Hooded Merganser, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 14, 2023
Beaver, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 14, 2023
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 14, 2023
Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 14, 2023
Great Egret, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 14, 2023
Common Grackle, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 14, 2023
Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 14, 2023
Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 14, 2023
We have enjoyed some well above average temperatures for the second week of April overall with two days in the upper 80's to 90 to end the week (breaking a record both yesterday and today). The warm temps came in thanks to some southwest and west winds on a few of those days. Although my cold continued to linger throughout the week the warmer temperatures with ample sun certainly helped and I was back to feeling good the last couple days. Last night seemed like a decent night for early season migrants but I needed to be realistic with expectations as it is only mid April and many longer distant migrants are still not even in the US yet. I realistically hoped for a very early Black and White Warbler (my earliest date in the county is April 17th...more on early/late dates for warblers for me at the following link) and perhaps early House Wrens and/or Blue headed Vireos...I missed on these (today others did have the first House Wrens and Blue headed Vireos to show up in the valley). I was up before dawn and decided to try for a record early Eastern Whip Poor Will at Quabbin but no luck with that (my earliest date in the county was also April 17th and usually they don't show until the last week of April). Winsor Dam had a decent selection of waterfowl with half a dozen species present plus a high count for Fish Crows with at least 11...a species that is becoming more and more common every year. I then headed over to the rail trail in Amherst, then back to Quabbin Park, Lake Wallace and a couple other spots in Belchertown to look for passerines. Nothing unusual but a nice showing of multiple sparrow species, Ruby crowned Kinglets as well as Palm Warblers and others. I suspect more early species will be found over the next few days as more people get out birding this weekend. I suspect an unusual wader (like a Glossy Ibis or Snowy Egret) will show up as well as hopefully some passerines. I'm at a record setting pace for April so far in the county with 114 species...the average for me at this point from the last five years would be about 103 species...it will be interesting to see how the second half of the month pans out. We will have a bit of a cool down and some rain through the weekend into early next week and then another slight warm up.
Tree Swallow, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 13, 2023
American Robin, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 13, 2023
Red tailed Hawk, Slobody Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Apr 13, 2023
Palm Warbler 'yellow', Slobody Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Apr 13, 2023
Wilson says it is already too hot!, Belchertown, MA, Apr 13, 2023
Yesterday broke a temperature record with a high of 86 and solid sun all day. I had a dentist appointment at 9 so was only able to be out for a few hours but I made the most of it. I stopped at a few spots in Amherst in the hopes of turning up some more early migrants but didn't find anything too unusual although it was obvious that some new birds came in overnight.
Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 12, 2023
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 12, 2023
Ruby crowned Kinglet, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 12, 2023
Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 12, 2023
Wednesday was a very windy day with temps that made it to the 70's. I started out local with trips to Winsor Dam and Lake Wallace before taking another walk along the rail trail. The numbers of Yellow rumped Warblers were the highest so far for the spring and Palm Warblers were around in double digit counts. The best bird of the day was an early Blue gray Gnatcatcher when I was out walking with Wilson later in the morning.
Palm Warbler 'yellow', Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 11, 2023
Canada Goose on nest, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 11, 2023
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 11, 2023
Louisiana Waterthrush, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Apr 11, 2023
Louisiana Waterthrush, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Apr 11, 2023
On Tuesday it started cool but warmed up nicely by the afternoon. I stopped at a few spots in Hadley and Amherst including Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River (where I got my first Brown Thrasher for the year), some farm fields in Amherst where I had a/the intergrade Green winged Teal (lots more on the various Green winged Teal at the following link), a stop along the river in Hadley and then the rail trail in Amherst. It was also the first time since last fall when I have had four species of warbler in the county in a morning.
Blue winged Teal, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Apr 10, 2023
Wilson in the sun, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 10, 2023
After work on Monday I stopped by Great Pond and had some good stuff including an American Bittern flyover and at least half a dozen Blue winged Teal as well as at least 112 Green winged Teal (a really great spring for the species around here). Some flooded fields in Amherst had a decent selection of shorebirds with five species.
American Wigeon, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 8, 2023
On Saturday morning I got out of work and headed straight home as I was still not feeling great but did make a brief detour to Lake Wallace.
An update on the duck boxes and other happenings around the house can be found at the following link.
