End of April

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 29, 2020

 Palm Warbler 'yellow', Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 29, 2020

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 29, 2020

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 29, 2020

Louisiana Waterthrush, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Apr 29, 2020

Eastern Phoebe, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2020

Today would be my last day to try to find stuff for the month and the weather finally cooperated a bit. Conditions overnight decent for migration with calm winds which I hoped would result in the arrival of at least some of the migrants that should already have arrived.  Although there was not a huge influx of migrants I still found a half a dozen new species for the year in Hampshire County including two warblers (more on warblers at the following link).  I started out the morning before dawn at Winsor Dam where I had my first Eastern Whip Poor Will of the season.  I then moved east with stops Mitch's Way, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, and finally to Quabbin Park.  Mitch's Way was a little slow but it was still early and cold while I was there.  Silvio Conte NWR was really slow and I didn't stay there too long.  The most productive spot was Quabbin Park with the most impressive sighting being triple digit numbers of Yellow rumped Warblers in just a few spots.  I checked through the constantly moving flocks but failed to find anything rare in among the hordes.  The weather over the next few days look to feature southerly winds and some heavy rain before turning sunny later on Saturday into Sunday.  I suspect there will be a big push of migrants during this period with Sunday perhaps being the best day...time will tell.  April was overall a little slower as far as migrants go with 131 species for the month in the county (below my last few years).

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 28, 2020

Canada Goose goslings, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 28, 2020

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 28, 2020

Tree Swallows, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 28, 2020

Yesterday was certainly better than the previous days but there were still occasionally showers and the temperatures started out in the 30’s (thankfully the sun broke out late morning to warm things up a bit but it still stayed below average in the low 50’s with a wind out of the northwest). I started my morning at Winsor Dam trying for anything that might have been downed by all the rain and wind yesterday but no luck. I then headed west and hit a few spots before heading back toward home. Overall it was very slow for the morning considering the date. Afternoon was spent around the house catching up on yard work with the best bird being a calling Virginia Rail in the marsh late in the afternoon.

American Robin, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 28, 2020

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2020

A few birds have shown up at the water feature during our few sunny periods but so far nothing unusual although I did get my first warbler for the season today when a Palm Warbler came by.

Cool, rainy weather continues with a one day reprieve for my birthday

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 26, 2020

 Hooded Merganser, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 26, 2020

Common Mergansers, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 26, 2020

Great Blue Herons building nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 26, 2020

Today was a rainy, cool day (as expected this April) with strong northerly winds with highs barely reaching the low 40's.  I hit a number of spots throughout the area in the morning mainly looking for migrants downed by the weather without much luck.  The only new species I added for Hampshire County for the day were singles of Spotted Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowleg along the bike path in Amherst.  Passerines were around but few in number with limited variety (especially for late April)

Yesterday was yet another cool and rainy day but I did get out a little early in the day but had to dodge occasional showers.  I visited Quabbin Park and Lake Wallace and had mainly the same species I had at these locations during previous visits the last few days with the only new species being a single Black throated Blue Warbler at Quabbin.  The Lake Wallace heron rookery is now up to three active nests.  I was home around nine and took Wilson for a walk but otherwise I stayed home as the rain continued to pick up in intensity (plus we got a short period of sleet)

American Robin with white on tail, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 25, 2020

American Robin with white on tail, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 25, 2020

Saturday was finally a sunny and seasonable day (even if it did start a bit cool and cloudy)...just in time for my birthday. I got out of work in the morning and then had to decide where to go. With it being a weekend and knowing how many people had no work to go to I decided to stay away from spots I knew would probably be good for birds but would be overrun with people. I decided on UMASS but it was very slow so I left there and headed toward Quabbin Park where I spent about an hour before heading home. The only new species for the year in the county was a Black and White Warbler near the end of my walk. I really expected it to be a bit busier but alas it was not. Although it was still early I decided to head for home and I was glad I did. I was walking around the yard as the sun really started breaking through and I had two Glossy Ibis fly by heading northeast toward Quabbin. They were long gone before I had any chance of running back inside to get a camera. Not really was I was expecting to flyby the house on my birthday but I was happy. I actually had a Glossy Ibis in Amherst on the same date last year. The ibis became species #168 for the yard.

The pattern of rainy, breezy and cooler than average temperatures may finally be changing by the end of the week into the weekend with at least some sun for the weekend and temperatures well into the 60's.  I suspect this will lead to a big influx of migrants to end the month and begin May.  Before that happens we have another rain storm on tap for Thursday into Friday.

Cool and rainy weather continues

Bobcat, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 21, 2020

Bobcat, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 21, 2020

Wild Turkey, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 21, 2020

Eastern Towhee, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 21, 2020

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 20, 2020

Blue gray Gnatcatcher, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 20, 2020

Great Blue Herons, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 20, 2020

The cooler, rainier and windier weather for April has continued nearly unabated with the weather usually feeling more like March.  The conditions have kept migration somewhat slow and has delayed the arrival of a number of species.   Nonetheless there are still birds to be seen with a large increase in both Palm Warblers and Yellow rumped Warblers as well as several species of sparrows as well as Eastern Towhees.  A big surprise was the number of Hermit Thrushes that have shown up, with large numbers at Quabbin Park on Tuesday with up to half a dozen in view at once...probably some of my highest counts ever for the county.  With less than ideal conditions I mainly stayed close to home with a few visits to Quabbin plus over to Lake Wallace.

