The Pursuit of Warblers

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

A Common Yellowthroat in Deerfield in February

Common Yellowthroat, Deerfield, MA, Feb 3, 2021

I recently heard about a warbler overwintering at a private greenhouse in Deerfield and followed up with one of the workers at the location to get some details. He described the bird as a Common Yellowthroat. I secured permission to stop by at some point and document the occurrence of the bird. I decided to take a ride up to the location after getting out of work this morning. Once I arrived I caught up with Trystan and he led me right away to the greenhouse. The greenhouse is used to grow a variety of plants and they cannot use insecticides so the presence of an insectivore bird has been very welcome addition to the staff and Trystan stated the numbers of insects causing issues for the plants is way down this winter thanks to the bird. Apparently the bird first appeared in the greenhouse late in the fall and has stayed put ever since. It took several minutes of looking but eventually the bird popped in to view on occasion as it fed quite actively and hardly ever stayed still for long. I managed to get a few photos of the bird as it worked its way through the jungle like tangle of plants. The bird is free to leave via a louvered area that is opened occasionally but seems quite content to ride out the winter in the warmth of the greenhouse with a ready supply of insects, water, cover and a lack of predators (not to mention the warmth of the greenhouse during the cold New England winter). The species typically winters in the southern part of the United States but can occasionally linger a bit into early winter (I have had a single record of the species in mid January in Amherst in 2019) but otherwise have never had the species in the heart of the winter around here.

Monday, February 1, 2021

Yellow rumped Warbler to start a snowy February

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley DPW, Hadley, MA, Feb 1, 2021

With the forecast for snow starting mid to late morning and continuing overnight into Tuesday with perhaps a foot of snow I had plans to head out at daybreak today to try to locate a warbler for February in Hampshire County (usually the toughest month to find any warbler species in the area). I was surprised to wake up to a couple of inches of snow on the ground already. Thankfully the snow slowed down to just flurries a bit after eight so I took the opportunity to head over to Hadley to try to find the Yellow rumped Warbler that has been around intermittently in the area of the DPW. I arrived in the area a little after 8:30 and found the wind picking up and the prospect of finding the warbler diminishing. Nonetheless I figured I would give it a try before the snow picked back up once again. I walked the area nearby and thought I heard a call a few times but the wind made it difficult to be certain. On my way out I got lucky and heard the warbler calling nearby. I could hear it but could not see it initially but it popped out of a dense hedge and flew over my head into a large tree before disappearing into the DPW yard (which is strictly off limits). I managed to get a couple marginal photos of the bird before it disappeared. Seeing the warbler today added to my streak of seeing at least one warbler species every month in Hampshire County to an amazing 46th months.

Monday, January 25, 2021

A trip to the east part of the state to pick up some rare January warblers

Townsend's Warbler, Sagamore Beach, MA, Jan 25, 2021

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Sagamore Beach, MA, Jan 25, 2021

Without my ability to make my usual trips down to the tropics during the winter due to the pandemic I have been trying to fill the void by trying to find warblers in the area. The pickings are quite slim in the immediate area with just a couple Yellow rumped Warbler around and those have not been consistent at all this year. Outside the local area but still within the state have been a few rare warblers and for the last couple weeks I have toyed with the idea of trying for them all in a day. I initially was going to make the trip a bit over a week ago but some stuff came up which prevented it and then I planned on possibly trying this last weekend as it would allow me to make the trip east without the typical weekday traffic but the weather conditions with strong northwest winds and cold temperatures made the prospect of finding warblers in those conditions low. After seeing positive reports of a few of my targets over the weekend despite the cold weather I decided I would make the trip today. After a less than restful nights sleep I headed out well before dawn and made the long drive down to southeast Massachusetts going after my first (and most sought after) target bird for the day...a long staying Townsend's Warbler. The bird has been around for weeks in the same neighborhood coming to various different feeders at different houses. I arrived before dawn and the weather conditions initially didn't look too good with continued winds out of the northwest but at least it was warmer than the weekend with morning temps there around 20 (warmer than home where it was around 10 when I left before five). I walked through the area where the bird has been seen coming to various feeders in a built up neighborhood. Not my favorite type of birding but this time of year if you want to see a variety of warblers in Massachusetts you will end up stalking them at feeders. After reading multiple reports of people who had seen the warbler on previous visits as well as some messages from a few birders, I finally set myself up across the street from the yards with the most recent reports. I could view just a small portion of a backyard but there seemed to be a decent amount of bird activity so I just continually scanned the bushes and trees and eventually I had the bird pop into view. I got a number of distant photos as it moved through some small bushes before disappearing yet again. It was very satisfying to find the bird without spending the entire morning looking. The Townsend's Warbler became my 37th warbler species for the state...hopefully I will eventually find one in Hampshire County (which has just a single record ever with that individual being the only record of the species in all of western Massachusetts). As I walked back to my car I also added a couple Yellow rumped Warblers for the day.

