Trip Highlights

Ten eager birders reached Watchemocket Cove shortly after 8 in the morning, where a few immediately spotted the usual Black-headed Gull in brief flight.  We enjoyed watching the American Wigeons, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, a single Common Loon and a Kingfisher.  A briefer stop at Turner Reservoir gave us looks at four Gadwall, along with as well as many Hooded and Common Mergansers.  In Tiverton we walked through the Ruecker Sanctuary and had some good landbirds.  In the open fields, the strong northwest wind made birds hard to find, but Seapowet Beach had 20 Brant. The stop at Pardon Gray gave us a hunting Harrier and four beautiful Meadowlarks.  We crossed the bridge and drove south to St. Mary’s Pond, which was loaded with Hooded and Common Mergansers, but little else.  A Bald Eagle flew in, but the only other water birds were three Great Cormorants, two Lesser Scaup, and a single Ruddy Duck.  Green End Pond added 30 Greater Scaup and another Bald Eagle.

Things got better when we arrived in the Sachuest area at Gardiners Pond, where we panned for 80 Greater Scaup, ten Ruddy Duck, plus four Pintail, a Ring-necked Duck, three American Coot, some Great Cormorants, and a very close Red-throated Loon.  Nearby, Third Beach offered 30 Surf Scoters, some Bufflehead, Common Goldeneyes, and Common Loons.  Also there were shorebirds: 40 Sanderlings, four Ruddy Turnstones, and a Dunlin.  A walk at low tide along the trail above the cliffs of Sachuest gave us 15 Brant, 20 Greater Scaup, good counts of all three scoters, a dozen Common Goldeneyes, some Harlequin Ducks, a cruising Gannet or two, and 15 Purple Sandpipers.

The next morning we drove east to Beavertail State Park, which was windy and cold, but had four Razorbills, Black Guillemot, 15 Red-throated and 20 Common Loons, as well as large flocks of Common Eiders.  Also there were 35 Black Scoters, numerous Harlequin Ducks, some Horned Grebes and a Red-necked Grebe.  Smaller seabird numbers were found at Point Judith while Scarborough Beach had Great Cormorants, a few Black Scoters, and 20 Sanderlings, plus a calling Fish Crow.        

Trustom Pond was a fitting highlight and ending for the trip, with three large, active rafts of feeding water birds at the end of a long walk.  In them we estimated at least six rare Redheads, a hard to spot Eurasian Wigeon, several Gadwall, 50 American Wigeon, and many Greater and Lesser Scaup.  At the Moonstone end of the pond we finished with a gorgeous and unique Eurasian Green-winged Teal in the company of three American Green-winged Teal.

Ten members toured the Hadley and Northampton meadows near the river, including the Honeypot, Aqua Vita, East Meadows, and Arcadia Meadows.  We noted 25 species, including a male Pintail, a Bald Eagle, Raven, Flicker and Bluebird.

A coastal snowstorm caused us to cancel the trip to the south shore.  In its place we were able to take a local morning trip in Agawam and Southwick with 3 cars and 9 people.  We checked the river early, finding a mass of 2000+ geese packed at the north end of Long Meadow Island.  Two Peregrines were active in the area along with an adult and an immature Bald Eagle.  Scattered on the water were both Common Goldeneyes and Common Mergansers.  The road where we parked had a nearby wooded area where we could hear Brown Creepers and a Golden-crowned Kinglet.  Arriving at the Congamond Lakes, we found another thousand Canada Geese on the open water.  Near them were two Greater Scaup, four Ring-necked Duck, and two Hooded Mergansers.  In the nearby trees we spotted a Pileated Woodpecker and a Cooper’s Hawk.  We stopped at the Southwick Wildlife Management Area and were thrilled by a Harrier hunting low over the grasslands.  After a break of good coffee and delightful snacks at the Notch Visitor Center, we headed back to the river, spotting a Red-shouldered Hawk perched beside the road.  The seven Turkeys that spent the winter at the landfill were the last birds spotted before snow began to fall.

