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| White lored Warbler, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020 |
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| Santa Marta Warbler, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Yellow crowned Redstart, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Barbuda Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020 |
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| Vitelline Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 4, 2020 |
Swainson's Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020
Yet another year is in the books and yet again it was another great year for me in my quest to see all the new world wood warbler species. I added a half a dozen new species to my total with White lored Warbler, Santa Marta Warbler and Yellow crowned Redstart in the Santa Marta Mountains of Colombia, Barbuda Warbler on the island of Barbuda and Vitelline Warbler and Swainson's Warbler on Grand Cayman. Trips away from the local area included Costa Rica in January with a few day stop in central Florida on the way home, the Santa Marta Mountains in Colombia in early February, Antigua and Barbuda late February into early March and Grand Cayman Island in early March. The remainder of the year was spent in the local area as travel became heavily restricted due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
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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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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jan 9, 2020 |
The new year started off with me finding Yellow rumped Warblers continuing at
Arcadia and the next several days found several others at
multiple locations....a good start to the year!
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| Chestnut sided Warbler, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 12, 2020 |
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| Tennessee Warbler, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 12, 2020 |
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| Golden winged Warbler, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 15, 2020 |
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| Kentucky Warbler, Hacienda Baru NWR, Costa Rica, Jan 13, 2020 |
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| Northern Waterthrush, Hacienda Baru NWR, Costa Rica, Jan 13, 2020 |
We made our at least annual trip down to
Costa Rica on January 10 and stayed until the 19th. I managed to add another new warbler species for me at the lodge (Blackburnian Warbler). Most of our time was spent around the Rio Magnolia Lodge with a half day trip down to the coast.
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| Prairie Warbler, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020 |
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| Yellow throated Warbler, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020 |
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| Orange crowned Warbler, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020 |
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| Palm Warbler 'western', Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020 |
On our way home from Costa Rica we made a few day stop in
Florida in the Orlando area. Despite having just one day to bird and less than ideal weather I found a nice selection of warblers with nine species in just the one full day I had available.
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| Pine Warbler, Granby, MA, Jan 23, 2020 |
Once we arrived back home I followed up on a report of a
Pine Warbler coming into some feeders at a private residence in Granby...a very rare species for January!
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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 |
I started out February with
two warbler species on the same day when I caught up with the continued Pine Warbler at a private residence in Granby as well as multiple Yellow rumped Warblers in the East Meadows.
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| Santa Marta Warbler, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| White lored Warbler, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020 |
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| Yellow crowned Redstart, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Slate throated Redstart, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020 |
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| Tropical Parula, Finca Palo Alto, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 6, 2020 |
On the third of the month I took a trip down to the
Santa Marta Mountains of Colombia in search of three species of warbler endemic to the area (Santa Marta Warbler, White lored Warbler and Yellow crowned Redstart). I happily found all three (as well as other warbler species) during the brief trip.
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| Barbuda Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020 |
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| Cape May Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020 |
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| Yellow Warbler (golden), Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020 |
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| Northern Parula, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', McKinnon's Saltpond, Antigua, Feb 29, 2020 |
At the end of February I headed down to
Antigua and Barbuda with the goal of finally making it over to the island of Barbuda to see the endemic Barbuda Warbler. It was an adventure getting there but well worth it and I had many fantastic looks at the species. I had a total of half a dozen warbler species during my brief stop including two rarities for the islands with a Cape May Warbler on Barbuda and a group of three Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle' on Antigua. I stayed on Antigua until March 1st when I then flew down to Grand Cayman to continue the vacation.
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| Vitelline Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020 |
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| Swainson's Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020 |
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| Blue winged Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020 |
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| Nashville Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 7, 2020 |
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| Black throated Green Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020 |
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| Yellow throated Warbler, Old Man Bay, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020 |
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| Worm eating Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 4, 2020 |
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| Hooded Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 5, 2020 |
I arrived late into
Grand Cayman on March 1st and then spent the next week on the north end of the island with multiple visits to the nearby Mastic Trail as well as other locations. My main goal was to locate the near endemic Vitelline Warbler and possibly a wintering Swainson's Warbler. I succeeded in finding multiples of both species as well as a number of island rarities including Blue winged Warbler, Nashville Warbler and Black throated Green Warbler among a total of 21 species of warbler overall.
