I spent a few hours this morning at Quabbin Park and found a male Cerulean Warbler among other warblers. The Cerulean Warbler was silent and I got lucky turning the bird up as it moved through the tops of mature oaks. It only came down lower once when it was chased by a Black and White Warbler and then quickly returned to the tops of the trees. This species once bred in very small numbers within Quabbin Park but have not done so in quite some time. It is a very rare breeder in Hampshire County with its stronghold being Skinner SP and finding one away from that area is certainly noteworthy. It would be great to have them back breeding again in Quabbin Park and I will follow up over the next few weeks to see if it sticks around to try to find a mate.
Besides the Cerulean Warbler I had a great selection of warblers for the first couple days of May with 19 species so far with the largest numbers being Ovenbird, Black and White Warbler and Yellow rumped Warbler. The next several days look to be mainly cloudy with several bouts of rain but given the date birds will move even without optimal migration conditions.
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