Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Yellow rumped Warblers and Pine Warblers as the end of March rapidly approaches

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Mar 27, 2024
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Mar 27, 2024
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Mar 27, 2024
Pine Warbler, UMASS demonstration forest, Belchertown, MA, Mar 27, 2024
Pine Warbler, UMASS demonstration forest, Belchertown, MA, Mar 27, 2024

I finally felt well enough after work today to try to find a few warblers despite the drizzly conditions early on.  The symptoms of my cold have now faded quite a bit so it was nice to get some fresh air.  My first stop was to Great Pond where I found at least three Yellow rumped Warblers including a male coming into breeding plumage.  After a few other stop and errands in the Amherst area I stopped by Winsor Dam and eventually had a Pine Warbler singing occasionally.  It never showed itself so I had to be content with a heard only bird.  It appears the overwintering group of Pine Warblers has split up and the bird today seemed to be on breeding territory.  I then came home and picked up Wilson to go for a walk.  We came across another Pine Warbler and this one showed itself well enough to get some photos.  Although the migration conditions do not look good for the end of March there is always the chance of an early Palm Warbler showing up and I will certainly be out there looking for one when I can.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Latest update on early/late dates for warblers for me in Hampshire County

As the warbler migration season rapidly approaches I will post my updated list of early and late dates for every species of warbler I have had in Hampshire County.  I last updated this list back in December 2022 and there have been a few changes since then, mainly with new late dates plus more overwintering records (Common Yellowthroats in winter 2022-2023 and many Pine Warblers winter 2023-2024).


Species                                              Early date                                                  Late Date 
Ovenbird                                           24 Apr 2019                                              12 Oct 2023

Worm eating Warbler                        1 May 2015,2017                                     20 Aug 2023

Louisiana Waterthrush                      5 Apr 2022                                                5 Sep 2023

Northern Waterthrush                       19 Apr 2012, 2023                                   14 Oct 2020 

Golden winged Warbler                    13 May 2012                                            15 Sep 2016

Blue winged Warbler                        28 Apr 09,11,17                                       15 Sep 2010 

Black and White Warbler                  17 Apr 2017                                            5 Nov 2018  

Prothonotary Warbler                        24 May 2004 -single record for me 

Tennessee Warbler                            3 May 2017                                             11 Nov 2020 

Orange crowned Warbler                  29 Apr 2019                                            7 Nov 2022

Nashville Warbler                             27 Apr 2006                                            26 Nov 2023

Connecticut Warbler                         29 Aug 2017                                           15 Oct 2021  

MacGillivray's Warbler                    13 Nov-15 Nov 2017  -single record for me 

Mourning Warbler                            12 May 2016                                          22 Sep 2018 

Kentucky Warbler                            8 May 2010                                            2-5 Jun 2009  -two records 

Common Yellowthroat                    24 Apr 2018                                            1 Feb 2023 (overwintered winter 2022-2023)
 
Hooded Warbler                              30 Apr 2021                                            1 Jul 2012 

American Redstart                          25 Apr 2019                                            11 Oct 2020 

Cape May Warbler                          4 May 2020                                            15 Oct 2023  

Cerulean Warbler                            2 May 2021,2022                                   4 Sep 2006 

Northern Parula                               26 Apr 2011,2022                                  14 Oct 2017, 2020

Magnolia Warbler                           29 Apr 2011                                            9 Nov 2020
 
Bay breasted Warbler                      3 May 2018,2019                                  5 Oct 2018,2019 

Blackburnian Warbler                     20 Apr 2012                                          29 Sep 2013

Yellow Warbler                               21 Apr 2023                                          7 Oct 2008 

Chestnut sided Warbler                   29 Apr 2006,09, 13,17                          12 Oct 2004 

Blackpoll Warbler                           6 May 2010                                           5 Nov 2018

Black throated Blue Warbler          25 Apr 2011                                           16 Oct 2006  

Palm Warbler                                  24 Mar 2012                                          28 Nov 2018

Pine Warbler                                   10 Mar 2018                                          4 Nov 2005,2020*  *one overwintered in winter                                                                                                                                    2020 and over a dozen overwintered winter 2023-                                                                                                                              2024

Yellow rumped Warbler                Seen in every month...first overwinter records in 2018 and continued through 2024

Prairie Warbler                               26 Apr 2011                                           5 Oct 2020

Black throated Green Warbler       21 Apr 2019, 2023                                25 Oct 2004 

Canada Warbler                             4 May 2021                                           27 Sep 2018 

Wilson's Warbler                            4 May 2018                                           16 Nov 2023 