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| Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 31, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 18, 2020 |
Once I got home it was back to work and the beginning of dealing with the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Yellow rumped Warblers continued through the month in addition to the arrival of the first migrant
Pine Warblers at the end of the month. A look at the warblers overall for the
winter season in Hampshire County found at least two species of warblers for every month of the winter...something I have never been able to do before.
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| Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 5, 2020 |
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| Louisiana Waterthrush, Nash Hill Rd, Williamsburg, MA, Apr 7, 2020 |
April started off with the arrival of
Palm Warblers and a record early date for
Louisiana Waterthrush on April 7th. Most of the month featured below average temperatures and weather not conducive for migration. By the
middle of the month I had just four species of warbler. By the
end of the month I had tallied just nine species of warbler (with many represented by just a single individual).
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| American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, May 3, 2020 |
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| Northern Parula, Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, May 4, 2020 |
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| Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Piper Farm Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 5, 2020 |
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| Lawrence's Warbler, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, May 5, 2020 |
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| Nashville Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020 |
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| Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020 |
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| Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 7, 2020 |
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| Magnolia Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 13, 2020 |
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| Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler with odd plumage, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2020 |
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| Bay breasted Warbler, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2020 |
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| Canada Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 17, 2020 |
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| Ovenbird, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2020 |
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| Wilson's Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 19, 2020 |
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| Black and White Warbler with odd plumage, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 19, 2020 |
The big warbler month of May
began with a nice show of Yellow rumped Warblers with large flocks around (numbering into the hundreds). The weather curtailed migration
early on in the month but the birds eventually started to push in including multiple hybrid warblers including a long staying
Lawrence's Warbler. By the
middle of the month migration conditions finally improved and a large influx of warblers arrived. Among the warblers arriving in the middle of the month were a couple of oddly plumaged individuals. By the
end of the month I had found a total of 29 species plus a few hybrids but nothing too unusual.
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| Hooded Warbler, Mount Holyoke Range SP, Hadley, MA, Jun 7, 2020 |
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| Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 8, 2020 |
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| Lawrence's Warbler, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Jun 16, 2020 |
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| Yellow Warbler, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jun 16, 2020 |
The month of June featured the tail end of migration with the typical species around through
mid month plus a few hybrids. The most unusual sighting for the month was a
Hooded Warbler that stayed around for a couple days early in the month in Hadley.
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| Canada Warbler, Packardville Road marsh, Pelham, MA, Jul 1, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Jul 1, 2020 |
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| Common Yellowthroat, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jul 18, 2020 |
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| Pine Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jul 18, 2020 |
I decided to start off the normally birding doldrums of July with a
big warbler day in Hampshire County on the first and I found a total of 19 species plus the continued Lawrence's Warbler. The remainder of the month was rather uneventful and I didn't add any new species beyond the 19 I found on the first of the month.
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| Blue winged Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2020 |
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| Canada Warbler, Packardville Marsh, Pelham, MA, Aug 8, 2020 |
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| American Redstart, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2020 |
The beginning and middle of August was hot and humid as usual but it featured the beginning of fall migration and dispersal of local breeders. The highlight for the beginning of the month was the discovery of a
Blue winged Warbler in the yard...a species I have been looking for since moving to Belchertown nearly 15 years ago! The Blue winged Warbler became the 29th species of warbler for the yard...no idea why it took so long to get this species to show up in the yard but it was nice to finally get it.
Blue winged Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 4, 2020
Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 13, 2020
Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 19, 2020
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 19, 2020
Cape May Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 19, 2020
September began with a new late date for
Louisiana Waterthrush for me in the county. The
first third of the month started out quite slow for warbler migration. Things heated up a bit by the
19th with 19 species of warbler for the day including my first Connecticut Warbler (it ended up being a very slow season for that species compared to the last few years). By the
end of the month I had found 27 species of warbler for the month. Overall the month was quite slow for warbler migration with very low numbers of several species....I suspect many birds took advantage of night after night of good migration conditions and just bypassed the area on their journey south. Tennessee Warblers were the exception to the slow season with good numbers around for the entire month.