White tailed Deer, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 11, 2020

White tailed Deer, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 11, 2020

Bobcat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 12, 2020

Beaver, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 16, 2020

Chipping Sparrow and Dark eyed Junco, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 20, 2020

Hermit Thrush, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 21, 2020

Northern Cardinals, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 23, 2020

I also checked the cameras at the house and cleaned up the water feature with a change out of most of the small stones.  New birds have been taking advantage of the water including one of the many Hermit Thrushes that have been around.  Mammals also continue to show up along the Jabish Canal camera.

WESTERN TANAGER in Amherst!

Western Tanager, Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020

Western Tanager, Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020

Western Tanager, Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020

Western Tanager, Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020

Western Tanager, Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020

Western Tanager, Amherst, MA, Apr 18, 2020

After catching up with a Glossy Ibis (plus some Blue winged Teal) late in the morning yesterday in Amherst I figured the unusual species were done for day but I was wrong!  I was just about ready to start cooking dinner in the early evening on Saturday when I got a call from Scott telling me about a Western Tanager coming into some feeders at a private residence in a suburban neighborhood in Amherst.  I quickly got the specifics on the location and I was out the door.  The bird had been seen on and off for the afternoon but was not being seen when I arrived.  The homeowner stated it has been disappearing for awhile but would then return to feed.  After waiting for about twenty minutes I spotted it as it came in high in the trees where it appeared to be gleaning insects in some freshly leafing out branches.  After feeding up high for a few minutes it dropped in briefly to the feeders before disappearing for a few minutes.  It then reappeared up high in the trees once again before it dropped in to visit the feeders.  A really impressive bird to see and not what I expected to see here in mid April.  In looking up any records for the species in Hampshire County I could only find a single record in eBird (from a Bird Observer submission which is always suspect as records there are frequently wrong) plus a single record from a well known birders memory 'back in the 60's'.  This is certainly the first well documented record.  The species does show up in the state from time to time but almost always on the coast and more typically in fall so a spring record inland is a very rare occurrence.  Obviously the species was a new one for me in Hampshire County, bringing my county total up to 297.  Although I did not go back today it was seen by other birders through at least midday (I thought it would have left with the south winds and warmer temperatures but I was happy to be wrong).  More photos at my flickr album.

Northern Flickers, rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 19, 2020

American Robin, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Apr 19, 2020

White tailed Deer, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Apr 19, 2020

Killdeer, Slobody Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Apr 19, 2020

Canada Goose with first goslings of the season, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 19, 2020

 Hermit Thrush, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 19, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 19, 2020

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 19, 2020

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 19, 2020

Winsor Dam Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 19, 2020

With a sunny day and temperatures forecast to reach near 60 and southerly winds I headed out a first light today to cover a variety of locations looking for early migrants.  I headed over to Quabbin Park  and thankfully found the location back open to the public after being needlessly closed due to the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic.  I hoped for an early Eastern Whip Poor Will but no luck but I did find my first of the season Red breasted Merganser at Winsor Dam.  I then headed over to the rail trail in Amherst (plus the nearby Slobody Farm Conservation Area).  Nothing too unusual but certainly an influx of migrants such as Swamp Sparrows and Northern Flickers (among others).  I next headed to UMASS briefly before making my way back toward home with a stop at Lake Wallace which held my first fledgling Canada Geese of the season as well as continued numbers of Palm Warblers among the 42 species present.

Glossy Ibis today despite some snow and continued cool temperatures

Morning snow along Jabish Brook, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18. 2020

Wilson enjoying the snow, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18. 2020

Glossy Ibis, Mallard and Eastern Coyote, North Amherst, MA, Apr 18. 2020

Glossy Ibis, North Amherst, MA, Apr 18. 2020

Blue winged Teal with Green winged Teal, North Amherst, MA, Apr 18. 2020

Today we had what will hopefully be the last bit of snowfall for the year.  Although the predictions were calling for around three inches of snow we thankfully ended up with about an inch (I for one was happy the storm 'under performed' but Wilson was less than happy with less snow to eat).  The roads were clear of snow at dawn so I headed out to hit a few areas close by as the snow continued to fall.  I would have loved to have seen what the weather brought down at Winsor Dam but the area is still closed off so no luck (I do hope the DCR will reconsidered this unnecessary action sometime in the near future).  The other areas I checked during the early morning didn't have anything unusual.  I then headed back home to pick up Wilson and we went for a long walk at Covey WMA during which we got totally soaked as the snow mixed with rain at times and the snow melted off the trees.  Right after I got home from that walk I noticed a report from Mike L. of a Glossy Ibis in a flooded farm field in North Amherst.  I was already planning to make a trip over that way to pick up some supplies for the house at some point during the week so I decided to head over today.  I arrived to find a few other birders in the area and the Glossy Ibis was immediately visible (but quite distant).  An Eastern Coyote was also in the area and explored various parts of the field before disappearing into the woods.  Among the species of waterfowl enjoying the flooded field were two male Blue winged Teal.  I managed photos of all the notable species there but they are distant and less than National Geographic quality.

Mallard, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2020

Hooded Mergansers Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2020

Palm Warbler ';yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2020

Northern Rough winged Swallow, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2020

Northern Rough winged Swallow, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2020

Yesterday after work I made a few stops on my way home including Aqua Vitae Road (where the highlight was a flyover Pectoral Sandpiper) and Lake Wallace.  Nothing too unusual at Lake Wallace but there were continued numbers of Palm Warbler plus lots of swallows skimming over the surface of the lake.  I was yet another cool morning with a slight breeze and temperatures starting off below freezing.