Hooded Warbler on Prescott Peninsula

Hooded Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 8, 2019

Hooded Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 8, 2019

Hooded Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 8, 2019

Hooded Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jun 8, 2019

I was surprised this morning to find another Hooded Warbler for the season, this time on the permit only Prescott Peninsula at Quabbin.  I was up on the peninsula checking my whip poor will survey route as well as conducting some field bird surveys.  As I was slowly driving down the lower third of the peninsula I distinctly heard a Hooded Warbler singing so I stopped immediately and started looking for it.  I got some recordings right away but ti took a lot of looking to finally get some views and marginal photos of the bird.  Always amazing how even brightly colored birds can hide so well in the now fully leafed out trees!  The habitat looked good for potential breeding (mature oak and maple forest with a fairly thick understory).  The bird sang nearly continuously while I was in the area so it certainly looked to be trying to attract a mate.  Hooded Warbler is at its northern breeding limit here so finding a mate will be difficult (but not impossible).  I will keep tabs on the bird over the next few weeks to see if it sticks around and has any success finding a mate.  I have never had the species on the Prescott Peninsula before (or anywhere in Franklin County for that matter).  This becomes at least the third Hooded Warbler for me this spring (with the others being one I found at Quabbin Park on June 1 and the other (or others) initially found by Ted along the rail trail in Amherst in mid May.  The peninsula produced a total of 15 species of warblers for the morning...full list.

Pine Warbler caught at the house during banding program

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2019

Pine Warbler in net, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2019

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2019

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2019

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2019

For the first time in the five years of banding in the yard as part of the Neighborhood Nestwatch program we caught a warbler (not one of the target species of the program so it didn't get banded).  About an hour into the nets being up I checked one of the nets and immediately noticed a Pine Warbler caught up in the net.  Super excited to see it and after a few photos I was able to release it safely back into the yard.  More on the nestwatch program can be found here.

Hooded Warbler to start June

Hooded Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 1, 2019

Hooded Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 1, 2019

Hooded Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 1, 2019

I birded a few spots this morning before heading for home but not before taking a quick detour to Quabbin Park.  My main intention was to stay for just a short time and try to turn up a Mourning Warbler before the weekend hordes descended on the park.  Instead of a Mourning Warbler I found a singing male Hooded Warbler that appeared to be setting up a territory.  The bird sang most of the time I was there watching it and stayed within several hundred feet of the location I originally found it in.  The bird this morning allowed for some brief views but the leafed out trees made prolonged viewing (and photos) difficult but the views were much better than the Hooded Warbler that was present along the rail trail in the early part of May.  I will check back on the bird over the next several days to see if it sticks around.

Overall for the morning I had 17 species of warblers with almost all on territory breeding with the exception of a handful of lingering Blackpoll Warblers.