Warbler species #45 and #46 for the year in the US with Mourning Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler among a total of 28 species in Hampshire County today

Blackpoll Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Mourning Warbler, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Blackburnian Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Worm eating Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Bay breasted Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Bay breasted Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Magnolia Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 17, 2026

Magnolia Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 17, 2026

With another night of great migration conditions I figured this morning would certainly get me two more species in the US for the year as part of my ongoing 'warbler big year in the US' (and with some luck give me my big warbler day for the year out here in Hampshire County).  The day started off right with a Louisiana Waterthrush singing at the house well before the sun came up.  My two targets for the morning were Mourning Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler.  Mourning Warblers are just starting through on their migration and I wanted to check some reliable spots for them before the weekend hordes would inevitably descend.  I headed to Mitch's Way before dawn and started the walk in with new species starting to sing with every passing minute.  I added one warbler after another and I eventually made it out to the river and then started the slow walk back.  I eventually found two Mourning Warblers with only one singing.  I will send the recordings off to a researcher (see earlier post of that here: Mourning Warbler regiolects).  As is typical for the species there was little cooperation for looks or photos of the guys.  I had to be happy with fleeting looks and some marginal photos this time.  Tennessee Warblers continued around in good numbers and were singing constantly although they largely remained out of view.  I next headed over to Skinner SP where I planned to walk to near the top to get me my other target for the morning.  As a bonus there was a Hooded Warbler reported in the area the day before and as I started up the mountain I heard the bird sing somewhat close and then saw it flying upslope where it sang a few more times before it flew even further away or chose not to sing any longer (my recordings attempts failed...just too far away).  Interestingly there was a Magnolia Warbler in the same area giving a decent impression of Hooded Warbler.  Once I got up to the upper portions of the road I eventually heard and then saw a Blackpoll Warbler and got my second target for the day and reached my goal of two new warbler species for the big year.  I will do a review soon on what remains and my plans to get the rest...suffice it to say trips away from home will be required.  At this point I had added a lot of warbler species for the morning and with a quick look at the count I figured I would try to maximize species for the day...a sorta big day within a big year.  With a few more stops from Amherst back to near home I added a few new species for the day and brought my total for the day in the county to 28 species.  Now is really the prime time for a big warbler day and you need some rarities around and some luck to run across the less frequently seen migrants to get a high count...I think my best ever for the county was 29 species and a hybrid or two for a single day.

A couple Orange crowned Warblers and a late Tennessee Warbler on another breezy day

Orange crowned Warbler, Amherst, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Orange crowned Warbler, Amherst, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Orange crowned Warbler, Amherst, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Orange crowned Warbler, Amherst, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Orange crowned Warbler, Amherst, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Amherst, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Tennessee Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Tennessee Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Tennessee Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Belchertown, MA, Oct 17, 2025

Our weather of cool and breezy to windy weather continued today although at least now we have sun so it is a bit more tolerable.  I managed to find two Orange crowned Warblers today in Amherst and this is only the third time I have gotten two of them on the same day in the county ever (the two previous times were at Arcadia on Sept 22, 2023 and Oct 14, 2020).  Besides the Orange crowned Warblers I had a slightly late Tennessee Warbler as well as four other warbler species (Yellow rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler and Common Yellowthroat...in order of abundance).  Given all the fantastic migration conditions and cooler weather this month is not shaping up to feature many late warblers or counts over half a dozen species for a day as many species are long gone.  I will certainly be out looking and keeping my fingers crossed for a true rarity.

Middle of October has arrived

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown, MA, Oct 15, 2025

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 15, 2025

Pine Warbler, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Oct 14, 2025

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Rail trail, Ware, MA, Oct 12, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Rail trail, Ware, MA, Oct 12, 2025

Nashville Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Oct 12, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Oct 12, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown, MA, Oct 11, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 11, 2025

Since Sunday the weather here has either been rainy, windy or both so trying to track down warblers has been difficult as we reach the middle of October.  Conditions were a bit better before that but we are in a cool, windy pattern now and lots of birds have moved out.  Yellow rumped Warblers are the default warbler and are around in great numbers (one walk this morning over about half a mile produced 50+ individuals).  Other species are becoming tougher and tougher to find and my days of finding double digit counts for warbler species in a day are gone until I down to south Texas in November.  Nonetheless I will be out tracking down late species and hopefully a rarity as fall wears on toward winter.

I had a presentation at the Hampshire Bird Club last night and it was quite well received with the largest crowd for a club meeting since Covid so I have to be happy about that.  The topic was 'Endemic Warblers of the Caribbean' and featured lots of photos and stories as I tracked down the eleven species of warblers endemic to the Caribbean.  The consensus was the club wanted me back for another warbler centered talk in the future.

Possible hybrid Yellow rumped Warbler plus an oddly plumaged Black throated Blue Warbler to start off October

Yellow rumped Warbler (either a hybrid or aberrant individual), Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler (either a hybrid or aberrant individual), Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler with unusual plumage, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler with unusual plumage, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler with unusual plumage, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Orange crowned Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Tennessee Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Blackburnian Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Ovenbird, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Nashville Warbler, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 2, 2025

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2025

American Redstart, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2025

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2025

October is off to a great start with a good showing of late season migrant warblers plus a few late species still around.  The most exciting sightings by far were a possible hybrid Yellow rumped Warbler and an oddly plumaged Black throated Blue Warbler.  First a bit about the possible hybrid.  I saw the bird in a mixed flock at a spot in Belchertown and immediately noticed the yellowish throat of the bird and snapped off a few pictures before it disappeared, not to be seen again.  The question now becomes if it is a hybrid of an Audubon's x Myrtle subspecies of Yellow rumped Warbler.  I have reached out to a few experts on it and the consensus is that it may indeed be a hybrid but could also be an aberrant plumaged Myrtle subspecies.  Whatever it actually is tough to say for sure and certainly added some excitement to the morning.  In the same area I had a Black throated Blue Warbler with some unusual plumage with a whitish throat and more white on the flank than typical.  Overall for the first couple days of the month I have found 16 species of warblers so far with the most notable being numbers of Ovenbirds, an Orange crowned Warbler, Cape May Warbler and multiple Northern Parula and Black throated Blue Warblers.  I have mainly stayed in the Belchertown and Pelham area with a brief detour to Amherst.  The last two mornings have been quite chilly but thankfully the ample sunshine warms things up a bit by the end of the day although not as warm as recently with highs in the 60's. although the breeze yesterday made viewing a bit tough.  We are headed toward another warm up through the weekend.