Today was my best day so far this spring with 24 species including my first Cape May Warbler and Tennessee Warbler. I'm just missing a Blackpoll Warbler (which I should get any day now) and a Mourning Warbler (which should arrive in a week or so) as far as expected species are concerned. The peak of warbler migration is just about here and the woods are alive with songs and calls. I covered a variety of locations over the course of the morning trying to pin down locations of expected species and looking and listening for any rarities. If I were to try to maximize my total species for a single day it will happen sometime in the next week or so. I will need to time it when there is still a slim chance of a lingering Palm Warbler, Mourning Warblers are coming back plus I would need all the peak season migrants to still be around and hopefully a rarity.
The last few days have also produced some decent warblers with some great looks at a few species. Highlights included a pair of male Cerulean Warblers chasing each other around near the summit at Skinner SP and after several minutes of chasing one of the males landed perhaps 20 feet away and stayed put for several minutes. I also ran across a Blue winged Warbler singing a Golden winged Warbler like song in Amherst. A full morning at Quabbin Park on the 8th was also quite productive. I also made it back up to Sunderland to see the long staying Yellow throated Warbler that first arrived on April 19...how long will he stay and continuing singing in vain for a mate? Who knows.
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