A record setting August for warbler in Hampshire County with 26 species

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 24, 2024

Mourning Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 22, 2024

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 22, 2024

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR- Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 26, 2024

Bay breasted Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 21, 2024

Wilson's Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 21, 2024

Worm eating Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 6, 2024

I had a record setting August for warblers in Hampshire County this year with a total of 26 species.  This beats my previous August record of 24 species that I reached in both 2023 and 2017.  The record high is mainly thanks to a variety of early arriving migrants from the north including loads of Tennessee Warblers, Nashville Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Northern Parula, Bay breasted Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler and Wilson's Warbler plus a few early migrant species that lingered early in the month including Louisiana Waterthrush and Worm eating Warbler.  Now comes the big fall migration month of September.

More early arriving warblers

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR- Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 26, 2024

Blue winged Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR- Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 26, 2024

American Redstart, Silvio Conte NWR- Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 26, 2024

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 24, 2024

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 24, 2024

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 24, 2024

Prairie Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 24, 2024

Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 22, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 22, 2024

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 22, 2024

Black throated Green Warbler with broken top mandible, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 22, 2024

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 22, 2024

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 22, 2024

Mourning Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 22, 2024

I have continued to find a number of early arriving warbler species the last few days with a decent influx of Tennessee Warblers that continue to have an excellent showing so far this migration season.  The other early arrivals included Northern Parulas, Cape May Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler.  These are in addition to multiple Bay breasted Warblers and Wilson's Warblers I had during the third week of the month. Besides the early arrivals I have also had a couple Mourning Warblers, which is a low density migrant in the fall.  Oddly I have not yet had a Magnolia Warbler for the month...very strange.  I currently stand at 24 species for August, which is not too bad at all.

Third week of August comes to an end

Wilson's Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 21, 2024

Wilson's Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 21, 2024

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 21, 2024

Bay breasted Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 21, 2024

Blue winged Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 21, 2024

American Redstart, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 21, 2024

I ended the third week of August guiding a birder (Bindhu) visiting from India today.  After a cold front moved through overnight Monday and into Tuesday and then northerly winds all day Tuesday and overnight into this morning I had high hopes to get some decent migrants and we were not disappointed.  The morning started off very fall like with temps in the upper 40's.  On cool morning like this during fall migration finding a spot where the sun starts hitting the trees early can prove productive.  We made it over to Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River after a brief birding stop elsewhere and although it started off a little slow the activity picked up as it continued to warm up and we eventually had eleven species of warblers including multiple early arriving migrants including a Tennessee Warbler, two Bay breasted Warblers travelling together and a Wilson's Warbler.  Several of the warbler species were life birds for Bindhu and I was happy to turn up some good ones for her.  During a walk with Wilson late in the morning I added another Tennessee Warbler (shaping up to be a very good fall for the species) and a Pine Warbler, giving me an even dozen species for the day.

Ovenbird, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 20, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 20, 2024

Canada Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 20, 2024

Yesterday morning I had free time with no work or other commitments and had some decent warblers before the winds kicked up mid morning and made tracking down birds a bit tough.  I had a total of 13 species with yet another early Tennessee Warbler.  Several birds were still singing at least partial songs but most were silent.  My best mixed flock for the morning was in Ware along the rail trail.

Mid August warblers

Prairie Warbler, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Aug 13, 2024

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 13, 2024

Ovenbird, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 13, 2024

Blue winged Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 13, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 13, 2024

Common Yellowthroat, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 13, 2024

Black throated Green Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 14, 2024

Pine Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 14, 2024

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 16, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 16, 2024

The middle of August continued to bring in more mixed flocks of warblers as migration really starts to take hold.  The early migrating species (like Louisiana Waterthrush, Cerulean Warbler and Worm eating Warblers) have become scarce to absent and some early arrivals from the north continue to slowly trickle in.  I have been busy with work so have not gotten out as much as I would like.  Nonetheless I have still found some good variety of species when I did have some free time.  

Break in humidity after passage of remnants of Hurricane Debby brings warblers

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Blue winged Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Prairie Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Ovenbird, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

Black throated Green Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2024

After the remnants of Hurricane Debby moved through today certainly felt and looked more like fall migration with low humidity, northerly winds and a decent selection of warblers.  A few were still singing but most were quiet.  Mixed flocks have continued to become more pronounced and I certainly tried my best to turn up something unusual with the best being a somewhat late Louisiana Waterthrush still singing at the house near dawn.  During my morning around the south Quabbin/Ware area I found a dozen species of warbler.

Early Tennessee Warblers and a number of Worm eating Warblers the last few days

 

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 8, 2024

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 8, 2024

Blue winged Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 8, 2024

Yellow Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 8, 2024

Canada Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 8, 2024

Worm eating Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 6, 2024

Worm eating Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 6, 2024

Black and White Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 6, 2024

I continued my chase of warblers for August between bouts of work and some rainy weather.  On the 6th I had my largest group ever of Worm eating Warblers away from known nesting areas in the county with a group of three together at Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River (plus a few other warblers and tons of mosquitoes!).  After work today I headed back to Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River and although I did not have any Worm eating Warblers still hanging around I did have two early Tennessee Warblers as well as decent counts of both Yellow Warblers and American Redstarts and other warblers plus loads of mosquitoes once again.  I have now tallied 18 species of warbler for the month so far.