Unusually plumaged Blue Winged Warbler plus two new warblers for the county this year

Blue winged Warbler with black forehead, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2026

Blue winged Warbler with black forehead, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2026

Blue winged Warbler with black forehead, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2026

Brewster's Warbler, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2026

Magnolia Warbler hover hunting, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2026

Wilson's Warbler, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2026

Prairie Warbler, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, May 6, 2026

Chestnut sided Warbler, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, May 6, 2026

Blue winged Warbler getting harassed by Ruby throated Hummingbird, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, May 6, 2026

After a banner day of birding yesterday that produced both Hooded Warbler and Canada Warbler for me for the year in the US today was slightly less productive but I still managed to find some good stuff including three new species for me in Hampshire County this year with Tennessee Warbler, Wilson's Warbler and Cape May Warbler.  I also relocated the Brewster's Warbler I originally found a couple days ago in Amherst plus Hooded Warbler in Hadley (I was once again unable to catch a glimspe but it did sing a bit)  One of the more interesting birds of the morning was a Blue winged Warbler with a black forehead.  I originally saw the individual a few days ago but thought the dark of the forehead was from being wet.  Better looks today seems to show an individual with black on the forehead and not some wetness on the feathers.  Beyond that plumage oddity the bird looked fine for a normal Blue winged Warbler.  After getting home and taking Wilson for a walk I headed over to Herman Covey WMA to check on some of the managed areas and had great counts of Prairie Warblers and Blue winged Warblers (plus loads of ticks...they are always bad there).  In addition I got to see some interesting behaviors with the warblers including watching a Magnolia Warbler hover hunt and a Blue winged Warbler getting harassed by a Ruby throated Hummingbird.  Today produced my first 20 warbler species day for the spring.

The end of April warblers

Magnolia Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 26, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 27, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, Apr 29, 2026

Wilson relaxing after a walk, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2026

Blackburnian Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 30, 2026

The end of April continued to feature mainly subpar migration conditions with below average numbers and variety of warblers.  Today was rainy in the morning and never really warmed up.  Nonetheless I was out walking a little in the rain and my reward was one new warbler species for the year with a Blackburnian Warbler at Quabbin Park (warbler species #38 for the year in the US).  The previous few days were at least mainly sunny and pleasant but without good winds to move stuff in the warblers mainly trickled in.  I did manage my first double digit warbler day of the spring here on Tuesday with eleven species including my first Blue winged Warbler of the year plus my first Northern Parula of the year in Hampshire County.  Yesterday featured one new species for me for the year in the county with a Prairie Warbler.  The record early Magnolia Warbler I found on my birthday continued for me for at least another day 

Palm Warblers 'yellow', Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 28, 2026

I also added a second species at the water feature with Palm Warblers on the 28th.

To end out April in the county I found a total of 14 species with two of those (Blue winged Warbler and Blackburnian Warbler) being new for me for my big warbler year in the US moving my total to 38 species so far.  April overall was quite productive for warblers with my trips to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona plus warblers at home bringing me to 27 species seen for the month.  May will rapidly bring in numbers of warblers and I will be out there enjoying them as much as possible.  May migration is truly one of the best reasons to live here.

Record early Magnolia Warbler today plus other new arrivals

Magnolia Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 25, 2026

Magnolia Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 25, 2026

Ovenbird, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 25, 2026

Northern Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Apr 25, 2026

Despite poor migration conditions that continue to occur (covered in a post yesterday) some birds trickled in overnight with the most unusual being a record early Magnolia Warbler that beat my previous earliest date in Hampshire County by four days, a record that has held for me since 2011.  I spent most of my birding time at Quabbin Park and despite temps not much above freezing to start I had hopes that the early sunshine would concentrate what migrants had arrived in sunny edges and perhaps produce something good.  I had typical numbers of Pine Warblers and Yellow rumped Warblers for the date as well as several Black and White Warblers before I ran across some more variety with a Northern Yellow Warbler and then the Magnolia Warbler.  I was walking and heard the familiar song of the Magnolia Warbler and after a bit of looking got some looks at it.  I wanted to document it as well as possible given it is such an early arrival.  I was really surprised to see it as many other species that should be around in small numbers have yet to arrive.  Usually I expect to get Magnolia Warbler in the area in early May so to get one on my birthday was a special gift for sure.  In fact this looks to be one of the first records for the species anywhere in the northeast this spring.  Just as I was getting ready to leave the park I heard an Ovenbird singing a few times and after a bit of looking got looks at it in a pine grove.  Another early arrival for the day and a nice way to end my morning.  I managed seven species of warblers in the park and then added another when I got home with a Black throated Green Warbler singing...my best warbler count for the spring so far.  More for the day beyond warblers at the following link.