My next stop was back to the west into southern Worcester County to a private home in Northbridge where a Pine Warbler has been coming into feeders for weeks. I added this stop at the last minute after contacting the homeowner (Mary) to get permission to come by to check it out and possibly add another warbler species for the day. I got a message from her that the bird showed up that morning so I had high hopes I would get to see it. I was running a bit ahead of schedule when I arrived there around nine and immediately started looking for it. I talked to Mary briefly and got info on the best spots to check (a feeder in the front yard featuring meal worms). Unfortunately after nearly an hour of waiting the bird was a no show. In fact no birds at all came into the feeders the entire time I was there. I decided to move on to Lancaster to check out the Yellow throated Warbler before it got too late in the morning.

Yellow throated Warbler, Lancaster, MA, Jan 25, 2021

I arrived to the private residence that I first visited back on Christmas Eve to see the Yellow throated Warbler. On my first visit there in December I was there at dawn and there was a decent amount of snow on the ground and it was cold. This time I arrived a bit before eleven to a snow free yard and much more comfortable temperatures. I was initially the only birder present but was quickly joined by a few other birders. I kept scanning the feeders in both the front and back yards from a vantage point that allowed one to see both sets of feeders. After about a fifteen minute wait the bird arrived at the front feeders and fed from some of the peanut butter coated pine cones before it disappeared again. I was able to get the few other birders on the bird and all got to see it. I was happy it showed up quickly and gave some great views.

Tennessee Warbler, Athol, MA, Jan 25, 2021

My final stop for my morning warbler search was to Athol to see the Tennessee Warbler once again (I first made a trip to see this extremely rare in winter species in early January As mentioned in that post this bird should be in southern Mexico or Central America and this individual is one of the northern most records for this species in winter. This one proved to be the easiest to see and was very visible almost as soon as I arrived. The bird was coming in constantly to the window feeders the entire time I was there and was very bold and lorded over its well maintained feeders, which is probably what has kept this bird alive so long so far north from where it should be.

Overall for the morning I found a total of four species of warblers with one being a new one for me in the state. I'm sure I could have got more if I journeyed even further east on to the cape but I was not up for even more driving (Pine Warbler could have been added rather easily as well as other possibilities such as Orange crowned Warbler and Palm Warbler).

If anyone has any interest in trying for any of these birds just drop me a message and I can provide contact info for the various homeowners. A thank you to Aaron, Peter and Joe for info on the Townsend's Warbler and a special thanks to the homeowners that allowed me to visit (Mary, Jeff P, and Jeff and Sherry J.).

A summary of the day beyond the warblers can be found at the following link.

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Tennessee Warbler in January in Athol

