September warblers

Connecticut Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 23, 2018

Orange crowned Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 27, 2018

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 27, 2018

Canada Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 27, 2018

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 26, 2018

Yellow Warbler, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 26, 2018

Wilson's Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 22, 2018

Magnolia Warbler, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Sep 16, 2018

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 13, 2018

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 11, 2018

Black throated Green Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 13, 2018

Cape May Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Sep 30, 2018

September has rapidly come to a close and it was (as usual) the second best month for warblers around here as far as diversity goes (May of course beats it out).  I had a total of 27 species over the course of the month with several highlights including multiple Connecticut Warblers (more on that below), higher than usual numbers of Tennessee Warblers and Bay breasted Warblers (others had higher than usual numbers of Cape May Warblers too but I didn't spend as much time in proper habitat for them), a few late lingering species late into the month and great looks at a Orange crowned Warbler (a oddly tough species to find sometimes here in the fall).

Connecticut Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 20, 2018

Connecticut Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 20, 2018

I found a total of eight Connecticut Warblers with all but two concentrated in just a few days between the 20th and 23rd.  The weather conditions we experienced almost certainly led to the concentration on just a few days.  I even had a morning with three at the same location, something I have never been able to accomplish in the past...there was another birder that had five in the same area the following day!

Bay breasted Warbler (with House Wren), Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 19, 2018

Bay breasted Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 19, 2018

I also added another warbler species (#14) to the water feature list when the motion camera captured a Bay breasted Warbler that dropped in.  I had a decent selection of warbler species in the yard for the month with a total of fifteen species seen.  No luck again this year in finding a Blue winged Warbler for the yard...really the only common warbler I have not had in the yard yet (current yard total is 28 species)...maybe next year.

Three Connecticut Warblers today

Connecticut Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 20, 2018

Connecticut Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 20, 2018

 Connecticut Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 20, 2018

Yellow Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 20, 2018

Northern Parula, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 20, 2018

American Redstart, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 20, 2018

After finding just a single Connecticut Warbler for the season prior to today I hit pay dirt this morning at Arcadia with three separate individuals (two adults and a first year) and even managed to get decent views (and some photos) of two of them.  This is the first time I have ever managed to find three in a single day and a record I'm unlikely to break anytime soon (I have had two on single days on just a couple occasions).  Besides the Connecticut Warblers I had a nice selection of warblers today with a total of 17 species...about as good as it gets in mid September. 

Bay breasted Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 19, 2018

At home my motion activated camera caught another new warbler species at my water feature with the capture of a Bay breasted Warbler yesterday bringing my warbler list at the water feature up to 14 so far.

August warblers

Common Yellowthroat, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Aug 24, 2018

Ovenbird, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 27, 2018

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 3, 2018

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 5, 2018

A total of 20 species of warblers for the month including a couple early Cape May Warbler (hopefully just the vanguard of this species and other spruce specialists including Tennessee and Bay breasted Warblers).

July warblers

Yellow rumped Warbler 'audubon's', Rocky Mountain NP, CO, Jul 9, 2018

Chestnut sided Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jul 7, 2018

MacGillivray's Warbler, Rocky Mountain NP, CO, Jul 11, 2018

The month of July is not known for being a great month for warblers as many birds greatly reduce their singing or stop singing altogether as the breeding season starts to come to an end.  Nonetheless there are still birds to be found and as the month ends post breeding dispersal starts to ramp up.  Overall for the month I found a total of 23 species of warblers including those found on a trip out to Colorado.  Within just Hampshire County I found a total of 18 species of warbler.

