The end of April with a few unusual birds around but less than ideal migration conditions

Dunlin (really!), Meadow St fields, Amherst, MA, Apr 27, 2022

After work this morning I headed out on a sunny but cold and windy morning trying to track down a Cattle Egret that Mike found yesterday evening.  I drove past the area multiple times with brief stops without any luck until I finally went by again after nine and saw the bird feeding in a grassy field.  The traffic in the area makes it tough to stop so I had to keep going and then turn around and come back to one of the few spots I could pull off in and I could not find the bird again.  I tried multiple vantage points but no luck.  No idea where it went but given the weather conditions I doubt it went to far.  I also checked a few other nearby farms but still had no luck finding the egret again.  A bummer not to get any photos but at least I saw it.  The rest of the day was fairly quiet but I did turn up another new species for the year for me in the county but the wind made tracking down any passerines difficult to say the least.  I suspect there will be a big influx come Sunday (May 1) as the winds will shift around to the south and almost certainly bring in the first big influx of migrants.

After some rain late Tuesday that ended overnight I had a slight hope something of interest would be at Winsor Dam in the morning but a stop at first light didn't turn up anything noteworthy.  I then decided to head over to Amherst to check out the Meadow Street fields in the hopes the Dunlin seen there late yesterday by Joe was still around.  I arrived there just before six and started scanning and after a few minutes I had distant scope views of the breeding plumaged Dunlin.  I tried for some digiscoped shots but the results were less than stellar but at least showed the black belly.  There were a few other shorebirds around in the distant puddle including both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpipers and Killdeer.  I made a few other stops mainly looking for passerines before the winds picked up for the day.  

                                                    Black and White Warbler, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Apr 26, 2022

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Apr 26, 2022

Northern Parula, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Apr 26, 2022

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 26, 2022

There were decent migration conditions from Monday into Tuesday and with that in mind I decided to try a few spots in Hadley at dawn with my first stop to Skinner SP where I added a few new species for the year including an early Wood Thrush and a few Black throated Green Warblers.  I also had a few very vocal Barred Owls that made quite a racket.  I then headed to Mitch's Way and added a few more species.  Although the overall diversity was a little less than expected I still had 45 species with three new species for the year (Rose breasted Grosbeak, Northern Parula and Bank Swallow).  A few other stops didn't turn up anything new but there were certainly new arrivals around.  A late day stop at Winsor Dam in between bouts of rain didn't turn up anything unusual.

Canada Goose on nest, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 25, 2022

Wilson on the trail, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Apr 25, 2022

For my birthday I started my morning along the rail trail in Amherst and eventually caught up with Devin and we birded the area for about three and a half hours (eBird list here)  We didn't have anything too unusual but it was a nice morning to be out and to catch up with Devin.  The rest of the day I spent mainly around the house and reward for sitting out on the deck was my first Ruby throated Hummingbird of the year.

Bufflehead and Lesser Scaup, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 24, 2022

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 24, 2022

I started Sunday at Winsor Dam where I had my first Eastern Whip Poor Will of the year.  I then spent a few hours at Quabbin Park where I had an impressive count of at least 13 Hermit Thrushes plus decent numbers of other early season migrants.  After my time in the park I made another stop at Winsor Dam and had several Bufflehead plus a Lesser Scaup.  I ended the day with the addition of a new species (#174) to the yard list when I noticed an American Bittern pumping away from the marsh (eBird list with recording here)

Field Sparrow with leg band, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 23, 2022

After getting out of work on the 23rd I made a brief stop at Aqua Vitae Road where I had a White crowned Sparrow (likely the overwintering individual) before I made a longer stop at the Fort River section of the Silvio Conte NWR.  Nothing unexpected for that stop but I did get a photo of a Field Sparrow sporting a leg band.

I ended the month with 136 species which is around average for me over the last several years.

The third week of April comes to an end

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Apr 21, 2022

To end the third week of April I made it out this morning after work and took a few short walks in Hadley.  There was the typical collection of expected residents and migrants with the only new species for me being a Northern Waterthrush.  At least it was a little warmer than the previous day but the breeze eventually picked back up and more clouds developed.  In addition I tried again to find some shorebirds in some puddles in the various farm fields in the area but could not find anything beyond some Killdeer.  It was the same story when I tried for shorebirds on my way into work on Wednesday.

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 19, 2022

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 19, 2022

After heavy rain that started on Monday and continued into Tuesday morning I had hopes that the weather might have grounded some migrants but multiple checks at Winsor Dam and a few nearby waterbodies didn't turn up anything of note.  It was cool and rainy for the morning but thankfully we missed out on any snow but the hills to the west ended up with a few inches of snow while areas further west into New York got over a foot of snow.  Even without anything storm related there was still stuff to be seen.

Glossy Ibis, South Hadley, MA, Apr 18, 2022

Glossy Ibis, South Hadley, MA, Apr 18, 2022

As I was heading out the door to run some errands in Granby on Monday afternoon I saw a report of a Glossy Ibis in South Hadley and I decided to go check it out and make sure it was not something even rarer.  The bird was in a small pool of water in a farm field and seemed content and was actively feeding.  Glossy Ibis can be a tough species to find some years so I was happy to see one show up nearby (thanks to May K. for the original sighting).

