My 50,000th complete eBird list today

Common Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 18, 2024

Common Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 18, 2024

Screenshot from eBird, Jun 18, 2024

While out birding this morning on what is forecast to be the start of a several day heat wave, I hit a big milestone when it comes to eBird when I submitted my 50,000th complete list (I have also submitted several hundred more incidental/incomplete lists).  My milestone list turned out to be an early morning stop at Winsor Dam, a place I bird quite a bit and a spot that has produced many rare birds for me over the years including three first Hampshire County records that I found including White tailed Tropicbird, King Eider and Pacific Loon.  Very happy to have the list be from one of my favorite birding spots.  

Sunbittern, Species #2000 for me, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 6, 2024

Common Redshank, Life bird #1500, By The Lighthouse Lodging, Vogar, Iceland, Jul 1, 2019

Beautiful Jay, life bird #1000, Tandayapa Lodge, Ecuador, Nov 18, 2015

During this time I have seen or heard a total of 2002 species in a total of 27 countries plus several other dependencies and territories (with species #2000 on a trip to Costa Rica in March of this year, species, species #1500 in Iceland in July 2019 and species #1000 on a trip to Ecuador in Nov 2015). I have submitted photos for 1315 species and recordings of 385 species.  I have submitted lists from as far south as southern Brazil, as far north as Iceland, as far west as Alaska and as far east as Austria.  I look forward to continuing on this journey as long as possible.

Lots of breeding birds for the middle of June

 

Virginia Rail juvenile, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 17, 2024

Great Blue Herons at nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 17, 2024

Eastern Towhee carrying food, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Jun 17, 2024

House Wren nest with young, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 13, 2024

Common Mergansers, Mill River, Northampton, MA, Jun 12, 2024

Mourning Dove on nest, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 11, 2024

Eastern Bluebird nest with young, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 10, 2024

A quick post for the middle of June.  Migration is mainly over and most birds around now are in the midst of breeding with lots of adults carrying food to nests and young and a number of recently fledged birds around.  There is still lots of song but it has started to slow down, especially for some species.  Just a small sample of photos of breeding species shown above. 

Purple Martins back in Hadley

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 11, 2024

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 11, 2024

Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 11, 2024

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 11, 2024

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 11, 2024

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 11, 2024

Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 11, 2024

I was able to catch up with the pair of Purple Martins that look to be attempting to nest again in Hadley at Silvio Conte NWR (much more on the history of them at the refuge below).  I arrived a bit before six and found Mary there monitoring them already.  The two martins mainly stayed on the nesting gourds during the half hour I was there watching them with just a couple brief flights.  The male was quite vocal at times and both of them entered one of the gourds multiple times (people later in the day had them bringing nesting material into the gourd).  Fingers crossed the more active management plan will result in nesting success.

A little history on the Purple Martins at Silvio Conte NWR.  When the fish and wildlife service first put up the nesting gourds I was highly doubtful a martin would ever use them as the species is so rare in the area and the gourds were not being actively managed.  Defying my expectations a couple Purple Martins showed up starting in mid June of 2021 and were joined by a third in late June.  The martins eventually had a successful nesting season with young seen in August, the first successful nesting in the area in a hundred years.  One martin showed up again in the area in May of 2022 but no other martins were noted and no nesting was suspected.  A similar event occurred the following year in 2023 when a lone male showed up in early May and another male showed up in early June and continued for a week plus without a mate showing up.  The decision was made going into 2024 to more actively manage the gourds to try to entice martins to nest once again and this involved keeping the entrances to the gourd nests closed until a martin showed up.  One finally showed up in late May and then promptly disappeared.  A few more reports came in from both the refuge and nearby areas but it was not until June 10 that a pair was well documented at the nesting gourds at Silvio Conte. 

First week of June

Black and White Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 1, 2024

Common Goldeneyes, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 1, 2024

Cerulean Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 1, 2024

Green Heron, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 1, 2024

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 1, 2024

The first week of June has now come to an end and so far for the month I have located 126 species despite being back to work and therefore not birding everyday.  I started out the month trying to relocate some continued rarities and found a few including the Prothonotary Warbler in South Hadley, the long staying Common Goldeneye at Winsor Dam, a slightly late Common Nighthawk at home and both Pine Siskins and Red Crossbills.  I ended the first day of the new month with 108 species.

