Global Big Day

Chipping Sparrow, Quabbin Park, MA, May 4, 2019

Bufflehead, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 4, 2019

Nashville Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 4, 2019

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 4, 2019

Today marks the annual eBird Global Big Day where people worldwide try to see the maximum number of species over a single 24 hour period and enter that information into the eBird database. I had to work until this morning so didn’t make it out at the crack of dawn so missed some nocturnal species. Despite the weather continuing to be wet and cool the birds continue to arrive and today featured lots of new species for me for the year. I dodged rain and fog the few hours I was out for the morning as I hit a variety of spots and eventually ended the day with a total of 102 species...not too bad for not really trying too hard.   Highlights included five species of shorebirds along Aqua Vitae Road, 6 Bufflehead, 3 Horned Grebes, a Bonaparte's Gull, 17 Common Loons and a Black Tern (very rare in the county) at Winsor Dam...the birds at Winsor Dam are almost certainly leftover from the impressive fallout of waterfowl, gulls and terns associated with the rainy weather that occurred yesterday (I was working so missed it for the most part).  I ended the day with a total of 16 species of warbler (with ten different species at the house including a Bay breasted Warbler).  Overall a fairly good day with just a few hours spent birding (and mostly in drizzle throughout the day).  Tomorrow looks to feature more rainy weather but Monday-Wednesday should be relatively dry with warming temperatures.