Palm Warbler at home...in March.

Yet another very early warbler arrival this evening as I came across a Palm Warbler here at home.  Initially heard as I walked the dog for his evening walk.  I had no binoculars or camera with me but I kept hearing the bird chip and it came into a tree perhaps 10 feet away, providing great naked eye looks.  It was a male with a continuously pumping tail.  It was seen at 6:35 along Jabish Brook and then moved down the stream out of view and I continued with my walk.  I then heard it chip a few more times before I headed back to the house to get my camera.  Despite much effort I was unable to relocate and get a photo.  The number of Pine Warblers has grown quite a bit in the last week and they seemed to be present at every location I stopped at today.  The Pine Warbler at the house sang on and off all day long.

Pine Warbler in March

The unseasonable warmth and south winds has resulted in many early migrants arriving at record early dates.  Today I found a singing Pine Warbler at Covey WMA. The earliest date I have had them back here ever, beating my old record of April 1 in 2006. A normal year finds the first one arriving the first week of April.  The temperature today topped out around 78 and it should stay in the 70's the next two days and then into the 80's on Thursday...a full 30-40 degrees above the average high this time of year...amazing!

Florida warblers

Palm Warbler, Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL, Jan 29, 2012

Black and White Warbler, Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL, Jan 29, 2012

Orange-crowned Warbler, Viera Wetlands, FL, Jan 31, 2012

On recent trip to Florida (January 28-February 1) I found a total of six species of warblers including Yellow-rumped (Myrtle), Palm (western), Pine, Black and White and Orange-crowned Warblers and Common Yellowthroats.  The most numerous species by far was the Yellow-rumped Warbler followed by Palm Warblers.  The remaining species were seen in much lesser numbers with singles seen of Orange-crowned and Black and White Warblers.

End of year wrap up

Blackpoll Warbler, Magee Marsh, OH

Prothonotary Warbler, Magee Marsh, OH

Bay-breasted Warbler, Magee Marsh, OH

Lucy's Warbler, Saguaro NP, AZ

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's), Sweetwater Wetlands, AZ

Blue-winged Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA

Prairie Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA

Ovenbird, Quabbin, MA

Mourning Warbler, Quabbin, MA

I took a total of six trips out of the area this year which was a new high for me.  The trips included the following:  Florida in January, Arizona in April, Ohio in May, California in September, Texas in November and Costa Rica in December.  Each of these trips had there own highlights that I cover in greater detail on my other blog http://quabbinbirdingandbeyond.blogspot.com/  .  As far as warblers were concerned this year I managed to end the year with a total of 47 species of wood warblers. 

Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica

Of the 47 species seen this year I added five which I had never seen before including Kirtland Warbler in Michigan which I found on a day trip during my Ohio trip.  Although it was a long drive and I didn’t get any photos of the birds it was nice to see and hear them on their breeding grounds.  I also added Virginia's Warbler and Grace's Warbler in Arizona as well as Gray-crowned Yellowthroat and Buff-rumped Warbler in Costa Rica. 

Hooded Warbler, Quabbin Gate 12, MA

In western Massachusetts I had a total of 29 species.  I totalled 19 species in the yard this year. The most interesting local warblers were a Hooded Warbler that stayed in the same area at Gate 12 at Quabbin for several weeks this spring and summer.  According to another person doing research in the same area there were several Hooded Warblers around with both males and females.  Perhaps they were breeding here?  Another interesting warbler was a Blue-winged Warbler singing a Golden-winged Warbler song in breeding habitat on the Prescott Peninsula.  Despite the golden-winged song it appeared to be a 'pure' Blue-winged Warbler but there certainly was some genetic mixing somewhere along the line.  Overall a great year with the highest number yet of wood warblers in a single year.  I have now seen a total of 49 species of wood warbler in my life and hope to add more next year.

Warblers in Costa Rica

Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Dec 8, 2011

Chestnut-sided Warbler, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Dec 4, 2011

I just returned from my first trip down to Costa Rica and it was in a word...amazing!  Many life birds and an all around great trip.  I stayed at a lodge in the Pacific foothills near Dominical and spent some time at the coast too.  I found nine warbler species with two, a Buff-rumped Warbler and Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, new to me.  The most abundant warbler by far was the Chestnut-sided Warbler followed by Tennessee Warblers.  Other warblers found in small numbers (or only one) included Black and White, Golden-winged, Wilson's, and Yellow Warblers and Northern Waterthrush.  It was one of my best trips and I cannot wait to go back down there again.

Texas warblers

Orange-crowned Warbler, Estero Llano Grande SP, TX, Nov 12, 2011

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Bentsen RGV State Park, TX, Nov 13, 2011

Ovenbird, Bentsen RGV State Park, TX, Nov 13, 2011

Black and White Warbler, Estero Llano Grande SP, TX, Nov 14, 2011

Black and White Warbler, Estero Llano Grande SP, TX, Nov 14, 2011

I took a trip down to Texas on November 10 and stayed until November 15 visiting several areas in the lower Rio Grande valley.  The vast majority of the warblers seen were either Orange-crowned or Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers.  Besides these two species I had a handful of Common Yellowthroats in a few spots as well as a single Ovenbird using the water feature at the Nature Center at Bentsen RGV State Park and a Black and White Warbler at Estero Llano Grande SP.  Both of these last species were state birds for me in Texas.  I ended up with a total of five warbler species.  I missed out on the few Tropical Parula's around as well as a very rare Golden-crowned Warbler that showed up on November 20.  I will have to get them on the next trip.  Yet another successful trip with lots of great birds.

November warbler

On a Hampshire Bird Club trip on the east side of the Quabbin we came across a Yellow-rumped Warbler near the fishing area late morning.  This is a very unusual sighting for this area of Quabbin this late in the season and was one of the best birds of the day.