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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Dec 1, 2019 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 18, 2019 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 24, 2019 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, Dec 25, 2019 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Quabbin Park, MA, Dec 18, 2019 |
Now that winter is coming to an end I'm taking a look at the record setting number of warblers that managed to hang on through the winter season of 2019-2020 in Hampshire County. It was the third winter in a row I had at least one warbler through every month of the season. I consider the winter season to run from December-February with December the month most likely to feature lingering warblers. During December this year I found
two species of warbler in Hampshire County once again with a single Common Yellowthroat and multiple Yellow rumped Warblers. I had Yellow rumped Warblers at multiple locations including the East Meadows (high count of 4 on
12/1 but at least one continued through the end of the month), Mitch's Way (two present on
12/25), Arcadia (high count of 7 on
12/24), and singles along the Swift River on
12/10 and another single on the
Quabbin CBC on 12/28. The Northampton CBC also turned up an unusual warbler for the month when an Orange crowned Warbler was found along Aqua Vitae Rd in Hadley (it was not relocated by anyone on subsequent days).
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jan 1, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Easthampton, MA, Jan 7, 2020 |
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| Pine Warbler, Granby, MA, Jan 23, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jan 31, 2020 |
January continued to feature a number of sightings of Yellow rumped Warblers at multiple locations plus a surprise Pine Warbler that showed up at a
private residence in Granby and continued through the end of the month and into February. Yellow rumped Warblers were reported from at least three separate locations for the month with a single seen at the bird blind at
Fitzgerald Lake late in the month, up to half a dozen at
Arcadia to begin the month with less numbers seen through the end of the month at multiple locations within Arcadia and up to an amazing 18 individuals in the East Meadows (seen by Aaron on
1/8) with my highest count for the month there being half a dozen on
1/31. Overall the month was quite mild with almost no snow to speak of.
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| Pine Warbler, Granby, MA, Feb 2, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Feb 2, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Feb 15, 2020 |
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| Pine Warbler, Granby, MA, Feb 23, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle' (four of eleven present), East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Feb 23, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Feb 23, 2020 |
February is typically the toughest month to find warblers in the county but this year there were a good number around with Yellow rumped Warblers at multiple different locations as well as the Pine Warbler continuing at a
private residence in Granby. My best total for warblers by far for a day in February occurred on
February 23 when I had 21 Yellow rumped Warblers (double digit counts at Arcadia and the East Meadows) and a Pine warbler in a single morning. Both the Yellow rumped Warblers and the Pine Warbler continued into March. A really amazing winter for warblers in Hampshire County.
Just outside the county there was a Pine Warbler at a suet feeder in Orange that showed up in early
December and was seen on and off through February at the same location. There was also an Orange crowned Warbler seen briefly in a
private yard in Holyoke in early December.
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