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 - Dickcissel in Northfield

This morning I had a quick spin around a few sites in Northfield on the west side of the Connecticut River. It was warm and muggy with winds in the southern quarter. Generally, it was rather quiet but highlighted by calling Dickcissel that flew low to the east over Caldwell Road fields. Later I wrestled with an interesting calling 'warbler' that turned out to be a Northern Waterthrush and not the hoped-for Connecticut Warbler!

 Northern Waterthrush - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 5th, 2017.

 Black-throated Green Warbler - Satan's Kingdom, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 5th, 2017.

Red-eyed Vireo - Satan's Kingdom, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 5th, 2017.

Satan's Kingdom had two Least Sandpipers and an active feeding flock  of passerines that contained numerous Black-throated Green Warblers, Eastern Phoebes and Red-eyed Vireos and a calling Eastern Wood-Pewee.

MA - more arrivals in Gill - 04/25

The last few days have seen a real surge in migrant arrivals, either in our Gill yard or in the immediate area;

04/25 - In addition to the Louisiana Waterthrush photographed today, Northern Waterthrush, Chestnut-sided Warbler and Yellow Warbler were new, though Susannah reported hearing a Yellow Warbler somewhere in Gill yesterday. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have been drumming on Derby Hill on 23rd and today (2+), with a Hermit Thrush and a Black-throated Green Warbler there today as well. Brown Thrasher in the yard. In the evening, an American Woodcock displaying and a pair of Barred Owls 'caterwauling' from the woods - sounded incredibly eerie on such a damp, foggy night.

Yellow-rumped Warbler - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co. April 24th, 2011.

04/24 - Brown Thrasher and Hermit Thrush in the yard and a light 'wave' of Yellow-rumped Warblers. Three soaring Broad-winged Hawks and a Sharp-shinned Hawk may have been migrants. Six Purple Finches arrived at the feeders.

Hermit Thrush - Gill yard, Franklin Co. April 24th, 2011.

04/23 - Bedraggled Northern Flicker in the yard and about an inch of fresh snow in the surroundings - yuk! Louisiana Waterthrush still singing through the snow showers. American Kestrel and about five Tree Swallows appeared late in the afternoon as the snow turned to drizzle and light rain.

Northern Flicker - bedraggled and sitting out the rain, Gill yard, Franklin Co. April 23rd, 2011.

04/22 - Five Palm Warblers under the feeders in the morning but not there after. All appeared to be yellow 'Eastern' birds, plus a singing Pine Warbler. A calling Broad-winged Hawk and an American Woodcock displaying on our neighbor's property just up the road.

Daily fare includes Red-tailed Hawk, Mourning Dove, Eastern Bluebird, Ruby-crowned Kinglet (3+), American Goldfinch (15+) Pine Siskin (6+), White-throated Sparrow (20+), Song Sparrow (10+), Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco (10+), Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds.

JPS