A sunny warm day with migrants

Veery, Quabbin Park, MA, May 14, 2020

Gray Catbird, Quabbin Park, MA, May 14, 2020

Cedar Waxwings, Amherst, MA, May 14, 2020

Wilson's Warbler, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2020

Ovenbird, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2020

Cerulean Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2020

Canada Warbler, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2020

I tried my luck today to catch up with as many warbler species as I could but without the arrival of some late migrants and my failure to locate some lingering early migrants I fell short of my goal (but still managed 23 species of warbler). During my search I covered a lot of spots on the east side of the river during the morning before spending the rest of the afternoon at home. During my travels I found a total of 107 species for the day without trying to hard for species besides warblers.  The next few days look to feature more species moving in as the pattern is slowly shifting with south winds tonight into tomorrow.  There is a chance of the conditions producing something unusual as rain is forecast overnight as the southerly winds blow...we shall see.

Ovenbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 13, 2020

Swainson's Thrush, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 13, 2020

Downy Woodpecker, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 13, 2020

Baltimore Oriole, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 14, 2020

GrayCatbirds, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 14, 2020

Around the house the water feature continues to produce some good results with a new species added yesterday when an Ovenbird showed up bringing my list at the water feature to 48 species (the Ovenbird also became my 15th species of warbler at the water feature). I also set up a small feeding station with oranges at the house which has attached a number of Baltimore Orioles as well as Gray Catbirds and a Downy Woodpecker. I have also run a cross multiple banded birds in the yard and one (a Gray Catbird originally banded in 2017) has started to build a nest right near the house. The second nest of Hooded Mergansers should fledge sometime this weekend and hopefully I capture some more video of them as they leave the nest.

The last few days with some migrants including a Common Gallinule

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Quabbin Park, MA, May 10, 2020

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 10, 2020

Veery, Quabbin Park, MA, May 10, 2020

Rose breasted Grosbeak, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 10, 2020

Northern Parula, rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 11, 2020

Scarlet Tanager, Quabbin Park, MA, May 11, 2020

Common Gallinule (right middle...really), rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 11, 2020

The last few days have featured a few notable birds but overall it continues to be rather slow given the date but this is not too surprising as the weather continues to be cooler than normal with generally unfavorable winds for migration (although we did have a decent night for migration into Monday morning).  Among the highlights the last few days was a very uncooperative Common Gallinule (originally found by Ted) I saw fleetingly yesterday and a couple Rusty Blackbirds and a Willow Flycatcher today at home.  The end of the week looks to see a change in the pattern and the probability of a large influx of migrants.  It would be a welcome break from the cold and windy weather.

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler, hybrid rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 11, 2020

Lawrence's Warbler, Belchertown, MA, May 11, 2020

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler, hybrid, Piper Farm Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 11, 2020

The numerous hybrid Blue winged/Golden winged Warbler hybrids continue with a Lawrence's Warbler among them.  More on the Lawrence's Warbler and other hybrids at the following link.

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Home, Belchertown, MA, May 11, 2020

Gray Catbird with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 11, 2020

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 11, 2020

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 11, 2020

I have spent most afternoons around the house and have found some good stuff including 13 species of warbler after a shower yesterday plus three banded birds.  The Gray Catbird (a female banded in 2017) was found building a nest today in a brushy area near the house.  I checked on the Hooded Merganser in duck box #2 and found here still sitting on eggs as of yesterday.  I suspect the eggs will hatch and the young will fledge this coming weekend.

Black throated Blue Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 1, 2020

Eastern Cottontail, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 11, 2020

The camera at the water feature has captured a few good species including my first male Black throated Blue Warbler (I have captured females twice before)

Snow in May!??!!?

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 9, 2020

Blue gray Gnatcatcher, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 9, 2020

Least Flycatcher, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 9, 2020

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, May 9, 2020

Snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 9, 2020

The weird weather just keeps getting weirder.  The forecast for some overnight snow unfortunately turned out to be correct and we had a light dusting to start the day (areas not too far away had a few inches of snow).  The temperature started out around freezing and climbed to a whopping 43 degrees for a high with a strong northwest wind giving us a wind chill into the teens at times.  It felt and looked a lot more like November than May.  Today was also the eBird global big day and I normally would have been birding all day and wracking up loads of species but today was a bit different.  I tried to make the best of it and headed out at dawn to make a brief stop at Winsor Dam to see if the overnight rain/snow grounded any migrants (it did not).  Ted was already there and he also didn't have much luck and I didn't stick around too long.  With the winds forecast to get progressively stronger during the morning I decided to head over to Hadley to try to catch up with an Orange crowned Warbler that Joe found in the same spot he had one back in late April (apparently the area offers something to Orange crowned Warbler as the same general area held one late last year).  I arrived and started looking and had no luck until after a little over 25 minutes of looking.  I saw the bird very briefly before one of the Yellow rumped Warblers dove on it and chased it to an unknown location.  Not long after that sighting I had a Great Egret heading upriver with a Great Blue Heron but they were gone before I could get a photo.  I then spent the another 30+ minutes looking for Orange crowned Warbler and actually heard it sing four times over the course of that time but never got a recording and never got another look...a super frustrating bird to be sure.  I finally called it quits after about an hour and then headed briefly through the Honey Pot before going to UMASS.  I walked a bit there but the wind was really blowing by that time so I called it quits and headed for home.  The rest of the day featured sun and clouds with occasional flurries and cold temperatures.  I managed just a paltry 77 species...very low for May 9 but given the conditions I guess not too bad.

