Double digit count of Palm Warblers this morning

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 7, 2018

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 7, 2018

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 7, 2018

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 7, 2018

Palm Warbler 'western', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 7, 2018

Palm Warbler 'western', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 7, 2018

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 7, 2018

Yet another banner day for warblers at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River this morning.  Although I didn't have quite the same diversity as I did a couple days ago when I had four species, the numbers of Palm Warblers were incredible for November.  I spent around three hours during which I managed to find two western Palm Warblers and an even dozen yellow Palm Warblers as well as a handful of Yellow rumped Warblers (myrtle subspecies).  Many Novembers produce just a handful (or no) Palm Warblers but this November has been very productive for them, both for me and others.  I certainly have put in a bit more time looking for warblers this year but there are absolutely more warblers around than usual.  Not sure exactly the reasons as of yet as overall it has been cooler than average and fairly wet...perhaps it just has not gotten cold enough yet to send them further south.

Five warbler species on November 5th

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 5, 2018

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 5, 2018

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 5, 2018

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Nov 5, 2018

When I headed out this morning the weather was cloudy, cool with a slight breeze with rain threatening...not exactly the conditions I would expect to produce five species of warblers over the course of the morning!  This is the greatest diversity I have had on a day in November in Hampshire County by far and actually beats my previous highest monthly total for warbler species in the county in November....a record I set just last year (more on last year at the following link.)  The biggest surprise was a very late Black and White Warbler at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River that popped up from a dense tangle as I was trying to get looks at a Fox Sparrow.  I tried to get photos but just ended up with some blurry shots.  This is the latest date I have ever had the species around here by weeks.  Silvio Conte also produced at least two (possibly three) Common Yellowthroats, a yellow Palm Warbler and a few Yellow rumped Warblers.  The fifth species for the morning came during a rainy walk with Wilson in Belchertown where I had a Blackpoll Warbler in a mixed flock.  No luck getting a phone shot through the binoculars but I did try.

October warblers

Black and White Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 3, 2018

Black throated Green Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 3, 2018

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 5, 2018

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 5, 2018

Yellow Warbler, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Oct 6, 2018

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 14, 2018

Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 14, 2018

Black and White Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 22, 2018

I had a really good month for warblers with a total of 16 species including several latest ever dates for a number of species (a future post will cover early and late dates for the county in excruciating detail but that will have to wait until later).  The month was cooler than typical, especially the middle and end but the warblers still persisted.  November will feature just a few species but holds the possibility for a rarity to show up.

Black and White Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2018

Blackpoll Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2018

The camera at the water feature captured a few warblers for the month.

A few late warblers as the weather turns colder

Black and White Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

Black and White Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

Palm Warbler 'yellow' and Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 19, 2018

After enjoying warmer than average temperatures for the beginning of the month the pendulum has swung in the other direction and it has been below average for almost a week now with no end in sight for colder than normal temps.  Given the great migration conditions brought on by the northerly winds that have brought in our cold conditions I was surprised to turn up a couple late warblers this morning at Arcadia including a very late Black and White Warbler (beating my previous county late date by a week and a half) and a Tennessee Warbler (just shy of my latest county date ever).  In addition I had above normal count of Palm Warblers for this late in the season plus a single Common Yellowthroat and nearly fifty Yellow rumped Warblers.  Elsewhere for the day I had a Blackpoll Warbler giving me half a dozen species for the day. Full eBird list from Arcadia here.

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).