End of first week of October brings first frost

Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 7, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 7, 2026

Swamp Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 7, 2026

Lincoln's Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 7, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Arcadia, Easthampton, MA, Oct 7, 2026

White crowned Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 7, 2026

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 7, 2026

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Belchertown, MA, Oct 7, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown, MA, Oct 7, 2026

Today started off cold with the first frost of the season and just a hint of the hell of winter to come.  I decided to head across the river to Arcadia to start my morning.  When I arrived it was sunny and cold (31 degrees) but then the fog moved in and kept activity somewhat subdued until in finally burned off.  There were loads of sparrows around as well as lots of Yellow rumped Warblers.  Once it warmed a little I started getting some other species with the most notable being a slightly late Black and White Warbler and at least three Tennessee Warblers. After about three hours in the cold I moved on to run a few errands and then headed toward home with another stop at a spot in Belchertown where I turned up more species for the day despite the increasing wind.  By the end of the day I had around 65 species with eight species of warblers.

Two great nights of migration brings in loads of birds

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Ovenbird, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Red eyed Vireo, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Turkey Vultures, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Sandhill Cranes, Arcadia, Easthampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Lincoln's Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Magnolia Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Savannah Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Swamp Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Lincoln's Sparrow, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Blue headed Vireo, Belchertown, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Gray Catbird, Belchertown, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 3, 2026

After a record setting warm up for the first two days of the month the last two nights have featured big nights of migration with millions of birds on the move.  Yesterday was fantastic with three hours at Arcadia producing almost 75 species and I added several more before the morning was over.  A bit of a breeze picked up around 9 and the activity trailed off quickly but not before having 87 species.  I have a feeling I could have made it to 100 species if the conditions had remained calm and I hit a couple more spots.  There were a few rarities as well as lingering species. Today was not quite as productive with overcast conditions and morning fog hampering birding a bit.  Nonetheless it was still a good morning with a few new species and more lingering species.  I continued to mainly concentrate on warblers and more on those over the last couple days can be found at the following link.

A brief warm up for the first couple days of October

Lincoln's Sparrow, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 2, 2026

Brown Thrasher, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 2, 2026

Green Heron, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 2, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 2, 2026

Barred Owl, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2026

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Mallards, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Ovenbird, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Hermit Thrush, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Amherst, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Northern Yellow Warbler, Amherst, MA, Oct 1, 2026

After many days of rain and below normal temps we finally got some warmer temps the last couple days with the low 70's yesterday and a record setting mid 80's today to kick off October.  With the arrival of a new month I was out early to add species and I hit a number of areas in Amherst and Belchertown yesterday.  I had a few slightly late species yesterday including Green Heron, Common Nighthawk, Northern Yellow Warbler and Cape May Warbler as well as a few flyover Red Crossbills.  By the end of the day I had a total of 79 species...a decent start to the month.  Today I started off my day at Silvio Conte NWR in Hadley and then onto some spots in Amherst and Belchertown.  The wind today made it tough tracking down some birds.  Nonetheless I added 13 more species for the month.  Tonight the winds should switch around to the north after a cold front moves through and hopefully gets more species migrating into the area.  

End of the first week of October

Savannah Sparrow, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2025

Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2025

Palm Warbler 'yellow', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2025

Green winged Teal with a Greater Yellowlegs, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2025

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

Eastern Wood Pewee, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

Ruby crowned Kinglet, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

Pale Tiger Moth caterpillar, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

Orange crowned Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 5, 2025

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Oct 5, 2025

Bobcat, Belchertown, MA, Oct 5, 2025

Slug Moth caterpillar (Red Cross button slug or an abbreviated button slug), Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

Swamp Sparrow, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Oct 6, 2025

Lincoln's Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 6, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 6, 2025

Song Sparrow, Eastern Towhee and White throated Sparrow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 5, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 7, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 7, 2025

The first week of October ended sunny and warm as we enjoyed four days in a row with mostly sunny conditions and temperatures way above normal in the upper 70's into the low 80's...a last gasp of summer as we continue the long, cold slide toward the hell that is winter.  After great migration conditions for the first couple days of the month the last couple days have had less than favorable winds and there was not a big turnover of species.  I continued to concentrate on warblers and have found a number of unique individuals including the possible hybrid and an odd Black throated Blue Warbler mentioned in the previous link plus an oddly plumaged Yellow rumped Warbler.  I stayed mostly in the Pelham and Belchertown area for most of the days except yesterday when I spent multiple hours in Amherst and Hadley before an appointment.  The highlight by far yesterday was a brief look at a Common Gallinule along the rail trail in Amherst...a fairly rare species in the area with this one being just my ninth record in the county.  Today I finished out the first week fairly close to home with a decent selection of species although the early low clouds and breezy conditions made photography a bit of a struggle compared to the previous few days.  In addition to birds I have had some good luck with finding both mammals and a variety of caterpillars.

I will be presenting a program at the Hampshire Bird Club a week from today...the title of the program is "Endemic Warblers of the Caribbean".  The program is free and open to the public...more info at the following link.