Some birds for the first three days of May despite poor migration conditions

Brewster's Warbler, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 3, 2026

Orchard Oriole, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, May 3, 2026

Red winged Blackbird, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 3, 2026

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2026

Northern Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2026

Pine Warbler collecting nest material, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2026

Eastern Towhee, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2026

Gray Catbird, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2026

Merlin, Quabbin Park, MA, May 2, 2026

Blue winged Warbler, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 1, 2026

Blue Jay, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 1, 2026

Chipping Sparrow, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 1, 2026

Cerulean Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 1, 2026

Worm eating Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 1, 2026

Wild Columbine, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 1, 2026

The first three days of May have overall been slower than usual for species with the weather being poor for migration with less than ideal winds, some bouts of rain and cool temps.  Nonetheless birds continue to push in as the desire to move north to breed can overcome some less than ideal conditions for migration.  To start off the month I headed out mainly looking for warblers and found some including my first Cerulean Warblers and Worm eating Warblers for the year.  I stayed mainly in the Hadley/Amherst area for morning and then spent the afternoon doing stuff around the yard.  Tuesday the 2nd started off rainy and I got as much birding in around Quabbin Park as the bouts of rain would allow.  Although birding conditions were tough at times, I did add one new warbler for my big warbler year in the US with a Chestnut sided Warbler that became warbler species #41 for the year.  With more north winds overnight I didn't expect to find too much this morning and was pleasantly surprised to have a number of good sightings including a Glossy Ibis I flushed out of a small pond at Silvio Conte NWR at Fort River, a Northern Harrier doing a courtship flight (also at Conte) and a Brewster's Warbler that showed up in the same spot in Amherst for a third year in a row and possibly a fourth year.  By mid morning it was getting too windy to see much and I headed home to take Wilson for a walk.  Overall not a terrible start to the month with 117 species so far for the county.

The next few nights look to feature some good migration conditions with strong southerly winds and some warm temps.  I expect a big influx of birds during the period before the weather turns less conducive for migration for multiple nights. 

First week of August sets me on a record pace for the month in Hampshire County

Solitary Sandpiper, East Meadows, Northampton, Aug 7, 2025

Orchard Oriole, Great Pond, Hatfield, Aug 7, 2025

Wood Ducks, Great Pond, Hatfield, Aug 7, 2025

Mink, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Aug 7, 2025

Greater Yellowlegs, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Aug 6, 2025

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 5, 2025

Gray Catbird, Ware, MA, Aug 4, 2025

Yellow Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 4, 2025

Cedar Waxwing with nest material, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 4, 2025

Cerulean Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2025

Dark eyed Junco, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2025

Canada Warbler, Pelham, MA, Aug 2, 2025

Grasshopper Sparrow, Silvio Conte NWR- Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 2, 2025

The first week of August has now come to an end and it has been a productive week with a total of 138 species in Hampshire County (my highest total ever for the first week of August...previous best was 137 in 2023 and I had my best August that year with 166 species!) and I managed to do this as I nurse some ongoing back pain.  Getting out walking helps and I have taken advantage of my time outside.  I have found a number of unusual species as well as lingering species that usually have headed off to the south already.  Highlights have included a dozen species of shorebirds (including a White rumped Sandpiper), Bonaparte's Gull, Marsh Wren, Grasshopper Sparrow, a few late Orchard Orioles, 18 species of warblers including a couple late Cerulean Warblers and a Blue Grosbeak.  The Connecticut River north of the Holyoke Dam has featured mudflats for a few days due to the water lever being lowered to have some work done on the dam.  Shorebirds have shown up along the river and although nothing too unusual it is great to see shorebirds away from the few flooded small ponds in the fields along the river.  This is now prime season for an unusual wader to show up during post breeding dispersal plus the peak of Green Herons in the area.  

