Today was a bit cool with temps in the mid 30's to start the day and highs that stayed in the 50's with a northerly breeze and overcast conditions. Needless to say migration was mostly non existent overnight. No matter the conditions it is early May and I will be out looking for stuff and today was no different. I started out in Amherst with stops at Wildwood Cemetery, UMASS (multiple spots with Orchard Hill being depressing with more clearing of trees...a sad shadow of a previously great birding spot), the rail trail and a few other places before I headed back to Quabbin Park before returning home to get Wilson. The notables for the day included warbler species #44 for me in the US this year with a Bay breasted Warbler while out walking Wilson, the continued Blue winged Warbler with a black forehead on the rail trail and a continued Cerulean Warbler at Quabbin Park (more on the Cerulean Warbler below).
Yesterday started with some light rain just before dawn that thankfully quickly moved out. Eventually it got sunnier and breezy. Migration was stagnant overnight so I thought it would be a good time to hit some areas I have not as much as I would have liked the previous couple mornings when overnight migration was so good. I stayed in the Ware and Quabbin Park area and I had some interesting sightings. The first was an odd singing Blue winged Warbler (recordings and video in this list). It would sing either a three or four part song, sounding a bit like a Golden winged Warbler. I tracked it down and physically it looked exactly like a Blue winged Warbler should. I have seen this multiple times before with Blue winged Warblers and most look like typical Blue winged Warblers. The other big sighting was the return of at least one and possibly two Cerulean Warblers to Quabbin Park where they have started nesting again in the last few years. The bird I did get to see did not have any bands (one was banded onsite as part of a Cerulean Warbler study last June and I got to assist...link here banding a Cerulean Warbler). I have reached out to the biologist conducting the study and hopefully they will attempt to band the new male next week. I ended the morning with another 20 warbler day.
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