Meadows Birding

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Juv) 

Spent Sunday birding the East Meadows in Northampton and along the river in North Hadley. I headed out early hoping to find  some shorebirds that had been forced down from the over night serve thunderstorms. I made it out to the Meadows by 7am and not long after I received a call from Ian Davies- he, Larry Therrien and Jacob Drucker had located 3 Buff-breasted Sandpipers out in the middle of the fields. I located them from the other side of the field and got decent views with the scope, but the Buffy's never got within range of the camera. I also had 2 American Golden-Plovers flying overhead and 20+ Least Sandpiers and a single Semipalmated Sandpiper feeding in the many water holes created by the evening thurderstorms. Other highlights included a number of Savannah sparrows, a Vesper Sparrow, Tennessee, Yellow and Palm Warbler and 2 Philly Vireo's.  Complete list below.... A very nice morning in the field.
East Meadows, Hampshire, US-MA
Sep 9, 2012 7:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
36 species

Mallard 6
Northern Harrier 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Golden-Plover 2
Killdeer 8
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 26
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 3 Juv's- plowed field just beyond red barn.
Rock Pigeon 9
Mourning Dove 18
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
American Kestrel 2
Merlin 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 8
Tree Swallow 1
Cliff Swallow 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling X
American Pipit 1 heard & seen moving around the meadows.
Cedar Waxwing 3
Tennessee Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 5
Yellow Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 3 WESTERN
Vesper Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 35
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 2
Indigo Bunting 4
Bobolink 4
Red-winged Blackbird 40
Purple Finch 2
American Goldfinch 6
House Sparrow 45

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Savannah Sparrow-Numbers starting to increase in the Meadows.

Least Sandpiper-(Juv) 

American Kestrel- Two seen along with a Merlin in the Meadows. 

Tennessee Warbler- Always a nice find in the spring or fall here in the Valley.  Didn't expect  to find this bird  in the Meadows.

Magnolia Warbler- Found along the river in Hadley. 

Black-throated Green Warbler- young male

Philadelphia Vireo- Basically a uncommon/rare late August to mid September migrant in the Valley.  Very rare spring migrant.