There were 10 teams and 20 observers in the field, near the average over the 26-year history of the count.  Conditions and numbers were not quite ideal after a legacy of late December storms and cold snaps that probably drove a lot of wintering birds farther south.  Skies were clear, but a brisk north wind blew with a layer of ice and snow still covering the ground.  The 77 hours were well below last year’s coverage, but still close to average.          

The White-fronted Goose was the only species new to the count.  It was the sixth year for Common Goldeneye, the seventh year for Pintail, Greater Scaup, and Fox Sparrow, and the eighth year for Ring-necked Duck.        

Teams and Highlights        

Westfield:  Joanne Fortin (mostly) and Elethea Goodkin, 23 species, 15 Turkey, 5 Red-tailed Hawk, a Pileated, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bluebird, and 66 Juncos.        

Blandford and Westfield:  Kathy and Myles Conway, 32 species, Mute Swan, 2 Hooded Merganser, Cooper’s Hawk, 24 Turkey, Flicker, 75 Chickadee, 15 Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 21 Bluebird, 80 Robin, 15 Cedar Waxwing.      

Russell and Westfield:  Tom Swochak, 31 species, 500 Canada Goose, 35 Black Duck, 3 Hooded Merganser, Cooper’s Hawk, 3 Carolina Wren, 4 Bluebird, 20 White-throated Sparrow, 19 Cardinal.        

North Granby and part of Granville:  John Weeks, Chris Chinni, Scott Fowler, 29 species, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Great Horned Owl, 2 Barred Owl, Raven, Creeper, 2 Carolina Wren, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch.        

East Granville:  Mary Felix and Eve Waterman, Red-shouldered Hawk, 8 Bluebird, 8 Golden-crowned Kinglet, Cowbird.        

Southwick:  Janice Zepko and Seth Kellogg, 46 species, 300 Canada Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, 2 Pintail, 4 Ring-necked Duck, 2 Greater Scaup, Hooded and Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Screech Owl, 4 Great Horned Owl, 2 Barred Owl, Kestrel, Pileated Woodpecker, 2 Raven, 2 Carolina Wren, 9 Bluebird, 3 Red-breasted Nuthatch, Fox Sparrow.        

Westfield and Montgomery:  Al and Lois Richardson, Bambi Kenney, 32 species, 12 Black Duck, Cooper’s Hawk, 72 Mourning Dove, Pileated Woodpecker, 3 Raven, Carolina Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, 21 Bluebird.        

Westfield:  Dave McLain, 43 species, 3 Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Cooper’s Hawk, 9 Screech Owl, Great Horned and Barred Owl, the only Kingfisher, Flicker, 50 Horned Lark, 2 Brown Creeper, 3 Carolina Wren, Winter Wren, 12 Cedar Waxwing.        

Westfield:  George Kingston, Jean Delaney, Janet Orcutt, 18 species, Pileated Woodpecker.        

Southwick:  Tim Carter, 28 species, 2 Pileated Woodpecker, Flicker, 3 Bluebird, 3 Cedar Waxwing, Catbird.        

The 60 species recorded were below the 26-year average of 63 and the fewest since the start-up years of 1991-96.  No species showed significantly high numbers.  There were above average counts of Canada Goose, Black Duck, Turkey, Cooper’s Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Red-bellied, Hairy, and Pileated Woodpecker, Raven, Titmouse, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.  The last was the fifth highest total ever.

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2016 Cobble Mtn CBC Results

On count day the snow started before first light and ended about noon, leaving ten inches on the ground.  Only four teams ventured into the field during the morning and three important teams were unable to even reach their areas for the afternoon.  That left a meager 17 birders in the field in 11 teams and 2 feeder watchers.  Hours of coverage were 67, by far the fewest in the 37 years since 1980.  Even the good food and warm fire at the home of George Kingston and Jean Delaney enticed few to brave the weather.

