We spent Saturday morning making our way up Mt. Greylock. Our first stops gave us several great looks at the most 'gaudy' of all the warblers, the Blackburnian Warbler and the first of several Yellow -bellied Sapsuckers - the 'default' Woodpecker in this area. We also listened and glimpsed a few Black-throated Blue and Chestnut-sided Warblers.
Photo by Steven Whitebread
At Jones' Nose we admired the deep blue of two singing male Indigo Buntings in the early morning sun, we searched in vain for Mourning Warblers (habitat has changed and vegetation is probably too high now). We then walked part of the Saddleback trail listening to the eerie sounds of Hermit Thrush and enjoying the musical Winter Wren among others.
The campground trail gave us more looks at Blackburnian Warblers and of course the omnipresent Red-Eyed Vireos were challenging to see, but not so difficult to hear! The dainty Foamflowers (Tiarella cordifolia) were in bloom and we gladly stopped to admire them on our way back up the hill.
Near the top we enjoyed our 'lunch with a view', hoping for more raptors than just the odd Turkey Vulture flying below us, before making our way down for a well deserved rest before dinner.
After dinner we stopped at a few wetland areas in Pittsfield, even knocked on a strangers door and were graciously granted access to a marsh behind their house!
Here is the ebird list for this day on Mout Greylock
Mt. Greylock, Berkshire, Massachusetts, US
Jun 10, 2017 6:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
15.0 mile(s)
Comments: SSBC/BBC trip, Paul C
52 species
Turkey Vulture 3
Broad-winged Hawk 2
Mourning Dove 3
Black-billed Cuckoo 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4
Hairy Woodpecker (Eastern) 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Least Flycatcher 2
Eastern Phoebe 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 74
Blue Jay 10
Common Raven 2
Tree Swallow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 13
Tufted Titmouse 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 4
Winter Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Eastern Bluebird 2
Veery 8
Swainson's Thrush (Olive-backed) 3
Hermit Thrush 4
Wood Thrush 3
American Robin 18
Gray Catbird 2
Cedar Waxwing 9
Ovenbird 40
Black-and-white Warbler 11
Mourning Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 5
American Redstart 26
Magnolia Warbler 3
Blackburnian Warbler 23
Chestnut-sided Warbler 18
Blackpoll Warbler 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler 21
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 12
Black-throated Green Warbler 8
Canada Warbler 1
Chipping Sparrow 2
Field Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 11
White-throated Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 7
Scarlet Tanager 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 4
Baltimore Oriole 1
Purple Finch (Eastern) 5
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37598065
On Sunday morning we again started bright and early, to look at Cliff Swallows and listen for - and finding! - Alder Flycatcher before making our way up to October Mountain.
We not only looked at Swallows, but also saw some Tiger Swallowtails
Photo by Steven Whitebread
This year we had no luck in finding a Mourning Warbler, and we felt even more unlucky by being disturbed by many Helicopters flying in at Four Corners. It got very hot by 11 AM and the birds took a rest, so we decided to start heading home a bit earlier than usual.
Some of us had a very nice surprise on the way off the mountain as we encountered a female Moose crossing just behind our car! Alas, the view was too brief for a picture.
October Mountain SF, Berkshire, Massachusetts, US
Jun 11, 2017 7:15 AM - 12:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
14.0 mile(s)
Comments: SSBC/BBC trip, Paul C
49 species
Canada Goose 2 4 young
Great Blue Heron (Blue form) 2
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 male
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 6
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Alder Flycatcher 6
Eastern Phoebe 3
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Blue-headed Vireo 4
Red-eyed Vireo 71
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 5
Tree Swallow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
Brown Creeper 3
Winter Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5
Veery 6
Hermit Thrush 1
Wood Thrush 2
American Robin 10
Cedar Waxwing 16
Ovenbird 35
Northern Waterthrush 1
Black-and-white Warbler 5
Common Yellowthroat 11
American Redstart 6
Magnolia Warbler 6
Blackburnian Warbler 8
Yellow Warbler (Northern) 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 14
Black-throated Blue Warbler 7
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 4
Black-throated Green Warbler 7
Canada Warbler 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 2
White-throated Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 5
Swamp Sparrow 6
Eastern Towhee 2
Scarlet Tanager 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 14
Purple Finch (Eastern) 3
American Goldfinch 4
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37598082
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
A great time was had by everyone and we look forward to visiting this beautiful and birdy area again next year.
Christine Whitebread
Our annual trip to Mt Greylock was enjoyed by all. We met at 6:00 a.m.
ReplyDeleteand began our accent. Stopping every half mile or so we enjoyed the
bird sound.
