I finally came across a very odd sounding Cerulean Warbler in the Mount Holyoke Range SP yesterday and I returned today to better document the individual (more on yesterdays sighting below). The whole saga began in early June when I got a message regarding a Cerulean Warbler singing an odd song within the Mount Holyoke Range SP (well away from the core breeding area at Skinner SP). The recording the original observer sent me of the bird sounded like a Black throated Blue Warbler and if I had heard it while walking through the woods would have identified it as such. She was adamant that she saw the bird singing the song and was certain it was a Cerulean Warbler. I trust her abilities and I spent the next couple weeks climbing up to the ridge top on multiple occasions. After finally finding it yesterday I returned again this morning to try to get better photos and recordings. I initially arrived in the area and found no sign of the bird and was afraid I would once again have made the trip up the hill without hearing the bird. After waiting about thirty minutes I decided to walk a bit further along the ridge before returning. When I returned I heard the Black throated Blue Warbler like song and stationed myself in a good spot to hopefully see the bird. In the meantime I got some more recordings and then the bird when silent. After waiting for a bit I noticed a bird fairly far up in a large oak and got the binoculars on it and saw it was a male Cerulean Warbler. I watched it for a few minutes and got some photos as it enjoyed a caterpillar. I continued watching it and than an amazing thing happened...I watched it sing and this time a Black and White like song came out of the bird! I was blown away. I guess this explained why I was no longer hearing the Black throated Blue Warbler like song. I got a recording of the bird singing yet another unusual song before it went quiet and disappeared downslope. To make the whole situation even more complicated there were a number of Black and White Warblers that were also in the area and singing. I have had a few slightly odd sounding Cerulean Warblers over the years but they typically sing a song that can be quickly identified as coming from a Cerulean Warbler. Black throated Blue Warblers (especially in the central part of New England) can sing songs that sounds very much like Cerulean Warbler (David Sibley wrote a nice post about this which can be found at the following link.) The bird looked like a typical Cerulean Warbler so I don't suspect a hybrid of some sort but I have no idea why the bird is singing two songs that don't sound anything like a Cerulean Warbler. No sign of a mate in the area and I'm not sure he will attract the right species with the songs he is singing but who knows?
Link to the eBird list today with recordings and more photos located at the following link.
Yesterday I got to the area and finally heard a bird that sounded very similar to a recording the original observer sent me of the bird. Despite looking for the better part of 30 minutes I could never get a look at the bird and the bird would go silent for extended periods. After exploring a few other locations nearby where I turned up more Worm eating Warblers (including an individual carrying food) I decided to give it one more try to find the bird. I arrived at the location and the bird sounded a little closer and after more looking I finally got looks at the Cerulean Warbler. I got multiple videos with the bird singing and even managed a horrible ID shot through the binoculars with my iPhone.
The eBird list from yesterday can be found at the following link.
Besides the Cerulean Warbler there were a number of warblers present during my trips up along the ridge with the highlights including several Worm eating Warblers (with a few carrying food to nestlings), loads of Ovenbirds (including some very freshly fledged young) and fledgling Louisiana Waterthrush as well as others.
Unlike the multi-lingual Cerulean Warbler, I was left speechless by your detailed report and by the recordings.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Such a cool bird.
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