The end of the first week of May

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 7, 2020

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Quabbin Park, MA, May 7, 2020

Lawrence's Warbler, Belchertown, MA, May 7, 2020

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 7, 2020

The first week of May has now come to an end and overall it continues to be a bit slow and behind schedule as far as migration is concerned.  The weather has continued to be cooler than normal but thankfully not quite as wet.  The winds have also not been very cooperative for migrants but with it being May the birds are still pushing in.  There does not seem to be a major break in the pattern for the next several days with record breaking cold (with some snow even possible) into the weekend.  When this pattern final breaks there should be a really impressive influx of migrants (hopefully).  The morning once again started off cool and I hit a variety of areas over the course of the morning from the rail trail to UMASS to Quabbin Park.  I was just about done with my morning of birding when I got a text telling me about an extreme rarity for the area so I headed back to Hadley but unfortunately the reported rarity ended up being a Savannah Sparrow singing an odd song.  Overall the morning was once again relatively lackluster given the date but I still found some good stuff nonetheless.

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020

Nashville Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020

Black throated Blue Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020

Baltimore Oriole, Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020

Wednesday I was out the door well before dawn to try my luck with some nocturnal species at Quabbin and I had some luck with a few owls and at least one Eastern Whip Poor Will although the cool temperatures (36 degrees at dawn) probably kept some birds quiet.  I then over to UMASS and then on to the rail trail.  The best sighting of the day was an odd Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid in almost the same area I had it last year (sighting from last year at the following link).  It is a unique looking individual with an odd mask.  Although still a bit slow as far as numbers and diversity I still managed 17 species of warblers with a noticeable increase in Nashville Warblers.  I also checked the camera I had set up on one of my duck boxes and found the ducklings jumped out that morning.  Link to the videos attached below:
Hooded Mergansers leaving duck box #1 (caught almost all in this video)
Hooded Mergansers leaving duck box #1 (video 2)

Lawrence's Warbler, Belchertown, MA, May 5, 2020

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler, Piper Farm Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 5, 2020

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 5, 2020

Orchard Oriole with leg band, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, May 5, 2020

On Tuesday I hit a variety of places in Hadley and Amherst in the morning before coming home to get Wilson to go for another walk.  I started the morning at the rail trail before making my way to Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River (trying in vain to find a White eyed Vireo reported there a few days before).  Overall the morning was fairly quiet once again but the day still managed to produce a great sighting when I decided to head out briefly again late in the morning and came across a Lawrence's Warbler.

Cerulean Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 4, 2020

Worm eating Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 4, 2020

Scarlet Tanager, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, May 4, 2020

Northern Parula, Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, May 4, 2020

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Quabbin Park,  MA, May 4, 2020

Baltimore Oriole, Quabbin Park,  MA, May 4, 2020

Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park,  MA, May 4, 2020

Cape May Warbler, Home, Belchertown,  MA, May 4, 2020

With relatively calm winds overnight from Sunday into Monday and the likelihood of the last good migration night for a few days (at least) I headed out well before dawn in search of arriving migrants.  I started with a Sora in a marsh in a location that will not be disclosed.  I then headed over to Skinner SP to hike to the peak in search of Cerulean Warblers and Worm eating Warblers and I had success finding both with at least four Cerulean Warblers (three males and a female) and a couple Worm eating Warblers.  I had a nice selection of migrants including my first Great crested Flycatcher for the year in the county.  There were a number of other birders enjoying the birds too and I think they all got sightings of the above mentioned species.  I then headed back down the mountain and over to nearby Mitch's Way  I walked about a mile in and had a bit over fifty species including my first Ruby throated Hummingbird and Orchard Oriole.  I then headed back east with a quick stop at Sweet Alice Conservation Area before making it to my final stop of the morning at Quabbin Park.  I ran across Chuck not long after arriving and birded with him for almost my entire time there and got him several species for the year.  Overall the park was fairly slow given the date but i didn't cover many areas and the conditions were fairly breezy making it tough to find some of the birds.  Late in the day I picked out a Cape May Warbler feeding high in the trees around the house.

Sightings from the first few days of the month can be found at the following link.

Greater details on warblers for the first week of the month can be found at the following link.

Gray Catbird with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 4, 2020

Black capped Chickadee with leg bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 4, 2020

Black and White Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 4, 2020

Opossum, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 6, 2020

Gray Catbird with leg bands with Tufted Titmouse, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 6, 2020

Ruby throated Hummingbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 6, 2020

Besides the Hooded Mergansers fledging from box #1 and the Cape May Warbler mentioned above the yard has produced some additional good stuff with some resightings of banded birds including a Gray Catbird that was originally banded in 2017.  The cameras around the yard have also caught some good stuff from birds to mammals.  Below is a link to some of the videos captured.

Raccoon video
Beaver video
Beaver with tree video