Dunlin and some other shorebirds as the rainy, cool weather continues

 

Dunlin, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2023

Dunlin, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2023

Dunlin, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2023

Lesser Yellowlegs, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2023

Greater Yellowlegs, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, May 2, 2023

Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows and Northern Rough winged Swallows, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2023

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2023

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2023

The first couple days of May have been cooler than normal with periods of rain and less than ideal migration conditions (a pattern we have been stuck in for several days).  I had to work yesterday and made just a few stops on my way in and didn't mind anything way out of the ordinary.  I expected that something unusual would be grounded by all the rainy weather and while at work got a text from Theresa that she had a Dunlin the the East Meadows.  Once I got out of work I headed over to see if I could relocate it.  Thankfully it was still in the area and feeding nearly continuously along with a Greater Yellowlegs and several Lesser Yellowlegs.  I watched the shorebirds for quite awhile during a brief lull in the rain along with a few other birders.  Always fun to see a breeding plumage Dunlin in the spring compared to the dull plumage in the fall.  Given the large numbers of Red Phalaropes reported on the coast the last few days I hoped to find one this morning but no luck.  I made a few other stops as I continued to dodge rain and some hail over the course of the morning.  A stop at Winsor Dam produced hundreds of swallows of five species feeding low over the water (a common occurrence during cool weather here).  There was a brief break in the rain in the early afternoon and I made it over to Quabbin Park and then got rained out after about half an hour.  The continued poor migration conditions have kept many species from arriving but this looks to change at the end of the week into the weekend as the pattern finally changes and the weather warms up with some sun and more cooperative conditions for migration.  The weekend should bring in a big influx.

Hooded Merganser eggs in duck box #3, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2023

A quick update on the three Hooded Merganser nests in the duck boxes at home.  I installed a camera on the base of box #3 a few days ago and during install the female flushed from the nest and I took a quick peak in the box (I was not intending to bother her but some birds tolerate more noise then others around the boxes).  I suspect that box #2 will fledge any day but I don't want to check due to the continued cool conditions...I will check this weekend when it warms up a bit.