Tennessee Warbler, Athol, MA, Jan 6, 2021

I had a bit of extra time late this morning after work so I decided to head up to Athol to check out a Tennessee Warbler that has been coming to feeders at a private residence since late November. I normally wouldn't have gone up to see it as I will certainly see this species once migration brings them back north again but a winter record of the species anywhere in Massachusetts is exceedingly rare. In fact there are just a handful of records with almost all of those coming from December and not true winter. The species typically winters in southern Mexico through Central America and into the northwest part of South America and is a species I commonly see when I travel down to Costa Rica so having one in Massachusetts in January is very rare. In fact this individual is the northern second most member of the species being reported this year (beat out by a single individual at the southwest corner of Newfoundland at a migrant trap) and one of the most northern records ever for the species in the January-March time frame. The species is hard to find anywhere in the United States in the winter. I made the drive up after checking with the homeowners about making a visit and arrived a bit after eleven and almost immediately had the bird coming in to visit the feeders on the house. The bird seemed very bold and would chase any other species away when it was feeding. Not long after I had seen the bird one of the homeowners (Jeff) came out and we talked for quite awhile about the bird. The entire time we were perhaps 30-40 feet away from the bird and he was nearly constantly in view at the feeders or in one of the nearby scrubs. According to the homeowner the bird arrived in late November and has been present every day since. It initially came into a feeder on the side of the house that held sunflower hearts but now favors the feeders at the front of the house and feeds on crickets (usually detaching the legs and then eating the body), sunflower hearts (ground into small pieces by the homeowners) and bananas. The bird apparently shows up as soon as it gets light and stays all day feeding before heading to roost (which the homeowner thinks is under a tarp covered tractor in the front yard). It will be interesting to see how long this species can hang on...so far it seems to be doing quite well. Thanks to the homeowners (Jeff and Sherry) for letting me stop by and for providing a great home for a very wayward Tennessee Warbler. More photos with the eBird list at the following link.

Friday, January 1, 2021

New Years Day Yellow rumped Warblers

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Jan 1, 2021

I headed out before dawn this morning to begin another year of birding and among my big targets was a warbler to continue my streak of warblers in Hampshire County. There has been a single Yellow rumped Warbler hanging out in Hadley that I was hopeful would still be around when I finally got to that area after birding some other areas. I was surprised to run across another Yellow rumped Warbler before even making it to the spot in Hadley when I stopped off at Lower Mill Pond in Easthampton. As soon as I got there I heard a Yellow rumped Warbler chipping and got a brief glimpse as it headed downstream from the pond but a search failed to turn it back up. I eventually made it over to the spot in Hadley and after a bit of looking I found the Yellow rumped Warbler and got some distant photos. My streak has now been expanded to 45 months straight of finding a warbler in the county. January and February are usually the toughest month to find them so I will certainly be keeping tabs on the lingering warblers in the hopes they stay through February.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

End of the year wrap up

White lored Warbler, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020

Santa Marta Warbler, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Yellow crowned Redstart, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Barbuda Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

Vitelline Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 4, 2020

Swainson's Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020

Yet another year is in the books and yet again it was another great year for me in my quest to see all the new world wood warbler species. I added a half a dozen new species to my total with White lored Warbler, Santa Marta Warbler and Yellow crowned Redstart in the Santa Marta Mountains of Colombia, Barbuda Warbler on the island of Barbuda and Vitelline Warbler and Swainson's Warbler on Grand Cayman. Trips away from the local area included Costa Rica in January with a few day stop in central Florida on the way home, the Santa Marta Mountains in Colombia in early February, Antigua and Barbuda late February into early March and Grand Cayman Island in early March. The remainder of the year was spent in the local area as travel became heavily restricted due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Jan 1, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Easthampton, MA, Jan 7, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jan 9, 2020

The new year started off with me finding Yellow rumped Warblers continuing at Arcadia and the next several days found several others at multiple locations....a good start to the year!

Chestnut sided Warbler, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 12, 2020

Tennessee Warbler, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 12, 2020

Golden winged Warbler, Rio Magnolia Lodge, Costa Rica, Jan 15, 2020

Kentucky Warbler, Hacienda Baru NWR, Costa Rica, Jan 13, 2020

Northern Waterthrush, Hacienda Baru NWR, Costa Rica, Jan 13, 2020

We made our at least annual trip down to Costa Rica on January 10 and stayed until the 19th. I managed to add another new warbler species for me at the lodge (Blackburnian Warbler). Most of our time was spent around the Rio Magnolia Lodge with a half day trip down to the coast.

Prairie Warbler, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020

Yellow throated Warbler, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020

Orange crowned Warbler, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020

Palm Warbler 'western', Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, Jan 20, 2020

On our way home from Costa Rica we made a few day stop in Florida in the Orlando area. Despite having just one day to bird and less than ideal weather I found a nice selection of warblers with nine species in just the one full day I had available.

