Breeding Bird Survey completed this morning

Great Blue Heron, Breeding bird survey stop #9, Ware, MA, Jun 6, 2026

White tailed Deer, Breeding bird survey stop #21, Palmer, MA, Jun 6, 2026

Prairie Warbler, Breeding bird survey stop #34, Monson, MA, Jun 6, 2026

Northern Yellow Warbler, Breeding bird survey stop #40, Monson, MA, Jun 6, 2026

Sawmill Brook, Breeding bird survey stop #42, Monson, MA, Jun 6, 2026

Farm fields, Breeding bird survey stop #31, Monson, MA, Jun 6, 2026

UMASS orchard, Breeding bird survey stop #3, Belchertown, MA, Jun 6, 2026

Although I usually try to run by annual breeding bird survey route on a Sunday the forecast looked better for Saturday so I ran it today.  With our weekends always seeming to produce less than stellar weather I did not want to take a chance and wait for a later Sunday in June.  Breeding bird surveys are long term studies to look at breeding species along a 25 mile route with three minute stops every 1/2 mile.  The survey starts early (4:42AM) so being a morning person certainly helps!  This was my 17th consecutive year conducting this route that starts in Belchertown and continues south to the Connecticut state line.  Although not a record breaking year for species I still had a good showing with a total of 75 species.  The top five species as far as being recorded at the most stops included  American Robin (40 stops), Gray Catbird (31 stops), Ovenbird (30 stops), American Crow (29 stops) and Red eyed Vireo (28 stops).  No new species for the route this year so my total whole conducting the route still stands at 114 species.  Full trip report at the following link: BBS 2026 trip report.

Below is table of each year I have conducted the survey with # of species seen and date of survey

year            # of species            date of survey 

2010             71                         June 20 

2011             64                         June 26 

2012             56                         June 3 

2013             67                         June 23 

2014             70                         June 15 

2015             75                         June 14 

2016             78                         June 19 

2017             73                         June 22 

2018             71                         June 22 

2019             83                         June 9 

2020             76                         June 14 

2021             71                         June 19 

2022             78                         June 5 

2023             77                         June 25 

2024             84                         June 2

2025             77                         June 8

2026             75                         June 6

April ends with some rain

Blackburnian Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 30, 2026

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 30, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 29, 2026

Song Sparrow, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 29, 2026

Wood Ducks, Belchertown Land trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2026

Wilson relaxing after a walk, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2026

Broad winged Hawk, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 28, 2026

Red breasted Mergansers, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 28, 2026

Purple Finch, KC Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 28, 2026

White tailed Deer, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 28, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 27, 2026

Field Sparrow, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Apr 27, 2026

April ended on a rather rainy note with rain in the morning and cool temps and then drizzle and overcast conditions for the remainder of the day.  I had hopes the rain would have downed some unusual species but no luck for me in finding any.  The previous few days were more pleasant with mainly sunny conditions and warmer temps although the winds were less than great for migration.  Nonetheless some birds continued to move into the area and each day featured the arrival of a few more species with no real big influx yet.  On Wednesday I did some guiding for a birder from India and we had a decent day with a few targets found for her.  Warblers have been slow to arrive in the typical numbers and diversity for the end of April although I did manage to add one more warbler species for the end of the year today despite the rain (more on warblers for April at the following post).  I found a total of 142 species in Hampshire County for the month which given the poor migration conditions recently and being away for just over a week in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona was quite good and fits in around average for the last ten years or so for me.  Now comes May and with it the big influx of migrants from the south moving north to breed for the summer.

Nearly full solar eclipse

Wilson ready for the eclipse, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 8, 2024

Eclipse view through binoculars, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 8, 2024

Today marked a nearly complete solar eclipse at the house with about 93% of the sun covered by the moon.  It was a very neat astronomical event to witness and although we missed the path of totality seeing nearly the entire disk of the sun covered was memorable.  We really lucked out with the weather with nearly clear skies with just a bit of high clouds at the end of the event and warm temps in the 60's.  There was a noticeable drop in temps as the max coverage of the sun occurred.  The next total eclipse in the US is not until 2044 and it will only be visible in the Dakotas and Montana.