Warblers on trip to Colorado July 8-16

Yellow rumped Warbler 'audubon's', Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, Jul 9, 2018

Wilson's Warbler, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, Jul 13, 2018

MacGillivray's Warbler, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, Jul 11, 2018

Yellow Warbler, Ten Mile Creek, Granby, CO, Jul 11, 2018

Virginia's Warbler, South Mesa Trail, Boulder Cty, CO, Jul 15, 2018

Just returned from a trip out to Colorado visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, Pawnee Grasslands and a few areas in the greater Denver area between July 8-16.  During the trip I managed to find a total of eight species of warblers (Orange crowned Warbler, Virginia's Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Yellow rumped Warbler 'audubon's', Black throated Gray Warbler and Wilson's Warbler).  The most unexpected was the Black throated Gray Warbler that I found in RMNP where they are not expected in July.  Complete report from the trip can be found at the following link

Warblers during the early part of June including a Mourning Warbler

Mourning Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 8, 2018

Mourning Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 8, 2018

Black throated Blue Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 6, 2018

Most of the migrant warblers have now moved through with just a few stragglers still possible.  The first week or so of June has produced a total of 21 species of warbler with almost all of them being breeders on territory.  I decided to see how many species of warbler I could see today and came up with a total of 19 (probably could have gotten 20 if I tried a bit harder to get a Magnolia Warbler).  An early morning hike up to the top of the mountain at Skinner SP produced just a single singing Worm eating Warbler and a couple of Cerulean Warblers singing occasionally.  The Cerulean Warbler nest I found back on May 15th appeared empty so either the nest was abandoned or the young have already fledged.  A Mourning Warbler seems to still be trying to attract a mate at Quabbin Park without any luck so far but I will keep checking.

A detailed look at Tennessee, Cape May and Bay breasted Warblers this spring in Hampshire County (plus other warblers)

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 16, 2018

Cape May Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 16, 2018

Bay breasted Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 21 2018

Tennessee Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 16, 2018

As the month of May has ended and June has begun I will take a quick look at the warbler migration for the season and a more detailed look at Tennessee, Cape May and Bay breasted Warblers.  As predicted last fall (Fall warblers 2017) all three species turned up in above normal numbers with my highest spring totals I have ever had for all three species in Hampshire County.  Some single locations turned up more individuals in a day then I have gotten in entire seasons.  I had two days where I had seven Tennessee Warblers, a day where I had three Bay breasted Warblers and a single day with 13 Cape May Warblers (including one spot where I had eight in view at once!).  All three species have had a population upswing the last couple years due to a spruce budworm outbreak that all three species feed on.  To show the big numbers further north I have attached a link to a mind blowing eBird list from a location in Quebec where hundreds of thousands of these species (and many others) passed in a single day...should be a great fall for them too if the outbreak continues.  Below is a list of this springs totals as well as totals from the previous ten years.

Tennessee             
2018     53
2017     5
2016     17
2015     8
2014     16
2013     6
2012     8
2011     1
2010     2
2009     4
2008     5

Cape May
2018     22
2017     3
2016     1
2015     1
2014     3
2013     1
2012     0
2011     0
2010     0
2009     0
2008     0

Bay breasted
2018     12
2017     3
2016     4
2015     3
2014     9
2013     1
2012     1
2011     1
2010     0
2009     1
2008     2

Brewster's Warbler, Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, May 8, 2018

Golden winged x Blue winged Warbler hybrid, Quabbin Park, MA, May 16, 2018

Mourning Warbler (Newfoundland vocal group), Quabbin Park, MA, May 29, 2018

Mourning Warbler (eastern vocal group), Quabbin Park, MA, May 17, 2018

Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 17, 2018

Nashville Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2018

Cerulean Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 15, 2018

Cerulean Warbler building nest, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 15, 2018

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 16, 2018

Northern Waterthrush, Pelham, MA, May 8, 2018

Besides the above mentioned species it was a decent spring warbler migration overall with a total of 30 species plus a few hybrids (one Brewster's and a returning Golden winged x Blue winged Warbler).  My best single day was May 16 when I had 29 species including my third Hooded Warbler of the season and an odd for spring Orange crowned Warbler.  Other highlights for the month included at least nine different Mourning Warblers with one apparently on territory and still present through the end of the month.  After sending my recordings to a professor researching the various vocal groups of Mourning Warbler I learned most were from the Eastern group but I had at least one from the Newfoundland group.  There are a total of four distinct vocal groups (Eastern, Western, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland) and I have now recorded three of the groups migrating through the county with only the Western group not represented.  I also located a Cerulean Warbler nest at Skinner SP mid month but have not been able to get back up there to check on the progress due to construction there.