In the midst of a long period of sunny weather with a few interesting species

Orange crowned Warbler, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 23, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 23, 2026

Turkey Vulture, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 23, 2026

Eastern Towhee, Belchertown, MA, Oct 23, 2026

Mourning Dove, Belchertown, MA, Oct 22, 2026

Ring necked Duck, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 22, 2026

White tailed Deer, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 22, 2026

Very low water at Gate 52, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 22, 2026

Dark eyed Junco, Ware, MA, Oct 21, 2026

House Finch, Ware, MA, Oct 21, 2026

Porcupine, Belchertown, MA, Oct 21, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown, MA, Oct 20, 2026

Savannah Sparrows, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Oct 20, 2026

Dickcissel, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 20, 2026

Cape May Warbler with unusual bicolored bill, Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2026

Cape May Warbler with unusual bicolored bill, Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2026

Red breasted Nuthatch, Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2026

Black Scoter, Amherst, MA, Oct 19, 2026

We are the midst of a week long plus period of sunny weather thanks to multiple high pressure systems.  Some days have been fairly breezy with temps around normal to above normal.  Migration conditions have largely been very good and lots of late season migrants have arrived and many species have largely headed south until next spring.  I have gotten out every day for at least a bit and have found a few late species including a few warblers with the most unusual being a Cape May Warbler with a bicolored bill plus some rarities including a few Dickcissel.  The number of Purple Finches and Red breasted Nuthatches continue to increase and Red Crossbills are still around at multiple locations.  I have also had some close encounters with a few mammals as well as a very close Black Scoter on a small pond (usually I see the species at great distance at Quabbin).  Waterfowl continues to increase and sparrow migration has peaked as we make the slide toward late fall and eventually winter.  It will continue to be largely sunny until at least the middle of next week with most lows overnight at or below freezing.  The chances of rarities from out west showing up will continue to increase as November rapidly approaches.  Certainly glad to have finalized plans to get away from this arctic wasteland for the majority of winter.

Eastern Whip Poor Will surveys and guiding for a visitor from India

 

Porcupine, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 5, 2025

Goodnough Dike at sunset, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 4, 2025

I conducted my first Eastern Whip Poor Will surveys on Wednesday night.  The first route consists of six stops within Quabbin Park and then four more going south of Quabbin.  It was a very successful survey with Eastern Whip Poor Wills heard at all but the last stop with a total of 16 individuals at survey stops and another nine heard between stops.  It was a perfect night for the survey despite a lot of mosquitoes.  Other highlights of the route included a Great Horned Owl perched on the wall of the dike and at least three Porcupines.

My second survey occurred last night on the restricted access Prescott Peninsula.  It was a warm evening with loads of mosquitoes.  When I arrived at the first stop at the lower end of the peninsula I was greeted by a Porcupine in almost the same tree I had a family of Black Bears greet me a few years ago.  Certainly quite lucky with seeing Porcupines on these surveys this year!  Although the high clouds shielded the moon a bit the light was still enough to see fairly well throughout and should have been good for the birds but I had a very low count overall with just three Eastern Whip Poor Wills at survey points plus one in-between stops.  All were in the first three stops at the lower end of the peninsula.  The habitat at the more northern stops seems to have gotten better for the species but there were none to be found.  Although the count of Eastern Whip Poor Wills was less than I hoped I did have Barred Owls at two stops including at least one juvenile calling with an adult nearby.

Indigo Bunting, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Jun 4, 2025

Common Raven, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Jun 4, 2025

Ovenbird, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Jun 4, 2025

Cerulean Warbler with leg bands, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Jun 4, 2025

Wood Ducks, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 3, 2025

Red winged Blackbird feeding young at nest, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 2, 2025

Short tailed Weasel, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 2, 2025

Semipalmated Plover, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jun 2, 2025

Semipalmated Sandpiper, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jun 2, 2025

I was able to guide for a visitor from India for a few hours for three mornings earlier this week and thankfully the weather cooperated quite well despite some cool morning starts.  I had to shift my other commitments around a bit and keep the birding to just a few hours in the morning but it was great to show someone all the great stuff we have around the area despite not being in a major birding area.  This was the second time I guided for her with the first time being last fall.  We covered a variety of areas from the farm fields along the river where we had a decent selection of shorebirds to Quabbin Park and Skinner State Park for a wide variety of forest birds plus a few other brief stops.  Overall we had 98 species with many of those being life birds for her.  We also had some fantastic mammals sightings with a close encounter with a Short tailed Weasel, Black Bear and a selection of other more common stuff.

End of the first week of May

Orange crowned Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2024

Black and White Warbler collecting nest material, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2024

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2024

Cerulean Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 6, 2024

Ruffed Grouse, Quabbin Park, MA, May 6, 2024

Brewster's Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 7, 2024

Rose breasted Grosbeak, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 7, 2024

Dull Nashville Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 7, 2024

Porcupine, Quabbin Park, MA, May 7, 2024

The first week of May has now come to an end and it has been quite productive with a total of 153 species so far for me in the county (my highest total ever for the first week of May).  I know I could have pushed this total even higher if I was feeling better as my ongoing back issues have kept me from walking in areas that have been productive in the past.  Thankfully walking (at least on somewhat even terrain) is one of the only things that helps me loosen up my back.  As expected with the first week of May there were tons of highlights as migration increases both in volume and variety and some of those highlights have been covered in earlier posts.  The main highlights the last few days have included warblers with two Orange crowned Warblers around, with one found on the 5th at UMASS and another seen at a different spot on campus on the 6th (originally found on the 5th but I didn't see it until the following day).  I also found a singing Cerulean Warbler at Quabbin Park on the 6th and it continued into today.  Today also produced Brewster's Warbler in Amherst.    

I have managed to exceed 100 species everyday for the first week of the month with the following totals by day:

1st- 118 species

2nd- 100 species

3rd- 102 species

4th- 102 species

5th- 106 species

6th- 107 species

7th- 106 species

The end of June

Worm eating Warbler, Mt Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 4, 2022

Farm fields during my breeding bird survey route, Monson, MA, Jun 5, 2022

Canada Warbler, Pelham, MA, Jun 5, 2022

Red headed Woodpecker, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 6, 2022

Blue Grosbeak, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jun 11, 2022

Pine Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 12, 2022

Wild Turkey with young, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 13, 2022

Porcupine, Mt. Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 14, 2022

Virginia Rail young, Fitzgerald Lake, Northampton, MA, Jun 17, 2022

Peregrine Falcon, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Jun 21, 2022

Great Blue Herons at nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 24, 2022

Great Horned Owl juvenile, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 26, 2022

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Jun 29, 2022

June is now almost over and with it comes the beginning of the slow season for birding here with few migrants around and a noticeable reduction of song.  There are certainly birds still to see as loads of fledglings are out and about and many species get down to their second or third brood for the season.  Thankfully the last month has had little in the way of high heat and humidity and has overall been comfortable with little rain.  Without too much effort I ended up with my second highest species total for June ever in Hampshire County with 140 species (a few off my record setting June of last year when I had 145species).  I spent a lot of the month conducting a variety of bird surveys during my time off.  Rarities for the month included Least Bittern and Marsh Wrens in Hatfield, a continued Red headed Woodpecker in Quabbin Park, a few Red Crossbills and the return of Blue Grosbeaks in Hadley for the fourth consecutive year.