The end of October

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 28, 2026

Black Scoters, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 28, 2026

Eastern Marsh Wren, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 29, 2026

Purple Finches, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 29, 2026

Savannah Sparrow, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 29, 2026

Carolina Wren, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 29, 2026

Red breasted Nuthatch, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 29, 2026

Song Sparrow, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 30, 2026

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 31, 2026

The end of October has now arrived and with it comes the tail end of fall migration.  The days of warblers and other neotropical migrants are now largely behind us.  The upcoming month of November will feature more waterfowl, late season migrants and the ever present possibilities of rarities showing up.  It also brings progressively colder weather and eventually snow.  We enjoyed continued mainly sunny weather to end out the month with largely pleasant days with a few cold starts.  I spent a lot of time trying to track down late season warblers and as I searched for late season warblers I came across some other decent species including a Marsh Wren and ever increasing numbers of Purple Finches and Pine Siskins.

White throated Sparrow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 29, 2026

I also closed up the water feature for the year with the last visitor this year being a White throated Sparrow.