Migration peaks as the third week of September ends

Blue headed Vireo, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 15, 2026

Rainbow, Arcadia, Easthampton, MA, Sep 16, 2026

Green Heron, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 14, 2026

Black Vulture, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 14, 2026

Least Skipper, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 14, 2026

Eastern tailed Blue, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 14, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 12,  2026

American Redstart, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2026

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2026

Ovenbird, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2026

It has been tough each and every day to get over the loss of my long term birding bud Wilson and I have tried to get out birding to get my mind off of him for awhile but as he was with me constantly most every place I go reminded me of him.  I sincerely hope it will get better with time and I think it will however at this point it is tough beyond words.  He was such a huge part of my life I feel empty without him.  To just add to the shitty last week and a half my camera broke and I had to send it back to Canon for a several hundred dollar repair.  I have tried to use my old Canon 7D without a lot of success.  Migration continues as the peak of diversity arrives and I have had some decent mornings and I reached a milestone on the 17th with my 500th species in the US this year with a Philadelphia Vireo (I have never had this many species in the US in a single year as I typically don't travel as widely in the US in a single year).  Hopefully I will get my camera back soon and can add some photos...for now the selection of photos is quite limited.  On a positive note I got to bird a little with former valley birders Devin and Aidan on the 14th at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River.

A couple rainy mornings to start off September downs a few shorebirds

Pectoral Sandpiper, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 1, 2026

Two mornings of rain produced a great assortment of shorebirds with the most productive morning by far being the first day of the month.  On the first I woke up before dawn and saw the heavy rain predicted overnight had not materialized as much as predicted.  Nonetheless I headed out at first light to check Winsor Dam (which was quiet) and then did some local birding as the rain steadily moved in and eventually I got rained out on my final walk.  I then returned home and waited for someone to come by to give me an estimate on some work at the house.  I saw a text that a few American Golden Plovers showed up in Hadley.  A rarity but not unexpected on the date.  By this time the rain had stopped and was not planning on heading out again but the pull of something even rarer found me making a drive over to the Honey Pot.  When I arrived I scanned a variety of fields and turned up loads of Killdeer plus a few Least Sandpipers, Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpipers plus at least one Blue Grosbeak.  A slug of heavy rain then arrived and as I was making a final scan and getting soaked I heard a Buff breasted Sandpiper calling overhead.  I continued scanning from the car and then once the rain let up a little I scanned more fields with never finding the bird.  I was certain it set down due to the weather although there is a chance it continued on (or dropped down and then took off without being seen when the rain let up).  All was not lost as a had at least two (possibly three) American Golden Plovers so added two new species for the year in the matter on an hour (species #497 and #498 for the US this year and species #223 and 224 for Hampshire County).  Once I retuned home I got a text from Ted letting me know he found a Baird's Sandpiper at the Holyoke Dam and also got an email about a Ruddy Turnstone found by some UMASS students on the Hadley/Amherst line.  I didn't try for either as I had some obligations at home.

Ovenbird, Belchertown, MA, Sep 2, 2026

Pine Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 2, 2026

Wild Turkey, Belchertown, MA, Sep 2, 2026

Between the mornings of rain I was able to get out with the main focus being warblers (and other passerines) and I had some stuff despite poor migration conditions and a bit of a breeze at times.

Spotted Sandpiper, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Sep 3, 2026

American Redstart, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Sep 3, 2026

Today the rain had largely passed by overnight with just a few sprinkles early in the morning.  The winds were not really conducive for great migration but I figured I would give it a try to find grounded migrants (spoiler alert I found little of note).  I tried the Honey Pot first and found just Killdeer and a few Least Sandpipers.  I then headed down to the Holyoke Dam and the only shorebirds present were a couple Spotted Sandpipers.  Despite the lack of shorebirds I did find a good selection of species to add to the month total for the county.  I expect some good stuff once the winds change to a more northerly direction heading into the weekend.