Team Members and Highlights        

Longmeadow:  Steve and Rachel Svec, 6 Hours, 35 species, 6 Mute Swan, 155 Mallard, 10 Wood Duck, 72 Black Duck, 4 Hooded and 25 Common Merganser, a Great Blue Heron, a Kingfisher, 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers, a Kestrel, a Bald Eagle, a Flicker, the only Pileated Woodpecker, 2 Sapsucker, 2 Raven, a Creeper, 2 Carolina Wren, a Winter Wren, 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 24 Song Sparrows, 32 White-throated Sparrows.

Longmeadow:  Jim Pfeifer, 3 hours, 20 species, Kestrel, 3 Turkey, a Fox Sparrow.

East Longmeadow:  George Kingston and Jean Delaney, 8 hours, 22 species, a Cooper’s Hawk, 14 Turkey, a Great Horned Owl, a Carolina Wren.

Forest Park:  Al and Lois Richardson, 4 Hours, 23 species, 305 Mallard, a Kingfisher, 261 Crow, a Winter Wren, 2 Robin, 34 Junco.

Springfield:  Janet Orcutt, 4 Hours, 22 Species, a Herring Gull, 2 Peregrine, 6669 Crow, 2 Purple Finch.

Hampden and feeder:  Mary Felix, 4 hours, 25 species, Carolina Wren, Fox Sparrow, 3 Purple Finch.

South Wilbraham:  Tim Carter, 3 hours, 19 species, a Flicker, a Carolina Wren, 2 Mockingbird, 13 Cedar Waxwing.

Ludlow:  Bill and Carol Platenik, 3 hours, 21 Species, 2 Hooded Merganser, a Common Merganser, a Cooper’s Hawk, 25 Turkey, a Robin.

Chicopee:  Tom Swochak, 3.5 hours, 27 species, 8 Common Merganser, 4 Red-tailed Hawk, 3 Bald Eagle, 2 Kingfisher, 500 Crow, 13 Downy Woodpeckers, 325 Common Crow, a Carolina Wren, 4 Robin, 3 Mockingbird, a Catbird.

Agawam Southeast:  Janice Zepko and Seth Kellogg, 8 hours, 39 species, 564 Canada Goose, 5 Wood Duck, 21 Black Duck, 3 Green-winged Teal, 3 Goldeneye, 10 Hooded and 72 Common Merganser, 11 Turkey, 2 Bald Eagle, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Cooper’s Hawk, 6 Red-tailed Hawk, 8 Turkey, a Screech Owl, a Kingfisher, a Flicker, 3 Carolina Wren, 48 Robin, a Red-winged Blackbird.

Agawam Robinson Park:  Steve Perrault and Madeline Novak, 10.5 hours, 21 species, a Brown Creeper, a Sapsucker, 40 Junco.

Feeders:  Bambi Kenney, 14 species; Barb Swan, 12 species

The 56 species recorded was 3 above the previous low of 2008 and 12 below the 1980-2015 average.  Above average numbers were 50 Turkey, 6 Bald Eagle (lowest since 2008), 3 Sapsucker (every year since 2007), 2 Peregrine, and 2 Raven.

For the second year in a row, species were found in low numbers, this time due to the bad weather rather than the good weather of the previous year.  Almost all common species were far below the average.  Species rarely recorded were Green-winged Teal (7 years), catbird (17 years), and Purple Finch (18 years).  

Other species, rare or uncommon in small numbers, were the following (with number of years found out of 35): Green-winged Teal 7, Wood Duck 23, Sharp-shinned Hawk 19, Red-shouldered Hawk 17, Raven 13, Sapsucker 16 (every year in last 10), Kestrel 13 (absent until 1997), Peregrine Falcon 16 (missed only in 3 years since 2002), Fox Sparrow 22, and Purple Finch 18.

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2016 Springfield CBC