Warmth and cold and a very early Louisiana Waterthrush to start April

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 3, 2026

Louisiana Waterthrush, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 3, 2026

Lesser Scaup with Ring necked Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 3, 2026

Mourning Dove, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 3, 2026

Red winged Blackbird, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 3, 2026

Common Goldeneye, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Apr 3, 2026

Wilson checking out a pair of Mallards, Belchertown, MA, Apr 3, 2026

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 2, 2026

Black capped Chickadee excavating nest hole, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 1, 2026

Pileated Woodpecker, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 1, 2026

Wilson enjoying the warm weather, Belchertown, MA, Apr 1, 2026

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 1, 2026

The first three days of April have continued our seesaw weather with warmth and then cold.  We had a record warm day on the first with highs in the low 70's and then a rainy, raw day yesterday with temps in the 30's and today was a mix with cold and damp conditions in the morning and then some 60's by the end of the day.  The biggest surprise for birds so far for the month was a record early Louisiana Waterthrush today.  I have also added a few new species for the year in the county since the first with Long tailed Ducks, Chipping Sparrows and Palm Warblers.  Waterfowl continues to be around in good variety with 14 species so far.  

Record setting March ends

Pied billed Grebe, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 31, 2026

Hooded Mergansers, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Mar 31, 2026

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 31, 2026

Pine Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Mar 30, 2026

Egg in duck box #2, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 30, 2026

Black capped Chickadee, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 29, 2026

Common Merganser, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 29, 2026

Rusty Blackbird, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 28, 2026

Red breasted Nuthatch, Ware, MA, Mar 26, 2026

March came to an end with some warm temperatures and that certainly brought in some new birds.  The warmer air arrived on Monday with highs that made it to near 70 with southerly winds.  More birds certainly arrived that day with Eastern Phoebes seeming to be everywhere plus a few Pine Warblers.  It was a nice reprieve from the ongoing cold.  The warmth continued along with some rain early on Tuesday and even more birds arrived with multiple new species for me.  

By the end of the month I had a total of 113 species which eclipsed my previous highest total ever in the county for March, with the old record being 109 (set last year).  I had a number of unusual species for the month including Greater White fronted Goose, Cackling Goose, Northern Shoveler, Redhead, Barrow's Goldeneye, Ruddy Duck, Sandhill Crane, both species of yellowlegs, Snowy Owl, Barn Swallow, Evening Grosbeak, Red Crossbill and Yellow rumped Warbler (plus others).  A really decent spring for waterfowl (even with few rare geese) with 28 species.  I also got the first egg in my duck boxes at home.

Winter continues into spring with some new arrivals

Green winged Teal, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 25, 2026

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 25, 2026

Sunrise, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Mar 25, 2026

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 24, 2026

Wilson enjoying a fresh coating of snow, Covey MWA, Belchertown, MA, Mar 24, 2026

Hooded Mergansers, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 21, 2026

Canada Goose with neck tag with solar panel on it, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Mar 15, 2026

Ring necked Ducks, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Mar 15, 2026

Wilson on his 15th birthday, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 15, 2026

Redhead (with American Black Duck, Northern Pintail and Mallard), Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Mar 15, 2026

The never ending winter continues to drag on with mainly average to below average temps with even a few short bouts of snow moving through.  Thankfully the vast majority of the snow is gone and the water bodies are rapidly losing their ice (even the long frozen Quabbin).  Although the huge flocks of geese have moved further north additional species of waterfowl continue to arrive and the last week and a half has produced multiple new species for me for the year in the county including Northern Shoveler, Pied billed Grebe, Red necked Grebe and Ruddy Duck.  Other notables have included a group of three Sandhill Cranes flying north mid month, the continued female Redhead, first Virginia Rail and Tree Swallows plus some continued irruptives (Evening Grosbeak and Red Crossbills).  The remainder of March will bring more of the same weather with the exception of tomorrow when it will get into the 60's thanks to strong southerly winds.  Mid month also marked Wilson's 15th birthday.

