August 29th, 2005. East Meadows, Northampton, MA.
| Dickcissel Spiza americana, possibly first-winter male.
| Dull, damp and misty. No wind and a little muggy.
This morning I dropped down to the East Meadows to check on the
shorebird situation having been rained off there the previous evening.
The 'hoped for' Pectoral and Semi-palmated Sandpipers seen briefly near the Red Barn on Sunday evening had already moved on. I did find some skittish Least Sandpipers and Killdeers. There was also no sign of the Baird’s Sandpipers, although we had seen three during the previous morning at the favored field south of the Red Barn.
The big surprise of the morning was lovely Dickcissal perched up on the corn for what seemed like several minutes. A Dickcissel
had been reported by Andrew Magee from the East Meadows on August 27th
& 28th, although that bird was apparently seen with House Sparrows at
different spot to this, and thought to be a female. There seems to be a good
possibility that different birds were involved in both of these
observations.
All in all, it was yet another good visit to the East Meadows.
Highlights (07:30 - 10:30hrs);
Northern Harrier - 3 ( 2 juveniles, 1 gray male, the latter being my first male of the season there).
Cooper’s Hawk - 3 (juveniles).
Killdeer - 32
Least Sandpiper - 11 (scattered in small groups around the fields).
Bank Swallow - 120+.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 5
Yellow Warbler - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 5
PALM WARBLER - 2 (‘Western’ form - palmarum). These birds were also present yesterday (08/28).
Eastern Meadowlark - 1
DICKCISSEL - 1 perched up for several minutes at the edge of a
cornfield, about 1/4 mile south of the Red Barn. This bird didn’t call,
and I didn’t need to ‘spish’ either, it just perched up with several
Song Sparrows and Indigo Buntings. This bird had a lovely orange-buff
suffusion across the breast, perhaps indicating a first-winter male.
Bobolink - c.440
Indigo Bunting - 14
| | Taken using Canon Powershot A-95 through Swarovski HD telescope. |
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