Monday, March 18, 2024

Costa Rica trip to Arenal area March 5-12, 2024

Cape May Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 6, 2024

We finally decided to make a long overdue return trip down to Costa Rica after a two plus year hiatus following the shutdown and sale of our go to spot down there.  We were last there in January 2022 when we made our final visit to Rio Magnolia Lodge and then I caught Covid and got stuck in the country.  This would be our 15th trip down to Costa Rica.  For this trip we planned to visit the Arenal area with most of our time at Arenal Observatory Lodge and then a couple nights at a small hotel along Lake Arenal.  Unfortunately all did not go according to plan at the beginning or end of the trip.  We originally had an early flight scheduled out of Bradley with a connection in Florida so we stayed at the airport and then found out after we got up our flight was delayed several hours so we would miss our connection.  We eventually got down to Florida in the late afternoon and then had to spend the night in Florida before taking a late morning flight down to San Jose (24 hours after originally scheduled).  Perhaps the only silver lining in the very long delay was adding a few Palm Warblers for the year and trip during our stop off in Fort Lauderdale…not much but something. 

Chestnut sided Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 5, 2024
Chestnut sided Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 5, 2024

Thankfully our flight from Florida got off on time and customs and immigration was a breeze in Costa Rica.  Once we made it to Arenal we settled in and I enjoyed some birding from the deck which produced a nice and close Chestnut sided Warbler. A walk on our way to dinner turned up a Tennessee Warbler to add to the warbler list. 

Cape May Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 6, 2024
Cape May Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 6, 2024
Gray crowned Yellowthroat, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 6, 2024
Black throated Green Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 6, 2024
Tennessee Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 6, 2024
Golden crowned Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 6, 2024
Black and White Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 6, 2024

Wednesday was our first full day at Arenal Observatory Lodge and I was out the door bright and early and spent the entire morning and part of the afternoon out walking the various trails (with a brief stop for breakfast). The most common species over the course of the day, as expected, were Chestnut sided Warblers and Tennessee Warblers. I started off on some trails that crossed a river and then out into some pasture land and this produced both Buff rumped Warbler (along the river) and Gray crowned Yellowthroat (in the pastures). I came across a few mixed flocks with warblers in among them and added Black throated Green Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Tropical Parula and Golden crowned Warbler. The rarest warbler for the day was a continued female Cape May Warbler that has been around the lodge property for the winter and after a bit of waiting I got great looks and photos of it and added a new warbler species to my Costa Rica list (bringing that total to 34 species). A total of nine species overall for the day.

Golden winged Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 7, 2024
Golden winged Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 7, 2024
Golden winged Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 7, 2024
Chestnut sided Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 7, 2024
Tennessee Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 7, 2024
Golden crowned Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 7, 2024
Buff rumped Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 7, 2024
Northern Waterthrush, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 7, 2024

The second full day at the lodge found me checking a number of new trails and a few from the day before. As expected the most common warblers were once again Chestnut sided Warbler and Tennessee Warbler. During my morning walk I got great looks at Buff rumped Warbler along a small stream and managed to get some photos. As I was headed back for breakfast I had a Louisiana Waterthrush along the larger river on the property (sadly no photo of that species). The morning walk also produced my first (and only) Slate throated Redstart of the trip as well as multiple Golden crowned Warblers, Gray crowned Yellowthroat, Tropical Parula and the continued Cape May Warbler. Once breakfast was done I walked the trails for almost another four hours with the highlight being a female Golden winged Warbler. The mid to late afternoon was spent around the deck and this produced a Northern Waterthrush working its way through the gardens. I found a total of eleven species overall for the day. 

Blackburnian Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 8, 2024
Buff rumped Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 8, 2024
Northern Waterthrush, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 8, 2024
Golden crowned Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 8, 2024
Chestnut sided Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 8, 2024
Black throated Green Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 8, 2024
Tennessee Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 8, 2024

On the last full day at the lodge I used the knowledge gained on the previous two days to try to track down as many warblers as possible. It is a combination of pinning down known locations of a few species and a lot of luck in coming across other species. I was out before first light to bird a few hours before breakfast and one of the most notable species was a Blackburnian Warbler feeding very high in the trees in bad light. After a short stop for breakfast I headed back out again and covered an even greater distance over nearly four hours of time. The overcast conditions faded a bit as the morning progressed and occasionally the sun would come out and heat up things quickly. The most unusual species on the second morning excursion was a very uncooperative Kentucky Warbler that was in view only briefly and called very little. Sadly I had no luck relocating the Cape May Warbler for the day despite several stops at its favored location. Overall I ended the day with eleven species of warbler, which is the same count as the previous day. 
Tropical Parula, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 9, 2024
Tropical Parula, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 9, 2024
Tennessee Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 9, 2024
Golden crowned Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 9, 2024
Black and White Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 9, 2024
Yellow Warbler, Hotel Laguna Arenal, Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica, Mar 9, 2024

