Trip Highlights

Four Allen Bird Club members checked the CT and Westfield River and various ponds and lagoons in Agawam and Longmeadow for late summer shorebirds, egrets and herons.  High water, resulting in a scarcity of mudflats, kept shorebirds to a lone Spotted Sandpiper and a Killdeer.  A Black-crowned Night-heron was perched out in full view at one of the Big E lagoons in spite of the many huge buses passing by every five minutes, shuttling visitors to the casino in Springfield.  The other lagoon produced Green Heron and a Great Blue.  When we reached the dike area, families of Song Sparrows were popping out of the grass.  The wires held Mourning Doves - not the usual Kestrel so often seen here.  

A quick check at Bondi's gave us two Great Egrets to add to the morning's list.  By the time we reached Pondside Road in the Longmeadow Flats, the morning was heating up.  We found more Great Egrets, Green Herons, and Great Blue Herons here.  Total species for the morning was 43.

Ten Allen Bird Club members met at Pondside for the annual Nighthawk Watch. The first Nighthawks were not spotted until nearly 7:30, giving everyone plenty of time to catch up on birding adventures and other news from over the summer.   As dusk fell, the nighthawks began to fly over, and from our standpoint at the Tina Lane pullout we tallied 47 nighthawks.  Not as many as some years, but giving all participants good satisfying looks as several swooped down low just above our heads.  

Earlier in the evening there was a Peregrine and an Osprey that showed up.  A nearly full moon shone down on a cluster of 7 Great Egrets as they gathered for their night roost.  Green Herons flew across the ponds and Great Blues fed nearby.  Ducks - Wood, Mallards, and a nice surprise of Blue-wing Teal (3) flew in from wherever they had spent their day feeding.  By the time it had become too dark to see and the mosquitoes had come out in full force, we had tallied 31 species on a very pleasant evening.

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2018 June Count Results

Twelve participants enjoyed a morning of birding at the Fort River WMA and the Honey Pot, finding 51 species in all.  Our list included Great Blue Heron 1, Mallards 6, Turkey Vulture 1, Bald Eagle 1, A. Kestrel 1, Turkey 14, RT Hummingbird 1M, Red-bellied WP, Flicker 1, Wood Pewee 1, Alder and Willow Flycatchers 1 of each, Pheobe 1, Kingbird 1, Tree and Barn Swallows 2 and 15, Blue Jay, Crow, Chickadee, Titmouse, WB Nut, House Wren, Woodthrush 1, Robin, Catbird, Mockingbird, Waxwings, Starlings, and Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos.  Warblers included Blue-winged, Yellow, Pine, Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat.  Then there were also Scarlet Tanager, Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Chipping, Field, Vesper, Savannah, and Song Sparrows, Bobolink, Red-winged Blackbird, Meadowlark, Grackle, Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, Goldfinch, and House Sparrow.

Five people participated in this walk at Laughing Brook (Hampden) and Hollow Road (Hampden and Wilbraham).  The morning was cool, mid to upper 50's, and overcast.  We covered about 2 to 2 1/2 miles.  A total of 44 species were observed and/or heard.  

Highlights included a good look at one Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, hearing one Alder Flycatcher, a small flock of about 19 Cedar Waxwings, one male House Finch with 3 begging young, hearing a number of Veeries and getting a good look at one.  Warblers were also spotted, including two Blue-winged, one Prairie, one Common Yellowthroat and a few Yellow Warblers to round out the group.  Notable on the trip was the lack of Wood Thrushes, none heard or seen, and the lack of Bobolinks.  Two of us extended the trip by going to South Road in Hampden to observe 4 Bobolinks.