Harris's Sparrow, San Pedro House, Sierra Vista, AZ, Feb 23, 2025
Blackburnian Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025
White Ibis, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 25, 2025
Yellow rumped Warbler 'Audubon's', Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Dec 13, 2025
Another revolution around the sun is now complete and 2025 has now come to an end. The year went by fast with several trips away from the area and lots of birds at home. I also retired from the fire department in July. My trips away from the area included Costa Rica in late January into early February, a brief stop in Florida on my way home from Costa Rica, southeast Arizona in February, another trip to Costa Rica in March into early April with the first part in the Arenal area and the second at Hotel Quelitales and a short getaway to the Finger Lakes in July. A trip to south Texas had to be cancelled due to some issues with Wilson. I found a total of 614 species for the year with 18 life species broken down as follows: 1 on the January Costa Rica trip, 3 in Arizona in February, 10 during the March/April trip to Costa Rica and 4 on the June Arizona trip. I also gained six species in the latest taxonomic update. My life total now stands at 2184 species. Within Hampshire County I had 245 species with three new for me in the county (Stilt Sandpiper, White Ibis and LeConte's Sparrow). I also added a new subspecies (Audubon's Warbler) in the county that will likely be split at some point and be elevated back to a full species. The 245 species for the year ties me for my second best year ever in the county with only 2021 having a higher total (249). My overall total for Hampshire County now stands at 310 species. Keeping track of all these numbers was possible thanks to eBird and I was able to help this citizen science project by submitting 5200+ lists.
Warblers once again figured prominently into my birding and a more detailed look at them for the year can be found at the following link: warblers of 2025.
I got out of work on the first and immediately started adding species for the year and by the end of the first three days I had added a number of notable species including Western Meadowlark, Cape May Warbler, Eastern Phoebe and both species of vultures. By the end of the first week I was off to a record setting pace for the year with 90 species.
The rarities and lingering species continued through the second week of January with the most unusual being a Trumpeter Swan.
As the third week of the month came to an end the weather turned stormy with more cold and snow with some brutal cold to end the third week of the month.
By nearly the end of the month I had managed to reach my second highest total ever for January in the county with 103 species (falling just short of my best January in 2021 when I had 105 species).
I finished off the first month of the year with an overdue trip back to the south Pacific area of Costa Rica where I stayed at an airbnb in a large refuge on land just a bit higher in elevation to the now closed Rio Magnolia Lodge. I had my first life bird of the year there with a Bare shanked Screech Owl. It was bittersweet to be back in the area of Rio Magnolia Lodge...a place I think of as one of my favorite places.
I made a brief stop in Florida on my way home from Costa Rica and added a bunch of species for the year. I stayed close to Orlando and visited areas to the east of the city.
I returned home to continued to snow and cold and that hellish weather continued past the middle of the month as we endured a more typical winter after having a few years of less snow and ice.
The month of February ended on a slightly warmer note and gave the impression that winter might finally be loosening its grip.
To start March I caught up with a Trumpeter Swan that showed up at the UMASS pond. It was likely the same bird that showed up at the Holyoke Dam in mid January and then was seen sporadically in a few areas along the river for weeks.
The rest of the a record setting first week of March continued to produce some great species of waterfowl with Pink footed Goose, Cackling Goose and various unique looking Canada Geese as well as a banded goose from Greenland. Greater White fronted Geese also showed up and by the end of the first week I had 87 species for the county including twenty species of waterfowl.
As we continued into the start of the second week more waterfowl continued to arrive and by the middle of the month I continued on a record past for March. The middle of the month also marked Wilson's 14th birthday and sadly the 15th anniversary of our loss of Kody.
The third week of March featured even more waterfowl including unusual species like Redhead and Northern Shoveler. I tied my record for species in March for the county on the 20th with 107 species. I also got my first egg in my duck boxes and got the water feature operational again as the third week came to an end.
To finish out March we took a trip down to Costa Rica with the trip starting off at Arenal Observatory Lodge followed by a few days at a nearby hotel outside of La Fortuna where Sherri had a conference. This was our second trip to the Arenal area with our first trip being March of last year. This was my 17th trip down to Costa Rica. Although the weather was a bit rainy, there were still tons of birds to see.
After our time in the Arenal area Sherri got dropped off at the airport and I stayed a few more days in an area to the east of San Jose at Hotel Quelitales. I had the location almost all to myself and I found five new life birds during my short stay.
Once back home I caught up with numerous new species for the year as migration started to move along. The first week or so featured mainly cooler than normal temps with bouts of both rain and snow. The weather put down birds on multiple days including a record setting day for Horned Grebes.
By the middle of the month more migrants were showing up and I once again had eggs in all three of my duck boxes for another year. As the third week of April approached there was a big influx of early season migrants
To start the fourth week I had a large group of Bonaparte's Gulls put down by some rainy weather as well as loads of Yellow rumped Warblers. After that the remainder of week had mainly decent migration conditions and this resulted in lots of new (and early) arrivals including a Purple Martin back in Hadley.
Migration conditions were great through the end of April with lots of early arrivals. Thanks to that fact I had my best April in the county with an amazing 163 species.
I started May catching up with more new arrivals including a returning Brewster's Warbler as the first couple days featured sunny conditions and good migration conditions. The weather then turned unsettled with multiple days of rain during which I had a record high count of Common Loons with at least 113 at Winsor Dam.
As the second week of May began the weather turned a little rainy and the rain put down some Brant at Winsor Dam...an unusual spring species. I also reached the 200 species mark in Hampshire County on May 9th which was the earliest date I have ever reached this milestone.