Palm Warbler 'yellow', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2020
Palm Warbler 'western', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2020
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2020Connecticut Warbler, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Oct 6, 2020
Orange crowned Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 14, 2020
Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 22, 2020
October began with a large influx of
Yellow rumped Warblers with one of my highest single day counts. By the end of
first week I had found 17 warbler species including a late Connecticut Warbler (one of just three this entire fall and the only one I got photos of). I had a great day
mid month where I had 11 species for the day including some late individuals as well as high counts for a number of others for so late in the season.
Blackpoll Warbler, Hadley Cove, Hadley, MA, Nov 1, 2020
Magnolia Warbler, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Nov 9, 2020
Tennessee Warbler, Hadley Malls, Hadley, MA, Nov 11, 2020
Wilson's Warbler, Hadley Malls, Hadley, MA, Nov 11, 2020
I
started off November with three species including a couple of late Blackpoll Warblers and by the end of the
first week I had found a total of five species (which is a higher total then I have over the course of a typical November here). Then remainder of the month produced even more warblers and by the
end of the month I had a record setting total of eight with multiple species setting new late date records for me.
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 1, 2020
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Dec 21, 2020
Yellow throated Warbler, Lancaster, MA, Dec 24, 2020
The last month of the year started off with a couple
Yellow rumped Warblers at Arcadia...making it 44 months in a row I have had at least one warbler species in Hampshire County. I searched many of my 'go to' spots for late season warblers over the last few years but came up empty for most of the month. Thankfully at least
one continued into late month in Hadley...hopefully it can make it through the winter and continue my streak of warblers in the county. A little before Christmas I heard of a
Yellow throated Warbler coming to a feeder at a private residence in Worcester County and I made the drive out on the morning of Christmas Eve to see it as I had yet to see this species in the state. After about an hour of waiting it showed up...now just to find this species in Hampshire County. I sadly was unable to find another warbler species in the county for the month so December ended by streak of two warbler species in the county for the year.
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| Palm Warbler 'yellow', Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2020 |
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| Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Home, Belchertown, MA, May 4, 2020 |
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| Black and White Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 4, 2020 |
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| Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 10, 2020 |
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| Black throated Blue Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 11, 2020 |
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| Ovenbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 13, 2020 |
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| Common Yellowthroat, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 15, 2020 |
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| Wilson's Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2020 |
American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2020
Northern Parula, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 26, 2020 (first warbler at the new water feature)
Black throated Green Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 28, 2020
Palm Warbler 'yellow', Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2020
Tennessee Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2020
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 10, 2020
Blackpoll Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 11, 2020
The camera at the old water feature caught a number of warblers for the year including two new species for the water list (Ovenbird and Wilson's Warbler) bringing the total number of warbler species captured on the camera up to 16. After having an issue with the old water feature late in the summer I decided to upgrade to a new set up that I got up and running later in September. Even with the late date I still managed to capture five species of warbler (including my first Black throated Green Warbler at the water feature...warbler species #17 at the water feature overall). Really looking forward to seeing what next spring brings in to the new water feature.
This is where I typical look toward the next year and the trips I have planned to find more warblers but given the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic and the inability to travel to many of the spots I want to go to without loads of restrictions I don't have any trips planned at this point. My hope is that by next fall the pandemic will be under control and travel will be back open. I have some thoughts on trips to take but until travel opens up again I can't plan much of anything. My next trips will likely be another trip down to Costa Rica and perhaps Baja California and/or a couple more islands in the Caribbean but who knows when those trips will happen.
Below are few tables of warblers seen overall for the year, warblers per month and warblers seen in Hampshire County by month.
Warblers (running tally for year)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
22 30 40 41 46 46 46 46 47 47 47 47
Warblers overall per month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
22 16 23 9 29 24 19 20 27 19 8 2
Hampshire County warblers by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2 2 2 9 29 23 19 20 27 19 8 1
