebirds were few in number at this location and the terns were roosting far out in the bay. We did, however, add a few new shorebirds: Piping Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs. We also had a few Least Terns fly over. We didn't have any luck with clapper rails, skimmers, salt-marsh sparrows, or roseate terns.

We left around 11:30 and stopped briefly in Longmeadow where we added some new trip birds including Wood Ducks, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and another shorebird - Killdeer.

All in all it was a successful trip and five birds to the 5 year old Club Trip List - Brant, Black-crowned Night-heron, Black-bellied Plover, Piping Plover and Laughing Gull.

We ended up with 17 shorebirds for the day!

Complete List: Brant, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Wood Duck, American Black Duck, Mallard, Red-breasted Merganser, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night-heron, Yellow-crowned Night-heron, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Merlin, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, American Oystercatcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willit, Spotted Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Piping Plover, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Ring-Billed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Least Tern, Common Tern, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Monk Parakeet, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Kingbird, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow.

September 9, Saturday- In Search of Valley Shorebirds
Longmeadow - Agawam - Hadley

Time: 6:30-Noon
Weather; Foggy to start, then clearing and warm
Species Seen: 44
Participants: Chris Gentes and Heather McQueen

We started out in Longmeadow. There was a heavy fog - visibility at times was 20 or 30 feet. We walked out to the sandbar and decided to walk along the edge and hopefully encounter shorebirds along the way. We ended up with the following: Greater Yellowlegs-1, Lesser Yellowlegs-1, White-rumped Sandpiper-1, Semipalmated Sandpiper-1, Spotted Sandpiper-2. Even when there are clear skies overnight, if there is morning fog the birds usually don't find the sandbars. We stopped briefly at Bondi's Island in Agawam and added a Killdeer and 13 Least Sandpipers. Later in Hadley we observed 8 Pectoral Sandpipers and a mysterious plover. Likely a semipalmated Plover, but PERHAPS a Common Ringed Plover. details to follow.

Complete List: Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Black Duck, Double-crested Cormorant, Kingfisher, Red-tailed Hawk, Great Black-backed Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Killdeer, UNKNOWN PLOVER, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper-8, Spotted Sandpiper, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Crow, Fish Crow, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Cedar Waxwing, Catbird, Robin, Starling, Common Yellowthroat, Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Swamp Sparrow, Song Sparrow, House Finch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow

October 7 - Northampton - Sparrows - Meet at Ibis Pool - 7am

Species seen: 46
Time: 7-10:30am
Weather: Clear and Cold (then warming)
Participants: Tom Gagnon, Dave Mako, Larry Therrien, Heather McQueen and Chris Gentes

It was clear and cold at the start of this trip; the sun was just rising over the oxbow. There were plenty of sparrows in the Ibis Pool area, however we didn't find our target bird - Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Dave, Larry, Heather and Chris were on the east end of the Ibis Pool, just beginning to look for birds when we saw Tom over on the far end of the Ibis Pool signaling us. He had a DICKCISSEL. We ran over but unfortunately none of the rest of us saw the bird. Still, it is the 240th bird seen by the club. Otherwise we got nice looks at a few Vesper Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows and Pipits. There were a few raptors flying by from time to time. Overall a good walk with about what we expected to see this time of year.

COMPLETE LIST: Canada Goose-45, Wood Duck-15, Mallard-25, Double-crested Cormorant-1, Great Blue Heron-1, Turkey Vulture-1, Osprey-1, Northern Harrier-1, Sharp-shinned Hawk-3, Canada Goose-45, Wood Duck-15, Mallard-25, Double-crested Cormorant-1, Great Blue Heron-1, Turkey Vulture-1, Osprey-1, Northern Harrier-1, Sharp-shinned Hawk-3, Cooper's Hawk-1, Red-tailed Hawk-2, Mourning Dove-5, Red-bellied Woodpecker-3, Downy Woodpecker-2, Northern Flicker-6, Pileated Woodpecker-1, Eastern Phoebe-2, Blue Jay-10, American Crow-45, Black-capped Chickadee-5, White-breasted Nuthatch-1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet-3, Eastern Bluebird-9, American Robin-50, Gray Catbird-2, Northern Mockingbird-2, European Starling-30, American Pipit-2, Cedar Waxwing-15, Yellow-rumped Warbler-24, Palm Warbler-12, Common Yellowthroat-1, Chipping Sparrow-1, Vesper Sparrow-3, Savannah Sparrow-18, Song Sparrow-40, Lincoln's Sparrow-2, Swamp Sparrow-16, White-throated Sparrow-13, White-crowned Sparrow-8, Dark-eyed Junco-2, Dickcissel-1, Northern Cardinal-2, Red-winged Blackbird-175, House Finch-1, American Goldfinch-7.

November 4 - Waterfowl - Arcadia - Whiting Res - Ashley Res.

Time: 7-11:45am
Weather: 30s, Clear and Calm
Particiapnts: Chris Ellison, Heather McQueen, Chris Gentes
Total Species Seen: 41

We started at Arcadia to look for waterfowl. A few days earlier the water was very high and there were flooded fields off Dank's Pond with plenty of waterfowl, but today the flood waters had subsided. The water inthe marsh was still high and silty and no waterfowl was seen at all other than a few flyby Geese. Also duck hunters in a boat were staked out at the mouth Danks Pond. Highlights were some Cormorants, a Bald Eagle, a few Creepers and Golden-crowned Kinglets and a half doaen bluebirds. We then headed over to the "Long Pond" but there was nothing there. We drove over to Whiting Reservoir where we saw 26 Ring-necked Ducks and 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Then we decided to check out Ashley Reservoir where we saw a nice flock of 11 Black Scoters (4 female, 7 male). Also seen at Ashley were 10 Ring-necked Ducks, an Osprey and 2 Savannah Sparrows. Out last stop was Heritgae Park Overlook in South Hadley - but the river was high and torpid and nothing of interest was observed.

Complete list: Canada Goose, Mallard, Black Duck, Ring-necked Duck-36, Black Socter-11, Great Blue Heron, DC Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Kingfisher, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Am Crow, Mockingbird, Robin, Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kingelt, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, WB Nuthatch, RB Nuthatch, Cedar Waxwing, Starling, Myrtle Warbler, Song Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Junco, Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Am Goldfinch, House Sparrow.