A number of migrants the last few days including a Purple Martin back in Hadley

Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, May 11, 2023

Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, May 11, 2023

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 11, 2023

Black and White Warbler, Southampton WMA, Southampton, MA, May 11, 2023

Barn Swallow collecting nest material, Southampton WMA, Southampton, MA, May 11, 2023

Worm eating Warbler, Mount Tom State Reservation, Easthampton, MA, May 11, 2023

Cerulean Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 10, 2023

Fisher, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 10, 2023

Baltimore Oriole, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, May 9, 2023

Opossum, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 9, 2023

Northern Parula, Quabbin Park, MA, May 8, 2023

Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 8, 2023

White throated Sparrow, Quabbin Park, MA, May 8, 2023

Migration finally really picked up the last few days with some fairly decent mornings.  The peak of migration is still not quite here but it is getting very close.  It has been great weather to be out looking with some cold mornings that warmed quickly thanks to ample sunshine and low humidity.  I exceed a hundred species on most of the days.  A big highlight today was the appearance of a Purple Martin back in Hadley where they bred in 2021.  Unfortunately the martin was constantly harassed by Tree Swallows (and other species according to others) whenever it tried to check out a nesting gourd.  It is a shame the staff there does not manage the martin houses it put up to entice the martins to breed and discourage other species from taking over.  With a little management there could be a colony of the martins here.  There were other highlights too (both birds and mammals) but I have limited time to list them so I'll let the photos tell the story.  More on warblers recently at the following link.

Some sample lists from the last few days include the following:

Quabbin Park on the 8th with nearly 90 species

Rail trail in Amherst on the 9th

Skinner SP on the 10th

Mount Tom and Southampton WMA today

Close up with a Fisher plus a Northern Shrike today and other odd and ends the last few days

Fisher, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Nov 29, 2020

Fisher, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Nov 29, 2020

Fisher, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Nov 29, 2020

The sighting of the day was not a bird but a mammal when I had a close encounter with a Fisher at Gate 8 at Quabbin.  I decided to take a long walk at Gate 8 mainly looking for irruptives with the hopes of additional crossbills and perhaps a Boreal Chickadee.  I was about a mile in getting some recordings of Red Crossbills when I heard some rustling in the woods and figured it was some deer moving through.  I finished up the recording and then heard more rustling that sounded like it was getting closer and closer.  I then caught sight of a dark mammal moving rapidly toward my vicinity and it briefly disappeared behind a tree and then popped up on top of a stonewall about 20 feet away.  It stayed there for just a few seconds before turning around and quickly heading back into the woods.  Easily the best looks I have ever had of an adult Fisher.  As far as birds go I had a few flyover White winged Crossbills as well as several Red Crossbills including my first Type 2's plus the expected Type 10's.  No luck finding a Boreal Chickadee but I hope some will show up at some point this winter.

Northern Shrike, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Nov 29, 2020

Northern Shrike, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Nov 29, 2020

Northern Shrike, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Nov 29, 2020

Great Horned Owl, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Nov 29, 2020

Before heading to Gate 8 I decided to try my luck in relocating a juvenile Northern Shrike that Ted found in a series of fields near the rail trail in Amherst.  I arrived before dawn and spent some time listening for owls and I had a few Great Horned Owls as well as another unidentified call that may have been a Long eared Owl but I heard it just once and it could have been an odd call from a juvenile Great Horned Owl.  Once it started to get light enough to see the Northern Shrike started to show along one of the hedgerows and I snapped off a few photos from a distance before leaving the shrike to let it do some early morning hunting.  The shrike became species #246 for the year for me in Hampshire County...a recording setting year that just keeps adding species.

Red Crossbill (Type 10), Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 28, 2020

Red Crossbill (Type 10), Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 28, 2020

Evening Grosbeak, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 28, 2020

American Robin with white on wings, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 28, 2020

On Saturday I spent some time around Quabbin Park and Winsor Dam mainly looking for irruptives and finding several including Evening Grosbeak, Red Crossbill (all Type 10), Pine Siskins and Red breasted Nuthatches.  I also came across an oddly plumaged American Robin with white on its wings.

Gray Catbird, Easthampton Rail Trail, Easthampton, MA, Nov 27, 2020

A short walk after work on Friday along the rail trail in Easthampton turned up a late Gray Catbird.  I searched a few areas in the vicinity for lingering warblers but came up empty.