Trip Highlights

With two birders coming later, the roster held 17 for the cold, breezy walk into Ashley.  Brown Creepers and Pine Warblers greeted us with their delicate notes, and then showed off for us quite close.  A Wood Duck was in the gate cove, and three more landed on the far side of the main pond.  A Ring-necked Duck pair lurked at the edge of the south pool.  Overhead an Osprey appeared and put on a show, followed by a Broad-winged Hawk that slowly circled up to migrate farther north.  Migrant landbirds were gathered in the trees at the west end of the pond.  First there were two Gnatcatchers, then some Yellow-rumped Warblers followed by a Black-and-white. Then a Northern Waterthrush surprised us singing in the swamp next to the tracks.  We crossed the tracks and headed down the dirt road, hearing a Louisiana Waterthrush a few minutes later.  A Hermit Thrush was in the road here and earlier before arriving at the main pond.

The morning walk at Longmeadow Flats was attended by nine birders who saw 31 species.  We began the walk under overcast skies and the light was not great for birding.  It cleared up within an hour and we started seeing a good number of “first of the year” birds.  There were two Yellow Warblers, a Gnatcatcher, at least seven Palm Warblers, and two Towhees, the last at close range.  We found two Red-headed Woodpeckers in the usual area, one of which was persistently checking out a nest hole.  The Tree swallows put on an aerial show for us and a Rough-winged Swallow joined in as well.  We counted seven Great Blue Herons, four of them hanging around together near the woodpeckers.  The most common bird was the Yellow-rumped Warbler - at least a dozen.  It was a nice beginning to the spring migration.

Only six came to the scrumptious breakfast at Sylvester’s, and the first birding idea was to check out the Wilson’s Snipe behind one of the malls in Hadley.  We parked and walked along a wet gully until the birds jumped and flew farther along one at a time, with five seen.  Also there was a Killdeer.  A run through the Honeypot on the way to Rte. 91 north got us only a singing Brown Thrasher.  We met up with two more people at Riverview Road, where the sun off the water at Barton Cove was blinding.  We still managed to note three Double-crested Cormorants and a few Mute Swans.  A small group of Tree and Rough-winged Swallows circled low over our heads.  From Barton Cove we spotted a pair of Ring-necked Ducks, more swans, and better looks at the eagle on its nest.  We drove to the Rod and Gun Club to find more swans and some circling Turkey Vultures.  The airport had two Kestrels, a Bluebird, and 2 singing Field Sparrows.  On the Power Canal there was only a female Bufflehead diving constantly, and in the trees overhead a singing Pine Warbler.

Ten participants were treated to watching evening American Woodcock courtship display!.  There were a grand total of six woodcocks.  Other birds of note were a Hermit Thrush, five American Robins, and one Great Horned Owl.

There were 15 participants on the trip to Longmeadow and Agawam.  Pynchon Point had pair of Wood Ducks going to a nesting hole in a big tree where they had nested many years ago.  Bondi’s Island had a few Ring-billed Gulls.  Mute Swans were nesting on Emerson Pond near the road and another single was at Pondside.  Also there was a pair of Ring-necked Ducks and a few Tree Swallows.  A bluebird was seen and heard singing from Tina Lane.  We walked into Bark Haul and found two adult Red-headed Woodpeckers and a pair of Bluebirds together.  On the way some of us glimpsed a Pied-billed Grebe in the pond along the road.