MA - Amherst migrants - 05/16

This morning was comfortably cool, bright and sunny. Not really the sort of conditions where I'd expect to find a good variety of migrants in the local neighborhood but some of today's species are worthy of note. A Bay-breasted Warbler singing on North Whitney Street was my first of the year, as were a couple of Blackpoll Warblers up near Orchard Hill on the UMass campus. The real highlight though was a singing Acadian Flycatcher in a yard on Chestnut Street north of Amherst town center, my first locally for the year. Other nice species included Magnolia and Blackburnian Warblers and Swainson's Thrush in our yard on North Whitney Street, a Yellow-throated Vireo (first one on April 28th) on the Amherst Bike Path at Snell Street and a Louisiana Waterthrush on Henry Street, North Amherst, the latter present since at least April 24th. All of these were recorded under human power, either by foot or bicycle.

Yesterday, May 14th, I also came across a migrant Lincoln's Sparrow in the Northern part of the Prescott Peninsula, Quabbin.