The first few days of August

Gray Catbird, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Aug 5, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Aug 5, 2026

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2026

Wood Duck, Rail Trail,  Amherst, MA, Aug 4, 2026

Red tailed Hawk, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Aug 4, 2026

 

Black throated Green Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 2, 2026

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 2, 2026

Killdeer, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 2, 2026

Looking northeast from Gate 52 over a low reservoir, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 2, 2026

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 1, 2026

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Skinner SP, South Hadley, MA, Aug 1, 2026

House Wren nest with nestlings, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 1, 2026

It has been a somewhat average start to August with widely variable weather including some humidity, heavy rain and then more fall like days with cool mornings.  I got out at least a bit every morning and found a total of 126 species so far with the only somewhat unusual species being continued numbers of Red Crossbills in various locations, Grasshopper Sparrow, a slightly late Orchard Oriole and continued Blue Grosbeaks in Hadley.   We are forecast to warm up again with a possible heat wave starting tomorrow and lasting into the weekend.  I will get out early to beat the heat.  On a bird related note the American Ornithological Society (AOS) is in the midst of having their annual conference and this year it is occurring at UMASS!  Wish it was not so expensive to go as it would have been interesting to hear some of the talks and presentations.  

Brief trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin produces three new warbler species for the year (and lots of other stuff)

Kirtland's Warbler, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

Kirtland's Warbler, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

Kirtland's Warbler with leg bands, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

Kirtland's Warbler, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

Jack Pine habitat, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

Golden winged Warbler, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

Golden winged Warbler, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

Nashville Warbler, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

Mourning Warbler, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

Brewster's Warbler, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

American Redstart, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

Northern Waterthrush, Marinette County, WI, Jul 10, 2026

I flew out of Hartford late morning on Thursday the 9th into Minneapolis to begin a roughly two week vacation away with multiple stops before heading back home. The main part of the trip would be Alaska (covered in a later post) with the bookends being Minnesota/Wisconsin at the beginning and Oregon at the end (also covered in a later post). The first part of the trip I would be on my own with the goal being to track down at least two and possibly three species of warblers I had not yet seen for the year in the continental US (Kirtland’s Warbler, Golden winged Warbler and Connecticut Warbler)…much more on that at the following post: Minnesota and Wisconsin warblers.  I arrived in the early afternoon and after a little snafu with picking up the rental car I started the long (about 5 1/2 hour) drive to my Airbnb in northeast Wisconsin near the Michigan border. I eventually made it to the lodging around 7:30, had a quick dinner, a shower and went off to bed to try to get some sleep. However the place I rented was a basement location and the noise from above was super annoying and sleep was in short supply. 

With little sleep I headed out before dawn to drive to a spot to the south about 40 minutes away to try to find my first target…the Kirtland’s Warbler. I would have a much better chance to catch up with a Kirtland’s Warbler in their core breeding range in the lower peninsula of Michigan but I really didn’t want another three plus hour drive each way to get there. After lots of messages with a few people ‘in the know’ as far as possible locations for the species I had what I hoped would be a productive plan to find one. The species came close to extinction just a few decades ago and after lots of effort to provide suitable habitat (they need Jack Pines at a height of five to fifteen or so for breeding locations) and control of Brown headed Cowbirds the species has rebounded and has now been taken off the endangered species list. Wisconsin is at the periphery of the range and the area I would be checking has just a few nesting pairs and the locations are kept secret to protect the species. I arrived in one spot before sunrise and was immediately entertained by some Common Nighthawks calling and diving and making the unique booming sound as they drop from height and pull up just before hitting the ground. As I was enjoying the nighthawks I heard a Kirtland’s Warbler singing…target one down for the day. I then spent the next hour or so trying to get looks, photos and recordings. I had at least two males and a female present in a roughly 60 acre pine lot with the perfect height trees present. One of the males had color bands and I’ll see what I can find out about the history of the individual. I also had a number of other warbler species present with Nashville Warblers being the most prevalent (a theme that continued all day). I moved around the area a bit over the next few hours and found another pair of a Kirtland’s Warblers as well as great selection of other species (warblers and others). With the Kirtland’s Warbler in the bag my next target was Golden winged Warbler. I checked a few good looking spots before eventually seeing one and by end of the morning I had seen several including adults carrying food and fledglings being fed. I even had a Brewster’s Warbler hybrid feeding typical looking Golden winged Warbler fledglings. Besides warblers I had a bunch of other species I was able to add for the day and I had a total of 75 species. 

