Saturday, May 11, 2024

Global Big Day

 

Chestnut sided Warbler at nest, Quabbin Park, MA, May 11, 2024
Ovenbird, Quabbin Park, MA, May 11, 2024
Brewster's Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst,  MA, May 11, 2024
Field Sparrow, Rail trail, Amherst,  MA, May 11, 2024

Today was the annual Global Big Day put on by eBird to try to encourage the maximum number of people to get out and bird and see how many species can be seen globally in a single day, with all the sightings being entered into eBird.  What did that mean to me?  Not much of a change from a typical day for me in migration season.  After a fitful night of sleep I was up before dawn and managed to catch just the tail end of a major aurora event...wish I was not so sleepy from muscle relaxers as the activity was apparently much more impressive around midnight.  With less than stellar migration conditions overnight there was not a big influx of new species but there were certainly birds around as it is May.  I ended the day with 117 species and I'm sure if I could have put in my usual effort and visited less accessible locations I would have added to that total.  Warblers were a major focus and I had 22 species plus multiple continued hybrids.

Rose breasted Grosbeak, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 10, 2024
Blue winged Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 10, 2024
Mourning Dove nest with young, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 10, 2024
Bay breasted Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 9, 2024
American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2024
Brewster's Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 9, 2024
Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 8, 2024
Gray Catbird with nest material, Quabbin Park, MA, May 8, 2024
Wilson enjoying the sun, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 7, 2024

The last few days before the Global Big Day I spent mainly trying to chase down warblers within the limitations I have (ie. no climbing up and down mountains on uneven trails) and have had some fairly productive days with everyday producing 100+ species with lots of warblers among them.

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