May 1st - 4th

Killdeer - a rain dappled breeding bird, Montague, Franklin Co., MA. My 1st, 2020. 

Travel restrictions and social distancing protocol continued into May with no foreseeable end in sight. Though obviously difficult to deal with, few birders would grumble about the idea of being stuck in Massachusetts during the month of May. With spring migration in full swing and unpredictable weather patterns ahead, many diverse days will offer the promise of great field birding all the way through until the month's end. The opening three days formed a perfect example as heavy/torrential rain grounded a modest fall-out of waterbirds on the 1st, whilst on the 3rd temperatures soared into the low 80s bringing the first genuinely warm day of the year and a widespread, diverse range of summer breeders to Franklin County.


May 1st: Barton Cove, Gill; 14 Common Loons with some birds dropping in whilst I was there before 09:00 but a complete exodus of all loons by 12 noon. There was also a noteworthy fall-out of 10 Buffleheads plus 3 Green-winged Teal and 2 Ring-necked Ducks lingering over from April. 

Ring-necked Ducks - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 1st, 2020. 

View from Barton Cove campground, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 1st, 2020. 

 Common Loons - from Barton Cove campground, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 1st, 2020. 

Some of the early morning fall-out of 14 birds.

May 2nd: a cool start but warming to the mid 60s by the afternoon. Noteworthy first arrivals (with thanks to Josh Layfield, Brian Kane and David Sibley) included; Chimney Swift (Deerfield, Greenfield),  Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Deerfield), Green Heron (Montague), Baltimore Oriole (Montague), Warbling Vireo (Gill), Wood Thrush (Northfield, Montague), Ovenbird (Northfield, Montague), Northern Waterthrush (Gill), Chestnut-sided Warbler (Gill), Yellow Warbler (Turner's Falls) and Common Yellowthroat (Montague).

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male) - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 2nd, 2020. 

Broad-winged Hawk - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 1st, 2020. 

May 3rd: the first really warm day of the year with winds in the SW quarter and temps reaching the low 80s by mid-afternoon. Lots more new arrivals including; Prairie Warbler (Deerfield, Montague, Leyden), Black-throated Blue Warbler (Deerfield, Gill), Blue-winged Warbler (Deerfield), Gray Catbird (everywhere!), Northern Parula (Deerfield, Gill), Great Crested Flycatcher (Deerfield, Sunderland), Eastern Kingbird (Gill) Least Flycatcher (Montague) and Bobolink (Monatgue). Thanks again to Josh Layfield, Brian Kane and David Sibley, and Susannah Lerman for the reports. Considering the clear skies and warm, sunny conditions 38 Ring-billed Gulls, a Red-breasted Merganser (female) and a Bufflehead (fem/imm) at Barton Cove were surprising. 

Red-breasted Merganser with Ring-billed Gulls - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 3rd, 2020. 

May 4th: Clear skies and a warm morning induced another widespread arrival of summer breeders to Franklin County. Warbling Vireos and Eastern Kingbirds were already plentiful around Barton Cove and Prairie Warblers (12+) seemed to be well established in the Montague Sandplains. I had my first Yellow-throated Vireo of the year, along with a Northern Parula, on Taylor Hill Road, Montague and a Blue-winged Warbler singing right by Rt 47 in Montague. In Deerfield, David Sibley reported Blackburnian Warbler, Scarlet Tanager and Indigo Bunting all making first-time appearances this year. In the evening Josh Layfield and I watched nice gathering of swallows feeding low over the water at Barton Cove, five species in all including 10+ Bank Swallows and at least 3 Cliff Swallows. Chimney Swifts (3-4) were visible over Riverview Drive as well . 

Eastern Kingbird - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 4th, 2020. 

Cliff Swallows - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 4th, 2020. 

Minimum of three birds watched feeding low over the water with Josh Layfield on a cool, cloudy evening. 

April - the last few days

Common Loon - adult, Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA. April 28th, 2020.

Unusual looking bird with pale ivory colored culmen and tip to the bill. 

