Black Vulture and Lincoln's Sparrow at Quabbin Park

Scarlet Tanager, Quabbin Park

American Redstart

I spent the morning exploring Quabbin Park with my mother who made her annual spring trek down to check out the migration. She yet again brought good luck with the birds with the biggest highlights being a Black Vulture soaring with four Turkey Vultures and a beautiful Lincoln's Sparrow. Unfortunately neither bird was very cooperative for a photograph. In addition to these birds we had other great stuff including great looks at a Black billed Cuckoo, mating Scarlet Tanagers, nest building American Redstarts, Chestnut sided Warblers and Baltimore Orioles, about to fl edge Common Ravens at their nest along the spillway, a large group of Double Crested Cormorants moving north and 19 species of warblers. Another great day at Quabbin.

Breeding Bird Atlas trip

Moose, feeding along edge of pond

Olive sided Flycatcher, one of two seen


Common Yellowthroat

I made a couple trips into my atlas block in New Salem to check on the ongoing status of breeding birds and general migration. The vast majority of birds seen and heard appeared to be on territory with some building nests or already feeding young. The numbers of warblers and vireos are reaching their peak at this point and flycatchers are building in numbers too. I'll include the list from the trip to give a glimpse of the activity in this wild part of Massachusetts.

Canada Goose 4 adults
Ruffed Grouse 6 drumming
Wild Turkey 7
Double-crested Cormorant 4 high flyby
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Solitary Sandpiper 3 together
Mourning Dove 12
Black-billed Cuckoo 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 17 carrying food
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 3
Olive-sided Flycatcher 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Least Flycatcher 31
Eastern Phoebe 5 carrying food
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 4
Blue-headed Vireo 7
Red-eyed Vireo 72
Blue Jay 17
American Crow 3
Tree Swallow 10
Barn Swallow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 30
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 9
White-breasted Nuthatch 2 carrying food
Brown Creeper 3
House Wren 2
Winter Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Veery 26
Swainson's Thrush 2
Hermit Thrush 2
Wood Thrush 22
American Robin 32
Gray Catbird 34
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 1
Northern Parula 2
Yellow Warbler 27
Chestnut-sided Warbler 69 building nests
Magnolia Warbler 21
Black-throated Blue Warbler 37 carrying nest material
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Black-throated Green Warbler 23
Blackburnian Warbler 8
Pine Warbler 15
Prairie Warbler 2
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 20
American Redstart 59 building nests
Ovenbird 76
Northern Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 99 carrying nest material
Canada Warbler 3
Scarlet Tanager 14
Eastern Towhee 82
Chipping Sparrow 34
Song Sparrow 8
Swamp Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 15
Indigo Bunting 2
Red-winged Blackbird 11
Common Grackle 7
Brown-headed Cowbird 11
Baltimore Oriole 22 building nests
Red Crossbill 2 pair
American Goldfinch 4
Evening Grosbeak 4 two pairs

Back from Ohio

Chestnut sided Warbler, Magee Marsh Boardwalk


I just arrived back after a quick trip out to northwestern Ohio. It was a great trip despite the less than ideal weather conditions. I managed a total of 124 species while covering only a few areas. I ended with 26 species of warblers. It looks like I missed a really big day out there by one day but I'm still happy with my trip. Some really nice photo ops of birds you don't normally get to see so well. I'll post some of my photos from this trip over the next few weeks.

A rainy but productive day including a Kentucky Warbler

Canada warbler, found while trying to refind the Kentucky (sorry no photo of the Kentucky)

Despite the less than ideal weather today I had a great day. The morning began with thunderstorms which did not bode well for the Hampshire Bird Club trip I was co-leading with Tom Gagnon. One of the first birds of the day on the trip through Quabbin was a group of three Bonaparte's Gulls that we tried to make into something more exotic. We then made the trip inside the gates around 7:30 and the rain picked up again. After a couple hours of heavy rain and thunder we decided to call it a day and end the trip early. I then went home to warm up and dry out. The real excitement of the day began when one of the first breaks in the rain developed and I could hear various warblers calling. I went outside and had a nice group including Magnolia, Black throated Green, Chestnut sided, Northern Parula, Yellow, Ovenbird, Yellow rumped, Pine and Northern Waterthrush. The bird of the day however was heard just after stepping outside to check the other birds when I heard and then briefly saw a Kentucky Warbler. A fantastic bird for the yard! It only stayed a brief time and I was unable to get a photo. I kept checking back outside between bouts of rain but was unable to relocate it. I was rewarded with a nice male Canada Warbler to make up for not refinding the Kentucky. I also managed to add another yard bird today, a Solitary Sandpiper. A very good day even without great weather.

