October Big Day warblers yesterday (plus more from today)

Magnolia Warbler, Amherst, MA, Oct 10, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Amherst, MA, Oct 10, 2026

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Amherst, MA, Oct 10, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Amherst, MA, Oct 10, 2026

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 10, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 10, 2026

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 10, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 10, 2026

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 11, 2026

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 11, 2026

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR -Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 11, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Silvio Conte NWR -Fort River, Hadley, MA, Oct 11, 2026

I took part in the annual October Big Day yesterday and I kept my focus on warblers as I explored a number of areas during a large portion of the morning.  It started off quite cool with temps in the 40's with thankfully no wind and abundant sunshine.  It warmed throughout the morning and eventually the temps made it to the low 60's by the afternoon.  I found a total of ten species of warblers for my effort including a couple late species including Magnolia Warbler and Cape May Warbler.  The most common species by far was Yellow rumped Warbler with multiple areas hosting double digit counts of the species.  Today I headed out once again on a cold morning although this time there was little sun as clouds and eventually rain moved in from the remnants of Hurricane Isaias.  I had nine species today including a few I missed yesterday, with one new one being another late species (Northern Parula).  The last two days I found a total of 13 species of warblers.  Trying to get double digit counts going forward will continue to become more and more difficult.  The only upside is later fall brings the chance of a vagrant warbler from the west showing up...far from a guarantee but at least it keeps one looking as the slide toward winter continues.

 

Two nights of big migration brings in the last big push of diversity of warblers

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Ovenbird, Belchertown, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Rail Trail, Ware, MA, Oct 4, 2026

Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Magnolia Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Black throated Green Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Northern Parula, Belchertown, MA, Oct 3, 2026

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 3, 2026

After two very warm days to start October the conditions cooled a bit thanks to a cold front and with it two nights of heavy migration (millions of individuals per birdcast).  Yesterday was fantastic for the first few hours of the morning before the breeze picked up.  I spent over three hours at Arcadia before heading back toward home.  Arcadia produced seven species of warblers with above typical counts for Tennessee Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and Magnolia Warbler plus a noticeable uptick in Yellow rumped Warblers.  A stop in Belchertown produced more species including a slightly late Cape May Warbler.  I ended the morning with a lucky 13 species of warbler of a bright and sunny day.  Today was not nearly as sunny with overcast conditions and some morning fog.  I debated on where to go and decided on starting my morning in Ware and a couple stops there produced just four species (with Yellow rumped Warbler being the most common).  I then headed back to Belchertown and added more species including a slightly late Ovenbird and three Northern Parula.  The only species still singing the last couple days have been Pine Warbler and at least one Northern Parula.  Diversity of warblers will continue to dwindle as October wears on.

First couple days of October

Common Yellowthroat, Amherst, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Northern Yellow Warbler, Amherst, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Black throated Blue Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Blackpoll Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Cape May Warbler, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Ovenbird, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Nashville Warbler, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Jabish Canal, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Hickory Ridge Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Oct 2, 2026

October started off with a return to warmer conditions with temps well above normal with the 70's yesterday and the low 80's today.  Yesterday was mainly cloudy with a couple brief showers and today was sunnier with a strengthening south wind throughout the day.  With the new month I was out searching for warblers and yesterday I had a total of 15 species including my first Orange crowned Warbler for the year in the county plus two slightly late species with a Northern Yellow Warbler and a Cape May Warbler as I covered a number of areas in Amherst and Belchertown.  Today I headed to Hadley and Amherst before working my way toward home.  Much reduced numbers of warblers today with just five species (likely thanks to the wind making it tough to track down movement).  I only had one new species for the month today with a single Palm Warbler.  The winds will turn to a more northerly direction overnight and hopefully this will entice some more species to migrate into the area.