Neck banded Canada Geese and other waterfowl as the weather cools down again

Canada Geese with neck bands, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Mar 13, 2026

Canada Geese with neck bands, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Mar 13, 2026

Ring necked Ducks, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Mar 13, 2026

Northern Harrier, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Mar 13, 2026

Gadwall, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Mar 12, 2026

Canada Geese, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 12, 2026

Canada Geese, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 12, 2026

Lesser Scaup, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 12, 2026

Green winged Teal, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 12, 2026

Despite a return to cold temps the waterfowl continue to move into and through the area.  Today was more winter like compared to the previous few days with wind and temps that struggled to reach 40.  I tried to find an early Virginia Rail at Lake Wallace without any luck so I decided I would head over along the river to Mitch's Way where a female Redhead showed up yesterday.  The Redhead was still present but tough to pick out as it moved among the trees in a flooded part of the river.  I tried to walk the length of the road for passerines but the high water levels flooded the road about a half mile in so I headed back out without finding anything noteworthy.  I tried again without any luck to find the Redhead and perhaps get some photos.  I did however find two neck tagged Canada Geese that were banded in Greenland (details on those to follow when I hear back from the researchers up there).  There were quite a few Canada Geese dropping into the East Meadows out of view and I didn't feel like driving over and making the long walk down to see them so I instead headed to Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River and turned up my first Eastern Meadowlark of the year in the county plus some Northern Harriers.  Yesterday I did spend some time in the East Meadows just as the cold front arrived and kicked up the winds, cleared out the fog and dropped the temps.  Although the numbers and variety were down a bit from the previous days there were still tons of waterfowl to look through and watch flying overhead.

Warm weather brings in early season migrants and starts melting the tons of snow

Lesser Yellowlegs, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 11, 2026

Cackling Goose, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 11, 2026

Cackling Goose, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 11, 2026

Snow Goose, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 11, 2026

Killdeer, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 11, 2026

Ring necked Ducks, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 11, 2026

Green winged Teal, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 11, 2026

Canada Geese, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 11, 2026

Canada Geese, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 11, 2026

Canada Geese, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 11, 2026

Green winged Teal, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Mar 10, 2026

Wood Ducks, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Mar 10, 2026

Red breasted Merganser, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Mar 10, 2026

Common Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2026

Hooded Mergansers, Swift River, Ware, MA, Mar 9, 2026

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Banded in the summer of 2021, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 9, 2026

Wilson eating snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 9, 2026

The last three days (especially the last two) have featured well above normal temps with highs in the low 60's today and in the low 70's yesterday which has resulted in lots of snow melt (except in the yard!) and has induced a number of species to move in with waterfowl leading the way.  I stayed in the Ware/Belchertown area on Monday and added a couple new species for the year with Rusty Blackbird and American Woodcock.  I also got photos of a surviving banded Black capped Chickadee that was banded as an adult in the summer of 2021...a very hardy chickadee when the average life span is 2-3 years!  With the major warm up on Tuesday I started my morning at the Holyoke Dam and had ten species of waterfowl including my first Green winged Teal, Red breasted Merganser and Great Black backed Gull for the year in the county.  I briefly stopped along the river at Mitch's Way and could hear what sounded like many geese in the East Meadows so I headed there and had to walk in on the muddy and icy farm roads to get a look at the geese enjoying the newly uncovered cornfields.  I had a few thousand Canada Geese as well as single Snow Goose plus my first Wilson's Snipe and American Pipits (the Wilson's Snipe became species #100 for the year in the county).  With continued warm temps thanks to southerly winds I headed back to the East Meadows before dawn today and once again walked in and could hear geese as I walked as well as a number of Killdeer and at least one Wilson's Snipe and an American Woodcock.  I got down past the four corners area and as it became light enough to see I started scanning the fields and turned up tons of Canada Geese, multiple species of ducks and a single Snow Goose.  More and more geese began to arrive from every direction and the numbers quickly climbed into the thousands with many stopping the the fields (many dropping out of views in the various flooded swales). I estimated at least 13,700 Canada Geese and I know this is an undercount.  I scanned through the flocks over and over, both on the ground and as groups dropped in and I eventually found at least two Cackling Geese (one very pale individual), a single Greater White fronted Goose and two Snow Geese.  I tried to find some neck tagged Canada Geese without having any luck.  I also had a very early Lesser Yellowlegs fly in and stop for a bit in one of the pools...easily my earliest record for the species and the earliest record ever for western mass (at least in eBird).  A four shorebird species day here on March 11th is noteworthy for sure!  Other notables included at least 650 Horned Larks, more American Pipits, at least none Fish Crows and a swan that was almost certainly either a Tundra or Trumpeter Swan.  As I reached my car to head out just before ten I heard a roaring noise that turned out to be all the geese taking flight...an amazing sight and sound.  I also added an Eastern Phoebe at the house in the afternoon.  By the end of the day I had reached 105 species for the year in the county.