Three days of trying to see the maximum amount of warblers in Hampshire County (two days with 27 species and today with 28 species)

Bay breasted Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2023

Bay breasted Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2023

Pine Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2023

American Redstart, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2023

Ovenbird, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2023

Blackburnian Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2023

Magnolia Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 14, 2023

Blue winged Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 14, 2023

Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 14, 2023

Black and White Warbler, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, May 14, 2023

The last three day I have been out for the morning trying to max out the number of warblers I can see and hear.  With the peak of migration the third week of May is usually the best time to try this feat.  Getting a high total involves knowing the location of known species, knowing the different favored habitats, finding lingering species at the end of their migration (like Palm Warbler...which I missed every one of the last three days), tracking down just arriving species (such as Mourning Warblers) and lucking out with a rare warbler making an appearance.  On Sunday I was out the door early for my first attempt at a warbler big day in the county.  Although migration conditions were not great overnight the superb conditions the night before had brought in a number of species the day prior including a very frustrating to track down Hooded Warbler.  I had high hopes for the day and I started my morning at Mitch's Way before dawn and walked in perhaps a mile.  My main goal was to try to find my first Mourning Warbler of the year and I had success as one was singing on my way back out and I got some recordings to determine the regiolect (It was from the eastern regiolect).  I had 18 species when I left Mitch's Way and headed over to nearby Skinner SP where I added a number of species but had no luck with relocating the Hooded Warbler.  Nonetheless the area was productive and although many species stayed up high some were down lower and I had killer looks at a male Bay breasted Warbler as I made my way down the mountain.  I made a brief stop in Amherst and picked up Cape May Warbler and then went over to Quabbin Park.  The park produced a number of warbler species with a couple new ones for the day.  A couple other quick stops didn't produce any new species.  I ended the day with 27 species of warbler...not too bad at all but not record setting with no rarities around.

Blue winged Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2023

Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2023

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2023

Blackburnian Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2023

Magnolia Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2023

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2023

Bay breasted Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2023

Black throated Green Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2023

Common Yellowthroat, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 15, 2023

Blue winged Warbler, Slobody Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, May 15, 2023

On Monday I decided to devote a majority of my time in the morning to Quabbin Park as the migration conditions overnight did not indicate there would be a big influx of new migrants and I had not been to the park in a couple days.  I arrived there before sunrise and started walking and despite the temperatures starting out near freezing the birds were singing.  I then spent the next four plus hours in the park and racked up a total of 25 species of warblers among a total of 100 species overall.  Among the many highlights was a silent male Mourning Warbler that popped up briefly, three Bay breasted Warblers travelling together, a Black throated Blue Warbler singing a Cerulean Warbler song and at least five Canada Warblers plus high counts of a number of species.  With a very good start for the morning at Quabbin Park I headed over to the rail trail in Amherst in the hopes of finding a rarity but no luck.  As I started my drive over to Skinner to add Cerulean Warbler and Worm eating Warbler I heard a Golden winged Warbler song at Slobody Farm and I immediately stopped to see what species was making the song.  I have had multiple Blue winged Warblers that sing Golden winged Warbler like songs (including one at the exact same spot last year).  After a lot of looking I finally tracked down the culprit and it looked like a typical Blue winged Warbler (too bad!).  My final stop for the morning was to Skinner SP where I had a number of warblers at the top including the expected Cerulean Warblers and Worm eating Warblers.  I yet again ended the day with 27 species of warbler.

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, May 16, 2023

American Redstart gathering nest material, Quabbin Park, MA, May 16, 2023

American Redstart nest building, Quabbin Park, MA, May 16, 2023

Ovenbird, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 16, 2023

Mourning Warbler, Mitch's Way, Hadley, MA, May 16, 2023

On my third day I finally broke past the 27 species mark with the sighting of an unusual species (more on that at the end).  I started off predawn at Mitch's Way once again and had birds singing as it was getting light.  Unfortunately a solid cloud deck for most of the morning and a bit of a breeze made tracking down birds tough and photo opportunities were few and far between.  I spent a couple hours there and found 18 species with the highlights being two Mourning Warblers (the one I got a recording of was another eastern regiolect) and at least five singing Tennessee Warblers.  Many other species were around in low numbers except the on territory breeders.  My next stop was a hike back up Skinner SP to get the unusual breeding species there.  The amount of song and overall numbers were down despite indications a lot of birds were on the move during the previous night.  My final main stop for the morning was over a favorite of mine...Quabbin Park.  This is where I found the rarest species of the day with a brief view of an Orange crowned Warbler that stayed in view just long enough to get a view and then disappeared back down a thickly vegetated slope from which it came.  I tried in vain to relocate the bird.  Orange crowned Warbler is unusual here, especially in spring.  This was only my 8th spring record for the species.  I added a few other species at the park that I did not get earlier in the morning and I ended the day with a very respectable 28 species of warbler in Hampshire County.  I may try one more time in the next several days if the migration conditions work out.