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.

Slow migration with occasional rain and southerly winds

Yellow Warbler, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Sep 10, 2022

Chestnut sided Warbler, Hadley, MA, Sep 11, 2022

Common Yelllowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 11, 2022

Turkey Vulture interacting with Peregrine Falcon, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Sep 11, 2022

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 12, 2022

Eastern tailed Blue, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 13, 2022

Porcupine, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 13, 2022

Spider species, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 12, 2022

Although the conditions were less than ideal for multiple days from the weekend until today there were still birds around and I got out at least a little each day.  I checked multiple areas with a little time spent in the East Meadows on Saturday looking for any lingering shorebirds and finding very few.  On Sunday I spent a few hours at Arcadia and then hit some spots in Hadley but the morning fog that just did not want to lift made turning up birds a bit tough at times.  In the afternoon I made my way down to the Holyoke Dam and had the typical stuff but got to see some interesting interactions between a juvenile Turkey Vulture and a juvenile Peregrine Falcon.  The vulture walked along the top of the dam and right up to the falcon and touched it before they both just sat there taking it all in.  Monday started off with drizzle and then stayed overcast until late in the day.  I spent a lot of my morning at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River and eventually ran across a fairly decent mixed flock (one of my best so far this fall).  On Tuesday I stayed close to home due to on again, off again rain.  The birding was very slow but I did have some interesting stuff for the morning including a tiny Porcupine that I came across before dawn as I tracked down a late Eastern Whip Poor Will plus some butterflies.  A cold front is coming through later today and after that the winds will switch out of the north and there should be a big influx in the next few days.