Breeding Bird Survey completed this morning

Great Blue Heron, Breeding bird survey stop #9, Ware, MA, Jun 6, 2026

White tailed Deer, Breeding bird survey stop #21, Palmer, MA, Jun 6, 2026

Prairie Warbler, Breeding bird survey stop #34, Monson, MA, Jun 6, 2026

Northern Yellow Warbler, Breeding bird survey stop #40, Monson, MA, Jun 6, 2026

Sawmill Brook, Breeding bird survey stop #42, Monson, MA, Jun 6, 2026

Farm fields, Breeding bird survey stop #31, Monson, MA, Jun 6, 2026

UMASS orchard, Breeding bird survey stop #3, Belchertown, MA, Jun 6, 2026

Although I usually try to run by annual breeding bird survey route on a Sunday the forecast looked better for Saturday so I ran it today.  With our weekends always seeming to produce less than stellar weather I did not want to take a chance and wait for a later Sunday in June.  Breeding bird surveys are long term studies to look at breeding species along a 25 mile route with three minute stops every 1/2 mile.  The survey starts early (4:42AM) so being a morning person certainly helps!  This was my 17th consecutive year conducting this route that starts in Belchertown and continues south to the Connecticut state line.  Although not a record breaking year for species I still had a good showing with a total of 75 species.  The top five species as far as being recorded at the most stops included  American Robin (40 stops), Gray Catbird (31 stops), Ovenbird (30 stops), American Crow (29 stops) and Red eyed Vireo (28 stops).  No new species for the route this year so my total whole conducting the route still stands at 114 species.  Full trip report at the following link: BBS 2026 trip report.

Below is table of each year I have conducted the survey with # of species seen and date of survey

year            # of species            date of survey 

2010             71                         June 20 

2011             64                         June 26 

2012             56                         June 3 

2013             67                         June 23 

2014             70                         June 15 

2015             75                         June 14 

2016             78                         June 19 

2017             73                         June 22 

2018             71                         June 22 

2019             83                         June 9 

2020             76                         June 14 

2021             71                         June 19 

2022             78                         June 5 

2023             77                         June 25 

2024             84                         June 2

2025             77                         June 8

2026             75                         June 6