August ends

Black throated Green Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 27, 2023

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 27, 2023

A solid month for warblers for me has now about come to a close with a total of 24 species for Hampshire County for August.  Now comes September, the big month of fall warbler migration as the breeding species from the local area and points to the north come moving through on their way to warmer climes.  The mid to later part of the month with bring the potential for some Connecticut Warblers.   

More early arriving warblers including my first Cape May Warblers of the fall

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 24, 2023

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 24, 2023

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 24, 2023

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 24, 2023

Northern Parula, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 24, 2023

Northern Parula, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 24, 2023

Magnolia Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 24, 2023

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 24, 2023

Black throated Green Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 24, 2023

Canada Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 24, 2023

Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 23, 2023

Black throated Blue Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 23, 2023

Blue winged Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 23, 2023

The last few days have produced a number of additional early arriving warblers including my first Cape May Warblers of the fall (with at least four at Quabbin Park this morning).  Other species arriving early include Tennessee Warblers, Bay breasted Warbler and Northern Parula.  The number and variety of warblers have been impressive with twenty species in just the last three days and I was not even able to get as much as hoped due to other obligations.  Quabbin Park this morning was especially impressive with 16 species present, with almost all in mixed flocks with most in a large flock strung out along on the roads which produced the majority of the total for the day.

Record late Worm eating Warbler plus more early arriving species (Bay breasted Warblers and Tennessee Warblers)

Worm eating Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 20, 2023

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 20, 2023

I went out this morning concentrating on warblers in the hopes of finding some mixed flocks and potentially some unusual individuals among them and I had some great luck.  It was a bit cool to start (temps in the upper 50's) and usually the best spot on mornings like that is some edge habitat just as the sun starts warming things up.  Finding the right sunny spot is always the struggle.  I started off in Ware and had some great luck with the biggest surprise being a late Worm eating Warbler.  This bird was not only away from any known local breeding area it also set a new late date for me for the species in the county, breaking the old record of August 5th by just over two weeks!  Would love to know where the individual came from.  

Bay breasted Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023

Bay breasted Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023

Bay breasted Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023

Tennessee Warblers, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023

Black and White Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023

Black throated Green Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 20, 2023

After some great luck in Ware I then headed over to Quabbin Park and almost immediately ran across a mix flock with a few birds still singing (Black and White Warblers and a Blue winged Warbler).  As I sorted through the various birds darting back in forth near the tops of the oaks I saw two Tennessee Warblers briefly land on the bare branches of a dead tree and I got a few photos.  Still on the early side for Tennessee Warblers but they are putting on an early influx.  I then moved to a few other spots and in another mixed flock I found first one and then two Bay breasted Warblers, with both being adult males molting out of breeding plumage and into non breeding plumage....more early arrivals.  This is not a transitional plumage we get to see around here much at all.  I had good numbers of multiple other warbler species and ended my time in the park with 13 species and 14 species overall for the morning.

New camera setup at the water feature at home

Pine Warbler and Tufted Titmouse, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 17, 2023

Pine Warbler, Red breasted Nuthatch and Tufted Titmouse, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 17, 2023

Black and White Warbler and Black capped Chickadee, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 12, 2023

After several years of use, both of the cameras I have used to capture birds (and other critters) at the water feature have finally stopped working altogether.  I have been nursing them along the last couple years and as the cameras (Wingscapes Birdcam Pros) are no longer made I have been on the lookout for a replacement.  I have now installed a new camera and it has been capturing stuff right from the start, including a couple warbler species so far.  I will mess around a little with the exact location of the camera to try to get good, clear shots and not miss any action.  Fingers crossed it will capture some good warblers this coming fall.

Although the tropical activity in the Atlantic has been nearly non existent the Pacific Ocean has been active and the big storm right now is Category 4 Hillary which is forecast to actually make a rare impact on southern California (as a tropical storm).  The storm is currently near Socorro Island well off the coast of Baja California with 145 MPH winds that are certainly making a heavy impact on the small island.  There is a subspecies of Tropical Parula there that may be upgraded to a full species (Socorro Parula)...hopefully it pulls through.

