Pine Warblers at multiple locations in Belchertown today totaling at least eleven individuals

Pine Warbler, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Feb 26, 2024

It was an epic morning of finding overwintering Pine Warblers in Hampshire County (really all just in Belchertown).  Beyond the continued overwintering group at Winsor Dam I found at least four other individuals at to other spots in Belchertown bringing the total for the morning to at least eleven individuals!  

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 26, 2024

One of my first stops for the morning was to Winsor Dam and I came across the continued flock fairly quickly as they fed in the grasses and showed fairly well.  I scanned through the group multiple times and maxed out with at least seven birds (and possibly an eighth individual).  The group contained at least four birds with varying amounts of yellow and three dull individuals.  I had never before had three dull birds together before so I suspect there may be as many as nine Pine Warblers in the area of the dam.  During my dozens of visits since last fall to the dam I have been able to recognize various unique birds based on plumage differences which makes getting a total count a little easier when not all the birds are around on a given day.

Pine Warbler, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warbler, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warbler, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Feb 26, 2024

I then headed over to nearby Lake Wallace with my main goal being to track down an Eastern Phoebe that has been reported sporadically all winter and I finally caught up with it.  I then walked around the lake a bit in the hopes of finding an overwintering Common Yellowthroat (unsurprisingly no luck with a yellowthroat).  When I pished up a small mixed flock along the edge of the marsh a bright adult male Pine Warbler dropped in.  Not what I was expecting at the location at all.  It showed fairly well and I got some good photos as it moved around feeding.

Pine Warbler, South Cemetery,  Belchertown, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warbler, South Cemetery,  Belchertown, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warbler, South Cemetery,  Belchertown, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warbler, South Cemetery,  Belchertown, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warblers, South Cemetery,  Belchertown, MA, Feb 26, 2024

Pine Warbler, South Cemetery,  Belchertown, MA, Feb 26, 2024

After a brief stop to check a nearby marsh for possibly a Common Yellowthroat I stopped at South Cemetery to try my luck in relocating a Pine Warbler I saw briefly while driving by a few days ago.  Not long after arriving I found a bright male in a mixed species flock that also contained the first Chipping Sparrows of the season for me.  The warbler was in view for a few minutes and then flushed up and landed in a nearby tree where it was joined by another Pine Warbler (another fairly brightly colored male).  Both eventually landed back in the cemetery to feed on the ground and as I scanned through the area I found that a dull individual had joined them...three more Pine Warblers for the day!  Crazy for sure.

I have covered earlier just how unusual it is for even one Pine Warbler to be around in the winter so having multiples around is without precedent and beyond what I could have hoped for.  Not totally certain as why there are so many around this year but there are a few factors that probably have combined to lead to the influx.  Winters have become increasingly warmer lately with this year one of the warmest (thanks in part to a strong El Nino).  The Eastern White Pine cone crop was also very heavy this year which provided some additional food sources although the birds have fed on a mix of seeds, insects and berries.  It will be interesting to see if this is just a very unusual winter for the species or does it point toward the species surviving winters here in the future.  Could some of the Pine Warblers be early migrants?  Certainly possible but given the date that seems unlikely as migrants unusually return to the area in late March and we have had late February warm ups quite a bit in the last few years with strong southerly winds and Pine Warblers did not show up in those years.

Continued Pine Warblers at Winsor Dam (plus another near the house today)

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2024

Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2024

Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 19, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 17, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 17, 2024

Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 17, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 16, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 16, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 14, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 12, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 11, 2024

Pine Warbler (with Eastern Bluebirds), Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 11, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 11, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 10, 2024

Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 10, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 10, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 9, 2024

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 9, 2024

I have spent at least a little time (and sometimes a lot of time) the few weeks keeping tabs on the continued and unprecedented Pine Warblers overwintering at Winsor Dam.  It has been a real treat to have multiple Pine Warblers around for the winter so close to home.  Despite cold temps and occasional snow and mainly windy conditions I have found at least some Pine Warblers on any visit where I spend time looking.  At times I find some not long after arriving at the dam and other times it takes hours to finally track them down but honestly in February what the hell else would I be doing anyway as I somewhat patiently wait for the end of winter (and another trip away to the warm tropics!).  The numbers I have found on each visit since my last update on the February 8th have varied from two to a high of at least six today (more on each day at the bottom of the post).  The diet of the birds seems to include a number of items including insects on warmer days, berries of various types and pine seeds of various species (mainly Eastern White Pine).  Today was the first time I have heard any calling since fall and one even sang a bit on my second visit today.  The biggest surprise for the day was finding another Pine Warbler near the house as I was driving to take Wilson for a walk.  I was driving by a cemetery on Route 181 and saw a yellow bird drop out of the trees and land on the embankment at eye level, I slowed down almost to a stop and had views of a bright male Pine Warbler.  As I was driving on a busy road I had to be satisfied with quick looks.  I quickly turned around and parked but no luck relocating the bird.  A subsequent return trip to area after walking Wilson was equally unproductive in finding the bird again.  Really crazy considering this species has only been recorded a handful of times in the county in the winter ever (almost always at feeders) and now there are several within a few miles of the house and not at feeders.

