Today was a fantastic mid October day for warblers with many highlights among a total of eleven species of warbler...probably the last day I will have a double digit count in Hampshire County for this year. After a couple days of rain and cool temperatures today was sunny with light breezes and although it started cool (upper 30's) it quickly warmed once the sun came up eventually reaching a high around 70. I spent the majority of my time at Arcadia where I found a total of nine warbler species including at least half a dozen Tennessee Warblers (a high count for this late), two Orange crowned Warblers, 14 Common Yellowthroats in a variety of plumages from very dull to bright adult males, two Northern Parula (late), a Magnolia Warbler (late), both subspecies of Palm Warbler with the majority of the 50+ individuals being 'yellow' Palm Warblers, a couple Pine Warblers, oddly just eight Yellow rumped Warblers and a late female Wilson's Warbler. After my time at Arcadia I picked up Wilson and we went for a walk in Belchertown where I turned up a very late Northern Waterthrush in a small marshy area as well as a Blackpoll Warbler in among a group of Yellow rumped Warblers.
A few of these records are new late date records for me in the Hampshire County. The Northern Waterthrush is a new late date beating my previous late date of October 6 set in 2018. Northern Parula ties my previous late date (from 2017) and Wilson's Warbler sets a new late date surpassing my previous late date of October 11 set in 2007. My last update on early and late dates for me in Hampshire County can be found at the following link.
The new water feature produced yet another warbler species a few days ago when a Blackpoll Warbler showed up. This makes five species so far and I only got it up and running after the peak of fall warbler migration had already moved through. Really looking forward to what spring migration brings in.
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