Warblers during the early part of June including a Mourning Warbler

Mourning Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 8, 2018

Mourning Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 8, 2018

Black throated Blue Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 6, 2018

Most of the migrant warblers have now moved through with just a few stragglers still possible.  The first week or so of June has produced a total of 21 species of warbler with almost all of them being breeders on territory.  I decided to see how many species of warbler I could see today and came up with a total of 19 (probably could have gotten 20 if I tried a bit harder to get a Magnolia Warbler).  An early morning hike up to the top of the mountain at Skinner SP produced just a single singing Worm eating Warbler and a couple of Cerulean Warblers singing occasionally.  The Cerulean Warbler nest I found back on May 15th appeared empty so either the nest was abandoned or the young have already fledged.  A Mourning Warbler seems to still be trying to attract a mate at Quabbin Park without any luck so far but I will keep checking.

A detailed look at Tennessee, Cape May and Bay breasted Warblers this spring in Hampshire County (plus other warblers)

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 16, 2018

Cape May Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 16, 2018

Bay breasted Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 21 2018

Tennessee Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 16, 2018

As the month of May has ended and June has begun I will take a quick look at the warbler migration for the season and a more detailed look at Tennessee, Cape May and Bay breasted Warblers.  As predicted last fall (Fall warblers 2017) all three species turned up in above normal numbers with my highest spring totals I have ever had for all three species in Hampshire County.  Some single locations turned up more individuals in a day then I have gotten in entire seasons.  I had two days where I had seven Tennessee Warblers, a day where I had three Bay breasted Warblers and a single day with 13 Cape May Warblers (including one spot where I had eight in view at once!).  All three species have had a population upswing the last couple years due to a spruce budworm outbreak that all three species feed on.  To show the big numbers further north I have attached a link to a mind blowing eBird list from a location in Quebec where hundreds of thousands of these species (and many others) passed in a single day...should be a great fall for them too if the outbreak continues.  Below is a list of this springs totals as well as totals from the previous ten years.

Tennessee             
2018     53
2017     5
2016     17
2015     8
2014     16
2013     6
2012     8
2011     1
2010     2
2009     4
2008     5

Cape May
2018     22
2017     3
2016     1
2015     1
2014     3
2013     1
2012     0
2011     0
2010     0
2009     0
2008     0

Bay breasted
2018     12
2017     3
2016     4
2015     3
2014     9
2013     1
2012     1
2011     1
2010     0
2009     1
2008     2

Brewster's Warbler, Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, May 8, 2018

Golden winged x Blue winged Warbler hybrid, Quabbin Park, MA, May 16, 2018

Mourning Warbler (Newfoundland vocal group), Quabbin Park, MA, May 29, 2018

Mourning Warbler (eastern vocal group), Quabbin Park, MA, May 17, 2018

Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 17, 2018

Nashville Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2018

Cerulean Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 15, 2018

Cerulean Warbler building nest, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 15, 2018

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 16, 2018

Northern Waterthrush, Pelham, MA, May 8, 2018

Besides the above mentioned species it was a decent spring warbler migration overall with a total of 30 species plus a few hybrids (one Brewster's and a returning Golden winged x Blue winged Warbler).  My best single day was May 16 when I had 29 species including my third Hooded Warbler of the season and an odd for spring Orange crowned Warbler.  Other highlights for the month included at least nine different Mourning Warblers with one apparently on territory and still present through the end of the month.  After sending my recordings to a professor researching the various vocal groups of Mourning Warbler I learned most were from the Eastern group but I had at least one from the Newfoundland group.  There are a total of four distinct vocal groups (Eastern, Western, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland) and I have now recorded three of the groups migrating through the county with only the Western group not represented.  I also located a Cerulean Warbler nest at Skinner SP mid month but have not been able to get back up there to check on the progress due to construction there.