May comes to an end

Common Loons and a Red throated Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 1, 2020

Northern Parula, Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, May 4, 2020

 Black throated Blue Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020

Blue gray Gnatcatcher, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 9, 2020

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Quabbin Park, MA, May 10, 2020

Cedar Waxwings, Orchard Arboretum, Amherst, MA, May 14, 2020

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2020

Olive sided Flycatcher, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2020

Black and White Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2020

Clay colored Sparrow, Orchard Arboretum, Amherst, MA, May 20, 2020

Pied billed Grebes, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, May 22, 2020

Wilson and a Porcupine, Pelham, MA, May 27, 2020

May has come to a close and with it the rush of spring migration.  The migration season was a little behind the previous few years as the cooler than normal temperatures in April carried over into May and held up many migrants....we even had some snow on May 9th.  The month began with a big fallout of loons at Winsor Dam which produced my highest ever total for Common Loons in a single spot with 91 Common Loons and a single Red throated Loon.  There were a few really good days of migration with the middle of the month producing the best number and diversity.  Rarities for the month included a Common Gallinule in Amherst, a Clay colored Sparrow and breeding Pied billed Grebes, multiple Least Bitterns and a few others.   A summary of the warblers seen for the month can be seen at the following link.  Overall for the month I found a total of 173 species which is right around my average for the month of May over the last several years.