More New Arrivals

Magnolia Warbler - The first of the year, and always a thrill.


Solitary Sandpiper - One of two on the Aqua Vitae road in Hadley.


Black-throated Green Warbler - A decent wave of these today with at least 12 along a short section of the Northampton Bike Path.


Singing Baltimore Orioles and White-throated Sparrows got the day off to a positive start on North Whitney Street, Amherst with further singing male orioles along the Connecticut River in Northampton near the Route 9 bridge.

Spent much of the morning successfully searching for cavity nesting species along the Northampton bike path from Damon Street West to the railroad bed in Northampton. After two days of gloom, bird activity was high with many singing warblers towards the West end of the bike path. Most notably - 12 Yellow-rumped, 5 Nashville, 12 Black-throated Green, 2 Black-and-White, and a male Magnolia Warbler. At least 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglets were also singing, as well as Wood Thrush, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Warbling and Blue-headed Vireos and a rather nice male Orchard Oriole just where the bike path passes underneath I-91! A calling Least Flycatcher stayed high in the tops and was probably a migrant. On the way home a couple of very quick stops, one at the Aqua Vitae road in Hadley, and one at Moody Bridge road in Hadley were both productive, with 2 Solitary Sandpipers and both yellowlegs at the former, and over 10 Bobolinks and a Brown Thrasher at the latter. Very cool indeed and all a beautiful spring day.

JPS.