Hooded Warblers in Sunderland

Hooded Warbler, Sunderland, MA, Jun 18, 2024

Hooded Warbler, Sunderland, MA, Jun 18, 2024

Hooded Warbler, Sunderland, MA, Jun 18, 2024

After making a couple stops in the morning including one at Winsor Dam that turned out to be my 50,000th complete eBird list ever, I had to run come errands in Amherst and decided to check out the pair of Hooded Warblers in Sunderland that were initially found on Sunday.  I normally don't venture out of Hampshire County but I will make an exception for warblers on occasion.  I arrived in the area a little before seven and after just a short time of waiting I heard the male singing.  Trying to get recordings was a bit tough due to the road noise from nearby Route 47 but with some effort I got some.  The male would singing for a few minutes and then go silent for several minutes and then start singing again.  It continued this pattern during the entire hour I was there.  Trying to get looks at it was tough due to the dense vegetation and the high level of activity of the bird.  Getting photos was even tougher and I had to be content with distant shots in bad light.  The female was even more elusive and I had just brief looks at her a couple times as the male chased her around down fairly low and I never got a picture of her.  It will be interesting to see if the pair stick around in the location to breed.

Cerulean Warbler singing Black throated Blue Warbler and Black and White Warbler song

Cerulean Warbler, Mt Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 13, 2024

Cerulean Warbler, Mt Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 13, 2024

Cerulean Warbler, Mt Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 13, 2024

Worm eating Warbler, Mt Holyoke Range SP, Amherst, MA, Jun 13, 2024

After work today I headed over to the Mount Holyoke Range SP to follow up on a report of a Cerulean Warbler singing a Black throated Blue Warbler song.  It was reported in the same area I had one singing both Black throated Blue Warbler and Black and White Warbler songs back in 2021.  I hiked up to the spot and along the way had a number of warblers including at least three Worm eating Warblers.  Once I arrived I started listening and after a few minutes heard a Black throated Blue Warbler song and suspected that was the Cerulean Warbler.  I spent several minutes looking with no luck and then it flew in closer and it was indeed a Cerulean Warbler.  I got a few recordings and some photos but failed to get a video of it singing despite some effort.  As I watched it move around from tree to tree it then switched songs and started singing a Black and White Warbler song!  Just like the individual I had in 2021.  It seems very likely it is the same individual but this raises the question of where it has been the last couple years, among a few other questions.  I got a few videos with one attached here: Cerulean Warbler singing Black and White Warbler song video.  Such a unique bird and glad to see it back again although I suspect it will have lots of difficulty attracting a mate singing these songs.  There was no sign of hybridization with the bird and looked fine for a typical Cerulean Warbler.  Although far from common I have another Cerulean Warbler at Quabbin that has consistently been singing a Northern Parula song.  I'll do a much more in depth post on these individuals at some point once the breeding season is over and I have some extra time.

Warblers for the first week of June

 

Worm eating Warbler, Mount Holyoke Range SP, Granby, MA, Jun 7, 2024

Blue winged Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 5, 2024

Prairie Warbler, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, BBS stop #34, Monson, MA, Jun 2, 2024

Black and White Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 1, 2024

Black and White Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 1, 2024

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 1, 2024

During the first week of June I have found a number of warblers as migration of warblers through the area rapidly comes to an end and the remaining species get down to breeding for the season.  During the first week I had 21 species overall.  On the first I went out in search of a few continuing rarities and had some luck with the continued Prothonotary Warbler that first showed up on May 18th.  During my stop on the first the bird was singing its distinctive two part song very distantly and I never had any luck with it coming in any closer.  To be honest I'm surprised it has stayed around as long as it has in its vain search for a mate.  I also tried to relocate the Hooded Warbler in Ludlow to start the month but had no luck with it.  The rest of the week when I was not back at work I visited a variety of locations  with loads of breeding activity noted.  I ended the week with a walk at the Mount Holyoke Range SP with the focus being on Worm eating Warblers.  Although I was still aching a bit I managed to navigate some steep trails without too much trouble.

Brewster's Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 5, 2024

Brewster's Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 5, 2024

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, Jun 1, 2024

The multiple Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrids continue along the rail trail in Amherst as well as quite a few Blue winged Warblers that sing a variety of songs.  Oddly all of the hybrids sing typical Blue winged Warbler songs which is why it is important to always try to track down each bird to see what species is actually singing.

Cerulean Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 5, 2024

Cerulean Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 5, 2024

Cerulean Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 1, 2024

The Cerulean Warblers continue to be seen and heard at Quabbin Park with at least two (possibly three) singing males present since the early part of May with one singing a Northern Parula song.  I have been keeping close tabs on them in the hopes of confirming breeding again in the area.

Warblers on my Breeding Bird Survey route

Chestnut sided Warbler, BBS stop #34, Monson, MA, Jun 2, 2024

Prairie Warbler, BBS stop #34, Monson, MA, Jun 2, 2024

Blue winged Warbler, BBS stop #15, Palmer, MA, Jun 2, 2024

I conducted my Breeding Bird Survey route for my 15th year in a row today and I had a record setting total of 84 species over the course of the morning.  Among the 84 species were 16 species of warbler, including a new species for me on the route with a Northern Waterthrush.  During the enter time the route has been in existence (since 1967) a total of twenty species of warblers have been recorded, with the only species I have never had along the route being Golden winged Warbler which was recorded just once along the route and that was way back in 1968.  Sadly each passing year brings more and more new houses along the route and less and less good habitat for birds, especially those that need more forest habitat. Due to tight time constraints during the survey I have little time to get photos of many of the birds I come across so getting any species to cooperate in the few minutes I'm at each location is a treat.