On Saturday we stayed around the lodge until early afternoon and then moved over to our new lodging along Lake Arenal for a couple nights.  This is when the trip hit another speed bump.  We arrived at our new lodging (Hotel Laguna Arenal) and it was nothing like it was described.  We picked it as it got great reviews but I would not recommend it to anyone.  The view was great from the room but that was it.  The room was very noisy, there were several free roaming cats on the property, the restaurant on site was closed, etc, etc.  It was far from what the reviews stated and what the website from the hotel described.  We then spent a few hours trying to find new lodging (the Arenal Observatory Lodge had no openings for the two remaining nights we would be in Costa Rica).  We eventually found lodging further up the lake in Nuevo Arenal (a place called Villa Decary) and transport to there.  It was a very stressful day to deal with on vacation.  Overall for the day I ended with eleven species for the day (ten at lodge) with the only new species for the trip being a Yellow Warbler that showed up as we were leaving Hotel Laguna Arenal to a better spot.

Black and White Warbler, Villa Decary, Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica, Mar 10, 2024
American Redstart, Villa Decary, Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica, Mar 10, 2024
Cape May Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 10, 2024

After the fiasco of the previous day Sunday turned out to be good as we ended up back at Arenal Observatory Lodge. To start the day I walked along a well travelled road near our lodging and added a few warblers including my first Mourning Warbler and American Redstart of the trip as well as a few other species. After about an hour and a half along the road I returned to our lodging and we discussed our options. After some phone calls we found that the lodge had an open room so we bite the bullet and paid for more transportation back. We arrived around noon and I walked for a bit before and after a lunch. The best warbler among several I had during the afternoon was the continued Cape May Warbler. I missed on see the species the last few previous days at the lodge despite a lot of looking. Certainly happy to see it still around. I finished the day with ten species of warblers between our time along the lake and up at the lodge. 

Chestnut sided Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 11, 2024
Buff rumped Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 11, 2024
Chestnut sided Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 11, 2024
Cape May Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica, Mar 11, 2024

With a bonus morning into the early afternoon at the lodge after the debacle of the previous day I hoped to track down some warblers. The windy conditions that started the previous day continued and it looked threatening for rain. Nonetheless I headed out before dawn and continued until breakfast. The fog, wind and occasionally light rain made birding tough with only a few warblers. After a breakfast break I had plans to head back on immediately on the trails but heavy downpours for almost an hour curtailed those plans. Eventually I did make it out a little both before and after lunch on some trails close by and turned up more warblers (including the Cape May Warbler once again after a fair amount of looking). We ended our time at the lodge with a 2:30 pick up for the drive back to San Jose. I finished the day with nine species overall. 

During the entire trip I found a total of 18 species in Costa Rica with one new for me in the country, Cape May Warbler. This puts my Costa Rica warbler list up to 34 species.  I would highly recommend Arenal Observatory Lodge to anyone travelling to Costa Rica. but stay clear of Hotel Laguna Arenal.  Villa Decary is okay for a nights stop but the grounds are not as birdy as advertised and the trails mentioned on their website no longer are maintained and therefore not accessible.

More details on the entire trip (beyond warblers) at the following link.

Friday, March 1, 2024

Pine Warblers and a Yellow rumped Warbler to kick off March

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 1, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 1, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 1, 2024
Pine Warblers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 1, 2024

To start off the month of March I headed out after work on the 1st to try to track down a warbler or two for the month.  The weather was less than cooperative with a bit of a breeze and cold temps.  Nonetheless I figured I would try my best and I started at Arcadia and after a bit of walking I had a flyover Yellow rumped Warbler calling as it moved past.  I tried in vain to relocate it on the ground so no photos of that guy for the day.  After Arcadia I made the trip toward home with a stop off at Winsor Dam to try to track down at least one of the group of Pine Warblers that have been present all winter.  It took a bit of looking and I heard at least two singing before I finally got eyes on any of them.  I found at least four individuals and I'm certain there were more around.  With the warblers this morning I extend a couple of continuous streaks for myself in Hampshire County with 83 consecutive months of at least one warbler species and 24 months of two species of warbler.  I'll try again to find and photograph a Yellow rumped Warbler before I head off to warmer locales.  

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Mar 3, 2024
Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 3, 2024
Pine Warbler, South Cemetery, Belchertown, MA, Mar 3, 2024

***I returned to Arcadia on Sunday morning and had at least four Yellow rumped Warblers and I got some photos on this occasion.  The Pine Warblers also continued at both Winsor Dam and South Cemetery in Belchertown.