April ended damp and chilly as it had been for much of the month. Summer breeders continued to arrive slowly, in dribs and drabs actually. We still await the broad sweeping arrivals of many regular summer migrants. Notably absent so far have been species such as Gray Catbird, Wood Thrush, Least Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Ovenbird, Blue-winged and Yellow Warblers, Northern Waterthrush and Common Yellowthroat all of which I've noted before the end of the month in years past.

But Josh Layfield did see an American Redstart at the Turner's Falls power canal on the 28th, and we had a Black--and-white Warbler singing in our yard in Northfield on the 29th the same day that Brian Kane noted the first local Rose-breasted Grosbeak of the year in Montague. Broader 'waves' of Hermit Thrush, Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Ruby-crowned Kinglets occurred in many spots in the last three days of the month plus there was surprising concentration of 25 Savannah Sparrows on North Cross Road on the 29th along with a continuing Black-throated Green Warbler.

Common Loon - adult, Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA. April 28th, 2020.

Lots of movement among Common Loons with individuals sometimes dropping in for only a 

few minutes before pushing on with migration. 

After the excitement earlier in the week, Barton Cove was fairly quiet as four Horned Grebes continued from the 26th - 28th, and single breeding plumage Common Loons dropped in on the 28th and the 29th. There were also single pairs of Ring-necked Ducks and Blue-winged Teals on the 30th. Continued heavy rain throughout the 30th brought four more Common Loons to Barton Cove along with about 400 swallows hawking over the water including over 70 Barn Swallows and my first local Bank and Cliff Swallows of the year.

Common Loon - adult, Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA. April 29th, 2020.

Double-crested Cormorants - Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA. April 29th, 2020.

Present daily at the cove in small, varying numbers. 

MA - Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 09/04

Gill - A dull, damp, drizzly day but a notable upswing in bird activity around the house this morning. Three hatch-year Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Northern Flicker and Hairy Woodpecker were all part of a feeding flock that included about five Eastern Bluebirds, 2-3 American Redstarts, a Pine Warbler, several other unidentified warblers and at least 8 Purple Finches. Indeed, I noticed Purple Finches at each site I visited in Gill today totaling over 25 birds, with at least a dozen Red-breasted Nuthatches in the same locations. Later in the afternoon our yard produced more than six Gray Catbirds, a female/immature Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - fem/imm, Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. September 4th, 2012.

Gray Catbird - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. September 4th, 2012.

JPS

MA - everyday yard birds...but still very cool! - 05/10

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. At least two different males visited the feeders today. The bird in the first image is a mature male in full breeding plumage as shown by the solid black upperparts and black remiges. The bird below is a first-summer male showing a more mottled appearance to the nape and mantle, and clearly worn, brown secondaries and primaries.

The birds in our Gill yard continue to impress, even aside from the daily arrivals of warblers, the feeders still attract many Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches. The Chipping Sparrows and the few remaining White-throated Sparrows have now been joined by newly arrived Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo Buntings. There may have been a Brown Thrasher lurking around the Alder patch since late April but this afternoon I found him, boldly turning leaves out in the open.


Chestnut-sided Warbler - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. Like most of the warblers in the yard at the moment, Chestnut-sideds are more often heard than seen. This one showed well in late afternoon whilst giving a quiet alternate song. Up to four have been present since early May and with suitable habitat within the perimeter of the yard, there's a good chance a pair will breed here.


Indigo Bunting - male, Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. The same male, photographed at the same time of day on the same branch but with images taken from two different angles (actually bedroom window - uppershot, and basement - lower shot). I heard my first local Indigo Buntings singing just one day earlier.


Brown Thrasher - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. Often a real skulker and a real treat to have this one foraging out in the open!

White-throated Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. At least some White-throated Sparrows have been present daily since late September but numbers have dwindled sharply in the last couple of days with no more than three birds remaining, presumably as birds disperse to breeding areas.

Pine Siskin - Gill yard, Franklin Co. MA. May 10th, 2011. Up to twenty remain, visiting the feeders on a daily basis and likely breeding in the local area.

Other notable birds in or close to the yard today; Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-throated and Warbling Vireos, Blue-winged, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Nashville and Pine Warblers, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, Louisiana Waterthrush, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, House Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow and Field Sparrow (singing). I also may have heard a Blackpoll Warbler briefly singing in late morning.

JPS