Trip Highlights

Twenty Allen Bird Club members made a three-hour tour of the Southwick Wildlife Management Area on June 12th.  At 200 acres, the Southwick WMA offers an extensive swath of grassland habitat that is increasingly scarce in New England.  Together with the adjacent 150-acre Suffield WMA just across the state line in Connecticut, this site is carefully managed to provide nesting habitat for such sought-after species as Brown Thrasher, Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, Orchard Oriole, Grasshopper Sparrow, Prairie Warbler and Blue-winged Warbler.  Our group encountered all but two of these species, missing only Bobolink and Meadowlark.  The trip leader was heartened to see that our party included Jackson, an elementary-school-age boy, with 100 life-birds already under his belt!  He added another seven or eight during our tour.  Here’s a tip for those interested in visiting this unique site:  bring a telescope if you can.  One was surprisingly helpful today for viewing species such as American Kestrel and state-listed Grasshopper Sparrow without having to (or being able to) approach them closely.  The final trip tally was 33 species.

A handful of Allen Bird Club members enjoyed a lovely morning in the Tyringham Valley in June.  We made stops on Meadow Street, Jerusalem Road and Breakneck Road before taking short walks at both Tyringham Cobble and a short distance along the Appalachian Trail.  On Jerusalem Road we were surprised when a Yellow-billed Cuckoo flew in and sat in the open long enough for all to have a nice look.  And throughout the morning we heard at least three Black-billed Cuckoo.  We always hope for Snipe along Breakneck Road, but none were found that day.  At the Cobble we heard and saw Field Sparrow and Bobolink and a very vocal House Wren.  In a wet meadow area along the Appalachian Trail we tried for American Bittern but had no response, but we did see and hear several species of Flycatchers. Throughout the valley we heard or saw 10 species of warblers.  We moved on to Post Farm marsh in Lenox where we saw an Osprey and heard the friendly chatter of Marsh Wren.  All in all, it was a pleasant morning and we ended up with 74 species.  

The field work for this 19th annual Little River IBA Count was done on a mild, calm evening (temps mid-70s, winds WNW at 2 mph), followed by a mild morning and a warm, but comfortable afternoon (temps low 60’s rising to 84 degrees by mid-afternoon, winds S at 1-5 mph).  

This year Tom Swochak hosted the compilation get-together at his yoga studio in Westfield.  Pizza, salad, and fresh fruit were gobbled down quickly.  Beverages flowed throughout the compilation and a yummy dessert and coffee ended the event.  We bantered while we compiled our individual results and then shared our totals and the day’s adventures.  Great fun!

Altogether, there were 7 teams and 12 observers in the field for a total of 66.5 hours.  The hours of effort were up 2.25 from last year, but still well below the Count’s average of 71.2.  The total number of species counted was 106, falling below our average of 110.7.

Misses of note include, Green Heron, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Woodcock, Whip-poor-will, Acadian Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Kinglet and White-throated Sparrow.  Near misses, with just one individual found, were Hooded Merganser, Ruffed Grouse, Cooper’s Hawk, Killdeer, Blue-winged Warbler and Virginia Rail.

High counts were set this year for Red-tailed Hawk (10), Yellow-billed Cuckoo (7), Red-bellied Woodpecker (21), Downy Woodpecker (18), Tufted Titmouse (63), House Wren (45, average is 21), Prairie Warbler (19, average is 10), and Indigo Bunting (38).  Other species with special interest were Double-crested Cormorant (2, found in only 7 other counts) and Brown Thrasher (1, found in only 5 other counts).

Species with the lowest, or close to the lowest, numbers in count history were Blue-headed Vireo (9, only lower in 2014), Winter Wren (5, only lower in 2015), Hermit Thrush (9, only lower in 2019), Louisiana Waterthrush (3), Magnolia Warbler (5), Chestnut-sided Warbler (65), Black-throated Blue Warbler (47, only lower in 2019 and 2020), Yellow-rumped Warbler (5), Black-throated Green Warbler (21, only lower in 2019), Canada Warbler (6, only lower in 2021), Dark-eyed Junco (6, only lower in 2012 and 2013), and Bobolink (26).

To end this summary on a better note, Myles and Kathy spotted two Sandhill Cranes, found for the very first time in our Little River IBA count.

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2022 June Count Results

Seven birders gathered many species for the list right from Moody Bridge Road in front of Fort River WMA.  Bank, Barn and Tree Swallows, Red-winged Blackbird, Robin (and 1 in nest), Song and House Sparrows, Cedar Waxing, Green Heron, Bobolinks, Mallard, Mourning Dove, Flicker, Great Blue Heron, Cardinal, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Catbird, Pewee, Kingfisher, Kestrel (pair plus one), Brown Thrasher and Turkey Vulture were all present there.

In the refuge itself we had House Wren, Yellowthroat, Blue Jay, Baltimore Oriole, Yel-low Warbler, Catbird, Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, Chickadee, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Brown Thrasher, Carolina Wren and Grackle.

We started our walk in the parking lot of the Visitors Center at Quabbin Park at 7:00 a.m. with eight members. When we approached the viewing area to the reservoir in front of the building, there was a heavy fog over the water. Looking through it, we saw a beautiful Common Loon and a Double-crested Cormorant. We walked over to the Rainbow Garden area and then on to the Windsor Dam for some views as well. We saw Chipping and Song Sparrows, Chimney Swifts, Rough-winged Swallows, Cedar Waxwings, Robins, Goldfinches, Cardinals, Blue jays, Catbirds, and flyovers from a Pileated Woodpecker and a Great Blue Heron.

We then headed back to our cars, drove to the second entrance to the Quabbin. We parked on the right not too long after entering the gate, walked around here and towards the bridge leading to the dam. We had great views of a few Prairie Warblers. Also at this spot were Phoebes, Pewees, a Great Crested Flycatcher, a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and some Eastern Bluebirds. On the concrete bridge here along the cliffs, we saw the resident Ravens.

We got back into the cars and headed up the road, pulling over onto the left, just before the rotary heading towards the tower area. This was a great spot, pointed out to us by Tim S. Magnificent views of a Magnolia Warbler, a half dozen Chestnut-sided Warblers, and a few more Prairies justified his suggestion. Also spotted in this area, were Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, and a Hummingbird.

The next area to explore was the Tower. Due to construction on the tower, we were not able to get into that exact area, but we did manage to see Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadees, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a few Brown Creepers. We also walked into the apple orchard, finding this area very quiet. Next was a brief stop at the Enfield Lookout, and then we finished off the morning at Hank's Meadow. Two giant Turkeys were strutting their wares when we arrived at the meadow and provided us quite a display! Flyovers included some Turkey Vultures, Crows, and a Red-tailed Hawk. On the shore by the water, we heard a Common Loon, but didn't see it.

The rest of the list of birds in no exact order of where we saw them include, Hermit and Wood Thrushes, Eastern Towhee, Cowbird, Grackle, and a White-breasted Nuthatch. Warblers were Black-and-white, Blue-winged, Ovenbird, Pine, Parula, and many Redstarts. The morning of birding ended around 11:00 a.m., with sunshine and temps that had climbed into the low 90's.

Great morning, great weather, great group and a total of 53 species!