Lawrence's Warbler today

Lawrence's Warbler, Hardwick, MA, May 18, 2026

Lawrence's Warbler, Hardwick, MA, May 18, 2026

Lawrence's Warbler, Hardwick, MA, May 18, 2026

Lawrence's Warbler, Hardwick, MA, May 18, 2026

Blue winged Warbler, Hardwick, MA, May 18, 2026

Cape May Warbler, Ware, MA, May 18, 2026

Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 18, 2026

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 18, 2026

After a big warbler day and two new warbler species for the year yesterday I decided to stay a bit more local today following yet another great night of migration.  With Quabbin Park still closed through the end of the week due to road construction I had to come up with a new plan for birding in the local area.  I settled on some spots in Ware where I spent about three hours and had 18 species.  Nothing really unusual although a nice mix of both breeding species and migrants moving north.  At this point I decided to try my luck on a previously reported Lawrence's Warbler in Hardwick.    Lawrence's Warbler is a hybrid between Blue winged Warbler and Golden winged Warbler and is the rarer of the two widely recognized hybrids (the other, more common hybrid is the Brewster's Warbler).  The reason the Lawrence's Warbler is rarer is due to the fact that the genes that produce the plumage pattern are recessive and the combination that needs to come together occurs infrequently.  Although not a true new species I can add for the year to my warbler list I still wanted to try and get a Lawrence's Warbler nonetheless as they are always so striking.  I have actually found a number of Lawrence's Warblers over the years but had not seen one for the year until today.  After a bit of searching I saw a regular Blue winged Warbler and within a few feet of it was the Lawrence's Warbler.  The two appeared to be paired up and followed each other around.  I did not hear the bird sing at all...it only called a few times and otherwise was silent.  I got a few photos of it and then left it alone to continue on with its life.  Now I had seen both of the common hybrids of the Blue winged/Golden winged Warbler complex.  As I was not too far away from Muddy Brook WMA I figured I would stop there to look for more warblers but I arrived to find some heavy equipment being moved around so I skipped there and headed to a part of Quabbin Park I could access and as expected ran across a number of warblers.  It was a 21 warbler species day...not quite the 28 species I had yesterday but quite successful with the addition of a Lawrence's Warbler.

Week three in Florida

Cape May Warbler, Ward Park, Orlando, FL, Jan 19, 2026

Cape May Warbler, Ward Park, Orlando, FL, Jan 19, 2026

Cape May Warbler, Ward Park, Orlando, FL, Jan 19, 2026

Palm Warbler 'western', Ward Park, Orlando, FL, Jan 19, 2026

Orange crowned Warbler, Ward Park, Orlando, FL, Jan 19, 2026

Yellow throated Warbler, Ward Park, Orlando, FL, Jan 19, 2026

The third week in Florida started off cold with another frosty morning on Monday.  Although cold it was still much better than the weather at home which featured snow, cold and wind.  At least the sun was out here in Florida although the slight breeze and temps that never got out of the 50's made it less than a great day.  Nonetheless I still was out and about although I still needed to stay fairly close to home to take care of Wilson.  I started off the morning at Gemini Springs Park before deciding to head into Orlando with a visit to Ward Park to see if I could find a Cape May Warbler that is overwintering among a few bottlebrush trees.  I found the Cape May Warbler incredibly fast and got some photos of the stunning male.  This added another warbler species for the year (#13).  There were other warblers around the area too and by the end of the morning (with the addition of another trip to Gemini Springs Park, this time with Wilson) I had found eight species.

Common Yellowthroat, Lake Woodruff NWR, De Leon Springs, FL, Jan 20, 2026

Palm Warbler 'western', Lake Woodruff NWR, De Leon Springs, FL, Jan 20, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Lake Woodruff NWR, De Leon Springs, FL, Jan 20, 2026

Northern Yellow Warbler, Lake Woodruff NWR, De Leon Springs, FL, Jan 20, 2026

It was yet another frosty morning on Tuesday and I decided to head north to Lake Woodruff NWR as I had just part of the morning free.  It was a cold walk and as the breeze picked up at ties it was downright uncomfortable.  I walked a variety of trails over the course of almost two and a half hours with the highlight being a continued Northern Yellow Warbler I found last week.  I had half a dozen warbler species at Lake Woodruff NWR and then added three more species when I took Wilson for a walk at nearby Blue Heron Nature Park.  Not a bad day considering the cool temps and the wind.

