Monday, September 30, 2024

End of September

Blackpoll Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 25, 2024
Black throated Blue Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 25, 2024
Black throated Green Warbler, Ware, MA, Sep 28, 2024
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Rail trail, Ware, MA, Sep 28, 2024
Northern Parula, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Sep 29, 2024
Pine Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Sep 29, 2024
Common Yellowthroat, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Sep 29, 2024
Prairie Warbler, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Sep 30, 2024
Palm Warbler 'yellow', Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Sep 30, 2024

The month of September has now come to an end and overall it was rather lackluster with below average numbers of quite a few species.  I ended the month with 26 species of warblers.  I attributed a lot of the low counts to an early migration season for warblers and great migration conditions for almost the entire month, which likely resulted in many birds flying by without stopping (this may explain having my best number of species I ever had for an August here, also with 26 species).  I had my lowest count of Connecticut Warblers in years with just one individual for me (and just a couple others reported in the county).  There are low numbers of late season lingering warblers around and now the majority of warblers around are Yellow rumped Warblers with decent numbers of Blackpoll Warblers, Palm Warblers and Common Yellowthroats plus Northern Parula (who put on a nice end of month show).  Many other species seem to have already moved on.  It will be tough to get a big count of species for October but I will be out trying to track down some stuff.

Monday, September 23, 2024

A bit of an influx of migrants

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Sep 23, 2024
Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 23, 2024
Pine Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 23, 2024
Black and White Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 23, 2024
Blackpoll Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 23, 2024
Black throated Blue Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 23, 2024

After a late night out I was not out as early as typical but I was still out relatively early but I decided to stay in the immediate area of town.  It was another cool morning with some migration overnight and I decided to head to Winsor Dam first in the off chance something unusual was around before I started looking for warblers as the morning sun warmed stuff up.  I made a good decision and found a Common Tern at the dam...a nice start to the morning even if it is not a warbler!  I then tried a spot in Quabbin Park and didn't find too much there so headed a bit further north and had some great luck at the Reed Conservation Area, where I had eight species including a good showing of both Northern Parula and Blackpoll Warbler.  I hit a few more spots in Belchertown and added a few more species and brought my total for the day to eleven species.  Given the lackluster showing of migrants, days with double digit counts are numbered for sure.  More on the migration season a bit later but overall it seems to have been early with many species and with great migration conditions for the past few weeks a lot of birds just sailed right on by with nothing to stop them...good for birds, bad for birders.

Thursday, September 19, 2024

First Connecticut Warbler of the year (sadly no photo) but photos of other warblers from the last several days

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 19, 2024
Prairie Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Sep 18, 2024
Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 17, 2024
Palm Warbler 'western', Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Sep 17, 2024
Palm Warbler 'yellow', Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Sep 17, 2024
Yellow Warbler, Hadley, MA, Sep 17, 2024
Black and White Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 15, 2024
Northern Parula, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 15, 2024
Cape May Warbler, Olympia Drive, Amherst, MA, Sep 14, 2024
Black throated Green Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 13, 2024
Palm Warbler 'western', Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Sep 12, 2024
Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 12, 2024

After a lot of looking the last couple weeks for a Connecticut Warbler I finally had a way too brief look at a juvenile today in the East Meadows.  It was great to see one but the view was too brief and no chance for a photo so I will continue to try to track down another and try to get a photo.  The middle until the almost the end of September is traditionally the peak of migration of the species through the area so I certainly have a chance of getting another.  During my search for a Connecticut Warbler I have come across a nice assortment of other warblers the last several days and have attached a few photos of them above.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Good push of migrant warblers overnight plus captures at the water feature

Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Blackpoll Warbler, Ware, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Prairie Warbler, Ware, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Black throated Blue Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Ovenbird, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Magnolia Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Black throated Green Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Pine Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Black throated Blue Warbler, Quabbin Gate 5, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2024

Today featured a good push of warblers with the best overnight migration conditions yet for September.  There was a notable increase in a number of species and I added two more species for the month for me (Cape May Warblers and Nashville Warbler).  I have now seen 24 species for September and I'm only missing a Wilson's Warbler as an expected species (after seeing a couple of very early ones in August).  With the rapid approach of mid September the focus know becomes tracking down a Connecticut Warbler for the year (hopefully more than one).  

Black and White Warbler and Tufted Titmouse, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 31, 2024
Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 31, 2024
Common Yellowthroat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2024
Chestnut sided Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 10, 2024
Black throated Green Warblers, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2024
Black throated Green Warblers, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2024

The camera at the water feature has captured a number of warblers lately and above is a selection of them.

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Warblers for the first week of September

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 1, 2024
Magnolia Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 3, 2024
Bay breasted Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 4, 2024
Black throated Green Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 4, 2024
Northern Parula, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 4, 2024
Wilson enjoying a fall day, Belchertown, MA, Sep 4, 2024
Blackburnian Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 5, 2024
Black throated Green Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Sep 5, 2024
Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 6, 2024
Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 7, 2024
Pine Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Sep 7, 2024

The first week of September has now come to an end and there have been a few good mornings for warblers as well as a few that were lackluster.  My best morning so far was the 4th when I had 16 species.  We are now in the peak of fall warbler migration and the next few weeks will bring lots of stuff and with any luck a few Connecticut Warblers.  So far for September I have had 20 species of warblers and have oddly missed a few that I should have had by now including Nashville Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Yellow Warbler and Wilson's Warbler (I had all of those species in August and I know I will eventually get them all before the new month ends).  Sadly I reaggravated my most recent back injury on Thursday so no climbing up any hills but that should not make as much of a difference in the fall as it did in the spring.