Trip Highlights

Six participants met at Laughing Brook Audubon Sanctuary in Hampden at 7 am.  The weather, in the high 50’s to start, soon rose to the low 70’s under partly cloudy skies.  We birded until about 12:15 pm, getting a total of 52 species.  

After a brief look around the parking lot, small pond, and bridge area at Laughing Brook, we proceeded to North Road just to check for the bobolinks, then on to Hollow Road, Hampden which continues with the same name into Wilbraham.  We spent most of our birding time on this road.  

Highlights included good long looks at an Olive-sided Flycatcher, a good look at a Black-billed Cuckoo, two Bobolinks, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and warblers, Canada, Blackpoll, Chestnut-sided, and Prairie.  Male and female Scarlet Tanagers paraded and an Alder Flycatcher was heard by most, but not seen.  We also had a good looks at a Wood Thrush at eye level.  Several Veerys were heard, as well as Pewee and Carolina Wren.  Five Cedar Waxwings were both heard and seen.   It was a wonderful morning for birding!

Six participants met with an objective to glimpse the Cerulean Warbler.   Let me tell you right now, that we briefly heard and saw the bird.   Enough for me to tick it off my year list, but I will do the 'moderate' walk up the road with hopes to get a better view next time around.        

The Worm-eating Warbler?   Best view ever.   We stood on the road as the bird picked up nesting material on the opposite side of the road (eight feet away), sprang up to one branch, then another and then dropped to the ground to deposit the material in a hole.   It looked like a tiny elf home.  We watched it for quite a while and then proceeded to find that Cerulean.        

What next?  Vivid Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Oriole, Junco and female Scarlet Tanager - all viewed from the porch of Skinner House and looking down.   On the walk down, we cruised slowly, hoping to get that Cerulean.   We got the brief view, but also saw a Yellow-throated Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher, Black-throated Blue Warbler and perched Pewee do his thing.  Back down at the halfway house, we stopped to review any new birds after briefly watching the Worm-eating and listening to the Winter Wren.  The Cape May Warbler had stayed put while we walked uphill (did I forget to mention that?).  We watched a madly displaying Redstart (the female just picked up nesting material) and the nesting Phoebes and Chipping sparrows.   The Ruby-throated Hummingbird perched on the end of the bare branch looking like a bud.   In the end, we six birders recorded 36 species, enjoyed a sunny day and a good workout.

There were 14 teams and 29 observers out in Hampden County territories for the count held on May 17-18.  Together they recorded 138 species, which was just above average over the last ten years.

As is typical, most of the common species were near their recent or long-term average, but some were noticeably high or low.  There were especially high counts of Red-tailed Hawk, Least Sandpiper, Bank Swallows (also high last year), Black-and-white Warblers, Tennessee (high count since 1991) and Nashville Warblers, Redstarts, Magnolia, Yellow-rumped, Canada, and Wilson’s Warblers. To everyone’s surprise and delight, there were also high numbers of Raven (highest ever on count), Cape May (highest count since 1978), and Bay-breasted Warblers (highest since 1983), first count of Pectoral Sandpiper since 2013 and first count of Mourning Warbler since 2010.  

Species found in notably low numbers were many of our more common species, Ring-billed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Crow, Robin, Grackle, Cowbirds (yay!) and House Sparrows (yay!) and a few less common species, Chimney Swift, Rough-winged Swallow, White and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creeper, and Brown Thrasher.  Misses this year include Common Merganser, Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, Junco, Black Duck, Bittern, Olive-sided and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers.  Never any guarantees on those species.

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2019 May Count Results

Nine participants saw or heard 42 species.  We had a rain-free day and the sun broke through to warm us.  The Natti trail was serene and pleasant.  We tallied 9 species of warblers, including good looks at Canada, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Magnolia and Northern Parula.  The ubiquitous Yellow Warblers and Catbirds entertained us with their songs and chatter as did the Wood Thrushes and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.  One keen-eyed birded spotted a Yellow Warbler nest, which an Indigo Bunting got too close to and was discharged by the mighty Yellow!  Good birding, good company and good (rain free) weather.

Nine participants met on a cool and windy morning with rain threatening.  Walking a total of two miles, we found 35 species.   Highlights included several raptors, an Osprey, a Bald Eagle, a Red-shouldered Hawk, and two Peregrine Falcon.  Also interesting were a Great Crested Flycatcher, 3 Raven, a Winter Wren, 8 Wood Thrush, 8 Catbirds, 9 Towhees, 6 Baltimore Orioles, warblers, 2 Ovenbird, 3 Worm-eating, a Black-and-white, a Cape May, a Magnolia, a Yellow, a Chestnut-sided, a BT Blue, 3 Yellow-rumped and a BT Green, and four each of Scarlet Tanager and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.