Third week of May

Northern Parula, Quabbin Park, MA, May 21, 2025

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Quabbin Park, MA, May 21, 2025

Cerulean Warbler with leg bands, Skinner SP, South Hadley, MA, May 20, 2025

Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 19, 2025

Eastern Wood Pewee, Quabbin Park, MA, May 19, 2025

Magnolia Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, May 19, 2025

Orchard Oriole, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, May 18, 2025

Prairie Warbler, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, May 17, 2025

I have not had much time to update things here during what is always a hectic month (and perhaps even a bit more hectic this year).  Migration is now slowing down and the weather conditions to end the third week have been very uncooperative for late season migrants to move through with cool conditions and unfavorable winds.  I have gotten out as much as circumstance allow for the third week of the month and have concentrated on warblers.  I have had a few notable warbler encounters including a Hooded Warbler that turned up at UMASS on the 16th, a number of hybrid warblers and a couple color banded Cerulean Warblers.  There have been a few new arrivals of late season migrants but I suspect there will be at least one more good push once the migration conditions improve..perhaps by the end of the weekend?  We shall see.

American Robin fledgling and Baltimore Oriole, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 20, 2025

Ruby throated Hummingbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 19, 2025

Blackpoll Warbler, Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle' and Chipping Sparrow, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2025

Blackburnian Warbler and Eastern Bluebird, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2025

American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2025

The camera at the water feature has been capturing lots of stuff this spring and the above is but a small sample of the species that have shown up....already a dozen species of warblers plus lots of other stuff.

A record breaking April comes to an end

 

Common Yellowthroat, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 27, 2025

Blue gray Gnatcatcher, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 28, 2025

Orchard Oriole, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 29, 2025

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 29, 2025

Swamp Sparrow, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 30, 2025

April has now come to an end and I reached my highest total ever for species in the county for the month with an impressive 163 which shattered my old April record high that I reached last year with 156 species.  The later half of the month featured a lot of good migration conditions which resulted in an early arrival of a number of species and I reached this high total with just a handful of rarities...it was almost all due to early arrivals.  I would have been able to add to the impressive total if I was able to get out more but for a variety of other commitments I could not.  Now onto May and the peak of spring migration.

Fantastic morning with Lawrence's Warbler, multiple early warbler species and others

 

Lawrence's Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Northern Waterthrush, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Blue winged Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Following another great night of migration conditions thanks to light northerly winds I headed out after getting out of work this morning.  I made a few stops in Northampton before deciding to try my luck over at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River where I had a few early warblers a couple days ago.  I arrived to rather cool conditions with temps in the 50's and I had hopes some warblers be active in areas being warmed by the early morning sun.  Initially I did not have too much for activity but once I made it to one of the overlooks I quickly found some warbler activity with a Northern Parula and Tennessee Warbler (both early for this date).  There were lots of other birds around too but I eventually decided to move on to cover other areas and I then ran across yet another early migrant warbler with an early Mourning Warbler that briefly popped into view but was not seen again.  Something told me to head back to the original area where I had activity earlier and when I arrived I found a Lawrence's Warbler feeding down fairly low...a very rare hybrid, especially in fall migration (almost certainly the same individual Ted found in the general area a few days before).  I continued to turn up warblers in a few areas before I headed for home and eventually found a dozen species (plus the hybrid) for the morning at Silvio Conte.  More on warblers for the morning can be found at the following link.

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 12, 2022

Orchard Oriole, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Canada Warbler, Pelham, MA, Aug 9, 2022

Red Fox, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2022

Tennessee Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 8, 2022

Besides my great morning today I have gotten out a bit the last several days before and after days at work and have found a number of continued rarities as well as early migrants and some lingering species.  Early migrants before today have included multiple Northern Parula and Tennessee Warblers (including my earliest record ever for the species for the fall).  Lingering species have included a few Orchard Orioles as well as Louisiana Waterthrush.  Rarities have included flyover Black bellied Plovers, multiple Red Crossbills and Blue Grosbeaks.

Chipping Sparrows, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Carolina Wren, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Black capped Chickadees with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Chestnut sided Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 10, 2022

American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 10, 2022

American Robins, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 9, 2022

After a bit of a lull for the middle of summer I have set the camera back up on the water feature and I captured a number of species with four species of warbler in just a few days.  With all the dry weather I suspect the water feature will capture more good stuff as fall migration really starts picking up.