Banded Cerulean Warbler among several species seen today to end the second week of August

Cerulean Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 14, 2025

Cerulean Warbler with leg bands, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 14, 2025

Cerulean Warbler with leg bands, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 14, 2025

Cerulean Warbler with leg bands, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 14, 2025

Pine Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 14, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 14, 2025

As the second week of August comes to an end the dispersal of warblers continues with some hints of mixed species flocks starting to form.  The weather has continued to be hot with mainly southerly winds.  I have spent a bit of time tracking down warblers with the highlight today being a banded Cerulean Warbler continuing at Quabbin Park.  I heard the bird sing a bit in the fog early yesterday morning but failed to see it well enough to see if it was the banded bird located there.  I returned today after a long walk at Gate 8 and was happy to see the bird once again and able to confirm it was the individual banded in early June.  It is getting a bit late to still have the species around and I suspect it will depart very soon to the tropics.  Hopefully I will see it again next spring.

More captures at the water feature plus warblers elsewhere the last several days

Common Yellowthroat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 7, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 7, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Yellow Warbler and Black capped Chickadee, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 6, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Black thropated Green Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Ovenbird, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Prairie Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 4, 2025

Yellow Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 4, 2025

The water feature continues to catch warbler species and in just a couple days I captured four species (Black and White Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and Chestnut sided Warbler).  Although none were new for the year I was surprised to see such diversity for early August...hopefully this bodes well for the upcoming fall migration.

I have also been out looking for warblers over the last several days and have seen a fair number.  Not a lot of song left but occasionally some will sing.  

 

More captures from the cam on the water feature

Ovenbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 5, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2025

American Redstart and Black and White Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2025

American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2025

I checked the camera on the water feature today and was very happy to see multiple warbler species captured including American Redstart, Black and White Warbler and Ovenbird.  Certainly seems to be some local breeding species dispersals going on, which is what I would expect as August moves along.  Will be interesting to see what else shows up as the fall migration season moves on.

Decent start to August with 18 species of warbler including a couple late Cerulean Warblers

Canada Warbler, Pelham, MA, Aug 2, 2025

Canada Warbler, Pelham, MA, Aug 2, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 2, 2025

Blackburnian Warbler, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 2, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 2, 2025

Ovenbird, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 1, 2025

Cerulean Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2025

Cerulean Warbler with leg bands, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2025

Ovenbird, Skinner SP, Hadley/South Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2025

I'm off to a good start to August with warblers with a total of 18 species so far including a couple slightly late Cerulean Warblers at Skinner SP this morning.  Most species have quit singing at this point although there are a few species that will occasionally sing.  It is getting more like fall birding with listening for contact calls and movement in the trees.  Lots of juveniles and molting adults around leading to some ratty looking individuals although there are still some stunning adults around (especially a Canada Warbler I had yesterday).  As mentioned above the most unusual species for the month so far were the two adult male Cerulean Warblers this morning at Skinner with one of them banded (part of an ongoing multi state study of the species).  Cerulean Warbler are one of the first species to head south and I was certainly surprised to find two adult males still hanging around.  The only negative part of the new month is that I tweaked my back again (thanks years and years of lifting heavy people!).

July comes to an end and with it my retirement

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Jul 30, 2025

Yellow Warbler (warbler species #14 for the year at water feature), Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 25, 2025

 

Group photo on last shift at work, Northampton, MA, Jul 27, 2025

July has now come to an end and overall it was quite warm with multiple heat waves and humid conditions.  It is usually one of the slowest months for warblers outside of winter around here and I did not get out a ton due to both the heat and work.  Work will no longer be an issue moving forward as I retired at the end of the month.  Now I will get to bird full time, travel more and spend more time with Wilson.  Even without being out a ton I still got some warblers including the 14th species at the water feature at the house this year with a Yellow Warbler.  I also added a few warbler for the month with a trip to the Finger Lakes in the middle of the month.

My 13th species of warbler at the water feature this year

Ovenbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jul 20, 2025

I have been working a bit of overtime lately during the lull of warblers that is July so don't have a lot to report.  Nonetheless there are certainly warblers around with lots of fledglings.  I did capture one warbler at the water feature in the yard a few days ago when an Ovenbird showed up.  The Ovenbird became the 13th warbler species captured by the camera on the water feature this year so far...hopefully more are to come once fall migration starts.

Warblers on a trip to the Finger Lakes in New York

Hooded Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

 

Canada Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

 

Prairie Warbler, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

Just back from a quick trip out to the Finger Lakes in New York. Sherri had a conference to go to and I was along to help out and bird when she was in the conference. Although I have made several trips out to the area I still had a few warblers in the general area I had a decent chance of tracking down. My targets included Mourning Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Prairie Warbler and Canada Warbler and I found all four.

Hooded Warbler, Cayuta Lake Boat Launch, Alpine, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Blackburnian Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Blackburnian Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler feeding juvenile, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler feeding juvenile, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler feeding juvenile, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Magnolia Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Hooded Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Hooded Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Hooded Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

American Redstart, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Ovenbird, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Hooded Warbler and Black throated Green Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Canada Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Ovenbird, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Saturday I headed nearby spot before I had to go back to our Airbnb to pick up Sherri to get her to the conference in Ithaca. I decided Cayuta Lake to try for a few of my targets. I walked the entrance road and added two target for the trip with Canada Warbler and Hooded Warbler. My next stop was to Shindagin State Forest where I spent about two and a half hours exploring the area. The area featured a decent showing of warblers with a lucky 13 species of warblers including my first Mourning Warbler for New York. Multiple species of warblers had evidence of breeding from adults carrying food, adults feeding juveniles and juvenile birds. My next stop was to Lindsey Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, arriving around 11:30 and then spending about an hour there despite the heat. There was some bird banding taking place as part of the MAPS program that looks at breeding species in a particular area. I got to see some warblers up close as they banded an Ovenbird and American Redstart during my brief stop checking out the banding station. Despite the heat of the day with temps pushing 90 I did add a Prairie Warbler to my New York list and checked off my fourth target warbler species for the trip. At this point it was really hot so headed back to the house for a late lunch. I picked up Sherri in the mid afternoon and we then spent the remainder of the afternoon stopping at wineries. The day produced 17 species of warblers.

    

Yellow Warbler, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

Blue winged Warbler, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

 

American Redstart, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

 

Prairie Warbler with leg band, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

I was up before dawn on Sunday with temps already in the upper 70’s with high humidity…very tropical. I headed south to Connecticut Hill WMA and walked a small loop trail and battled hordes of deer flies. The stop produced just three species of warblers although one was a new one for the trip with a singing Yellow rumped Warbler. With the bugs too bad to stay and a few hours free I had to decide where to go and settled on a return trip to Lindsey Parsons where I arrived around 6:30 and stayed for about an hour and a half. I got a number of photos of the eight species of warblers I found. I then headed back to the house to pick up Sherri and we headed down south of Watkins Glen to check out a few waterfalls before headed to a few wineries. I ended the day with nine species of warblers.

     

Yellow Warbler, Taughannock Falls SP, Ulysses, NY, Jul 14, 2025

 

Taughannock Falls, Taughannock Falls SP, Ulysses, NY, Jul 14, 2025

On the last day I stayed fairly close to the house with a trip off to the north to Taughannock Falls SP. Not much for warblers to report from that location with just two species. I then headed back to the house to pack up and start the long drive back. 

I had a total of 18 species of warblers overall for the short trip. Of these four were new for me in the state (Canada Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Mourning Warbler and Prairie Warbler), moving my New York state total to 23 species.