A uniquely plumaged American Redstart today

American Redstart with odd plumage, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025

American Redstart with odd plumage, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025

American Redstart with odd plumage, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025

American Redstart with odd plumage, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025

American Redstart with odd plumage, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025

American Redstart with odd plumage, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025

American Redstart with odd plumage, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025

American Redstart with odd plumage, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 29, 2025

While out exploring the Quabbin Park area this morning I came across a rather uniquely plumaged American Redstart male which had an almost calico like color pattern.  The really odd part was the brown on the back and wings.  One of the more unusual patterns I have ever come across with this species.

A Yellow rumped Warbler with white splotches on its face (plus other warblers the last few days)

 

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle' with white splotches on face, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Oct 27, 2022

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle' with white splotches on face, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Oct 27, 2022

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle' with white splotches on face, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Oct 27, 2022

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle' with white head, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2020

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 24, 2022

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Oct 24, 2022

We enjoyed a few unseasonably warm days but today it is coming to an end as strong northwest winds bring in cooler air for the rest of the week and into the weekend.  Nonetheless it was nice while it lasted with temps yesterday that topped off in the low 70's with high humidity...a taste of summer in late October!  I have been out looking for warblers the last few days when I could and turned up mainly the expected Yellow rumped Warblers and Palm Warblers plus a Common Yellowthroat on Tuesday that would not cooperate for photos.  Among the Yellow rumped Warblers I have had the last several days was a unique individual this morning that had white splotches on its face (more pronounced on the left side).  A neat looking bird and reminded me of another Yellow rumped Warbler with lots of white on it I had at the house back in May 2020 although the one today was much more subtle.  Always fun sorting through hordes of Yellow rumped Warblers and coming across something a little different.

Unusually plumaged warblers today

Northern Parula with light colored head, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 17, 2021

Northern Parula with light colored head, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 17, 2021

Northern Parula with light colored head, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 17, 2021

Northern Parula with light colored head, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 17, 2021

Northern Parula with light colored head, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 17, 2021

Northern Parula with light colored head, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 17, 2021

Northern Parula with light colored head, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 17, 2021

Northern Parula with light colored head, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 17, 2021

A fun part of going through mixed flocks of warblers is finding oddly plumaged individuals and today I had two among the warblers at Arcadia.  Overall the morning was fairly quiet until I ran across a large mixed flock around nine and then it was crazy for a bit and this group had the oddest looking Northern Parula I have seen.  As soon as I looked at it through binoculars I could see it looked odd with a very light yellowish hue to its head.  I snapped off a number of photos before I lost track of it among the flock.  It was a really cool looking individual to say the least.

Common Yellowthroat with a few white feathers, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 17, 2021

Common Yellowthroat with a few white feathers, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 17, 2021

The other slightly oddly plumaged warbler was a Common Yellowthroat that had a few white spots on various parts of its body with the most obvious white mark being on its head. More photos of variously oddly plumaged warblers, as well as hybrid warblers, can be found at the following Flickr album link.