Trip Highlights

Eleven members gathered to walk the loop at Stebbins. The weather was cloudy, with some humidity and surprisingly the mosquitoes weren't bad! We had a total of 30 species, among the highlights were Warbling Vireo, juvenile Baltimore Oriole, Great Crested Flycatcher and numerous Wood Ducks. We concluded our trip at the Longmeadow Flats with Savannah Sparrows, juvenile Bobolinks. All in all, a good start to the fall migration.

On a warm sultry late summer morning six hearty participants ventured the trails at Fanny Stebbins in search of the elusive resident and migratory birds. Signs of the season change were evident in the leaf coloration as well as the perineal scent of the wild grapes on the vine. There was a total of 34 different species recorded by the group with varied representation. Of the warbler species there were a total of 3. With the concerted efforts of the team, Andrea locating and Al picture taking skills and analysis from the collective we identified the Northern Parula followed by discussion on the proper pronunciation 😁. Representatives from the flycatcher realm included the Great Crested and the Eastern Phoebe. As is typical, many Wood Ducks are seen at various pond locations. Conditions along the trail were wet due to recent and summer long rains with a concentration where beaver activities resulted in a blockage in the drainage near the infamous "Warbler Corner" of the past. Mosquitoes were ever present in the wooded sections, though there was relief from their constant attack in the open field sections.

All in all, a great time was had by a fun group of like-minded fellow bird lovers.

Eleven birders spent a pleasant late summer morning checking local areas for shorebirds and herons.  We did a quick check of the confluence of the Westfield and the Connecticut River.  Here found a couple of Spotted Sandpipers and a few of the common year-round resident birds.  The big surprise was a mink that scurried out of the water and up the bank in front of us.

Because a Stilt had been seen in Longmeadow Flats the day before, we drove to West Road to try for it -- unsuccessfully as it turned out.  However, we did find Yellowlegs, as well as Pectoral, Least, Semipalmated, and Solitary Sandpipers, and Semipalmated Plovers in spite of a Peregrine Falcon that was keeping watch from its perch in a tree behind the puddles.  Red-shouldered Hawks made an appearance, chased by crows.  Add a few ravens to this raucous mix.  There were Bobolinks starting their migration perching up in the cornfields along with a huge flock of Red-winged Blackbirds.  Two lucky people spotted a Northern Waterthrush - our only warbler for the morning.

Thanks to Beth Spirito, we got a mid-morning energy boost from her delicious lemon-blueberry mini-cakes that she shared with us before heading to Pondside Road.  Here we found Great Blue Herons, a Great Egret, Mallards, Wood Ducks, Green-winged Teal, a lone Canada Goose, Kingbirds, Phoebe, and Cedar Waxwings.

Although it was now nearly 11:00 am, we decided to return to West Road for one last try for the Stilt.  Only minutes after we joined a group of other birders to scan the puddles once more, Michele Moore spotted a Buff-breasted Sandpiper.  A perfect way to end the trip.   We had 41 species.

Twenty-two Allen Bird Club members gathered at the viewing platform on Pondside Road in Longmeadow to search the sky from 6:45 until dark.  We watched, and watched, and watched.

There was good news and bad news this evening.  The good news was that everyone had a great time catching up with long time members and meeting our newer members.  During all the conversations the members managed to spot 17 species.

Swifts, Cedar Waxwings, and a couple of Tree Swallows flew over the water hawking insects.  We watched several Mallards and Wood Ducks fly by to their nightly roosting spot.  Two large groups of grackles perched for a time across the pond in the treetops.  On the other side an even larger group of blackbirds, mostly Red-winged, flew out from the trees to disappear in the nearby swamps.  Two cormorants were perched in their favorite snags, soon joined by a third.  A Green Heron flew across, and then a second.  Also spotted were a flicker, robin, kingfisher, and a couple of Great Blue Herons.

And now for the bad news -- only one Common Nighthawk was seen and unfortunately many in the group missed it, including one of the leaders.

Let's hope that next year the nighthawks will cooperate!

Plum Island gave our group of nine members a full day of birding.  The temps were in the low 70’s with winds from the east 10-15 mph, some sun early on, but clouds increased to total overcast by late afternoon.  

Our first thought was to head straight down to the end of the island, because we were shut out of the parking there by beach goers last summer.  On the way, it was hard to miss the large numbers of Tree Swallows gathering for migration.  We had to make a stop to enjoy the spectacle of them rising from the low shrubs to cover the sky.  One member, who was keen to see the congregating Tree Swallows, described it as THRILLING!  It was exciting for the entire group and for the hunting Merlin, too.

Other raptors observed during the day were Northern Harriers flying low over the marsh, Osprey “treading air” above a kettle pond for at least 15 minutes while fishing, and three Peregrine Falcons performing aerial feats over the salt pannes.  We got great views of Least Terns on the beach at Sandy Point, but our long walk to the tip was not rewarded, finding only boats and people and not the hoped-for shorebirds.  The parking area used to access Emerson Rocks was full by the time we got there, so we began heading back towards Lot 1 with many stops along the way.  

Other highlights of the day included Black-crowned Night-Heron (immature), Black-bellied and Semi-palmated Plovers, Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted, Least, and Semi-palmated Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitcher, Snowy and Great Egrets and Great Blue Heron.  We picked up a few songbirds, too, including Least Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, Black-capped Chickadee, a striking Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow Warbler and American Goldfinch.

There were some misses as well, but a day of birding with friends never fails to provide a good bird sighting or two, some lovely scenery, and a good dose of camaraderie.