Breeding Bird Atlas New Salem

Evening Grosbeak

I made an early morning trip into my atlas blocks to check on activity. The pace of migration continues to pick up with many new arrivals since my last trip in. The variety and overall numbers continue to increase (compare today's list with one last week). Although there were, as always, many highlights the ones that stick out include finding a Cerulean warbler back in his usual spot where he has breed for the last few years, an begging juvenile Coopers Hawk and a Merlin that was harassing a crow.


Wood Duck 6 pairs
Mallard 2 pair
Hooded Merganser 5 two males
Ruffed Grouse 9 drumming
Wild Turkey 15
Double-crested Cormorant 6 moving north
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Bald Eagle 1 adult
Cooper's Hawk 3 one begging juvenile
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Merlin 1 well south, seen harassing a crow
Mourning Dove 18
Barred Owl 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 20
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 5
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Least Flycatcher 23
Eastern Phoebe 5
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 5
Blue-headed Vireo 7 carrying nest material
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 25
Blue Jay 26
American Crow 4
Tree Swallow 16
Black-capped Chickadee 28
Tufted Titmouse 7
Red-breasted Nuthatch 9
Brown Creeper 5
House Wren 2
Winter Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Veery 13
Hermit Thrush 4
Wood Thrush 17
American Robin 41
Gray Catbird 29
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 3
Northern Parula 4
Yellow Warbler 23 carrying nest material
Chestnut-sided Warbler 44
Magnolia Warbler 8
Black-throated Blue Warbler 24
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8
Black-throated Green Warbler 35
Blackburnian Warbler 9
Pine Warbler 17 making nest
Prairie Warbler 1
Cerulean Warbler 1 in same area they have bred for last few years
Black-and-white Warbler 18
American Redstart 43
Ovenbird 97
Northern Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 89
Scarlet Tanager 14
Eastern Towhee 70
Chipping Sparrow 45 making nest
Song Sparrow 10
Swamp Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 6
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 16
Red-winged Blackbird 17
Common Grackle 13
Brown-headed Cowbird 14
Baltimore Oriole 17 making nest
Purple Finch 2 pair
American Goldfinch 12
Evening Grosbeak 4 two pairs

Arizona Part 4 Madera Canyon

Big group of Pine Siskins and a few Lesser Goldfinches

Painted Redstart

Broad billed Hummingbird

Another part of the review of my trip to Arizona in late March/early April brings me back to review my time in Madera Canyon. I have already mentioned the big finds of Rufous capped Warbler (actually in Florida Canyon) and Flame colored Tanager. There were many other great birds in the canyon and I had great luck despite the windy and cool weather. I missed out on owls but had many other good sightings. Here are a few photos.

Big influx overnight

I made another trip in to my atlas blocks at Quabbin covering basically the same areas as yesterday. The influx of birds was very evident right from the start. I ended the day with a total of 17 warbler species with some good numbers. Overall a great way to start May. Here is the list for about 7 hours of birding.


Canada Goose 4
Wood Duck 5 one pair, two lone males, one lone female
American Black Duck 1
Mallard 3
Hooded Merganser 9 two pairs and several females
Ruffed Grouse 6 drumming
Wild Turkey 14
Double-crested Cormorant 4 moving north
Turkey Vulture 1
Bald Eagle 1 adult
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 moving north
Cooper's Hawk 1
Broad-winged Hawk 1 caught chipmunk and flew off
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 1 male
Mourning Dove 15
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 31 excavating nest holes
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 6
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Least Flycatcher 4
Eastern Phoebe 4
Blue-headed Vireo 41 carrying nest material
Blue Jay 142 large groups moving north, mostly silent...largest group of 78...likely missed many
American Crow 3
Common Raven 1
Tree Swallow 20
Black-capped Chickadee 61 making nest
Tufted Titmouse 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 18
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 5
Carolina Wren 1 unusual here
Winter Wren 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 9
Hermit Thrush 11
American Robin 54
Gray Catbird 1
Cedar Waxwing 16
Nashville Warbler 4
Northern Parula 2
Yellow Warbler 20
Chestnut-sided Warbler 5
Magnolia Warbler 1 male with odd song, seen well
Black-throated Blue Warbler 7
Yellow-rumped Warbler 161 conservative number...large groups together. Almost never out of earshot
Black-throated Green Warbler 26
Blackburnian Warbler 1 same area as yesterday
Pine Warbler 38
Prairie Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 2
Black-and-white Warbler 23
American Redstart 6
Ovenbird 32

Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 6
Eastern Towhee 121
Chipping Sparrow 81 carrying nest material
Field Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 7
Swamp Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 146 conservative number...these guys were everywhere...largest group together was 59
Northern Cardinal 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5
Red-winged Blackbird 21
Common Grackle 20
Brown-headed Cowbird 25
Purple Finch 7
Red Crossbill 2 perhaps more...heard and then seen 20 minutes later about half mile away...birds seen were male and female
American Goldfinch 13
Evening Grosbeak 7 two pairs and group of three