Dawn at the UMASS orchard, BBS stop #3, Belchertown, MA, Jun 2, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, BBS stop #34, Monson, MA, Jun 2, 2024

On the 2nd I conducted my Breeding Bird Survey for my 15th year and reached my highest species count along the route with 84 species.

Brown Thrasher, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2024

Field Sparrow, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2024

Prairie Warbler, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2024

Killdeer giving distraction display, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2024

Wild Turkey poult, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 3, 2024

Great Blue Heron at nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2024

On the last day before I had to return to work I conducted a bird survey at a WMA that has had work done in the last couple years to create some pine barren habitat and I was very happy with the species diversity that has taken advantage of the change in habitat with several Eastern Whip Poor Wills before dawn and several species of scrub type species as the morning wore on including Brown Thrasher, Field Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Blue winged Warbler, Chestnut sided Warbler and Prairie Warbler.  It will be interesting to see how the next few years shakes out with species at the location.  I also spent some time at both Quabbin Park and Lake Wallace with both locations being quite active.

Brewster's Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 5, 2024

Cerulean Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 5, 2024

Wild Turkey with poults, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 5, 2024

Blue winged Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 5, 2024

I had to work on the 4th so only able to bird a bit before work and during that time I didn't have anything too unusual.  Once I was out of work on Wednesday morning I made a few stops on my way home including the East Meadows, Silvio Conte NWR (striking out on any Purple Martins), the rail trail in Amherst and then Quabbin Park.  Quabbin Park was fairly productive with the continued pair of Common Goldeneyes (likely that one of the pair in injured in some way and the mate is staying with them as the pair bond is quite strong...this species should be way into Canada breeding at this point).  I also had at least two Cerulean Warblers continuing but no sign of a female yet.

Worm eating Warbler, Mount Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 7, 2024

American Robin with white on right wing, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 6, 2024

I had to work on the 6th also and it was an overall rainy day so not much to report from that day.  I did get out to a few spots after work today to end the first week of June.  I failed to relocate the Prothonotary Warbler in South Hadley and I think it has moved on.  I took my first hike with some elevation since I got hurt a few weeks ago and I picked the Mount Holyoke Range SP in Granby to try to get some photos of Worm eating Warbler and I had some success.  There were a number of other species around too with nothing unexpected.  By the end of the first week of June I had found 126 species in Hampshire County.

More on warblers to start July can be found at the follow link: Warblers for the first week of June

Breeding Bird Survey route completed this morning with my highest species count ever

Dawn at the UMASS orchard, BBS stop #3, Belchertown, MA, Jun 2, 2024

Red tailed Hawk, BBS stop #15, Palmer, MA, Jun 2, 2024

Farm fields, BBS stop #29, Monson, MA, Jun 2, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, BBS stop #34, Monson, MA, Jun 2, 2024

Prairie Warbler, BBS stop #34, Monson, MA, Jun 2, 2024

I ran my Breeding Bird Survey route for my 15th consecutive year and I managed to get the highest species total I have ever had with 84 species (my previous high was 2019 with 83 species).  My average species per year since I took over the route stood at 72 before this season, with my lowest species count being 56 back in 2012.  For those who don't know what a Breeding Bird Survey entails I will give a quick overview.  The survey routes consists of 50 stops for three minutes each at half mile increments and many have been conducted for years thus showing population trends among species over time.  As an example the route that I now run was started in 1967 and has been conducted by someone every year since.  My route begins in Belchertown and runs south through Ware, Palmer and Monson to the Connecticut border.  The route begins early at 4:42AM and I usually finish up some time after nine.  It is interesting to see how the species count and make up changes over time.  It is also a little sad as with each passing year more and more houses pop up along the route and with the houses come a loss of forest species and all the perils to birds that people bring.  I try to conduct the route on a Sunday to minimize traffic noise and disturbance from people.  I have now had a total of 114 species over the years along the route with three new species this year (Common Merganser, Orchard Oriole and Northern Waterthrush).  Not much of a chance to get photos of anything as I don't have time to track down species given the time constraints of the survey.

Below is table of each year I have conducted the survey

year                 # of species            date of survey

2010                 71                          June 20

2011                 64                          June 26

2012                 56                          June 3

2013                 67                          June 23

2014                 70                          June 15

2015                 75                          June 14

2016                 78                          June 19

2017                 73                          June 22

2018                 71                          June 22

2019                 83                          June 9

2020                 76                          June 14

2021                 71                          June 19

2022                 78                          June 5

2023                 77                          June 25
2024                 84                          June 2