The occasionally rainy weather continued through the 10th when I finally managed to make it over to the East Meadows to check out the shorebird show that included Dunlin and Shirt billed Dowitchers. Other notables for the second week of May included my second Orange crowned Warbler of the spring as well as lots of other migrants as conditions were great for birds to move most nights. By the end of the second week I had reached 160 species for the month.
For the third week of May the migration conditions were good to start out the period but then changed to a multi day stretch of cool and occasionally rainy weather that shut down migration and certainly made life tough for some birds.
Hooded Merganser eggs in duck box #2, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 24, 2025
Olive sided Flycatcher, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, May 24, 2025
Blue Jay, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 26, 2025
Eastern Bluebird nestlings, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 27, 2025
Veery, Quabbin Park, MA, May 27, 2025
Black and White Warbler, Ware, MA, May 29, 2025
Mourning Dove fledgling, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, May 30, 2025
During the fourth week of May a number of late season migrants arrived and I completed yet another year of the annual bird census at Kevin and Cynthia's property. By the end of the month I had tallied 170 species in the county, which is about average for me.
Wild Turkey, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 1, 2025
Olive sided Flycatcher, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 1, 2025
Cerulean Warbler banding, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 3, 2025
Goodnough Dike at sunset, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 4, 2025
American Redstart nest with young, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 6, 2025
To start off June I guided for a birder from India and conducted my annual Eastern Whip Poor Will surveys plus my breeding bird survey route.
Lucy's Warblers, Agua Caliente Park, Tucson, AZ, Jun 10, 2025
Olive Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025
Virginia's Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025
Red faced Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 10, 2025
Bushtit, Madera Canyon, AZ, Jun 12, 2025
Broad billed Hummingbird, Santa Rita Lodge, Madera Canyon, AZ, Jun 12, 2025
Black throated Gray Warbler, Mount Lemmon, AZ, Jun 13, 2025
Late in June I made a short trip out to southeast Arizona where I had a great time despite the heat with four life birds for the trip.
Purple Martin. Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jun 16, 2025
Brewster's Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 20, 2025
Cedar Waxwing, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025
Bobcat, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 21, 2025
Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 25, 2025
Muskrat, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Jun 28, 2025
Pileated Woodpecker, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025
American Redstart with odd plumage, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025
Toward the end of June I got some Prescott Peninsula field surveys done and by the end of the month I got lots more evidence of breeding birds having some success.
July started out with lots more breeding activity through the first week. Some sad news arrived going into the second week of June when I heard of the passing of Tom Gagnon, a friend and long time birder in the valley.
By the end of the third week of July I found some Least Bitterns and had a new species in the county with a brief look at a Stilt Sandpiper in the East Meadows. This was quickly followed by another new county species for me with a White Ibis I found on the 26th.
I hit a big life milestone when I retired at the end of the month and ended a 33 year career in the fire and EMS field. By the end of the month I found more species for the year including a Glossy Ibis...two ibis species for the month!
I started off August with an impressive 100 species and by the end of first week I was off to a record setting pace for the month. I had a Snowy Egret on the 9th and continued to find good stuff throughout the second week of August.
Temps started to cool off for the third week of the month and migrants started to trickle in. As the month closed out I had some early warblers and my highest count ever for Green Herons with 33 individuals at Lake Wallace. By the end of the month I had managed to have my second highest species total for August ever in the county.
I started off September with a decent first three days with 121 species. The beginning of the second week brought Buff breasted Sandpiper and Black Tern and the week continued to produce more early fall migrants.
By mid month migration was in full swing and had a long time with a Connecticut Warbler. We had great migration conditions through the third week of the month.
The end of the month brought a Clay colored Sparrow, a big influx of Blackpoll Warblers and a bit of a warm up
October began with a possible hybrid Yellow rumped Warbler and lots of other migrants. Migration conditions continued to be good through the first week and into the beginning of the second week with a huge migration on the night of the 8th into the 9th.
On the 12th I added a new species to my Hampshire County list with a LeConte's Sparrow. After a nor'easter migration continued to be mainly favorable for birds through third week of October. Waterfowl continued to increase as the month came to an end.
I started off November with a Black headed Gull at Winsor Dam and turned up more species to end the first week of the month. Sadly this also marked when Wilson's tumor on his foot ruptured again and started some very stressful decision making on our part.
To start the second week of the month a Great Cormorant made an appearance at Winsor Dam. Another rarity showed up on the 12th with a Barrow's Goldeneye. I also added six new species to my life list with the latest taxonomic update with eBird.
The third week of November brought a Palm Warbler and increasing numbers of a few species of irruptives. As the month came to an end I had an Audubon's subspecies of Yellow rumped Warbler...a subspecies (and likely full species) that had never before been seen in the county.
December started off cold and a bit snowy but still produced some good stuff including a few Yellow rumped Warblers including the continued Audubon's Warbler. By the end of the first week I was on a record setting pace for the month.
Mid month brought a snowy Christmas Bird Count and I found several unusual species. I continued to find more and more species and reached a hundred species on the 18th. I found a Barrow's Goldeneye on the 23rd and then had a Snowy Owl on Christmas Eve that pushed me to 103 species for the month...my highest total ever.
As always I will take a look now at where I may be headed for birds over the next year. We will be headed to Florida (a bit north of Orlando) for an extended stayed for several weeks before heading home again. Then I will be making a short trip to south Texas and then onto southeast Arizona for a bit from later February into early March. Summer will find us making a long overdue trip up to Alaska and then down to Washington state in July. After that I'm not too sure at this point. All of these trips are subject to change depending mainly on Wilson. Time will tell on what the new year will bring for all of us.
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