Mid August update

Prairie Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Prairie Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Prairie Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Ovenbird, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Black and White Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Chestnut sided Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Blue winged Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2023

Between bouts of work and less than good weather I have been out looking for warblers through the middle of the month with the focus being on finding some early migrants.  After finding a few early migrants on  August 3rd with a record early arrival of Tennessee Warblers and a tie for an early arrival of Northern Parula I had high hopes for more early arrivals.  Although I didn't find any other early warblers I had some good looks at local breeders.  Birds are certainly on the move and mixed species flocks are starting to become the norm.

Record early Tennessee Warblers and Northern Parula

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2023

Tennessee Warbler (second individual), Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2023

Tennessee Warbler (first individual), Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2023

Prairie Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2023

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2023

Yellow Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 3, 2023

I headed out this morning to make an early stop over to the East Meadows to look for shorebirds for the month and had some decent luck before a Peregrine Falcon came in and flushed everything and then a thick blanket of fog moved in.  I then headed out of the meadows and looked for a fog free area.  I settled on the Silvio Conte NWR in Hadley.  I knew that Ted had some very early returning warblers there yesterday (his list here) so I figured I would give the spot a try.  Trying to relocate warblers can be a fools errand at times but sometimes you get lucky.  The mosquitoes were a bit annoying and thick during my entire time there even with a liberal spraying of insect repellent.  I walked multiple areas and initially came up with just some Common Yellowthroats and I almost left at that point.  I then decided to give it one more go after the sun continued to warm things up.  I quickly added more warblers with a small group of Yellow Warblers and a Blue winged Warbler.  I then caught sight of a Tennessee Warbler and got a few photos before a Warbling Vireo chased it away.  I moved around a bit to try to relocate it and came across even more warblers with a Prairie Warbler and then a distant Northern Parula and another Tennessee Warbler (a different plumage from the one seen earlier).  Apparently there is an earlier than typical influx of some northern breeding warblers into the northeast and this may be in part due to the ongoing wildfires in Canada.  I did not expect to run across two Tennessee Warblers and a Northern Parula on August 3rd but I was certainly happy to do so.  There is some recent history with both of these species showing up early the last couple years.  Today tied my earliest ever return date for Northern Parula that I also had on this date in 2021 plus I had another early date last year with one on August 8th.  My previous earliest date for Tennessee Warbler in the county was August 8th (last year) so the sighting today marks a new early date for me.  These two early species add to the 19 species I already had in the first two days of the month, giving me an incredible start to the month of August.

Black and White Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2023

Black and White Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2023

American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 3, 2023

Once I got home to take Wilson for a walk I walked outside and noticed a decent amount of activity and after a little bit of looking I turned up five species of warbler, with some that are certainly dispersing post breeders.

Warblers to start August

Canada Warbler, Pelham, MA, Aug 1, 2023

Cerulean Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 1, 2023

Blackburnian Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, Aug 1, 2023

Ovenbird, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 1, 2023

Black and White Warbler, Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 1, 2023

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 1, 2023

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 1, 2023

Common Yellowthroat, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 2, 2023

Common Yellowthroat with attached ticks, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 2, 2023

The month of August has started off with a more early fall like feel with sunny days, cool temps overnight and low humidity.  I have had a very productive first couple days of the month with a few slightly late lingering species plus lots of expected species.  Yesterday I started my day with a walk up to the summit at Skinner SP where I had at least two each of Louisiana Waterthrush and Cerulean Warbler (both species still singing a bit) plus a Worm eating Warbler among a total of eight warbler species there.  I then made a few brief stops in Hadley before heading up to Pelham where I added more species and had great looks at a Canada Warbler.  The breeze picked up after mid morning which made tracking down stuff a bit difficult.  

Today I spent a lot of my morning at Quabbin Park with a short side trip to Ware.  I ended up with eleven species for the day and with the addition of several new species for the month I have now seen 19 species for the month...not a bad haul for two days in early August.