The club took 45 trips in western Massachusetts (35 last year), ten trips to the Massachusetts coast, two to the Maine coast, two to the Connecticut coast, one to the Rhode Island coast, one to Vermont, and one to Cape May, New Jersey. Our total species count was 265 in Massachusetts, 272 in New England (263 last year), 279 including Cape May, and 193 in western Massachusetts.
| July-August 2000 | October 2000 | January-February 2001 | May 2001 |
| September 2000 | November-December 2000 | March-April 2001 | June-July 2001 |
A Hotline to Cape Cod saw threatening skies which kept us from ferrying to South Beach, but we did find Roseate Terns, a Black Skimmer , plenty of shorebirds and 5 Wilson's Petrels patrolling off the beaches. Those Petrels were still there a week later for the Cape Cod Weekend. Monomoy and South beach were loaded with birds featuring Western Sandpiper, Roseate, Arctic, and Forster's Terns, Black Skimmer, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The whale watch was spectacular with hundreds of Greater and Sooty Shearwaters and 20 Manx Shearwaters. August floods greeted members in Agawam so we detoured to Colrain, where we found White-winged Crossbills. There were 14 members on the Plum Island trip, where 18 shorebirds were noted among 62 species. Best birds were Little Blue Heron, Sora, Western Sandpiper, and American Avocet. Only a handful of birds flew over for the Stebbins Nighthawks Watch , but there was was a Baird's Sandpiper with other shorebirds on the sandbar for the Longmeadow-Agawam trip.
The birds put on a show for a small but hardy band on the Monhegan Island trip. Over 500 warblers were estimated with a hundred or more Parula, Magnolia, and Black-throated Green Warblers. Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Philadelphia Vireo, and Lark Sparrow were also found. Four walks in the Stebbins Refuge provided few migrants and only eight warbler species including Tennessee, Nashville, Parula, and Northern Waterthrush. Getting a Swainson's Thrush and Philadelphia Vireo made up for this a bit. Among 20 shorebirds at Plum Island were Golden Plover, 15 Whimbrels, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and 12 Long-billed Dowitchers. A surprise at Hellcat were 2 Cape May Warblers and 2 Lark Sparrows. The Blueberry Hill hawkwatch recorded over 100 Broadwings among 133 hawks of six species. The usual dandy picnic goodies topped off the day. A Merlin and Dickcissel were nifty finds on the Northampton trip for 16 people. The Stanley Park walk had 18 of us garnering looks at Swainson's Thrush, and Blackpolls. The next trip was by bike into the Dana Area of Quabbin, and the birds did not disappoint the five cyclists. We stopped for Philadelphia Vireo, Carolina and Winter Wren, and many Pine, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, and Blackpoll Warblers. We ended the month with a slow day on the Connecticut Coast due to warm, humid weather. Nevertheless, 15 observers tallied 50 species, including 2 Monk Parakeets.
The month started out with another Northampton trip, which featured the Clay-colored Sparrow as well as Vesper, and White-crowned Sparrows. Our first fall trip to Cape May, New Jersey was an eye opener as the hordes of both birders and migrants put on a show. Ten of us joined with seven veterans from the Hoffmann Club and reached 133 species, including 9 waders (400 egrets), 15 waterfowl (2000 Snow Geese and 5000 Pintail), 17 shorebirds, 5 terns (Gull-billed, Caspian, 100+ Forester's Terns and in a single flock 600 Black Skimmers), 11 migrant raptor species, (600 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 6 Bald Eagles, and 10 Peregrines), 30 Sapsuckers, dozens of kinglets, 14 warbler species, and 200 Boat-tailed Grackles. Then it was back to the Quabbin, where a raft of 175 Black Scoters greeted us. The next weekend was a sojourn to Cape Cod, and a dozen members rounded up 85 species. Among the highlights were 6 Marbled Godwits, hundreds of Sanderlings, Dunlins, and Common Terns, 2 Parasitic Jaegers and 2 Forster's Terns, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and a Blue Grosbeak. Among the nine species of sparrows was a Vesper, Grasshopper, 50 Lincoln's and 40 White-crowned.
November-December 2000
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Waterfowl were scarce on the Berkshire Lakes trip, but we did manage a Pintail and Ruddy Ducks. We skipped Rhode Island and went straight to the "Southeast Mass". Coast, lured there by the Tropical Kingbird in Hingham. We also got a very late Snowy Egret, 50 Gannets, 11 Harlequin Ducks, and over 100 Purple Sandpipers. It was so good we went back again the following week when the South Shore trip was scheduled. The Kingbird was still there along with 23 species of waterfowl, including all three grebes and all three scoters. December opened with blustery cold, and the 14 folks who braved Quabbin were sorely disappointed. The Springfield Area Christmas Count restored our spirits with 72 species. Unusual finds were a Pied-billed Grebe, Barrow's Goldeneye, Pine Warbler, and Catbird. A week later the Westfield Area nearly matched that with 68 species. Notable there was a Lesser Scaup, Saw-whet Owl, Sapsucker, Phoebe, and four Meadowlarks.