Canada Jay, Sax Zim Bog, MN, Jul 11, 2026

Blackburnian Warbler, Sax Zim Bog, MN, Jul 11, 2026

Ruffed Grouse, Sax Zim Bog, MN, Jul 11, 2026

Mourning Warbler, Sax Zim Bog, MN, Jul 11, 2026

Magnolia Warbler, Sax Zim Bog, MN, Jul 11, 2026

Boreal forest, Sax Zim Bog, MN, Jul 11, 2026

Without knowing how I would fare on Friday I kept my options open for Saturday. If I had failed to find a Kirtland’s Warbler I planned to perhaps make a trip into Michigan but thankfully I did not have to do that. Instead I decided to get up even earlier on Saturday and make the long drive back to Minnesota with the destination being the famous Sax Zim bog area a few hours north of Minneapolis. The area is very well known as a destination in the winter for those looking for owls and other northern birds but the summer also holds the chance of finding some interesting species with the chief among those being Connecticut Warblers. The downside of heading there is it is another long drive and to get there early enough to have a chance of getting birds while they are still singing meant another very early morning. Even getting up early I still did not get there until around 7AM (it’s a nearly five hour drive so tough to get there at first light!). The area had the feel and sound of the boreal north with both Red Crossbills and White winged Crossbills, Pine Siskins and Canada Jays. Not long after I arrived I heard a Connecticut Warbler sing in the distance and despite lots of effort on my part I never got eyes on the bird and I only heard it sing one more time and it was even more distant. Although I would have loved to have gotten a look I was very happy to finally hear this warbler sing on its breeding grounds. I have actually never heard the song in real life until that morning as the fall birds that come through are not singing and only call. I then tried a few other areas to try to find another Connecticut Warbler before I returned to the original area before heading toward the airport just after noon. I had no luck with finding any others or seeing or hearing the original one again. Nonetheless the warbler became warbler species #51 And was the last one I needed to find for the year in the continental US. This was also one of two warbler species this year that was heard only although I hope to track down some this fall at home.  I hit another milestone by topping my best ever year total for species in the US with White winged Crossbill breaking my previous best total of 449 set way back in 2011. This is all thanks to multiple trips to various parts of the US at various seasons.  It was a great morning in the area with multiple new species for the year with sunny weather every day with progressively warmer temps that topped off in the low 90’s.  I finished the day with 82 species, including 13 species of warblers.

During my short time in the area I found a total of 110 species and added two new states to my travel list.  In Minnesota I had 79 species and in Wisconsin I had 84 species (obviously some overall of species).

Full eBird trip report here:  Minnesota and Wisconsin trip report

Very hot start to July with a multi day heat wave

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 1, 2026

Red eyed Vireo, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 1, 2026

Scarlet Tanager, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 1, 2026

Yellow throated Vireo, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 1, 2026

Peregrine Falcons, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jul 2, 2026

Common Yellowthroat during banding process, Silvio Conte NWR- Fort River, Hadley, MA, Jul 2, 2026

Blackburnian Warbler fledgling, Mount Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jul 3, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Mount Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jul 3, 2026

Prairie Warbler, Mount Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jul 3, 2026

Turkey Vultures, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Jul 3, 2026

Downy Woodpecker, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Jul 3, 2026

Sun through the trees on a very humid morning, Mount Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jul 3, 2026

White spotted Skipper, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 3, 2026

Eastern Bluebird nest construction underway, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 3, 2026

Chestnut sided Warbler fledgling, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 4, 2026

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 4, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 4, 2026

Wood Duck with ducklings, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jul 4, 2026

White tailed Deer, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 4, 2026

A heat wave that started on the last day of June continued into the first four days of July with highs that reached the upper 90's with high humidity on multiple days.  I started the month by tracking down all the regularly occurring warblers in Hampshire County and getting lots of other species along the way.  After a number of thunderstorms overnight into the 2nd I headed out before dawn to track down more species for the month hitting multiple spots along the Connecticut River from the Holyoke Dam north to Hadley.  On July 3rd I started in Belchertown and then over to Amherst before ending my morning in Granby.  It was incredibly humid and the low temp to start the day was 72!  Really felt like being in the tropics.  Saturday was the last day of the heat wave and for that day I went after a few nocturnal species at Quabbin Park and nearby Ware before a longer walk along the rail trail in Ware.  I then spent a few hours in Quabbin Park plus a brief stop at Lake Wallace before heading home early to get Wilson a walk.  Lots of evidence of breeding around as expected for early July.  Despite the heat the first four days of the month have been productive in the county with 123 species so far.