MA - late nighthawk migration around the autumn equinox

Common Nighthawk - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. September 22nd, 2019.

After a busy summer/early autumn of tours and family commitments, I've finally managed to do at least a little local birding around the autumn equinox and pleased to have found a few species of local interest. The warm, muggy air (89 deg F in Turner's Falls on the afternoon of the 23rd) produced a late migration of Common Nighthawks with eight over Turner's Falls, and six over downtown Greenfield on the 22nd and a remarkable 15 over Main Road, Gill on 23rd when Josh Layfield had five over Montague WMA, and a further 11 over the Green River at Deerfield Street in Greenfield.  Clearly a strong, late push of nighthawks and quite unusual to see actual flocks gathering this late into the fall.

Common Nighthawks - over Main Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. September 23rd, 2019.

The 23rd also produced an eclipse American Wigeon with the Mallards at Turner's Falls, and a Mourning Warbler (first-winter), an American Golden Plover and several Purple Finches migrating over North Cross Road earlier during the morning. 

American Wigeon - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. September 23rd, 2019.

MI - Warblers in Spring Part III

Kentucky Warbler - Tawas Point SP, Michigan. May 18th, 2019.

Originally found by Scott Surner on May 15th and looking somewhat bedraggled by May 18th. 

Despite having fabulous views of Kirtland's Warblers the previous evening, we returned on Sunday morning for a second helping and to enjoy some of the other species that we'd seen all-too-briefly the day before. These included Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush and Nashville Warbler. We worked hard for Upland Sandpipers but couldn't find any before moving onto Hartwick Pines State Park for fantastic views of Evening and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Winter Wren. And there was even a Barred Owl calling the classic 'who-cooks-for-you' in the middle of the morning. The afternoon was dedicated to Bobolinks around Mio and the early evening to marshland birds where we heard lots of Soras and Virginia Rails but couldn't work-up any magic with Yellow Rail.

Winter Wren - Hartwick Pines SP, near Grayling, Michigan. May 17th, 2019. 

Evening Grosbeaks - Hartwick Pines SP, near Grayling, Michigan. May 17th, 2019. 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Oak Openings, Ohio. May 14th, 2019. 

We rounded off a brilliant spring trip with time spent at another migration hotspot, Tawas Point State Park. It was alive with migrant warblers and vireos, not least of which was a lingering Kentucky Warbler found on May 15th be fellow Pioneer Valley birder Scott Surner. We also enjoyed more Golden-winged and Orange-crowned Warblers, and what could only be described as a 'flock' of Philadelphia Vireos on the very last morning of the trip. I dare say that had we been given more time, Tawas Point would have kept on giving to us. John and I rounded up a stunning tour with 31 species of wood-warbler recorded. A big miss this year was Mourning Warbler but then the views that we had of Connecticut Warbler at Magee Marsh seemed like an appropriate trade off and there were no complaints forthcoming from us!

Blackpoll Warbler - Tawas Point SP, Michigan. May 18th, 2019. 

Red-breasted Nuthatch - Tawas Point SP, Michigan. May 19th, 2019.

Philadelphia Vireo - Tawas Point SP, Michigan. May 19th, 2019.

MI - Warblers in Spring Part II

Kirtland's Warbler - male, Grayling, Crawford Co., MI. May 16th, 2019.

After six brilliant days in Ohio birding along the Lake Erie shore, it was time to head north-west and focus on some of the breeding in birds in central-north Michigan. Passing through Jackson County, we couldn't resist trying another site for Henlsow's Sparrows followed by a mid-morning visit to some surrounding Oak woodlands. Here we found our only Cerulean Warblers and Acadian Flycatchers of the trip along with a singing male Golden-winged Warbler, and several Hooded Warblers and Yellow-throated Vireos. By the afternoon, we'd already reached Grayling where we lucky enough to watch numerous singing Kirtland's Warblers showing superbly well in the evening sunlight.

Kirtland's Warbler - male, Grayling, Crawford Co., MI. May 16th, 2019.

Cerulean Warbler - Jackson Co., MI. May 16th, 2019.

Cerulean Warbler (female) - Jackson Co., MI. May 16th, 2019.

Henslow's Sparrow - Jackson Co., MI. May 16th, 2019.

North American Porcupine - Grayling, Crawford Co., MI. May 16th, 2019.

OH - Warblers in Spring Part I

Connecticut Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 15th, 2019.

The Lake Erie shore has proven to be a massive draw for me every year since 2012. The central two weeks of May provide a unique opportunity to observe a huge diversity of North American wood-warblers up close, often singing and often in abundance. It's fantastic place to learn and celebrate some of the most colorful passerines on the continent. The focal point of the trip, quite naturally, is the World famous Magee Marsh and it's boardwalk but there's so much more to do and see along the Erie shore and plenty of scope for finding pockets of birds without having the Magee crowds in tow. That much said, it's those very crowds that contribute to some impressive bird finding meaning that little, if anything, gets missed at Magee Marsh. This year I traveled with my friend John Barkham. We engaged on a ten day avian adventure starting on May 10th with six consecutive nights in Port Clinton before heading north into Michigan for the remaining three nights. Highlights were many, too many to list here in fact, but certainly prolonged views of a migrant Connecticut Warbler at Magee Marsh would have to be up there!

Connecticut Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 15th, 2019.

Connecticut Warbler  'twitch' - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 15th, 2019.

A showy Connecticut Warbler (ABA Code 2) caused quite a stir along the edge of the East parking lot. 

Here's John (in black) trying to get more views having just seen it reasonably well a few minutes earlier.

Blue-winged Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Bay-breasted Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Blackburnian Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 12th, 2019.

Canada Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 12th, 2019.

Canada Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 12th, 2019.

Black-throated Blue Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Cape May Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 12th, 2019.

Cape May Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Hooded Warbler - Pearson Metropark, Lucas Co. , OH. May 11th, 2019.

Hooded Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 15th, 2019.

Northern Parula - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019. 

Ovenbird - Oak Openings, Lucas Co., OH. May 14th, 2019.

And a few species other than warblers;

Racoon family - Oak Openings, Lucas Co., OH. May 14th, 2019.

Summer Tanager - Oak Openings, Lucas Co., OH. May 14th, 2019.

Baltimore Oriole - Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas Co., OH. May 11th, 2019.

Eastern Screech-Owl - Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Black-billed Cuckoo - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Dunlin - Howard Marsh, Lucas Co., OH. May 11th, 2019.

Great Horned Owl - Pearson Metropark, Lucas Co. , OH. May 11th, 2019.

Eastern Whip-poor-will - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 12th, 2019.

Entrance to Pipe Creek Wildlife Area, Sandusky, Erie Co., OH. May 12th, 2019. 

We experienced a lot of flooding in the first few days of the trip but we still managed to get to our birding sites

by using rubber boots which came in really handy for our days along the Erie shore. 

Henslow's Sparrow - Ottawa Co., OH. May 14th, 2019.

Marsh Wren - Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Trumpeter Swan - Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Sandhill Cranes - Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas Co., OH. May 11th, 2019.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Oak Openings, Lucas Co., OH. May 14th, 2019.