Last day of April...and nest box update

Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, April 30, 2012

Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, April 30, 2012

Pine Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, April 30, 2012

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, April 30, 2012

Common Loons, Quabbin Park, MA, April 30, 2012

The last day of April dawned cold and clear with a temperature in the 20's.  Thankfully the wind backed off today so it did not feel nearly as cold.  Eventually the temperatures made it into the 60's.  Although the winds last night were not great for a big push there were still more birds that did show up.  I had three first of year birds today including Chimney Swift, Merlin (way overdue for me) and the most surprising- a Yellow-throated Vireo.  The date of the vireo is the earliest I have ever had one here.  The bird was with a mixed species flock along the shoreline near Goodnough Dike.  It was feeding in the tops of some oak trees.  I got great looks in good light but before I could get a photo the bird flew further down the shore.  I followed it for a few hundred feet and then lost it before I could get close again.  I didn't add any new warbler species today but did manage to find all the species I had previously seen so far this year including the Blackburnian.  Lots of other good stuff around today too.  I spent over an hour at Winsor Dam late AM trying for some raptors.  The only obvious migrants were Ospreys flying quite high heading northeast.  The Merlin I saw was actually fairly low and heading west.  During my vigil at the dam I also had the only Chimney Swift of the day as one lone bird moved through heading northeast.  Tomorrow should bring in a real good push of birds if the winds stay south and the rain doesn't shut down migration too early.

Hooded Merganser chicks in nest box, April 30, 2012

The Hooded Merganser eggs have hatched and the birds are probably only a few days away from fledging out of the new nest box.  This was the only one of the three boxes used this season so far but the birds appear to have been successful.