Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 6, 2024
Given the unprecedented numbers of Pine Warblers overwintering at Winsor Dam this occurrence deserves another post (and probably more to follow before the winter comes to an end). At this point there are at least seven individuals present as of today and they have been exceptionally cooperative the last several days. A bit of background on the group here starting back in the fall. Brian first noted a group of three in early November and I made many visits during the month and had a maximum of half a dozen on November 16th. On other stops I would find none, one or a just a few and trying to figure out their pattern was both interesting and frustrating all at the same time. Many times when I did find some they would associate with Eastern Bluebirds but other times I would find them in other mixed flocks. To start off December I had eight individuals and then struck out on finding any on a large number of stops at the dam. I would occasionally run across one or a few but the big numbers seemed to fade away as December wore on. I started the new year with lots of time spent looking for them and failing to find them on many occasions. On January 5th I found at least three individuals and then never exceeded that number again until this week and I'll cover those sightings below.
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 2, 2024
After finding a couple of individuals on the second despite some very windy conditions at the dam I began a series of days of finding progressively more.
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 3, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 3, 2024
Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 3, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 3, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 3, 2024
On the third I returned to the dam and on this stop found at least three individuals with two very dull birds together and a bright adult male. The adult male also had a dull individual with it but I believed it was one of the dull birds seen earlier closer to the admin building.
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 4, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 4, 2024
Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 4, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 4, 2024
As many birders came to the area to see the continuing Say's Phoebe inevitably some also had Pine Warblers and by looking at photos I could tell there were at least four different individuals around. I was in for an even bigger surprise when I spent a couple hours at the dam on the 4th and was able to track down at least five separate individuals with two dull birds, a bright adult male and two slightly less bright individuals. At one point I had them all in view at once, a truly amazing thing to see here in February.
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 6, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 6, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 6, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 6, 2024
Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 6, 2024
Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 6, 2024
Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 6, 2024
After getting out of work on Tuesday morning I first tried my luck with relocating a Yellow rumped Warbler along the river in Hadley to try to get some photos and came up empty again. After running a few errands I made my way over to Winsor Dam and after a bit of looking found a total of seven individual Pine Warblers in a single flock and got some great looks and photos. I even had one bright yellow individual come in so close the camera would not focus. What a bright spot in an otherwise drab, cold month.
A little background on Pine Warblers in the county in winter. Before this year to find even one was exceptional and any overwintering bird were usually closely associated with a feeder at someone's home with years between records. I have been lucky enough to see a couple of overwintering individuals over the years with one coming to Carol's feeders in Granby starting in January until at least the end of February 2020 and then another at Marcia's feeders in Northampton from December 2022 through the end of January of 2023. These two constitute the majority of records in eBird with just two other one day wonders with one seen along the rail trail in Hadley in February 2016 and another in Amherst in January of 2007. I'm sure there are some other records out there but suffice it to say finding one in winter anywhere in western Massachusetts is exceptionally rare and having seven in one location is incredible.
No comments:
Post a Comment