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 18, 2022

Pine Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 18, 2022

Hooded Mergansers, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 18, 2022

Horned Grebe, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 18, 2022

Broad winged Hawk, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2022

Savannah Sparrow, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2022

Blue gray Gnatcatcher, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2022

After the previous days cold and wind, Monday was bright and sunny all day with temps that made it to the upper 50's with light wind for most of the morning.  I stayed around the local area with the main goal being to track down any early arriving warblers I could find and I was lucky to find an early Black and White Warbler at Quabbin Park (more on warblers for the day at the following link).  Once I got home and picked up Wilson we went for a walk and had two flyover Sandhill Cranes calling and heading east.  A check of several nearby fields failed to turn them up on the ground.

Brown Thrasher, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 17, 2022

Tree Swallow, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 17, 2022

Great Blue Heron nest building, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2022

Wilson ready to eat some snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 17, 2022

Sunday started out sunny but it clouded up quickly and by the afternoon we had a few snow showers move through (which Wilson enjoyed).  I hit a few spots in Hadley and Amherst before heading back home and the most productive spot was a flooded field in Amherst that held several species of shorebird including a somewhat early Spotted Sandpiper.  I also had a few passerines including my first House Wren of the season.

Great Egret, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 16, 2022

Pied billed Grebe, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 16, 2022

Great Blue Herons nest building, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 16, 2022

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 16, 2022

On Saturday I started the morning at Winsor Dam where I had all three species of mergansers including three Red breasted Mergansers.  I then headed over to Lake Wallace where I had a decent selection of species with several recently arrived migrants plus a few Great Blue Herons building nests.  It has been a few years since the species has nested here so it was good to see them back.  My next stop was over to the rail trail in Amherst which turned out to be fairly quiet compared to the day before but the Pied billed Grebe continued to show very well.  I got a message late in the day from Theresa about a Great Egret at Lake Wallace and after dinner and in between bouts of heavier rain I made a quick stop and easily found the Great Egret (the species is fairly common in fall but less so in the spring).

The middle of April

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Apr 15, 2022

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Apr 15, 2022

Blue winged Teal, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Apr 15, 2022

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Apr 15, 2022

Common Grackle with nest material, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 15, 2022

Wilson, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Apr 13, 2022

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 11, 2022

Blue Jay, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 10, 2022

Rusty Blackbird, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 10, 2022

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 9, 2022

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 9, 2022

The middle of April has arrived and with it a notable uptick in early season migrants with several new arrivals the last few days thanks to southerly winds and warmer than average temperatures.  Warblers have increased with ever increasing numbers of the typical early migrants (more on warblers for the middle of the month at the following link).  The weather the last few days have been good for migrants with some southerly winds and above normal temps (highs into the 70').  Among the notable species in the last week or so include a flyover Sandhill Crane in Hadley and my first Broad winged Hawk, Brown Thrasher, Blue gray Gnatcatcher and Blue headed Vireo for the year in the county.  I'm sure a lot more stuff will arrive in the very near future.

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 9, 2022

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 9, 2022

Black capped Chickadees with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 9, 2022

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands and Tufted Titmouse, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 11, 2022

Black capped Chickadees with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 11, 2022

I continue to get multiple banded Black capped Chickadees coming into the feeders with some coming into the recently opened water feature.  So far the water feature has captured a half a dozen species but nothing unexpected yet.

Egg in duck box #1

Hooded Merganser eggs in duck box #2

Eggs in duck box #3, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 15, 2022

I have also been keeping a close watch on the three duck boxes at home and a check today revealed a fresh egg in box #1, a Hooded Merganser sitting on eggs in box #2 and a large number of eggs continuing in box #3.

First week of April with multiple new arrivals of early migrants

Chipping Sparrow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 7, 2022

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 7, 2022

Rusty Blackbird, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 7, 2022

I wrapped up the first week of April by making a few stops on my way home from work including the rail trail in Amherst where I had my first Eastern Towhee of the season plus a few Rusty Blackbirds and a large group of Blue Jays that appeared to be migrating through.  Lake Wallace featured the expected species as did Winsor Dam.  I spent most of the remainder of the day around the house with rain moving in during the afternoon and sticking around the rest of the day.  Heavy rain should move in overnight with strong east winds.  It will be interesting to see if anything gets put down by the weather.

