End of year wrap up

Bahama Warbler, Pine lands east, Grand Bahama, Feb 9, 2017

Olive capped Warbler, Owl Hole Rd, Grand Bahama, Feb 9, 2017

Arrowhead Warbler, Ecclesdown Road, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017

Golden cheeked Warbler, Balcones Canyonlands NWR, TX, Apr 8, 2017

Colima Warbler, Big Bend NP, TX, Apr 10, 2017  

Time once again for a year end wrap up of the warblers seen this year.  I managed to find a total of 50 species overall with six new species including Olive capped Warbler, Bahama Warbler, Bahama Yellowthroat on Grand Bahama in February, Arrowhead Warbler in Jamaica in March and Golden cheeked Warbler and Colima Warbler in Texas in April.  I have now seen 69 total warbler species ever (sadly I cannot count Yellow breasted Chat any longer)

MacGillivray's Warbler, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Nov 13, 2017

As far as within Hampshire County I had my best year ever with a total of 33 species of warblers plus a variety of hybrids including both Brewster's and Lawrence's Warblers.  The highlight by far was a MacGillivray's Warbler that showed up in Hadley in November and stayed for a few days.  It is only the second county record and the best documented sighting by far.  The MacGillivary's Warbler brings my warbler total in Hampshire County up to 35 again (after the Yellow breasted Chat was demoted from a warbler to a non warbler).  Other unusual species included a Golden winged Warbler and a Hooded Warbler plus well above normal counts of Connecticut Warbler and Mourning Warblers as well as others (Detailed look at various warbler species in above normal numbers).

A full photo review of the warblers this year can be found here: Photo review

Below are few tables of warblers seen overall for the year, warblers per month and warblers seen in Hampshire County by month.

Warblers (running tally for year)

Jan       Feb      Mar      Apr      May      Jun     Jul      Aug     Sep      Oct      Nov     Dec
0          20        24         33        41          41      43       44        44        44        44        44


Warblers overall per month

Jan       Feb      Mar      Apr      May      Jun     Jul      Aug     Sep      Oct      Nov     Dec
0          20        15         25        30          23      24       24        26        17        4          7


Hampshire County warblers by month

Jan       Feb      Mar      Apr      May      Jun     Jul      Aug     Sep      Oct      Nov     Dec
0          0          0           17         30         23      18       24        26        17        4         2

Arrowhead Warblers in Jamaica

Arrowhead Warbler, Ecclesdown Road, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017

Arrowhead Warbler, Ecclesdown Road, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017

Arrowhead Warbler, Blue Mountains NP, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017

Arrowhead Warbler, Blue Mountains NP, Jamaica, Mar 10, 2017

Arrowhead Warbler, Ecclesdown Road, Jamaica, Mar 11, 2017

I just returned from a brief trip down to Jamaica between my days off from work between March 9-12. One of my main reasons for making a trip down to Jamaica was to catch up with the endemic Arrowhead Warbler which I was lucky enough to see on several occasions in both the Blue Mountains and along Ecclesdown Road near the John Crow Mountains.  As I had such a brief amount of time down on the island and wanted to maximize my chances of seeing not only the warbler but the other endemic species there I hired a guide and my choice of Ricardo Miller was a good one ( I figured having his company named after my main target was a good omen).  He not only got me on a number of Arrowhead Warblers but also managed to find me every other endemic on Jamaica (he can be contacted through his company at http://www.arrowheadbirding.com/).  I also managed to get a few photos of the species as it worked its way through the thick forest. It is a sharp looking black and white warbler, quite similar to the Elfin Woods Warbler (http://warblerpursuit.blogspot.com/2016/12/elfin-woods-warbler-and-adelaides.html which is endemic to Puerto Rico.  The Arrowhead Warbler became warbler species number 68 for me.

Cape May Warbler, Hope Gardens, Jamaica, Mar 11, 2017

Prairie Warbler, Hope Gardens, Jamaica, Mar 11, 2017

Yellow throated Warbler and Northern Parulas, Hope Gardens, Jamaica, Mar 11, 2017

Besides the Arrowhead Warbler I managed to catch up with fourteen other warbler species, almost all of which will soon be heading north to breed. The only species I had a slight chance of seeing that I didn't have any luck locating was Swainson's Warbler, which winters in small numbers on Jamaica. It is a tough species to locate as it stays low in the forest and I was not surprised that I didn't see it.  I guess I will have to catch up with it at some point on its breeding grounds in the southern U.S.