Warblers for the end of August

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Aug 31, 2022

Yellow Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Aug 31, 2022

Common Yellowthroat, Hadley, MA, Aug 27, 2022

American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 25, 2022

The end of August has now arrived and the heat of summer is soon to leave us, replaced with the slow cooling of fall.  Although I detest what comes next, fall is a great time for migration and the chance is always there for a rare warbler to show up (especially later in fall).  I expect the first big influx of warblers to arrive by the end of the week with good migration conditions.   August featured an early arrival of both Northern Parula and Tennessee Warbler and I ended the month with 23 species.  The next few weeks should produce the peak of fall warbler migration and by mid month Connecticut Warblers will be moving through in low numbers.  The camera on the water feature is up and running (somewhat) and will hopefully capture some good stuff.

More warblers the last few days

Magnolia Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 25, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 25, 2022

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 25, 2022

Black throated Blue Warbler, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 25, 2022

Black throated Green Warbler, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 25, 2022

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR -Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 24, 2022

Northern Parula, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 23, 2022

Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 22, 2022

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 22, 2022

Pine Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 22, 2022

Northern Waterthrush, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 22, 2022

I have spent the last few morning mainly out looking for warblers and have had some luck as summer rapidly comes to an end and the fall season approaches (although with temps near 90 the last couple days summer does not seem to be waning too much).  Nothing too unusual but some great looks at a variety of species with a notable increase in Magnolia Warblers today.  The weather today was really good for tracking down warblers with clear blue skies and light winds early on.  Mixed flocks are becoming the norm now as many species get ready for migration or are already on their way south.

Warblers during the third week of August

 

Prairie Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 14, 2022

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 14, 2022

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR- Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 15, 2022

Canada Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 16, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 16, 2022

Black throated Green Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 16, 2022

Black throated Blue Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 16, 2022

Chestnut sided Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Aug 19, 2022

Northern Waterthrush, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 21, 2022

The third week of August has now come to an end and the warbler migration has continued to pick up with more and more mixed flock in evidence.  A number of early species continue to show up in unusual numbers including Northern Parula and Tennessee Warbler.  Mixed flocks have continued to become more numerous and varied.  I have so far had 23 species of warbler for Hampshire County for the month and I suspect I will add a few more species before the month comes to an end.  

Lawrence's Warbler and multiple early species this morning

 

Lawrence's Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Lawrence's Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Blue winged Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

American Redstart, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

Northern Waterthrush, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 13, 2022

This morning was a fantastic mid August morning for warblers.  The conditions were good for migration once again overnight and after I got out of work this morning I headed out to see what I could track down and after a couple brief stops I made my way to Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River.  I walked around the loop trail and after initially not having too much on the first third of the trail I found a spot that quickly produced a couple early arrival migrants with a  Northern Parula (a bright individual so different then the one I had a few days before) and a Tennessee Warbler plus a few other species.  Both of these species have given a good early season showing so far.  I then continued my walk and came across a rather uncooperative Mourning Warbler that would just not show very well at all.  I then walked back to where I had the Northern Parula and Tennessee Warbler earlier and I almost immediately got my eyes on a Lawrence's Warbler!  I assume the individual was the same one Ted had in the area three days before (his eBird list).  I got a bunch of photos before the bird disappeared as it had a squabble with an American Redstart.  Lawrence's Warbler is a rare hybrid and very rare in the late summer/fall around here as the birds are silent during this time of year so you just have to be really lucky to stumble across one.  This one is my latest date ever for the hybrid and adds to my sightings of a Lawrence's Warbler that successfully bred in Belchertown and a day in late May when I had two Lawrence's Warblers on the same day.  I have never had three different Lawrence's Warblers in Hampshire County in the same year before.  I continued to find a few more warblers and by the end of my walk I had found a dozen species of warbler (plus a hybrid) with multiple notable species so I was quite happy with my stop.

Black and White Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Common Yellowthroat and Tufted Titmouse, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Once I got home I checked the camera at the water feature and found it produced two more warbler species with a Black and White Warbler and Common Yellowthroat on the 11th.  This adds to the two species I had earlier in the week after putting the camera back out on the water feature.  

