May 14th -

Bobolink - one of at least five singing males, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 14th, 2020.

The day dawned cold, clear and frosty once more. Initial indications appeared to point to very few new birds so I settled for catching up with some local breeding birds including Bobolinks and Orchard Orioles in Gill, and Killdeers at Turner's Falls where I just happened to come across a nest with four eggs!

Killdeer (nest with eggs) - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. May 14th, 2020.

As the day warmed up migrant warblers including Blue-winged, Nashville and Northern Parula became more obvious but as I set off for a morning bike ride I wasn't quite prepared for the numbers of parulas that would actually be out there. A 22 mile loop from Montague Plains through Sunderland and Turner's Falls produced no less that 40 Northern Parulas, easily the biggest wave of the species that I've experienced in Franklin County. Other notable arrivals on the same ride included Northern Waterthrush (8) which seem to have been scarce so far this spring and Yellow-throated Vireo (4), notably late in arrival compared to previous springs.


The evening hours were decidedly balmy in Gill (72 deg F) with a fantastic chorus of Barred Owls and Wood Thrushes and my first 'singing' Veery of the spring. Our yard in Northfield also turned out to be something of a sweet spot for thrushes with Susannah spotting a migrant Swainson's Thrush, several foraging Veeries plus a Hermit Thrush in song early in the morning.

MA - noteworthy passerines

Aside from the Olive-sided Flycatcher at Hell's Kitchen, Northfield on the 11th mentioned in a previous post, other flycatchers of interest included a Great Crested on North Cross Road, Gill on the 6th, two Yellow-bellied at Hell's Kitchen on the 7th, and a Least on Riverview Drive, Gill on the 8th. And there was also 'getting late' singing Yellow-throated Vireo at Hell's Kitchen on the 12th.

Northern Parula - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. September 13th, 2018.

Yet more overnight rain on the 13th brought an obvious arrival of passerines to the area including our yard in Northfield at dawn with a calling Swainson's Thrush as well as a Wood Thrush. But it was a large flock of migrant warblers at Turner's Falls Rod and Gun club in mid-morning that really caught me off-guard. As I arrived, I heard several titmice and chickadees calling overhead and looked up to see numbers of warblers filtering through the oaks in a non-stop wave that lasted five minutes or so. The light was awkward and I had difficulty in getting my bins onto many of the birds passing through but I estimated that 70+ warblers were involved. Of those that I managed to identify Northern Parula (12+), Tennessee (7+), and Bay-breasted (4) were the most common with other notable species including Magnolia, Blackburnian, Cape May and my first Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the fall. And for the rest, who knows?!

Magnolia Warbler - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. September 13th, 2018.

Tennessee Warbler - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. September 13th, 2018.

Also of note on the 13th, quite a few raptors with 8+ American Kestrels scattered around the sod fields in Northfield, a migrant Osprey in Northfield, a Northern Harrier heading south through Gill and several juvenile Broad-winged Hawks seemingly waiting for the gloom to clear to start the southward migration. 

American Kestrel - Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 13th, 2018.

Heavy rain throughout most of the 12th created a number of fresh rain pools in the Northfield sod fields attracting five Killdeer and a Least Sandpiper, all of which had moved on by the next day.

Killdeer - River Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 12th, 2018.

Least Sandpiper - River Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 12th, 2018.

MA - migrants arriving including first Yellow-throated Vireo in Gill

A better, calmer morning with temperatures looking set to rise nicely in the afternoon. Lots of birdsong around Gill this morning including a couple of year-firsts....a Yellow-throated Vireo singing just south of the intersection with North Cross and Main Roads, and a Black-throated Green Warbler down at Barton Cove where there was yet another new Louisiana Waterthrush to add to the relative abundance of the species in Gill.

Louisiana Waterthrush - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 29th, 2015. 

Waterbirds were few on the cove but a Common Goldeneye lingers along with a Common Loon and at least five Ring-necked Ducks.

Common Goldeneye - female, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 29th, 2015. 

Starting to get late for this species in Franklin County.

A bigger surprise, especially given the calm conditions, was the presence of at least 25 American Pipits in a pasture off North Cross Road and a Greater Yellowlegs foraging in a puddle off Main Road just north of the intersection with North Cross. Frustratingly, I didn't have time to bird this morning.....all of these were more or less incidental sightings but it sure looked like a good morning to be out.....wish I could have done more.

Greater Yellowlegs - Main Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 29th, 2015.

What I assume was the same bird was on the same pool on April 26th. 

MA - local gems 05/08

Been having some nice mornings locally with my mum, Margaret Smith, visiting from the UK. With most of the foliage yet to unfurl these beautiful new spring arrivals have been relatively easy to spot. Nice to see Prairie and Yellow Warblers already widespread by the 5th, and Gray Catbirds seemingly everywhere. Barton Cove has been quiet with no new (or obviously so) arrivals - 1 non-breeding Common Loon and 3 female Buffleheads on the 5th. And a surprise female Merlin at Unity Park, Turner's Falls on the evening of the 8th.

 Blackburnian Warbler - male, Poet's Seat, Greenfield, Franklin Co., MA.  May 5th, 2014. 

 Black-throated Green Warbler - male, Poet's Seat, Greenfield, Franklin Co., MA.  May 8th, 2014. 

Broad-winged Hawk - adult, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 7th, 2014. 

 Black-and-White Warbler - male, Poet's Seat, Greenfield, Franklin Co., MA.  May 8th, 2014. 

Black-and-White Warbler - male, Poet's Seat, Greenfield, Franklin Co., MA.  May 8th, 2014. 

 Chestnut-sided Warbler - male, Mountain Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA.  May 5th, 2014. 

 Ovenbird - male, Poet's Seat, Greenfield, Franklin Co., MA.  May 5th, 2014. 

Eastern Towhee - male, Mountain Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA.  May 5th, 2014. 

 Pine Warbler - male, Poet's Seat, Greenfield, Franklin Co., MA.  May 5th, 2014.

 Prairie Warbler - male, Mountain Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA.  May 5th, 2014. 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA.  May 7th, 2014. 

 Yellow Warbler - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA.  May 5th, 2014. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler - male, Poet's Seat, Greenfield, Franklin Co., MA.  May 5th, 2014.

Yellow-throated Vireo - male, Poet's Seat, Greenfield, Franklin Co., MA.  May 5th, 2014.

MA - Yellow-throated Vireo and more 04/30

The opening days of May have been something of a whirlwind, both bird-wise and family-wise. The pace of migration continues unabated with each new day bringing fresh arrivals to our area of Gill. The following posts attempt to catch up with some of these events though in reality it's been way too busy to capture them all. Being our spring in Gill, new yards birds have become almost routine whilst others have been returning on migration having not been seen since the fall. It's an incredibly exciting time of year!

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 28th, 2011. First of the year, photographed through the living room window. Looking cold and wet but surely happy to have arrived!

Nashville Warbler - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 30th, 2011. Another yard first, just 'appeared' outside the living room window.

Yellow-throated Vireo - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 30th, 2011. The date is on the early side for this species, with this transient bird singing as it passed through the yard in the morning. Another nice addition to the yard list.

Yellow-rumped Warbler - handsome male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 30th, 2011. Perhaps the most common of the wood-warblers through late April and into May being present (often in numbers) on a daily basis.

Black-throated Green Warbler - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. April 30th, 2011. Our first of the year in the yard, though birds had been singing in the surroundings since at least April 27th.

JPS