August 29th, 2005. Hatfield/Whately townline, MA.
| Buff-breasted Sandpipers (6 or 7) Tryngites subruficolliis.
juveniles.
| Mark Taylor found a wonderful flock of Buff-breasted Sandpipers
close to Connecticut River on the Hatfield/Whately townline. The site
was the former Pilgrim airfield. Nowadays it’s a huge cucumber
field but as Harvey Allen mentioned, it's become something of a regular
area for Buff-breasted Sandpipers
on fall migration. Harvey joined me for the fifteen minute drive across
to Hatfield from Amherst and we spent a good two hours by the field
enjoying the birds. More birders began to arrive in late afternoon.
A few other shorebirds were also present here including;
Killdeer - 60+
Semi-palmated Plover - 1
Pectoral Sandpiper - 1
Least Sandpiper - 12
The Buff-breasted Sandpipers were difficult to count due to the size of
the field and the mobile nature of the birds, and they were not in a tight
group. However, we did
have up to six bird in view at the same time.
This appears to be prime time to search for this exciting species with
similar small flocks being reported at a wide scatter of coastal sites,
and a handful inland, mostly along the Connecticut River Valley.
| | Taken using Canon Powershot A-95 through Swarovski HD telescope . |
|
