Third week of November ends with a late 'western' Palm Warbler

Palm Warbler 'western', North Hadley, MA, Nov 21, 2025

Palm Warbler 'western', North Hadley, MA, Nov 21, 2025

Palm Warbler 'western', North Hadley, MA, Nov 21, 2025

Palm Warbler 'western', North Hadley, MA, Nov 21, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Nov 20, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Nov 20, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Nov 20, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Nov 20, 2025

Yellow rumped Warblers 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Nov 20, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Nov 20, 2025

With the end of the third week of November any warbler species in the area will be noteworthy with even the Yellow rumped Warblers becoming scarce.  I have tried to get out to track down some late warblers but with mainly breezy and cool weather days as well as other commitments at home I had not had too much luck until today when I found a quite late 'western' Palm Warbler in North Hadley.  I was not really expecting to find a warbler today as it was overcast and cool so when the silent Palm Warbler popped up I was quite surprised.  Not my latest date for the species in the fall but not too far behind it.  Yesterday I managed to track down half a dozen Yellow rumped Warblers in an area along the river I have had the species overwinter multiple times so hopefully these birds will stick around.  There seems to be ample food in the area for them.  Time will tell.   

Slow start to November with just two warbler species and a Wilson update

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Nov 5, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Nov 5, 2025

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

November is off to a slow start for warblers with just two species thanks mainly to colder than normal weather and windy conditions on multiple days.  Today was actually the first morning without winds but we now face very windy conditions again starting tonight and throughout the next few days.  I have run across a handful of Yellow rumped Warblers but even those seem to be in lower numbers than usual for early November.  The only other species I have had was a brief look at a 'yellow' Palm Warbler this morning in Amherst.  Tough going for warblers for sure.

Wilson resting, Home, Belchertown, MA, Nov 5, 2025

Now for some sad news concerning my best bud Wilson  The cancer on his foot has returned to the point that the tumor has ruptured on a small part of the foot.  We knew the tumor would be back at some point as the removal of two toes on the foot two years ago did not completely removed the cancer but we could not go through with a full amputation at that point.  He has thrived the last couple years and does not his age of just over 14 1/2.  He is in no pain right now but he has to wear a botty to keep him from licking the foot.  After a consult with a surgeon there unfortunately are not any good options going forward and we are still trying to decide what to do.  In the end it will be quality of life for him, as it has always been.  He is convinced he can just lick the cancer away if we just gave him the chance!  He still runs around like a pup when it is play time, even with the boot on.  Fuck cancer.

Split of Yellow Warbler gets me a new species of warbler

Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Greater Antillean), Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Martinique), Reserve Naturelle de La Caravelle, Martinique, Dec 13, 2017

Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Martinique), Reserve Naturelle de La Caravelle, Martinique, Dec 13, 2017

Northern Yellow Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 25, 2025

There has been a recent split of Yellow Warbler that has resulted in me gaining a new warbler species without having to go anywhere!  Yellow Warbler has now been split into Northern Yellow Warbler (the migratory form that breeds in North America and winters in the tropics) and Mangrove Yellow Warbler (the resident form that breeds in coastal locations from just into the US south through Central America to northern South America and throughout the Caribbean).  Visually the Northern Yellow Warbler males have all yellow heads while the Mangrove Yellow Warblers have rufous/chestnut coloration on the head varying from just the cap to a full hood (depending on subspecies).  I have seen multiple subspecies of Mangrove Yellow Warblers over the years during my travel in the tropics but have not yet had it in the US (hopefully I will catch up with one in Texas in a few weeks).  It was a split that was overdue given the difference in plumage, habitat, migratory pattern and even song and I was glad to finally see it come to pass.  With this split the number of new world warblers recognized by eBird stands at 116 species (with two of those almost certainly extinct) and I have seen 106 with the only remaining species for me being in the remote Darian on the Panama/Colombia border and in Venezuela. 

Eight species of warblers this morning

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2025

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2025

Tennessee Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2025

Pine Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2025

Orange crowned Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2025

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Belchertown, MA, Oct 19, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Amherst, MA, Oct 19, 2025

I took advantage of some great weather this morning to try to see how many warblers I could find and I managed a very respectable eight species including three that are getting late (Nashville Warbler, Tennessee Warbler and Pine Warbler).  It started off sunny and cool but the sun warmed things up within a few hours of sunrise and a decent southerly breeze kicked the temps to near 70 by the end of the day.  I started my morning in Amherst where I spent almost two hours covering a bit under two miles.  Not a ton of diversity for warblers with just three species (Yellow rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler and Common Yellowthroat) but the number of Yellow rumps were good with nearly forty present.  I then moved on to a couple spots in Belchertown before heading home.  By the time I got to the first spot in Belchertown it was a little before nine and the breeze was coming up so tracking birds was a bit tougher.  Nonetheless this quick stop produced two of the three late species for the day (in the same tree) plus a single Blackpoll Warbler.  With half a dozen warbler species at this point I headed to one other spot in Belchertown and had multiple Yellow rumped Warblers plus a couple Palm Warblers, then an Orange crowned Warbler and then finished up with a Pine Warbler still singing.  Eight species of warblers for this year on this date is really good as migration conditions have been so good and not many species are lingering.  

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.

Big migration brings in loads of Yellow rumped Warblers (and clears out lots of other warblers)

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2025

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2025

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2025

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2025

Last night featured the largest night of migration for the fall (at least according to birdcast where radar estimates tallied 4.5 million birds crossing Hampshire County!).  In regards to warblers it brought in the big influx of Yellow rumped Warblers that occurs every fall and every stop today featured groups of them and it has now become the default warbler.  Diversity dropped a lot with just eight species total with most of those represented by just a single individual.  The most unusual was a late Cape May Warbler.