Black Vultures, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Apr 8, 2024

Turkey Vulture, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Apr 8, 2024

Wilson's Snipes, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 8, 2024

White tailed Deer, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 8, 2024

Before the onset of the eclipse I was out birding for the morning and although I didn't find anything too unusual it was a beautiful morning to be out.  Although it started cool in the upper 20's it warmed up rapidly once the sun got to work.

Eggs in duck box #2, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 8, 2024

Before the eclipse I checked duck box #2 to see if by chance a duck had finally found the box to lay some eggs and I was pleasantly surprised to find several eggs in the box.  Not sure on species yet but I'm sure to find out soon enough.  I didn't check the other two boxes as I didn't want to disturb the Hooded Mergansers sitting on the eggs.  I put on cameras in a couple weeks to prep for the young ones fledging.

November comes to an end

Nashville Warbler, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Nov 26, 2023

Horned Larks, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Nov 26, 2023

Dark eyed Junco, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Nov 26, 2023

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 26, 2023

Pine Siskins, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 26, 2023

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 28, 2023

Eastern Bluebird, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 28, 2023

Black capped Chickadee, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 29, 2023

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Nov 30, 2023

The end of November has arrived and the last few days have certainly felt more winter like with cold temps and windy conditions.  Thankfully our snow so far has been no more than a couple light dustings.  I have mainly concentrated on late warblers when I have had a chance to get out and there are a still a number around with a Nashville Warbler in Hatfield as late as the 26th, multiple Pine Warblers at Winsor Dam through the end of the month and Yellow rumped Warblers in a few spots.  The Wilson's Warbler I last saw on the 16th appears to have moved on or succumbed to the cold.  Beyond warblers I have had ever increasing numbers of Pine Siskins plus a few other notable species including some Red Crossbills.  I'm hopeful at least some of the warblers will stick around to start off the month of December and the true arrival of winter.  

White tailed Deer, Home, Belchertown, Nov 11, 2023

Beaver, Home, Belchertown, Nov 8, 2023

Bobcat, Home, Belchertown, Nov 7, 2023

Raccoons, Home, Belchertown, Oct 28, 2023

Gray Fox, Home, Belchertown, Oct 20, 2023

Red tailed Hawk, Home, Belchertown, Oct 15, 2023

I checked the game camera along the Jabish Brook and had loads of captures with lots of highlights including Bobcat, Gray Fox, White tailed Deer, Racoons, Beaver and a Red tailed Hawk (plus other stuff).  

Mid August continues my record pace for the month with a number of rarities around

Dickcissel, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2023

Dawn, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Aug 9, 2023

House Wren nestlings in nest, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2023

Green Heron, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 10, 2023

Prairie Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Gray Catbird, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Ovenbird, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Dawn, Pelham Overlook, Pelham, MA, Aug 12, 2023

White tailed Deer, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Aug 12, 2023

Chestnut sided Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Aug 12, 2023

Prairie Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 12, 2023

Blue headed Vireo, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 12, 2023

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 13, 2023

Least Sandpipers, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 14, 2023

Semipalmated Plover, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 14, 2023

Solitary Sandpiper, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Aug 14, 2023

The middle of August has now arrived and my record setting pace for the month in Hampshire County continues with an amazing 147 species so far.  This total is only five species away from my highest total ever for August, which I reached back in 2021, with half the month remaining to find more species.   I have continued to work a bit of overtime through the middle of month but I try to get out at least a little each day (even if just for a few minutes before work).  There have been a few rarities around including the continued Blue Grosbeaks in Hadley that have had another successful year of breeding as well as a very early Dickcissel (also in Hadley) plus a Marsh Wren in Belchertown and an early Northern Shoveler in Northampton.  The large influx of Red Crossbills of multiple calls Types also continues unabated (more on the ongoing irruption at the Finch Research Network).  Fairly good numbers of shorebirds have continued to take advantage of the habitat created following the floods in later July and it is just a matter of time before more unusual shorebirds show up. 

The tropics continue to be very quiet in the Atlantic but the latest prediction from NOAA actually upped the projected number of storms in the Atlantic despite the onset of El Nino.  We shall see how this pans out over the next couple months.