Thursday, May 19, 2022

Decent couple days of warblers despite cool, rainy weather today

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, May 19, 2022
Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 19, 2022
Bay breasted Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 19, 2022

Today was a rainy cool day but still produced a decent variety of warblers even when I didn't spend a lot of time looking for them.  My main goal today was to turn up storm downed birds and I had some success with the highlights being a Short billed Dowitcher and a few Bonaparte's Gulls (more on that at the following post).  With these rainy and cool conditions in May there are still warblers to be found and occasionally good numbers and/or diversity will show up.  With this in mind I made a fairly productive short stop in Quabbin Park with 19 species in a relatively small area feeding actively in the oaks.  The rain continued to pick up and at that point I ditched looking for warblers for a bit and returned to the dam to look for storm downed species.  

Mourning Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 19, 2022
Magnolia Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 19, 2022
Bay breasted Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 19, 2022

I arrived home late in the morning and when I stepped outside I immediately heard warblers. The house produced quite an assortment of warblers with 14 species including a Mourning Warbler (of the Nova Scotia vocal group) and at least four Bay breasted Warblers.  I ended the day with 23 species of warbler without a concerted effort.  I'm still hopeful I will get a day where I can reach the upper 20's for warbler species but that will depend on the arrival of a rarity or two and the continued presence of those warblers that are just passing through on their way further north.

Blackburnian Warbler, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, May 18, 2022
Black throated Green Warbler, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, May 18, 2022
Northern Parula, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, May 18, 2022
Black throated Blue Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2022
Black and White Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2022
Chestnut sided Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2022
Magnolia Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2022

Yesterday was also a good day for warblers despite the windy conditions as I spent the morning in the area of east Quabbin with the main goal being trying to turn up a Hooded Warbler and I'll just post a few of the better shots for the day without going into lots of detail.

Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2022
American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2022

The camera at the water feature captured a few new warblers for the season as well as a new species overall with the arrival of a Yellow Warbler a couple days ago.  The Yellow Warbler becomes the 17th species captured at the water feature (both the new one and the old one)

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