August comes to an end

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025

Blackburnian Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025

Ovenbird, UMASS Demonstration Forest, Belchertown, MA, Aug 31, 2025

Tennessee Warbler, UMASS Demonstration Forest, Belchertown, MA, Aug 31, 2025

Blackburnian Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 30, 2025

Nashville Warbler, UMASS Demonstration Forest, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025

Magnolia Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025

Canada Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 29, 2025

August has now come to an end and I'm quite happy with the haul of warblers with a total of 26 species with a good showing of early arrivals (plus a few lingering species to begin the month).  The early arrivals have included Bay breasted Warbler (a great early showing for the species), Tennessee Warbler, Cape May Warbler (also a good showing), Northern Parula and Nashville Warbler.  We now enter the second peak period for warblers here (the best being May of course).  Diversity and numbers peak and then we start the long downhill slide into later fall and then winter.  Very happy to say I will not be here for the core of the cold of winter.  Bring on September with the promise of a Connecticut Warbler (or hopefully many)!

More early warblers including my first Cape May Warbler of the fall

Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025

Prairie Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025

Blue winged Warbler, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Aug 27, 2025

Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025

Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025

Magnolia Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025

Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 26, 2025

Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 25, 2025

After finding a variety of early migrants on the 24th I continued to find other early arriving warblers the last couple days including my first Cape May Warbler of the fall this morning.  Bay breasted Warblers have really made a good showing so far and I hope that continues through the fall.  So far for the month I have had 24 species of warblers so far.  

Multiple early warblers this morning including Northern Parula, Bay breasted Warbler and Tennessee Warbler

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Aug 24, 2025

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Aug 24, 2025

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Aug 24, 2025

Pine Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 24, 2025

Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Aug 24, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Cadwall Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 24, 2025

Tennessee Warbler, Cadwall Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Aug 24, 2025

After an early stop at Lake Wallace looking for waders I headed up to the Pelham/Belchertown area in search of warblers and had some great luck with a variety of early arrivals.  It was a tad bit breezy in Pelham which made tracking down birds a bit tough.  Nonetheless I still found a Tennessee Warbler among eight species of warblers present.  I then moved on to a spot in Belchertown and the winds was almost non existent there and I had ever more luck with a Northern Parula and a ratty looking Bay breasted Warbler in molt for early arrivals.  I had ten species total during this stop with most birds in two widely separated mixed species flocks with few species in between.  Fall warbler migration is certainly picking up and gives a sign of what is ahead for September.

A first taste of early fall like weather

Common Yellowthroat, Ware, MA, Aug 19, 2025

Pine Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 19, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 19, 2025

American Redstart, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Aug 18, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler with Gray Catbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 19, 2025

Ovenbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 16, 2025

We had our first taste of fall like weather the last couple days with lows at night that dropped to around 50 for this morning following a night of north winds and highs that topped into the 70's with low humidity.  Tough to say for certain if any of the warblers I ran across the last couple mornings were truly migrants but there is certainly mixed flocks around today and I had a total of ten species.  A check of the camera at the water feature also turned up a few warblers (none new for the year but some good captures).

Banded Cerulean Warbler among several species seen today to end the second week of August

Cerulean Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 14, 2025

Cerulean Warbler with leg bands, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 14, 2025

Cerulean Warbler with leg bands, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 14, 2025

Cerulean Warbler with leg bands, Quabbin Park, MA, Aug 14, 2025

Pine Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 14, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 14, 2025

As the second week of August comes to an end the dispersal of warblers continues with some hints of mixed species flocks starting to form.  The weather has continued to be hot with mainly southerly winds.  I have spent a bit of time tracking down warblers with the highlight today being a banded Cerulean Warbler continuing at Quabbin Park.  I heard the bird sing a bit in the fog early yesterday morning but failed to see it well enough to see if it was the banded bird located there.  I returned today after a long walk at Gate 8 and was happy to see the bird once again and able to confirm it was the individual banded in early June.  It is getting a bit late to still have the species around and I suspect it will depart very soon to the tropics.  Hopefully I will see it again next spring.

More captures at the water feature plus warblers elsewhere the last several days

Common Yellowthroat, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 7, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 7, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Yellow Warbler and Black capped Chickadee, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 6, 2025

Black and White Warbler, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Black thropated Green Warbler, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Ovenbird, Quabbin Gate 8, Pelham, MA, Aug 8, 2025

Prairie Warbler, Ware, MA, Aug 4, 2025

Yellow Warbler, Rail trail, Ware, MA, Aug 4, 2025

The water feature continues to catch warbler species and in just a couple days I captured four species (Black and White Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and Chestnut sided Warbler).  Although none were new for the year I was surprised to see such diversity for early August...hopefully this bodes well for the upcoming fall migration.

I have also been out looking for warblers over the last several days and have seen a fair number.  Not a lot of song left but occasionally some will sing.