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.

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.