A big warm up and multiple nights of good migration conditions

Purple Martin and Tree Swallows, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, May 19, 2026

Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, May 19, 2026

Northern Cardinal with nest material, Bachelor Brook Conservation Area, South Hadley, MA, May 19, 2026

Mourning Warbler, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, May 19, 2026

Gray cheeked Thrush, Belchertown, MA, May 19, 2026

Raccoon swimming, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, May 19, 2026

Ruby throated Hummingbird, Quabbin Park, MA, May 18, 2026

Lawrence's Warbler, Hardwick, MA, May 18, 2026

Gray Catbird, Ware, MA, May 18, 2026

Butterfly species, Quabbin Park, MA, May 18, 2026

Blue gray Gnatcatcher constructing nest, Quabbin Park, MA, May 17, 2026

Rainbow Scarab, Quabbin Park, MA, May 17, 2026

Solitary Sandpiper, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 17, 2026

Magnolia Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 17, 2026

Tree Swallow with nest material, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 17, 2026

Bay breasted Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Worm eating Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Hooded Merganser eggs in duck box #2, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 17, 2026

We have had multiple nights of great migration conditions thanks to southerly winds that also ushered in record setting temps in the 90's.  As expected I have been out as much as I can each morning before returning to take the Wilson for his required walk.  Even with some species still moving through to points to the north breeding activity around here is in full swing with the first waterfowl young out and about and many species collecting nesting material and building nests.  I have added several new species for the year in the county as well as some rarities.  The highlights included Purple Martin, Gray cheeked Thrush, Yellow breasted Chat, two new species of warbler for the year as part of my warbler big year in the US and a Lawrence's Warbler.  Migration has now peaked at this point and now we begin the downhill slide of another spring migration.  

More early arrivals (including a Purple Martin) with great migration conditions

 

 Purple Martin, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 23, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 23, 2025

Green Heron, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Apr 24, 2025

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 24, 2025

White throated Sparrow, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 25, 2025

The last few days have featured great migration conditions and the birds have responded with a decent influx of early arrivals.  This is certainly reflected in my totals for the month up until this point with a total of 144 species as of today (which is ten species ahead of my previous highest total at this point in the month).  I'm also well ahead of average for the year at this point with 167 species (my previous highest ytd total at this point was 159 in 2022).  All of this despite the fact that I have not been out as much as I would like to be due to some commitments at home.  It just shows how good the migration conditions have been lately.  Migration has slowed a bit today with rain and will be slow tomorrow as we have strong winds out of the north with cool temps.  After that we should see some better migration conditions to end the month and with any luck I will top my highest species count ever for April in the county (set last year with 156 species).  I had hoped that the rain that moved in overnight today would put down migrants but I had no luck tracking down any (although a Caspian Tern and some Brant did show up in Franklin County).  I also came across a continued banded Black capped Chickadee in the yard yesterday that I have not seen in weeks and was certainly happy to see it still around.  The chickadee was banded in 2021 and has lost the color band it had on its right leg so not 100% certain if it was banded in June or July of that year but I think it is the one banded in June (from what I can make out on the federal aluminum band).  No matter it is great to see it surviving in the yard for years.

Raccoon, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 24, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle' and Chipping Sparrow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 24, 2025

Opossum, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 23, 2025

Gray Fox, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 23, 2025

Eastern Coyote, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 23, 2025

Wild Turkeys, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 4, 2025

The various game cameras around the yard continue to capture a variety of mammals and birds including Gray Fox, Eastern Coyote, Opossum, Raccoon and my first warbler of the year.

Remnants of Hurricane Debby moving through and then sunny, dry conditions

Prairie Warbler, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Aug 13, 2024

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 13, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 13, 2024

American Goldfinch, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 13, 2024

Red eyed Vireo, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Ruby throated Hummingbird, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Veery, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Great Egrets, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

House Wren nestlings, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 10, 2024

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 8, 2024

Sedge Wren, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 8, 2024

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 8, 2024

Common Goldeneye, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 7, 2024

We finally got a break in our long duration weather of hot and humid conditions that has lasted most of July and more intermittently into the early part of August.  Although I love the tropical feel, without the hordes of tropical birds to go with it, it is a bit harder to take.  The break came after the remnants of Hurricane Debby moved through.  Although we were a bit too far off the track of the remnants we still got some decent rain and some wind.  The storm was over land since its second landfall in the carolinas so true storm birds although I did have a decent selection of shorebirds as the rain grounded a few migrants including a little early Black bellied Plover among a total of eight species of shorebirds during the Friday to Saturday time frame.  Sunday featured low humidity and mainly sunny conditions and a feel of the real start of passerine migration.  Nothing too rare but certainly some migrants moving through.  Today I enjoyed a day off and stuck close to home with my time spent around the Ware and south Quabbin area.

Multiple rarities to start off August

Sedge Wren, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 1, 2024

Field Sparrows, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 2, 2024

Purple Martins, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 2, 2024

Purple Martin nestling, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 2, 2024

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2024

Glossy Ibis, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2024

Lesser Yellowlegs, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 4, 2024

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 5, 2024

Hermit Thrush, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 5, 2024

Common Yellowthroat, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 5, 2024

Black and White Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 5, 2024

The first few days of August continued to be hot with temps the first couple days in the 90's and humid.  Despite other commitments and work I got out as much as I could and concentrated mainly on tracking down a number of rarities continuing in the area and had some great luck.  On the first on my way to work I stopped by Silvio Conte NWR in Hadley and had Northern Pintail, Purple Martins, at least three singing Sedge Wrens and an Orchard Oriole among nearly fifty species in less than a half an hour.  I added Blue Grosbeak at the Honey Pot before heading to work for another incredibly busy shift.  Once I was out of work on Friday morning I stopped back by Silvio Conte NWR and had some of the same species from the day before as well as observing some bird banding on site.  I then ran some errands in Hadley and then headed toward home with a brief stop at Winsor Dam where I added the long staying female Common Goldeneye to my August list.  On the third the best species I found was a juvenile Glossy Ibis at Lake Wallace (a new species for me at the location).  I had an overtime day shift on the 4th but got a little birding in on the way to work with some shorebirds in the East Meadows and a flyover Snowy Egret (with a Great Egret) at Arcadia and I added a Red Crossbill for the month once I was home in the evening.  The fifth was mainly spent tracking down warblers with some success.  No big rarities for that day but some good variety nonetheless.