Forbush Annual East Quabbin Trip 5/1

11 members of the Forbush Bird Club enjoyed perfect spring weather, this past Sunday, while "touring" East Quabbin, in the area that was once part of the townships of Greenwich and Dana.
Beaver ponds in the back woods of Quabbin are always a highlight, we had nice looks at Hooded Mergansers, a drake Common Merg., Wood Ducks, Eastern Kingbirds, Tree Swallows, Yellow Warblers, Least Flycatchers and diplaying Red-winged Blackbirds, but no Yellow-throated or Warbling Vireos this on this year's trip.
A secluded beaver pond, well inside of gate 45.
Red-winged Blackbird in full display.
14 species of wood warblers were seen and/or heard but the only vireo species was Blue-headed, we missed Baltimore Oriole for the first time in several years. a handsome Blue-headed Vireo (formerly known as Solitary Vireo).
A few Least Flycatchers were present, such as the bird above.
One of two Porcupines that were certainly crowd pleasers, a bit slower than warblers allowed protracted viewing!
While watching one of the Porcupines, two immature Bald Eagles passed over head one just above the other. They "locked" talons and began a spectacular descent spiraling downward toward the earth, after "pin-wheeling" about 6 revolutions they separated, and moved off in different directions.
Bald Eagles locked together.
... just after breaking apart.

This Chestnut-sided Warbler showed nicely.

A non avian highlight is lunch at Dana Common, we usually linger on the common for about 45 minutes for lunch, conversation and birding. A few American Redstarts were found here, we only had a few during the day. Our trip is a bit on the early side of May, so we miss or only encounter a few of species such as Red-eyed vireo and American Redstart. By late-May these two species will be among the most abunbant species in the east Quabbin, likely neither would ever be out of hearing range.

Club members enjoy luch on Dana Common.

Toward the end of the day we had a nice surprise of 4 breeding plumaged Horned Grebes, while this species is an uncommon but annual "pass-through" migrant in Central Massachusetts, seeing them in breeding plumage made it even more special! Another nice bonus was two female Red-breasted Mergansers just before leaving the water's edge near gate 35. These like the Horned Grebes are easily found on coastal Massachusetts during the winter, but they are also very uncoommon away from the coast.

A happy "clan", after great weather, birding and company!

The complete trip list:

Canada Goose ...16
Wood Duck ...5
American Black Duck ...2
Mallard ...4
Green-winged Teal (American) ...7
Hooded Merganser ...4
Red-breasted Merganser ...2
Common Merganser ...1
Ruffed Grouse ...3
Common Loon ...6
Horned Grebe ...4
Double-crested Cormorant ...1
Great Blue Heron ...3
Turkey Vulture ...12
Bald Eagle ...5
Northern Harrier ...1
Broad-winged Hawk ...2
Red-tailed Hawk ...1
Merlin ...1
Ring-billed Gull ...3
Mourning Dove ...4
Red-bellied Woodpecker ...1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ...13
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) ...3
Pileated Woodpecker ...6
Least Flycatcher ...5
Eastern Phoebe ...3
Eastern Kingbird ...2
Blue-headed Vireo ...6
Blue Jay ...12
American Crow ...14
Tree Swallow ...53
Black-capped Chickadee ...12
Tufted Titmouse ...4
Red-breasted Nuthatch ...3
White-breasted Nuthatch ...3
Brown Creeper ...3
House Wren ...1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ...4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet ...1
American Robin ...15
Gray Catbird ...3
Northern Parula ...1
Yellow Warbler ...6
Chestnut-sided Warbler ...10
Magnolia Warbler ...1
Black-throated Blue Warbler ...12
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) ...40
Black-throated Green Warbler ...10
Blackburnian Warbler ...3
Pine Warbler ...42
Palm Warbler (Yellow) ...3
Black-and-white Warbler ...10
American Redstart ...3
Ovenbird ...15
Common Yellowthroat ...6
Eastern Towhee ...39
Chipping Sparrow ...26
Song Sparrow ...6
Swamp Sparrow ...3
White-throated Sparrow ...10
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) ...6
Scarlet Tanager ...1
Northern Cardinal ...2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak ...3
Red-winged Blackbird ...12
Common Grackle ...10
Brown-headed Cowbird ...16
Purple Finch ...2
American Goldfinch ...4