Warblers at the water feature and another early Northern Parula

Chestnut sided Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 10, 2022

Chestnut sided Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 10, 2022

American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 10, 2022

American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 10, 2022

After a lull for the peak of the summer I put the camera back up on the water feature and captured a couple warblers yesterday with an American Redstart and a Chestnut sided Warbler.  I have not heard or seen either species here for multiple weeks so likely some post breeding dispersals.  Looking forward to see what else turns up as the fall migration starts to pick up.

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 11, 2022

Hot on the heels of an early Tennessee Warbler and Northern Parula on Monday I stopped by the Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River this morning and picked up another Northern Parula (I did not find the pair of Tennessee Warblers and a Lawrence's Warbler that Ted had at the location yesterday).  The only other warblers I found at Conte was a single American Redstart and a few Common Yellowthroats.

My earliest Tennessee Warbler for the fall plus an early Northern Parula and a late Louisiana Waterthrush

Tennessee Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 8, 2022

Tennessee Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 8, 2022

Northern Parula, Ware, MA, Aug 8, 2022

When I headed out this morning on yet another hot and humid day I did not expect to run across not one but two early migrant warblers in the same small area in Ware but that is indeed what I did when I found a Tennessee Warbler and a Northern Parula.  I started my morning at Quabbin Park where I walked a couple trails before the park gates opened and found a half dozen species of warbler.  I then had some errands to run in Ware so decided to hit a spot in that town.  Once I started walking down the trail the area seemed quite active with birds and one of the first birds on got the binoculars on was a Tennessee Warbler!  Not at all what I expected to find here on August 8th.  This species usually does not start to show up until September.  The sighting today is the second earliest record for the species in eBird for the county (one earlier date of 8/6) and my earliest date ever for the species in fall (previous early date 8/17).  After getting some record shots of the bird I headed a little further down the trail turning up more birds and within just a few minutes got my eyes on a Northern Parula...yet another early migrant.  This sighting is my second earliest fall record of the species with my earliest being last year when I had one on August 3rd.  Given the weather the last week with high temps and humidity and the wind mainly out of the south I was quite surprised to find two early migrants today.  In addition to the two early migrant warblers I also had a slightly late Louisiana Waterthrush while out for a walk with Wilson.  

Blue winged Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 8, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 8, 2022

Prairie Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 8, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 8, 2022

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 8, 2022

Besides the unusual warblers mentioned above I had several other species including my first Blue winged Warblers for the month and a total of eight species of warbler in Ware alone and a luck 13 total species for the day.

Warblers during the first week of August including interesting feeding behavior of a Black and White Warbler

Northern Waterthrush, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Aug 1, 2022

Ovenbird, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Blackburnian Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Yellow Warbler, Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Pine Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 6, 2022

Common Yellowthroat, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 6, 2022

Blackburnian Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 7, 2022

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 7, 2022

August began much as July had ended with hot and humid weather which made being outside a bit uncomfortable at times.  I started the month in the local area and then up the west side of Quabbin and turned up a number of warblers but few species were singing much at all although a family of Canada Warblers were quite vocal.  I had to work on the 2nd and 4th so I didn't add too much on those days or on my in between days.  I made up for it a bit after getting out of work on Friday when I made a hot and humid hike up to the summit at Skinner SP.  I found at least one (and possibly two) Cerulean Warblers near the summit, a single Worm eating Warbler plus a few other species I had missed until that day.  I also witnessed some interesting feeding behavior of a Black and White Warbler (more on that below with more photos).  On Saturday I took a long walk along the Gate 8 road at Quabbin mainly looking for Red Crossbills but with a secondary goal of catching up with forest dwelling warblers I had not yet had for the month and I added a few species but warblers were few and far between although Pine Warblers gave a good showing.  Today I returned to various areas of Pelham and added a couple more species for the month including Black throated Blue Warbler and Prairie Warbler.  I have so far found 18 species for the month with my only miss for early August being Blue winged Warbler.

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 5, 2022

Now for more on the odd feeding behavior of a Black and White Warbler at Skinner SP.  The bird would flare its wings (much like a Northern Mockingbird does).  It did this several times and I managed to catch it in a series of photos shown above.  I could not identify the insects it was eating but it did seem to be quite successful.  It was interesting to watch for sure.