The last week back home

Black and White Warbler, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 21, 2026

Pine Warbler, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 21, 2026

Purple Finches, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 21, 2026

Beaver gathering grasses, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 21, 2026

Wilson checking out some deer, Belchertown, MA, Apr 21, 2026

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 20, 2026

Merlin, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 20, 2026

Osprey carrying nest material, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2026

Osprey carrying nest material, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2026

Ring necked Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2026

Tree Swallow, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 18, 2026

American Robin building nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2026

Red Eft, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 17, 2026

Now that I have been back from my trip to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona for almost a week I will try to catch up on some sighting here.  When I first arrived home last Wednesday we were in the midst of a big warm up with highs in the 70's and 80's and I got to enjoy the beautiful weather for a few days before it got much cooler and eventually cold.  There were some early arrivals during the warm spell but now things have slowed a bit as expected with colder weather and poor migration conditions.  Nonetheless birds still trickle in as it is getting toward the end of April and birds will move even in less than ideal conditions.  I have added a dozen new species for the year here since getting back with the most unusual one being an American Bittern plus a few early arrivals including Solitary Sandpiper, Northern House Wren and Black and White Warbler.  Birds are starting to nest in numbers including a variety of raptor species that only breed in small numbers in the county including Osprey at Lake Wallace plus Merlins and Sharp shinned Hawks at Quabbin.

Drive through New Mexico yields a few self found rarities and other species -April 11th

Lucy's Warbler, Mesilla Valley Bosque SP, Las Cruces, NM, Apr 11, 2026

Northern Parula, Mesilla Valley Bosque SP, Las Cruces, NM, Apr 11, 2026

Gambel's Quail, Mesilla Valley Bosque SP, Las Cruces, NM, Apr 11, 2026

Say's Phoebe, Mesilla Valley Bosque SP, Las Cruces, NM, Apr 11, 2026

Say's Phoebe on nest, Mesilla Valley Bosque SP, Las Cruces, NM, Apr 11, 2026

Mexican Duck, Mesilla Valley Bosque SP, Las Cruces, NM, Apr 11, 2026

Crissal Thrasher, Mesilla Valley Bosque SP, Las Cruces, NM, Apr 11, 2026

Mountains, Mesilla Valley Bosque SP, Las Cruces, NM, Apr 11, 2026

 

Cinnamon Teal (with American Wigeon and Black necked Stilt), West Mesa WTP, Las Cruces, NM, Apr 11, 2026

Black throated Green Warbler, Mountain View Cemetery, Deming, NM, Apr 11, 2026

Cassin's Vireo, Mountain View Cemetery, Deming, NM, Apr 11, 2026

After getting to bed early after a long day of hiking I was up early on Saturday to start the long drive toward Arizona with a stop in New Mexico on the way. The first few hours of driving was in the dark on some truly desolate roads…I had less than ten vehicles come by me in the opposite direction in those first couple hours. My plan for the day was to make it to Los Cruces to go to Mesilla Valley Bosque SP to try my luck in tracking down a Lucy’s Warbler for the year. The trip was fairly smooth with only one traffic tie up that didn’t last too long and I made it to the park a little after 8AM (the area is another hour behind from home compared to the hour behind in most of Texas). My legs were still hurting so I had to move slow as I searched for the warbler. As I had never visited New Mexico before even common species were new for me in the state. After about an hour of looking I heard a Lucy’s Warbler singing in an area of mesquite trees and I got some looks at it and some distant photos. There may have been as many as three but there were certainly at least two individuals. I also had a brief look at an Orange crowned Warbler that just wanted to stay hidden. I then spent time waiting to get better photos of the Lucy’s Warblers and right after getting a few photos I heard a very familiar song. I heard what sounded like a very quiet song of a Northern Parula, an eastern species that should not be at the location. I got a crappy recording and then eventually got looks at it to confirm I was not hallucinating. It was indeed a stunning male Northern Parula and it was fairly cooperative for photos (at least as far as warblers go). It appears to be one of the few records in the state for the entire year so certainly a rarity. By the time I left the park to continue my journey I had seen 29 species at the park. I took an early break for lunch nearby and then visited a small waste water treatment plant nearby to add some waterfowl and shorebirds for my New Mexico list. I then started the hour drive to my Airbnb in Deming around 11:30AM. I still had a few hours free before I could check in to my Airbnb so I decided to bird at Mountain View Cemetery in Deming. It looked like it had potential as it contained quite a few well watered mature trees in an otherwise desert landscape and my thoughts were confirmed when I found another rarity for the day. This time it was a female Black throated Green Warbler, another eastern warbler species that is quite unusual in New Mexico. I also added another Orange crowned Warbler as well as at least two Yellow rumped Warblers (both Myrtle subspecies). A total of five warbler species for the day with two rarities plus another new warbler species for the year made for a great day (more in depth look at warblers at the following link.  My New Mexico list grew from zero to 55.  Full trip list here: New Mexico trip list.

