Despite the forecast of clouds with a brief shower possible the day started off with rain showers which turned to all morning drizzle with occasional periods of light rain. The rain held on almost all day but despite that it was a good day to be out birding. No blockbuster numbers but managed to find a total of 79 species today with twelve of those first of year for me here in Massachusetts. First of year birds for Massachusetts included Eastern Kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Bobolink, Spotted Sandpiper, Cliff Swallow, Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Black throated Blue Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula and singing White crowned Sparrows. We had a total of eleven warbler species for the day. I birded the morning with Ian Davies and we started at Orchard Hill then down to the UMASS horse farm, through the honeypot and then over to the Oxbow and Arcadia back across the river to Mitch's Way and then back to UMASS. Beyond the highlights of first of year birds there were large groups of swallows feeding in several locations (hundreds of swallows), singing Vesper Sparrows in the honeypot, small pockets of warblers as well as groups of 30-40 White-throated Sparrows in various locations and quite a bit of song despite the dreary conditions.
After arriving home I took Wilson for a walk and we had a calling Barred Owl at Covey WMA at 2pm and a group of 11 breeding plumage Bonaparte's Gulls at Winsor Dam plus three loons.
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