What does the fox say?
With a short window of daylight after work on New Year’s Day, I took a walk behind the paper mills along Water Street near the Flats neighborhood.
Early morning Cooper’s Hawk
The Cooper’s Hawk above flew low over my head early Friday morning as I walked to the parking garage, landing on the Bud building between John and Dwight streets. Most nights in every other season I park on the street, and the shorter walk means I don’t manage much birding on the way to my truck beyond a glance up…
Red-tails on Appleton Street
In the wake of the season’s first real accumulating snow, I took a short walk to see if any birds were feeding in the berry trees in Heritage State Park. I didn’t find any, but I did find one of the Red-tails chowing down atop the vacant mill building next to the police station. Here are a few more shots,…
Woodpeckers, Cooper’s Hawk in Heritage State Park
A short walk through Heritage State Park Sunday morning proved fruitful. In addition to the usual swarms of American Robins, Dark-Eyed Juncos, and European Starlings, I found two species of woodpeckers — including a first for my observations in the downtown area — and a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk.
Settling into Holyoke’s winter birding season
Reports of Snowy Owls are starting to pop up around Western Massachusetts, and in Holyoke I’ve been keeping an eye out for any unique winter visitors. Last winter brought Redpolls and Pine Grosbeaks to the city, and Golden-eyes and other waterfowl to the river. On a few recent walks, I’ve seen the regular winter crew: lots of Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern…
Early season observations at Springfield’s crow roost
I took some time after work this afternoon to try to find where the crows are roosting in Springfield at this point in the season. I started by driving down Chestnut Street in the North End, where I’d found a staging area last November. That place — a vacant lot behind a church — was empty, and as I neared…
Warblers, Kinglets still hanging around Holyoke
On a short walk through Pulaski Park this morning I found this Golden-crowned Kinglet hanging around in the trees and shrubs near the river, calling frequently. If there were others around, I didn’t see or hear them. I spotted my first Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the city last November, and my first Golden last winter. I don’t see them every time…
Peregrine Falcons making regular visits to Sargeant Street area
Two Peregrine Falcons have been appearing regularly downtown again, spending time perched on a smokestack near Sargeant Street. Don Cooper alerted me to their new haunt, and I was able to see them for myself yesterday morning. One bird stayed in a single spot for about 90 minutes, while the other made a handful of short flights:
Cooper’s Hawks return to Holyoke; Warblers, Kinglets and Finches downtown, too
On cue, it seems, the Cooper’s Hawks have started their annual fall migration into the city. The small, agile hawks disappear from downtown in the spring, but when the leaves change the Cooper’s become a common sight through the fall and winter. I spotted one Cooper’s Hawk chasing pigeons near the city library this morning. Then, another — or possibly…