January-February 2001
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The Sandwich-Falmouth-Plymouth trip clicked yet again with 29 waterfowl species, featuring 18 Canvasback, a Redhead and two Barrow's Goldeneye. Also found was a Black-headed Gull, and 50 Snow Buntings, and in Marshfield at dusk there were three Short-eared Owls. Finches were the target birds on the Local Hotline trip and we hit some with Pine Siskins and Evening Grosbeaks. Seven Lapland Longspurs and 75 Snow Buntings were an add-on. Another great Rhode Island weekend produced 29 waterfowl species and seven raptors as part of 76 species. There were nearly 100 Canvasback and 6 Redheads, over 100 Harlequin Ducks and seven Barrow's Goldeneye, more than 2000 Greater Scaup and 1000 Common Goldeneye. Add to that nearly 300 Purple Sandpipers, a Black-headed Gull and 2 Rough-legged Hawks. We weren't done, because then we went on to list Hermit Thrush, Catbird, Brown Thrasher, and Yellow-breasted Chat. What a winter bonanza! Windy and cold were the words on the Massachusetts North Shore, but ten of us were not deterred, achieving an alcid grand slam, Black Guillemots, Thick-billed Murres, two Dovekie, and two Razorbills. Add to that a Black-headed and Iceland Gull, another 50 Harlequin Ducks and 300 Purple Sandpipers, and the cold was to no account.
Early spring again brought out our wanderlust and we followed the Hotline to Malden, where the male Painted Bunting showed off for us. Then it was on to Plum Island for plenty of waterfowl plus Rough-legged Hawk and four Iceland Gulls. Next we went south to the Connecticut Shore, where we rooted out fifty Surf Scoters, and an eye boggling immature Goshawk. We rounded out the month of March by visiting Local Ponds, discovering a Blue-winged Teal, three American Wigeon, a Red-headed Woodpecker and five Fox Sparrows. The Woodcock put on a show at Stebbins in early April, and we also had a Snipe, Blue-winged Teal, and Shoveler. Then it was north to Gill, where an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull surprised us along with 5 Ruddy Ducks, two Pintail and two Gadwall. A hearty breakfast together beforehand made it all the more enjoyable. Early warblers were the story at Ashley Ponds with small waves of Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers joining the resident Pine Warblers. On an evening walk on the Rail Trail in Amherst we heard the calls of Virginia Rail, Great Horned and Barred Owls. There was more food than hawks on the Hawkwatch Picnic, but the tour through Southwick picked up many early songbirds at April's end.
The first of three Wednesday Walks at Stebbins was the most fruitful, thanks to an early heat wave. The sixty species were highlighted by Nashville, Parula, and eight other warbler species. On the third walk there were Magnolia, Wilson's, and Canada Warblers and three Northern Waterthrush. The Stanley Park walk was a little thin for migrants, but everyone enjoyed hearing the Louisiana Waterthrush and Fish Crow. It was the same at Robinson Park, when two Parula and a Blackburnian Warbler were the best migrants. Results were better at Quabbin, where there were two Cerulean Warblers, a White-crowned Sparrow, and 66 total species. Another special warbler, the Worm-eating was heard on the Mt. Tom walk. We put 37 observers in the field for the May Census, and despite the weak migration last spring, the numbers were impressive. We recorded 138 species and over 12,000 individuals in Central Hampden County. Even so, warblers were few, only 25 species and 1150 individuals. Highlight birds were Black-billed Cuckoo, Marsh Wren, White-eyed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Brewster's Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, and four Orchard Orioles. The Tyringham Valley walk saw rain threaten, so we were pleased with two American Bitterns, two calling Snipe, Alder and Willow Flycatchers, and two Cliff Swallows. The 13 warbler species was not bad. May was closed out with a relaxing walk in Belchertown.
The rains just did not stop and ruined the planned trip to northern New Hampshire. We contented ourselves with Whip-poor-wills in Montague and Upland Sandpipers and Grasshopper Sparrows at Westover. We reached the 70 species mark on the October Mt. trip, with wonderful looks at Mourning Warblers, and White-winged Crossbills. Virginia Rail was a treat, as well as a Broad-winged Hawk. The Mt. Greylock campers saw space stations and a bright planet Mars, Then they were joined by others the next day, when all heard Mourning and Blackpoll Warblers. There were 17 warblers and 72 species in all. An early riser heard three Swainson's Thrush. Combining valley and hill birds, the Agawam to Granville route produced 79 species., including 15 warblers and an Orchard Oriole. Blandford and Chester produced a family of Hooded Mergansers and five Nashville Warblers. Our first ever trip to Southern Vermont gave us lots of vocalization from the elusive Bicknell's Thrush, and decent views for some. Other special finds were a dozen Swainson's Thrushes, several Mourning and Blackpoll Warblers, Vesper Sparrow, and two Rusty Blackbirds. All this and the Curtis Bar-B-Q at Putney. A Hotline to the Berkshires was rained out, but breakfast at Ma's Cafe may also become a tradition. Our last nesting bird trip of the year and last of the Club season is the Plainfield Walk. This year the birds were quiet, but we still managed 50 species and goodies from hostess Judy Williams.