Louisiana Waterthrush, Williamsburg, MA, Apr 5, 2022

Common Merganser, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Apr 5, 2022

Red shouldered Hawk, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 5, 2022

Pine Warbler, Herman Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Apr 5, 2022

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 5, 2022

Eggs in duck box #2, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 5, 2022

Eggs in duck box #3, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 5, 2022

Wilson enjoying the sun, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 5, 2022

After getting out of work on Tuesday morning I headed up to Williamsburg to follow up on a couple Louisiana Waterthrushes that Mary found the day before.  I had at least one and possibly two despite the temperatures being a bit below freezing.  This resulted in my earliest date ever for Louisiana Waterthrush in the county (more on the mornings warblers at the following link).  Once I had seen the waterthrush after quite of bit of looking I headed down to Arcadia briefly.  I then made a stop at Lake Wallace mainly looking for my first Palm Warbler of the season but came up empty (all was not lost as I had my first Barn Swallow of the year there).  Once I got home and picked up Wilson we took a walk at Herman Covey WMA where we had a couple Pine Warblers with one showing quite well.  I had an appointment midday in Hadley and was able to make a stop along the rail trail where I finally caught up with a Palm Warbler...a three warbler day for me and just the beginning of what is to come.  The day turned out to be quite pleasant with sun most of the day and temperatures that reached around 60.  I checked the duck boxes and still have eggs in two of the boxes but no bird sitting on the eggs yet.

Pied billed Grebe, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 3, 2022

Green winged Teal, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 3, 2022

Pileated Woodpecker, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 3, 2022

White throated Sparrow, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 3, 2022

Eastern Phoebe, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 3, 2022

Northern Pintail, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 3, 2022

Sunday found me starting my morning at Silvio Conte NWR and then over to the rail trail with the main goal being an overdue Pine Warbler and possibly a Palm Warbler.  I struck out on both of these species but did have some waterfowl but nothing unusual.  I then headed to Lake Wallace and had even more waterfowl but still no warblers.  The highlights at Lake Wallace included my first Northern Rough winged Swallow among the Tree Swallows and continued Blue winged Teal, Northern Pintails and Pied billed Grebe.  I then made a number of other stops in the south Quabbin area still trying in vain to track down a Pine Warbler.  All my looking in usually productive spots for Pine Warbler turned out to be unnecessary as I had one at the house late in the afternoon...it sang several times but appeared to be moving through and it disappeared to the northeast before I could get a photo.  Some light rain moved in during the afternoon and continued on and off the rest of the day. 

Green winged Teal, Meadow St fields, Amherst, MA, Apr 2, 2022

Blue winged Teal, Meadow St fields, Amherst, MA, Apr 2, 2022

American Wigeon, Meadow St fields, Amherst, MA, Apr 2, 2022

Northern Harrier, Meadow St fields, Amherst, MA, Apr 2, 2022

Pectoral Sandpiper, Meadow St fields, Amherst, MA, Apr 2, 2022

Saturday started off cool and windy and some snow flurries early on before it became sunny.  The wind made being outside a bit uncomfortable but I made the best of it with a few short walks and various stops mainly looking for waterfowl.  The most productive stop was in a flooded field in the area of Meadow Street on the Amherst/Hadley line.  I had a large gathering of Green winged Teal (90+) and three Blue winged Teal plus a half dozen other species of waterfowl.  Shorebirds also made a good early season showing with five Pectoral Sandpipers, at least 29 Killdeer and a few Wilson's Snipe.  Passserines were had to come by given the cold and windy conditions. 

Red shouldered Hawk, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 2, 2022

Wild Turkey, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 2, 2022

I had a few birds around the yard on Saturday including a small group of turkeys with a displaying male showing off for all the females as well as a pair of Red shouldered Hawks that appear to have set up a territory near the house with lots of calling and flying around.

Blue winged Teal, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 1, 2022

Red breasted Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 1, 2022

Common Mergansers, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Apr 1, 2022

Common Merganser, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Apr 1, 2022

Bufflehead, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Apr 1, 2022

Ring necked Ducks, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Apr 1, 2022

Lesser Scaup, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Apr 1, 2022

Rainbow at Quabbin, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 1, 2022

To start the month off I was out the door before dawn and headed over to Lake Wallace to look for marsh birds and waterfowl and had a Virginia Rail and half a dozen species of waterfowl including the continuing pair of Blue winged Teal.  I then went to Winsor Dam to see if anything got grounded by the heavy rain last night.  I had some good luck with three Red breasted Mergansers (including an adult male) and a Long tailed Duck.  The rain then redeveloped and came down heavily for a bit.  I decided to run some errands but not before making a very rainy stop at Beaver Lake which produced more species of waterfowl.  After running errands I made a stop back to Winsor Dam but the ducks present earlier had cleared out.  The sun tried to poke through the clouds a few times but didn't have too much luck.  After a walk with Wilson I made a return trip to Lake Wallace trying for some early season warblers but found none.  The trip was worth it nonetheless when I had a Sora whinny spontaneously from the marsh.  Overall a good start to the month of April.

Bobcat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 3, 2022

Wood Ducks, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 28, 2022

Opossum, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 24, 2022

Bobcat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 24, 2022

Gray Squirrel, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 15, 2022

Eastern Chipmunk, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 4, 2022

Beaver, Home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 24, 2022

Raccoons, Home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 16, 2022

Eastern Coyote, Home, Belchertown, MA, Feb 7, 2022

I finally got around to checking the game camera I have set up along the Jabish Brook at home and found a nice selection of mammals and a few Wood Ducks among the several hundred photos captured over the last couple months.  Gray Squirrel was by far the most common mammal but I caught a number of others too.