End of August

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 27, 2021

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 27, 2021

Northern Parula, Holyoke Dam, South Hadley, MA, Aug 23, 2021

Now that the end of August is rapidly approaching I will look at what the month produced.  Overall for the month I ended with 23 species of warblers with all of them in Hampshire County (which is slightly higher than my average August in the county that usually tops out around 20).  The higher total is a combination of getting some warblers that usually leave early at the beginning of the month and adding in a few early migrants later in the month including a good showing of early Northern Parulas as well as a Cape May Warbler and a Bay breasted Warbler added just today.  With September just around the corner the full weight of fall warbler migration arrives over the next few weeks.  I will certainly be out as much as I can be to see as many as I can and hopefully find something unusual.  

Black throated Green Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2021

I captured my first Black throated Green Warbler of the fall on the camera at the water feature yesterday...just the beginning of many fall migrant warblers to come hopefully.

Another early Northern Parula among others this morning

Northern Parula, Herman Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Aug 21, 2021

Northern Parula, Herman Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Aug 21, 2021

I went out for a while this morning before running some errands to prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Henri and among my stops was a visit to Herman Covey WMA.  I came across a diverse mixed species flock that included an early Northern Parula (I managed a couple crappy photos with the phone through binoculars), a brief look at a Mourning Warbler and six other warbler species.  Fall migration is certainly underway despite it feeling like the tropics with high humidity and temps in the 80's.

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 10, 2021

The camera on the water feature captured a Pine Warbler coming and is hopefully just the beginning of stuff that will show up as fall migration ramps up.

Record early Northern Parula and others for the beginning of August

Northern Parula, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2021

Northern Parula, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2021

August is off to a good start with a record early date for Northern Parula in Hampshire County for me today as well as a few late lingering warblers the last couple days.  One of the first warblers to leave the area for fall migration is Louisiana Waterthrush and I set out on Monday after work to try to track one down.  I made a few stops before finally finding one along a small brook in the Mount Holyoke Range SP.  I caught up with a few other warbler species that day too but very few were singing (typical as we enter the late summer period).  Today I made the hike up to the top of Mount Holyoke at Skinner SP and the reward for the hike included the very early Northern Parula, two singing male Cerulean Warblers and a Worm eating Warbler.  My previous early date for a parula in the county was Aug 12, 2011 and a typical year has them showing up at the very end of the month into the beginning of September.  I didn't have my good camera with me but I was lucky enough to get a few shots with the iPhone through the binoculars.  Overall for the first three days of August I have found 14 species of warbler and I have not even hit areas that are sure to feature new species.