We did encounter Mourning Warbler before the "normal" Jone's Nose trail
with no birds there; total of 2. Three Swainson's Thrush on the
Saddleball Trail. Lowest number for Blue-headed Vireo. The remarkable
consistency of Chestnut-sided Warbler continues.
Last year I submitted this post with selected species counts from this
trip I do annually on (usually) the third weekend in June to Mt.
Greylock. I added 2017 to those numbers and reposted. The numbers
after the species will be 1992, 93, 94,95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 01, 02,
03, 04, 05, 06, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 separated by a comma.
A "*" means that numbers were not recorded for that species that year.
There is now over 20 years of data here:
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker:4,6,1,7,10,5,1,2,2,7,5,4,1,5,4,8,4,4,5,3,5,5,2,4
Common Raven:1,2,0,1,2,0,1,8,3,3,3,3,7,5,0,7,1,2,0,1,4,0,0,2
Black-capped
Chickadee:14,8,6,11,5,4,7,16,7,12,11,8,6,11,7,4,7,4,7,6,10,9,10,13
Winter Wren:2,5,6,3,9,2,6,4,6,3,6,4,8,7,2,2,5,4,6,3,1,9,4,2
American
Robin:*,47,20,19,15,21,14,27,27,29,29,19,22,31,30,22,27,31,17,20,34,17,28,18
Wood Thrush:9,4,1,6,2,2,2,6,3,11,4,0,3,2,2,6,1,1,1,0,2,1,1,3
Hermit Thrush:9,3,11,8,2,3,9,10,5,7,1,4,6,2,1,6,6,5,9,2,5,1,4,4
Veery:23,8,7,15,16,15,13,18,10,21,9,18,12,10,15,10,10,6,16,12,8,9,15,8
Blue-headed Vireo:8,7,5,7,2,3,5,8,1,3,4,1,3,6,4,15,9,1,6,7,5,2,1,1
Red-eyed
Vireo:32,32,48,44,40,47,36,67,58,69,65,59,44,98,86,93,92,94,78,80,91,82,76,74
Magnolia Warbler:7,7,4,5,2,1,5,6,11,4,4,2,3,7,4,5,3,2,1,3,3,1,0,3
Black-throated Blue
Warbler:12,10,17,9,16,6,9,20,15,12,9,6,8,11,15,11,16,11,14,8,24,13,21,21
Yellow-rumped
Warbler:11,8,6,18,9,15,22,29,23,26,11,14,12,18,15,9,7,11,5,9,11,8,3,12
Black-throated Green
Warbler:4,6,11,5,5,8,5,16,10,14,8,4,9,19,16,10,16,12,8,7,8,9,7,8
Blackburnian
Warbler:18,16,18,19,16,18,13,31,15,15,22,10,16,26,23,20,17,23,26,18,24,11,17,23
Chestnut-sided
Warbler:15,16,11,13,19,22,16,26,29,9,18,17,11,28,24,15,15,15,15,17,18,18,16,18
Blackpoll Warbler:1,2,3,1,2,2,3,4,7,3,2,2,4,6,7,4,3,4,2,1,4,1,2,2
Ovenbird:20,19,21,22,29,22,22,42,16,35,23,34,25,28,30,38,38,35,34,21,38,32,46,40
Mourning Warbler:1,2,1,2,3,1,2,2,2,2,4,3,2,3,0,3,1,1,0,1,2,1,4,2
Common Yellowthroat:18,6,8,8,15,7,8,19,5,6,8,6,6,10,5,8,12,4,8,10,10,4,10,5
Canada Warbler:4,7,5,2,8,6,1,8,2,5,2,0,1,1,2,1,1,2,3,1,1,0,1,1
American
Redstart:14,6,13,17,15,8,19,30,27,31,11,17,12,29,13,19,38,33,18,27,13,17,13,26
Scarlet Tanager:1,6,3,3,3,4,2,10,1,1,6,4,2,2,1,1,4,3,2,1,6,2,5,2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak:7,4,4,0,1,0,4,6,2,3,3,2,5,4,0,2,5,4,2,2,2,1,2,1
Eastern Towhee:13,7,11,9,11,7,8,11,11,10,14,15,4,7,7,4,11,4,14,6,11,11,11,7
Dark-eyed
Junco:20,22,18,27,18,21,13,31,16,31,17,19,14,23,10,19,20,18,19,9,27,17,13,11
White-throated Sparrow:14,8,9,6,9,11,7,24,8,6,3,3,6,4,7,3,2,2,2,1,3,4,2,2
Glenn d'Entremont: gdentremont1@comcast.net Stoughton, MA