Quabbin Park and surrounding area

Broad winged Hawk, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 12, 2013

Ring necked Duck, Winsor Dam, May 12, 2013

Ring necked Duck, Winsor Dam, May 12, 2013

Another good morning of migrants and probably the last good one for a few days as the winds turn to a more northerly direction and get gusty and the temperatures cool down. Last night the winds continued out of the southwest and delivered another good morning of birding. With the occasional rain overnight I had high hopes once again to find a tern or other species grounded by the weather but no luck. I spent a good portion of the morning at Quabbin Park and I will let the list below speak for itself. Suffice it to say it was a good morning to be out looking around. As far as new birds for the county this year I managed to add three: Eastern Wood Pewee (#190), Tennessee Warbler (#191) and Bay breasted Warbler (#192). My big 'miss' for the day was a possible Philadelphia Vireo in with a large mixed flock in the early morning. I feel the bird was indeed this species but without being 100% certain I will have to leave it as unknown.  Although I'm sure I will catch up with this species in the fall it would have been a great record to get in spring! Here is the list from Quabbin Park.

Quabbin Park   (84 species)

Canada Goose 16
Wood Duck 16
Mallard 4
Ring-necked Duck 1 Late, Female. Photographed
Hooded Merganser 2
Common Merganser 4
Wild Turkey 5
Common Loon 8
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Bald Eagle 1
Ring-billed Gull 33
Mourning Dove 5
Chimney Swift 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 8
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 4
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Least Flycatcher 4
Eastern Phoebe 4
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Eastern Kingbird 2
Yellow-throated Vireo 8 Minimum
Blue-headed Vireo 6
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 21
vireo sp. 1 Seen with large group of migrants, called with red eyed like call but not quite right for red eyed, seen at top of tree in poor light. Seen from back with head turned and appearance looked like Warbling Vireo but then it sang song like red eyed...thoughts are Philadelphia Vireo but without better looks not 100% sure...not really sure what else it could have been but very unusual in spring here
Blue Jay 26
American Crow 10
Common Raven 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Tree Swallow 9
Barn Swallow 7
Black-capped Chickadee 11
Tufted Titmouse 3
Brown Creeper 1
House Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3     Seen well at different areas, late
Veery 8
Hermit Thrush 1
Wood Thrush 9
American Robin 13
Gray Catbird 23
European Starling 1
Ovenbird 38
Blue-winged Warbler 2
Black-and-white Warbler 15        minimum
Tennessee Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 10
Common Yellowthroat 26        minimum
American Redstart 33          minimum
Northern Parula 16             minimum, likely many more
Magnolia Warbler 11          minimum
Bay-breasted Warbler 1 Male
Blackburnian Warbler 5
Yellow Warbler 5
Chestnut-sided Warbler 18      minimum
Blackpoll Warbler 5
Black-throated Blue Warbler 12      minimum
Pine Warbler 13
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 9
Prairie Warbler 6     a few migrants
Black-throated Green Warbler 54+    Large movement of this species
Eastern Towhee 24 Minimum
Chipping Sparrow 27
Song Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 7
White-crowned Sparrow 2         singing
Scarlet Tanager 10
Northern Cardinal 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 7
Indigo Bunting 1 Flyby
Red-winged Blackbird 5
Common Grackle 9
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
Baltimore Oriole 12
American Goldfinch 6
House Sparrow 3

Broad winged Hawk, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 12, 2013

 

I then went over to Covey WMA to meet up with Wilson for a walk. Yet again I ran across some great groups of warblers (and others) migrating through. I found another Tennessee Warbler among the fourteen species of warbler plus at least four Blue winged Warblers (one with a somewhat odd song but it looked like a regular Blue winged). Further walks at a few other locations on the west side of Quabbin didn't turn up anything too unusual. At home the yard had groups of migrants passing through the oaks and singing throughout the afternoon.  A total of 99 species for the day, with 20 of those being warblers all within Belchertown and Ware is not too bad at all.  If I knew I was so close to 100 I probably would have stayed out a little longer to get one more species!