Louisiana Waterthrush, Fort Drum Conservation Area, Yeehaw Junction, FL, Jan 21, 2026

Palm Warbler 'western', Fort Drum Conservation Area, Yeehaw Junction, FL, Jan 21, 2026

Northern Waterthrush, Fort Drum Conservation Area, Yeehaw Junction, FL, Jan 21, 2026

Orange crowned Warbler, Fort Drum Conservation Area, Yeehaw Junction, FL, Jan 21, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Fort Drum Conservation Area, Yeehaw Junction, FL, Jan 21, 2026

American Redstart, Fort Drum Conservation Area, Yeehaw Junction, FL, Jan 21, 2026

Ovenbird, Toni Robinson Waterfront Trail, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 21, 2026

Black throated Blue Warbler, Toni Robinson Waterfront Trail, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 21, 2026

Northern Parula with leg band, Toni Robinson Waterfront Trail, Vero Beach, FL, Jan 21, 2026

For Wednesday I had the full morning and part of the afternoon available and took advantage by getting up early and heading well south in search of a very rare in winter Swainson's Warbler.  I had seen the species in the tropics before but had never seen it in the US so it was worth trying for it.  It was found about a week and a half before at Toni Robinson Waterfront Trail, a small park in Vero Beach.  I wanted to try for it before but the weather and other factors would not allow it.  I left well before dawn and made it down there around 7AM and started looking and listening.  I had a few other warblers around including my first Black throated Blue Warbler for the year as well as a banded Northern Parula.  After about 45 minutes I had brief looks at the Swainson's Warbler and added a new warbler to both my US list (warbler species #50) and a new one for Florida (#28).  I tried and tried to get more looks and a photo but all I managed was another fleeting glimpse as it interacted with an Ovenbird.  Since I was so far south I decided to try another area nearby that featured a lot of warblers for a fellow birder.  My time at Fort Drum Conservation Area was very productive with a dozen species of warblers including two rare for the area (Louisiana Waterthrush and Magnolia Warbler) as well as multiple American Redstarts and loads of Black and White Warblers.  I really wish I had more time and the wind was a little lighter as I'm sure I could have turned up even more stuff.  Overall for the day I had 16 species of warblers...my best day by far for the year.  More on this days adventure can be found at the following link:  Swainson's Warbler. 

Orange crowned Warbler, Gemini Spring Park, Deltona, FL, Jan 22, 2026

Pine Warbler, Gemini Spring Park, Deltona, FL, Jan 22, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Gemini Spring Park, Deltona, FL, Jan 22, 2026

After a long drive the day before I decided to stay very local on Thursday and made trips to just the local parks (Gemini Springs Park, Thornby Park and Mariner's Cove Park).  Just a half of dozen species of warblers for the day.

Palm Warbler 'western', Lake Woodruff NWR, De Leon Springs, FL, Jan 23, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Lake Woodruff NWR, De Leon Springs, FL, Jan 23, 2026

Northern Yellow Warbler, Lake Woodruff NWR, De Leon Springs, FL, Jan 23, 2026

Black and White Warbler, Blue Springs SP, Orange City, FL, Jan 23, 2026

Friday I stayed somewhat local (within a half hour drive) and started the morning before dawn at Lake Woodruff NWR where I had the continued Northern Yellow Warbler as well as lots of Common Yellowthroats, Palm Warblers and Yellow rumped Warblers.  A few Common Yellowthroats were singing which they were not doing several days ago when I was there.  We then took Wilson for a walk at Gemini Springs Park and then we headed off to Blue Springs Park.  Overall the day produced eight species of warblers.

Northern Yellow Warbler, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, FL, Jan 24, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, FL, Jan 24, 2026

Common Yellowthroat, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, FL, Jan 24, 2026

Palm Warbler 'western', Apopka Birding Park, Apopka, FL, Jan 24, 2026

Saturday found me heading southwest to Lake Apopka where I spent most of the morning.  I drove the entire wildlife drive again plus birded before and after near the start of the drive at Apopka Birding Park.  It was foggy to start the morning and windy at times (certainly windier than predicted).  The number of warbler species was just four for the day but did include one of the Northern Yellow Warblers I have had at the location as well as large numbers of Common Yellowthroats and Palm Warblers.  I attempted to find a reported Nashville Warbler in the area where the wildlife drive starts without any luck...again the wind was certainly a factor plus the area was busy with people.

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Audubon Park, Deltona, FL, Jan 25, 2026

To end out the final of the third week and what will likely be the warmest day for a week plus I stayed local with visits to Gemini Spring Park and Audubon Park.  Once the fog burned off it warmed up quickly with highs in the mid 80's.  I had a total of eight species of warblers with most early on when it was foggy so few photos for the day.  The next week will be much colder if the forecast holds true.

This week was my most productive by far for overall diversity with 18 warbler species.