Trip Highlights

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2020 Springfield CBC Results

The field work for this 17th annual Little River IBA Count was done on a mild, windy evening, followed by a cool, windy morning.  The compilation get-together was accomplished electronically using Zoom, due to social distancing requirement for COVID-19, but all who took part enjoyed the usual spirited conversation about the day’s adventures.

There were 7 teams and 12 observers in the field for a total of 70.75 hours.  The hours were up 13 from last year, and just below the Count’s average hours of 72.  The total number of species counted was 109, slightly below our average of 111.4.

Notably low species counts compared to average, with lowest count ever being noted with an asterisk, were for Sapsucker 18* (33.5), Least Flycatcher 5* (14.2), Veery 93 (142.2), Yellow Warbler 32* (47.1), BT Blue 40* (82.9), Yellow-rumped 6* (16.8), BT Green 26 (53.6), Canada 6 (11.9), Indigo Bunting 8* (18.9), and Purple Finch 1* (8.1).  Misses of note include, Common Loon, Green Heron, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Blue-winged Warbler and Savannah Sparrow, along with Barred Owl (first time) and Whip-poor-will (only missed one other year).  High counts were set this year for Yellow-throated Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Raven, Bank Swallow, Carolina Wren, House Wren and House Sparrow.  For the first time in several years, Double-crested Cormorant, American Woodcock and Northern Mockingbird were counted.  Ring-necked Pheasant, Least Bittern and Northern Harrier were reported for the first time ever!

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2020 June Count Results

There were 16 teams and 33 observers out in Hampden County territories for the count held on May 15-16.  Thankfully, the COVID-19 pandemic did not prevent we birders from doing our thing!  The weather was generally good for birding, except for a severe storm that rolled in just after 8:00 pm on Friday evening.  Together the teams recorded 142 species, which was above average over the last ten years and bested last year’s total by 4 species.

As is typical, most of the common species were near their recent or long-term average, but some were noticeably high or low.  There were several species whose totals were highest ever in our count history, including Turkey Vulture (66), Osprey (17), Red-tailed Hawk (56), Hairy Woodpecker (46), Sapsucker (14), Least Flycatcher (66), Carolina Wren (52, twice last year’s count of 26), Gnatcatcher (58), Parula (93), and Winter Wren (5, also count of 5 in 2001).  We had the highest count of Yellow-rumped Warblers (174) in the past 15 years, and everyone will be happy to hear that Craig and Harvey Allen had our first Pied-billed Grebe since 1982 and Steve Svec’s team found the first Kentucky Warbler since 1983.  Also prized finds, without setting records, were Great Egret, Semi-palmated Plover, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Olive-sided Flycatcher, White-crowned Sparrow, Whip-poor-will, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Fish Crow, Black-backed Gull, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Hooded Merganser, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Woodcock.

A few species were notably low, including Green Heron (4), Killdeer (17), Woodcock (2), Bank Swallow (20, only lower year was 1970 at 17), Brown Creeper (3) and Mockingbird (17) both species low for the last few years.  Cape May (13) was down from last year’s big wave of 22, but held second high count since 1984.  Bay-breasted Warbler (11) was also down from last year’s unusually high count of 57.  Unfortunately, because we don’t keep a record of count week birds, as with the Christmas Counts, we missed a White-eyed Vireo, seen and photographed the day before the Count in the Longmeadow Flats.  Misses this year also include Screech Owl, first time since 1972 and Great-horned Owl, only other miss was in 2014 since 1973.  Also missed were Common Loon, Black-billed Cuckoo, Greater Yellowlegs, and Black Duck.

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2020 May Count Results

Fourteen members gathered in Gloucester for a weekend of birding on the North Shore.  We saw some great birds, but only wish we had better views of some of them (especially for the newcomers).  However, the weather was with us, and we had an enjoyable time.  We ended up with 64 species, 52 on Saturday and additional 12 on Sunday.

Many locations gave us looks at Long-tailed Duck, Surf, Black and White-winged Scoters, C Eider, Bufflehead, C Goldeneye and Harlequin, as well as Common and Red-throated Loons, RB Merg, Black Ducks, Mallards and Brant. It was a good year for alcids.  A Thick-billed Murre was the highlight at Jodrey’s Pier, Blk Guillemot at Brace Cove and Atlantic Ave, and Dovekie and Razorbill at Cathedral Rocks, plus four more Razorbills at Lot 1, Plum Island. Rapters were aound too, Red-tailed Hawk and Bald Eagle at a several spots, a Harrier near Good Harbor Beach, and Peregrine Falcon and Rough-legged Hawk at Plum Island.
Other highlights were an Iceland Gull at Niles Pond, five Red-necked Grebes at the Elks Club, a Snowy Owl in good light at Hellcat, and two Short-eared Owls from the tower before the end of the road at Plum.