A cool day but still birds around

 

Rose breasted Grosbeak, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 13, 2013

Rose breasted Grosbeak, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 13, 2013

Rose breasted Grosbeak, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 13, 2013

 

Dawn along the rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 13, 2013

Although the conditions last night were not likely to produce a big movement of migrants given the fact that it is mid May I still expected to run across some interesting stuff.  I started off at dawn along the rail trail with temperatures in the high 30's.  I hoped to find a Sora but had to settle for a Virginia Rail sounding off in the marsh.  I walked up past Hop Brook and took a few side trails too and found a few pockets of birds but nothing unexpected.  The winds started to pick up as I headed out and stayed up the rest of the day making finding birds difficult.  I headed down to Mitch's Way but there was oddly quite a bit of people activity so I cut my trip short there and then headed up to UMASS.  Again some birds around but nothing unexpected and the winds kept the activity curtailed to some degree.  With activity low and the weather not too cooperative I ran some errands and then headed home to get Wilson and head out for a walk along the land trust trail.  Many resident birds in evidence with just a few pockets of migrants.  The best bird there was a singing Swainson's Thrush which added one more species to the year county list making that species #193.  Don't know when I will break the 200 mark but I still have hopes of doing it before the end of May.  Certainly possible but not guaranteed.  The next couple days will feature more cold temperatures and more unfavorable winds.  Maybe another push midday or so...who knows?