Despite the cold temps, light snow and breezy conditions I headed out on New Years Day to try to track down warblers before I left this arctic hellscape for warmer locations. We had gotten a inch of snow and the roads were bad and there was a line of snow squalls coming in as I arrived at my spot along the river in Hadley that has held multiple Yellow rumped Warblers the last several weeks. The first warbler I had for the year was the continued Audubon's subspecies that called a few times as it flew over and then was not heard again nor seen. A very tough bird to pin down and it has been this way since it first arrived in late November. As I walked a few miles trying to find the Audubon's I came across at least five Myrtle's subspecies with a few showing well. As I was leaving the winds were really picking up following the passage of another cold front and I was certainly glad the wind held off long enough for me to get some warblers to start the new year. I have now had at least one warbler species in Hampshire County for 105 consecutive months.
