Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Good start to September

Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 3, 2025
Wilson's Warbler
Wilson's Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 3, 2025
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 3, 2025
Tennessee Warbler
Tennessee Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 3, 2025
Cape May Warbler
Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Sep 3, 2025
Chestnut sided Warbler
Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Sep 3, 2025
Prairie Warbler
Prairie Warbler, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Sep 3, 2025
American Redstart
American Redstart, Ware, MA, Sep 3, 2025
Northern Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 2, 2025
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 1, 2025
Chestnut sided Warbler
Chestnut sided Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 1, 2025
Canada Warbler
Canada Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 1, 2025
Cape May Warbler
Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 1, 2025
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 1, 2025
Black throated Blue Warbler
Black throated Blue Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 1, 2025

I'm off to a good start for the month of September with 22 species so far and still need to add a Blue winged Warbler (which should be easy but I have missed it so far).  Any other additions for the month will be somewhat on the rare side (like Mourning Warbler and Connecticut Warbler).

I was out before dawn on the first and after looking for some nocturnal species I spent much of that morning around the south Quabbin/Belchertown area in search of warblers and had 17 species for the day including multiple Cape May Warblers.  

On the second I concentrated on spots along the river from Holyoke north and despite a lot of looking I only managed to add one more species for the month (Yellow Warbler) with a paltry seven species total!  Very low for the time of year and areas covered.

Today I started off in Ware and then worked my way back to Belchertown and had a decent morning with 18 species including more Cape May Warblers and my first Magnolia, Blackburnian, Blackpoll and Wilson's Warblers for the month (any day with a Wilson's Warbler is a good day).  

Sunday, August 31, 2025

August comes to an end

Cape May Warbler
Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025
Nashville Warbler
Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025
Ovenbird
Ovenbird, UMASS Demonstration Forest, Belchertown, MA, Aug 31, 2025
Tennessee Warbler
Tennessee Warbler, UMASS Demonstration Forest, Belchertown, MA, Aug 31, 2025
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 30, 2025
Nashville Warbler
Nashville Warbler, UMASS Demonstration Forest, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025
Black throated Green Warbler
Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025
Chestnut sided Warbler
Chestnut sided Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025
Northern Parula
Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025
Canada Warbler
Canada Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025

August has now come to an end and I'm quite happy with the haul of warblers with a total of 26 species with a good showing of early arrivals (plus a few lingering species to begin the month).  The early arrivals have included Bay breasted Warbler (a great early showing for the species), Tennessee Warbler, Cape May Warbler (also a good showing), Northern Parula and Nashville Warbler.  We now enter the second peak period for warblers here (the best being May of course).  Diversity and numbers peak and then we start the long downhill slide into later fall and then winter.  Very happy to say I will not be here for the core of the cold of winter.  Bring on September with the promise of a Connecticut Warbler (or hopefully many)!

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

More early warblers including my first Cape May Warbler of the fall

Cape May Warbler
Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025
Cape May Warbler
Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025
Black throated Green Warbler
Black throated Green Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025
Chestnut sided Warbler
Chestnut sided Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025
Prairie Warbler
Prairie Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025
Chestnut sided Warbler
Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025
Blue winged Warbler
Blue winged Warbler, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025
Bay breasted Warbler
Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025
Black throated Green Warbler
Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025
Bay breasted Warbler
Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025
Magnolia Warbler
Magnolia Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025
Bay breasted Warbler
Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025
Black throated Green Warbler
Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025
Prairie Warbler
Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 25, 2025

After finding a variety of early migrants on the 24th I continued to find other early arriving warblers the last couple days including my first Cape May Warbler of the fall this morning.  Bay breasted Warblers have really made a good showing so far and I hope that continues through the fall.  So far for the month I have had 24 species of warblers so far.  

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Multiple early warblers this morning including Northern Parula, Bay breasted Warbler and Tennessee Warbler

Northern Parula
Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Aug 24, 2025
Northern Parula
Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Aug 24, 2025
Northern Parula
Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Aug 24, 2025
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 24, 2025
Bay breasted Warbler
Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 24, 2025
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler, Cadwall Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 24, 2025
Tennessee Warbler
Tennessee Warbler, Cadwall Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 24, 2025

After an early stop at Lake Wallace looking for waders I headed up to the Pelham/Belchertown area in search of warblers and had some great luck with a variety of early arrivals.  It was a tad bit breezy in Pelham which made tracking down birds a bit tough.  Nonetheless I still found a Tennessee Warbler among eight species of warblers present.  I then moved on to a spot in Belchertown and the winds was almost non existent there and I had ever more luck with a Northern Parula and a ratty looking Bay breasted Warbler in molt for early arrivals.  I had ten species total during this stop with most birds in two widely separated mixed species flocks with few species in between.  Fall warbler migration is certainly picking up and gives a sign of what is ahead for September.


Tuesday, August 19, 2025

A first taste of early fall like weather

Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 19, 2025
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 19, 2025
Chestnut sided Warbler
Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 19, 2025
American Redstart
American Redstart, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 18, 2025
Chestnut sided Warbler and Gray Catbird
Chestnut sided Warbler with Gray Catbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 19, 2025
Ovenbird
Ovenbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 16, 2025

We had our first taste of fall like weather the last couple days with lows at night that dropped to around 50 for this morning following a night of north winds and highs that topped into the 70's with low humidity.  Tough to say for certain if any of the warblers I ran across the last couple mornings were truly migrants but there is certainly mixed flocks around today and I had a total of ten species.  A check of the camera at the water feature also turned up a few warblers (none new for the year but some good captures).