Sunday would be the last day of making long drives and I was up well before dawn again (an advantage to keeping my body on east coast time). My final destination would be an Airbnb in Green Valley, Arizona where I would be spending three nights. I had a few ideas on what to do with my day before arriving at my lodging and I settled on driving directly to Mount Lemmon with the goal of potentially tracking down the last three warbler targets for the trip (Grace’s Warbler, Virginia’s Warbler and Red faced Warbler).

Texas hill county and Big Bend National Park -April 8-10

Golden cheeked Warbler, Balcones Canyonlands NWR, TX, Apr 8, 2026

Golden cheeked Warbler, Balcones Canyonlands NWR, TX, Apr 8, 2026

Golden cheeked Warbler habitat, Balcones Canyonlands NWR, TX, Apr 8, 2026

A week long, whirlwind trip down to Texas and then over to Arizona via New Mexico began with an early morning flight out of Hartford down to Dallas/Fort Worth which meant a wake up call at just after 3AM. The trip was specifically planned to add a number of species of warblers for my big warbler year in the US. The two main targets for the Texas portion of the trip were Golden cheeked Warbler and Colima Warbler. The targets in Arizona (and perhaps New Mexico) included Virginia’s Warbler, Lucy’s Warbler, Grace’s Warbler and Red faced Warbler. I also had the chance to turn up a couple of western species that would be just starting to move through including Hermit Warbler and MacGillivray’s Warbler although neither would be critical to miss as I should be able to get them later in the year when we stop in Oregon on our way home from Alaska in July. Besides the target warblers I would be looking for whatever else I may come across and exploring some new areas.  Thankfully the very early flight down to Dallas was on time and after getting through the airport and then a shuttle to the rental car center (no airport should have a shuttle for rental cars and I usually avoid any airports that have them but no choice this time). Eventually I got on the road around 10AM and then made the three and a half hour drive down to the area where I would be spending the night (an Airbnb in Liberty Hill to the northwest of Austin). Before going to the store for supplies and making it to the Airbnb I wanted to try to get some birding in. My main focus for this portion of the trip was Golden cheeked Warbler…an endangered species that only breeds in the area of central Texas. I was last down in the area back in 2017 (link to hill country post and Big Bend NP) and I remember having good luck at the appropriately named Warbler Vista area of Balcones Canyonlands NWR so that is where I headed. Trying to track down birds on a sunny afternoon with temps around 80 usually doesn’t produce much as the birds get much quieter compared to the morning. Nonetheless I managed to get a Golden cheeked Warbler fairly quickly and got a few photos and recordings. I heard a few others singing although trying to get more photos proved to be a fruitless endeavor for me. The only other species of warbler in the area (and the most abundant) were Orange crowned Warbler. I also tried briefly at Doeskin Ranch (another area of the Balcones Canyonland NWR) for additional Golden cheeked Warblers without any luck. By this time it was getting late afternoon and I still needed to drive a bit to get to my lodging so I headed out. 

Laddder backed Woodpecker, South Llano River SP, Junction, TX, Apr 9, 2026

Black capped Vireo, South Llano River SP, Junction, TX, Apr 9, 2026

My first full day in Texas would be filled with even more driving as I made the long trek out to Big Bend NP. The total trip took over six and a half hours…Big Bend is really in the middle of nowhere! I was out the door early and headed for South Llano River SP in Junction, about two hours away to break the trip up a bit. Not long before I arrived I ran into a few light rain showers and I had to deal with a little drizzle once I arrived. I explored the area for about two and a half hours before hitting the road again. Nothing really rare was found during my time there but it was great to get good looks at quite a few birds including Black capped Vireo. Eventually the sun came out as I travelled further west into more desert like habitat. I made it to my lodging in Terlingua in mid afternoon and settled in to prep for the big hike the following day. 