As mentioned above the numbers have varied from visit to visit with the totals by visit broken down below since the 8th.

9th- five individuals

10th- five individuals

11th -five individuals

12th -three individuals

14th -two individuals on both visits (with a total of three by looking at plumages from both visits)

16th -three individuals

17th -three individuals

19th- six individuals on first visit and three individuals on second visit

No visits on the 13th or 15th due to work and didn't look for them on the 18th

Latest update on remaining warblers I have not yet seen and a photo representation from each genera

Ovenbird, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2020 (Seiurus-1 species)

Worm eating Warbler, Mount Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 3, 2021 (Helmitheros-1 species)

Louisiana Waterthrush, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 18, 2016 (Parkesia-2 species)

Golden winged Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 31, 2017 (Vermivora-3 species)

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 18, 2016 (Mniotilta-1 species)

Prothonotary Warbler, Magee Marsh, Oak Harbor, OH, May 12, 2011 (Protonotaria-1 species)

Swainson's Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020 (Limnothlypis-1 species)

Crescent chested Warbler, Reserva de la Biosfera El Cielo, Tamuliapas, Mexico, Feb 3, 2019 (Oreothlypis-2 species)

Tennessee Warbler, Marshes near airport, Buenos Aires, Costa Rica, Jan 18, 2018 (Leiothlypis-6 species)

Connecticut Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 22, 2016 (Oporornis-1 species)

Black polled Yellowthroat, Lerma Marsh, Mexico state, Mexico, Jan 31, 2019 (Geothlypis-14 species)

Whistling Warbler, Montreal Nature Trails, St. Vincent, Mar 22, 2023 (Catharopeza-1 species)

Blackburnian Warbler, Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, OH, May 15, 2011 (Setophaga-34 species)

Fan tailed Warbler, La Reunion Resort, Guatemala, Feb 12, 2018 (Basileuterus-12 species)

Black crested Warbler, Alto de Vino, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 14, 2022 (Myiothlypis-17 species)

Red Warbler, Parque Ejidal San Nicolás Totolapan,Mexico City, Jan 31, 2019 (Cardellina-5 species)

Golden-fronted Redstart (Yellow-fronted), Junin, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Mar 16, 2022  (Myioborus-12 species)

With the mid winter blues here and following my somewhat recent trip down to the Brazil where I added five new warbler species (Southern Yellowthroat, White striped Warbler, Flavescent Warbler, White browed Warbler and Riverbank Warbler) I thought it would be a good time to look at where I stand on seeing all the new world warbler species.  The total number of species depends on what taxonomic source one uses.  I will use the eBird (Clement's) list for now.  Currently eBird recognizes a total of 115 species in 18 genera.  As of now I have had 100 species (plus lots of subspecies with several of those likely distinct species).  As far as genera goes I have seen all the species in 14 genera and most in the remaining (although the genera Leucopeza contains just one species, Semper's Warbler, and with it most certainly extinct, the chances of seeing all the genera of warblers is near zero).  I'm including a photo representation for each of the genera within parulidae I have seen so far.

I'm missing a total of 15 species according to the eBird taxonomy, with two of those extinct (Bachman's Warbler and Semper's Warbler) so realistically I'm missing 13 species.  Below are the species I'm still missing arranged according to genera (minus the likely extinct species)

Basileuterus

-Pirre Warbler

-Tacarcuna Warbler

-Yungas Warbler

Myiothlypis

-Gray headed Warbler

-Pale legged Warbler

-Two banded Warbler

-Cuzco Warbler

Myioborus

-Brown capped Redstart

-Tepui Redstart

-Paria Redstart

-Saffron breasted Redstart

-White faced Redstart

-White fronted Redstart

A few of the above species are certainly possible with another trip down to South America (Bolivia and Peru).  However most of the remaining species are very unlikely as they occur in either extremely remote locations (like the Darian of Panama) or in Venezuela (which given the current political situation there is no chance of making it there anytime soon).  Looking at other taxonomic sources I have seen even more species and hopefully eBird will catch up with these other sources and move what are currently considered subspecies by them to full species status. 

I will hopefully be putting together another post soon featuring photos of all the warbler species (and many subspecies) I have seen so far.