Spring Migration on Steroids!

Hi everyone! It is spring migration on steroids right now and I have been doing LOTS of bird watching and not so much bird blogging! I will get back to the different species and topics next week. Today, I just want to share some pictures and sounds of just SOME of the birds moving to and through our local region now. I just checked Cornell’s Birdcast for our area. We are expected to have a HIGH intensity night starting at 4pm on May 18^th and 20^th and a MEDIUM intensity night on the 19^th. Most birds migrate through the night so experts say that you can catch them before dark and early morning. However, I will say that I have seen birds throughout the day as well.

I went back to Plum Island again this past weekend and was able to see my first Purple Martins. They were very hard to photograph as the males’ purple feathers are so shiny! You are not likely to see a Martin locally, but you CAN see many of the birds I saw there in our area too. There were SO many Yellow Warblers that I was in heaven. Love their sweet faces. I also saw a Black-billed Cuckoo and a beautiful Northern Parula. I saw my first Bobolink too! I heard many other birds that you can check out when I post my eBird report soon.

I went to Fannie Stebbins the 12^th and saw lots of babies! I saw many Rose-breasted Grossbeaks and Gray Catbirds that most of you have seen too by now. I also saw some Eastern Kingbirds and Tree Swallows that will stay all summer. I heard a Warbling Vireo and Hermit Thrush too. There also were both Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Common Yellowthroats, and Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Great Blue Herons and Osprey have active nests as well as the Bald Eagles. You can see the list on my eBird profile as soon as I catch up on my submitting reports!

I took 2 recent trips to Conant Brook Dam in Monson. I saw or heard all the birds above as well as more Yellow Warblers, Prairie Warblers, a Chestnut-sided Warbler, lots of Ovenbirds, thrushes, swallows and more! My friend and I saw a Red-winged Blackbird chase of a Great Blue Heron and a sweet Canada Goose family. We also checked on the Heron Rookery. I heard the Cuckoo here as well as Warbling Vireos and Great Crested Flycatchers. I tried to photograph the American Redstarts but they never stopped moving LOL!

My backyard and Sawmill Pond area on Soule Road in Wilbraham have been amazing for the last few days as well. I have seen or heard almost all the above birds in these areas as well as both a Broad-winged Hawk and a rare Northern Goosehawk. I had a Magnolia Warbler and a Baybreasted Warbler in my trees too. I have the Redstarts and Blue-headed Vireos and lots of Great Crested Flycatchers singing to me as well. I will post some of the pictures and sounds for the birds in each of these locations on my site. Check the town page to see them. For example, check the Wilbraham page to see the birds from Sawmill and Longmeadow for the Fannie Stebbins birds. For today, I will just post a quick picture of some of the beautiful warblers I have seen recently and some from my yard last fall that I haven’t pictured yet this year. That way, you will know what to search for when you go out and look for birds the next 3 days!!