Big warbler year in the US update

Blue winged Warbler, KC Trail, Amherst, MA, May 20, 2026

Bay breasted Warbler, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 20, 2026

Brewster's Warbler, Rail Trail, Amherst, MA, May 20, 2026

Worm eating Warbler, Skinner SP, South Hadley, MA, May 21, 2026

Now for an update on the progress of my big warbler year in the US.  At this point I have seen a total of 46 species plus the two widely recognized hybrids of Blue winged x Golden winged Warblers.   There are now just five regularly species I have not yet seen with Golden winged Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Kentucky Warbler and Kirtland's Warbler.  The only species I'm likely to get here at home would be a Connecticut Warbler in the fall.  The rest will require a trip away from home although there is always a chance of a few of the species showing up here as a rarity.  My plan going forward to get the remaining species is to make a drive a bit further south (probably Pennsylvania...hopefully somewhere closer) to get Kentucky Warbler and maybe a Golden winged Warbler.  I then have a short stop planned (two nights) for Wisconsin before our trip up to Alaska in July.  This should get me Prothonotary Warbler near Minneapolis (where I'm flying into), Golden winged Warbler (if I missed it elsewhere) and Kirtland's Warbler (hopefully in the upper peninsula of Michigan and if not I will have to make a longer drive to the lower peninsula).  Depending on how the trip works out I may also try to get Connecticut Warbler on their breeding grounds in Minnesota.  There are other rare warblers possible in the US (Crescent chested Warbler, Gray crowned Yellowthroat, Fan tailed Warbler, Golden crowned Warbler and Slate throated Redstart) but I'm very unlikely to get these as most do not show up every year and each would involve a decent investment of time and money.  The only one of the above mentioned species that has been reported so far this year is Golden crowned Warbler in the lower Rio Grande Valley.  In addition I'm still toying with the idea of making a late year trip down to Puerto Rico to get two more species for the US big year with Elfin Woods Warbler and Adelaide's Warbler (sadly airfares have gone up significantly thanks to the debacle in the middle east).  For now I will continue to try to find one (or more) of the remaining species as a rarity here and try to figure out when to make the drive south to get Kentucky Warbler.

Common Yellowthroat, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2026

Around the yard I have added a few new warbler species for the year in the last several days with my total for the year now at 22 species with the recent additions of Canada Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler and Tennessee Warbler.  I also captured a new species for the year at the water feature with a Common Yellowthroat.

Warbler species #45 and #46 for the year in the US with Mourning Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler among a total of 28 species in Hampshire County today

Blackpoll Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Mourning Warbler, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Blackburnian Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Worm eating Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Bay breasted Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Bay breasted Warbler, Skinner SP, Hadley, MA, May 17, 2026

Magnolia Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 17, 2026

Magnolia Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 17, 2026

With another night of great migration conditions I figured this morning would certainly get me two more species in the US for the year as part of my ongoing 'warbler big year in the US' (and with some luck give me my big warbler day for the year out here in Hampshire County).  The day started off right with a Louisiana Waterthrush singing at the house well before the sun came up.  My two targets for the morning were Mourning Warbler and Blackpoll Warbler.  Mourning Warblers are just starting through on their migration and I wanted to check some reliable spots for them before the weekend hordes would inevitably descend.  I headed to Mitch's Way before dawn and started the walk in with new species starting to sing with every passing minute.  I added one warbler after another and I eventually made it out to the river and then started the slow walk back.  I eventually found two Mourning Warblers with only one singing.  I will send the recordings off to a researcher (see earlier post of that here: Mourning Warbler regiolects).  As is typical for the species there was little cooperation for looks or photos of the guys.  I had to be happy with fleeting looks and some marginal photos this time.  Tennessee Warblers continued around in good numbers and were singing constantly although they largely remained out of view.  I next headed over to Skinner SP where I planned to walk to near the top to get me my other target for the morning.  As a bonus there was a Hooded Warbler reported in the area the day before and as I started up the mountain I heard the bird sing somewhat close and then saw it flying upslope where it sang a few more times before it flew even further away or chose not to sing any longer (my recordings attempts failed...just too far away).  Interestingly there was a Magnolia Warbler in the same area giving a decent impression of Hooded Warbler.  Once I got up to the upper portions of the road I eventually heard and then saw a Blackpoll Warbler and got my second target for the day and reached my goal of two new warbler species for the big year.  I will do a review soon on what remains and my plans to get the rest...suffice it to say trips away from home will be required.  At this point I had added a lot of warbler species for the morning and with a quick look at the count I figured I would try to maximize species for the day...a sorta big day within a big year.  With a few more stops from Amherst back to near home I added a few new species for the day and brought my total for the day in the county to 28 species.  Now is really the prime time for a big warbler day and you need some rarities around and some luck to run across the less frequently seen migrants to get a high count...I think my best ever for the county was 29 species and a hybrid or two for a single day.

End of the first week of October

Black and White Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 7, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 7, 2025

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Oct 7, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 6, 2025

Palm Warblers 'yellow', Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 6, 2025

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 5, 2025

Orange crowned Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 5, 2025

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Oct 5, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 5, 2025

Tennessee Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 5, 2025

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2025

The first week of October ended warm with some sun as we enjoyed four days in a row with sun and temperatures way above normal in the upper 70's into the low 80's...a last gasp of summer as we continue inevitable slide toward winter and cold temps (and less warblers).  Some of the mornings have had some low clouds and fog making photography a bit tough.  I have found a number of late individuals of multiple species as well as some oddly plumaged birds (covered in earlier posts here and here).  So far for the month I have found 17 species.

I will be presenting a program at the Hampshire Bird Club a week from today...the title of the program is "Endemic Warblers of the Caribbean".  The program is free and open to the public...more info at the following link.

Influx of migrants thanks to some northwest winds

Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Wilson's Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Magnolia Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Black throated Blue Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

Bay breasted Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Sep 8, 2025

After multiple days with southerly winds followed by some rain the winds turned around and came out of the northwest which of course means migrants arriving.  I spent a decent portion of the morning out and although it started off slow (likely due to temps in the mid 40's) it eventually picked up and I had some nice pockets of birds with the activity peaking as the sun started heating stuff up and then rapidly trailing off by 10AM.  Good variety with 19 species tallied for the day.  

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.