Colima Warbler, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2026

Rufous crowned Sparrow, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2026

Blue gray Gnatcatcher, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2026

Spotted Towhee, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2026

Townsend's Warbler, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2026

Bushtit, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2026

Chisos Mountains, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2026

Sunrise in the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2026

Friday was the day for a long hike at Big Bend NP to try my luck in finding a Colima Warbler. The species nest mainly in Mexico and only comes across the border to the US in the upper elevations of the Chisos Mountains within the park. The species usually starts to arrive around mid April with a few making it in around the date of my arrival. This year there were no reports so far so I was worried I would miss the species. I arrived in Chisos Basin to start my hike in the dark around 5:20AM and picked the steep Pinnacles Trail to get me into the habitat as soon as possible. I had a few Mexican Whip Poor Wills singing as I walked up making it to the pass right at sunrise. I then walked down Boot Canyon toward Boot Spring. As I picked up various species as they started singing I heard a Colima Warbler singing too. I made it down to the area where I could hear it better and started looking for it. I got a few recordings as I waited to catch a glimpse and eventually I got looks and some marginal photos…very happy to have found my main target and add one of the toughest to get species of warblers in the US for three year. After that everything would be much less stressful as missing the species would have ended my chance of seeing all the warblers in the US for the year. I possibly could have tried the following day if I missed it but that would be a tough proposition with having to drive down to the park again, hike up and back down, spend time looking for the warbler and then make the long drive to New Mexico. I had hopes of finding some more Colima Warblers so I continued on to Boot Spring (which was very quiet) and then started my long descent down via the Colima Trail and then Laguna Meadow Trail. I remembered well from my previous trip to the park that although that route is a bit less steep it is much longer in distance. I continued to add species on the way down and eventually ran out of water near the end. The biggest struggle was my right leg which started hurting not long as the trip down started and got worse the further I went. If I stopped to try to rest it it would stiffen up so I just kept pressing on and finally arrived back at the car around a bit after noon time. I had thoughts of making another few stops but my leg was hurting too much and I was done with walking after 10 plus miles with all of it on mountain trails with no flat areas. A full list from my time in Chisos Basin can be found at the following link: Big Bend trip report.

Total species for the Texas portion of the trip came to 78 species with nine of those species new for me in the state bringing my Texas state total to 279.  Full trip list from Texas at the following link.

More detailed info on warblers for the Texas portion of the trip can be found here: Texas warblers.

LAUGHING GULLS today and CASPIAN TERNS yesterday with some cruddy weather

Laughing Gulls with Bonaparte's Gulls, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Apr 6, 2026

Laughing Gulls with Bonaparte's Gulls, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Apr 6, 2026

Laughing Gulls with Bonaparte's Gulls and Ring billed Gulls, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Apr 6, 2026

Bufflehead, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Apr 6, 2026

Red breasted Merganser, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Apr 6, 2026

Bonaparte's Gulls, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Apr 6, 2026

Sunrise, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Apr 6, 2026

Fox Sparrow, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 5, 2026

Blue winged Teal, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Apr 5, 2026

Common Goldeneyes, Ware, MA, Apr 5, 2026

Lesser Scaup, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 5, 2026

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 5, 2026

Although the last couple days have featured cooler than usual conditions with rain and wind yesterday,  the amount of good birds have been impressive with a number of rarities around.  To start out yesterday before the heavier rain arrived I went to the East Meadows and relocated an early Dunlin Theresa found the previous day as well as over 130 Green winged Teal.  I then stopped briefly at Arcadia where I had a couple Bonaparte's Gulls and a few species of waterfowl.  I made a few more stops on the way home before picking up Wilson for a walk.  After seeing some reports of Caspian Terns in the Berkshires I decided to try my luck at Winsor Dam and this produced a brief look at a Caspian Tern that was rapidly lost in the fog and ever increasing rain.  I tried a few other local ponds and found even more waterfowl likely put down by the weather.  A return trip to Winsor Dam found the visibility improved and I was able to watch two distant Caspian Terns actively feeding and got some videos.  Late in the day I heard from Mary that she had a bunch of waterfowl at Gate 5 so that is where I figured I would head this morning.  Today I walked down to Gate 5 and started scanning the water and turned up a few scattered groups of Bufflehead and Common Mergansers.  I then ran across a group of gulls on the water and although the rising sun was rapidly making viewing tough I noticed the group were all black headed type gulls and I certainly was expecting a group of Bonaparte's Gull but was then surprised to see two larger individuals with darker gray backs on the right side of the group and immediately knew it had to be something good.  I snapped off a few photos and videos and then continued until the sun made viewing near impossible.  I got word out about the gulls and was still trying to figure out if the birds were Laughing Gulls or Franklin's Gulls.  The conditions for viewing improved a bit when some clouds blocked out the sun.  After watching for several minutes the bird flew up and circled around for a bit before heading north.  The birds in flight quickly cinched the identification to Laughing Gulls.  After perhaps ten minutes I caught sight of one of Laughing Gulls heading back south.  It seemed like the gull wanted to settle with the slowly growing flock of Bonaparte's Gull it only circled a few times before continuing off the southwest.  Although Laughing Gulls are quite common on the coast it is not a species that wanders far from the coast and any record inland in the state is noteworthy.  This is only my third record for the species in Hampshire County and the first time I had more than one at a time.  My earlier records for the species include one seen on August 4, 2020 during the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaias moving through and another on September 11, 2020.  With all the unusual species the last few days I have already topped the 100 species point for the month.

Black capped Chickadee, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 1, 2026

I also opened up the water feature to kick off April and have already had eight species of birds and three species of mammals.  The first capture of the year was a Black capped Chickadee.  Hopefully it will be another good year of birds at the water feature.