Another Connecticut Warbler, an early Orange crowned Warbler and others to start out the fourth week of September

Common Yellowthroat, Belchertown, MA, Sep 21, 2025

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Sep 21, 2025

Ovenbird, Belchertown, MA, Sep 22, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Belchertown, MA, Sep 22, 2025

Yellow Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 22, 2025

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 22, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 22, 2025

Palm Warblers 'yellow', Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 23, 2025

Magnolia Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 23, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 24, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 24, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 25, 2025

After a seemingly endless string of sunny days we had an overcast day with occasional rain and drizzle yesterday and then the rain really came down overnight into today with heavy rain through mid morning well into the afternoon.  The less than ideal weather has allowed me a little extra time to work on an upcoming program I will be hosting for the Hampshire Bird Club..."Endemic Warblers of the Caribbean"...more on that to come before the program takes place in mid October (details at the following link).  To start off the third week of September I had yet another Connecticut Warbler, a very early Orange crowned Warbler and a slightly late Yellow Warbler among some 14 species of warblers....some really good stuff for sure!   I was then out for hours yesterday despite the weather and although far from an epic warbler day I did have some stuff around with a total of a lucky 13 species with multiple Cape May Warblers for two days running.  Today's birding was much more abbreviated with just a few short walks in between bouts of rain with just a handful of warblers.  The weather now looks to return to mainly sunny conditions for the foreseeable future with just a few shower chances over the next week plus.  Should be some great mornings of late fall warblers as the diversity continues to drop but the numbers ramp up briefly with the arrival of numbers of Yellow rumped Warblers and Palm Warblers.

My second Connecticut Warbler of the fall as sunny and beautiful weather continues

Prairie Warbler, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Sep 18, 2025

Prairie Warbler, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Sep 18, 2025

Magnolia Warbler, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Sep 18, 2025

Connecticut Warbler habitat, Ware, MA, Sep 18, 2025

Ovenbird, Belchertown, MA, Sep 17, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 17, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Sep 16, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Arcadia, Easthampton, MA, Sep 16, 2025

American Redstart, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 16, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Jabish Canal, Belchertown, MA, Sep 15, 2025

Northern Waterthrush, Jabish Canal, Belchertown, MA, Sep 15, 2025

We continued to enjoy sunny and pleasant days with cooler nights...perfect September weather.  As has been the case for most of the month, migration conditions have been good most nights so lots of stuff is moving right on by.  This has resulted in a bit of a lull in new arrivals although I was very happy to find my second Connecticut Warbler in Ware this morning.  Although I got only fleeting glimpses of the bird and no photos I did get a few recordings.  During the rest of the morning I had just seven other species of warblers so certainly a slow day overall.  No really big banner days in the last few although there are certainly warblers to be found everyday...even managed to squeeze one out in the afternoon along the Mill River near Smith College after giving a short lecture on eBird to a biology class there.  I think the biggest diversity is behind us now but I suspect an influx of new arrivals over the weekend following the passage of the next cold front.  I will certainly be out there looking and listening and hoping for something unusual to cross my path.

Influx of migrants thanks to some northwest winds

Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Wilson's Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Magnolia Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

After multiple days with southerly winds followed by some rain the winds turned around and came out of the northwest which of course means migrants arriving.  I spent a decent portion of the morning out and although it started off slow (likely due to temps in the mid 40's) it eventually picked up and I had some nice pockets of birds with the activity peaking as the sun started heating stuff up and then rapidly trailing off by 10AM.  Good variety with 19 species tallied for the day.