Pine Warbler, Granby, MA, Jan 23, 2020

Once we arrived back home I followed up on a report of a Pine Warbler coming into some feeders at a private residence in Granby...a very rare species for January!

Pine Warbler, Granby, MA, Feb 2, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Feb 2, 2020

I started out February with two warbler species on the same day when I caught up with the continued Pine Warbler at a private residence in Granby as well as multiple Yellow rumped Warblers in the East Meadows.

Santa Marta Warbler, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

White lored Warbler, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 4, 2020

Yellow crowned Redstart, Cuchilla San Lorenzo, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Slate throated Redstart, El Dorado Lodge, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 5, 2020

Tropical Parula, Finca Palo Alto, Magdalena, Colombia, Feb 6, 2020

On the third of the month I took a trip down to the Santa Marta Mountains of Colombia in search of three species of warbler endemic to the area (Santa Marta Warbler, White lored Warbler and Yellow crowned Redstart). I happily found all three (as well as other warbler species) during the brief trip.

Barbuda Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

Cape May Warbler, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

Yellow Warbler (golden), Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

Northern Parula, Coco Point Road, Barbuda, Feb 28, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', McKinnon's Saltpond, Antigua, Feb 29, 2020

At the end of February I headed down to Antigua and Barbuda with the goal of finally making it over to the island of Barbuda to see the endemic Barbuda Warbler. It was an adventure getting there but well worth it and I had many fantastic looks at the species. I had a total of half a dozen warbler species during my brief stop including two rarities for the islands with a Cape May Warbler on Barbuda and a group of three Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle' on Antigua. I stayed on Antigua until March 1st when I then flew down to Grand Cayman to continue the vacation.

Vitelline Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020

Swainson's Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020

Blue winged Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 2, 2020

Nashville Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 7, 2020

Black throated Green Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020

Yellow throated Warbler, Old Man Bay, Grand Cayman, Mar 6, 2020

Worm eating Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 4, 2020

Hooded Warbler, Mastic Trail, Grand Cayman, Mar 5, 2020

I arrived late into Grand Cayman on March 1st and then spent the next week on the north end of the island with multiple visits to the nearby Mastic Trail as well as other locations. My main goal was to locate the near endemic Vitelline Warbler and possibly a wintering Swainson's Warbler. I succeeded in finding multiples of both species as well as a number of island rarities including Blue winged Warbler, Nashville Warbler and Black throated Green Warbler among a total of 21 species of warbler overall.

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Mar 31, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Mar 18, 2020

Once I got home it was back to work and the beginning of dealing with the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Yellow rumped Warblers continued through the month in addition to the arrival of the first migrant Pine Warblers at the end of the month. A look at the warblers overall for the winter season in Hampshire County found at least two species of warblers for every month of the winter...something I have never been able to do before.

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 5, 2020

Louisiana Waterthrush, Nash Hill Rd, Williamsburg, MA, Apr 7, 2020

April started off with the arrival of Palm Warblers and a record early date for Louisiana Waterthrush on April 7th. Most of the month featured below average temperatures and weather not conducive for migration. By the middle of the month I had just four species of warbler. By the end of the month I had tallied just nine species of warbler (with many represented by just a single individual).

American Redstart, Quabbin Park, MA, May 3, 2020

Northern Parula, Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, May 4, 2020

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Piper Farm Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 5, 2020

Lawrence's Warbler, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, May 5, 2020

Nashville Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 6, 2020

Chestnut sided Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 7, 2020

Magnolia Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 13, 2020

Cape May Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, May 15, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler with odd plumage, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2020

Bay breasted Warbler, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2020

Canada Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 17, 2020

Ovenbird, Reed Conservation Area, Belchertown, MA, May 18, 2020

Wilson's Warbler, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 19, 2020

Black and White Warbler with odd plumage, Rail trail, Amherst, MA, May 19, 2020

The big warbler month of May began with a nice show of Yellow rumped Warblers with large flocks around (numbering into the hundreds). The weather curtailed migration early on in the month but the birds eventually started to push in including multiple hybrid warblers including a long staying Lawrence's Warbler. By the middle of the month migration conditions finally improved and a large influx of warblers arrived. Among the warblers arriving in the middle of the month were a couple of oddly plumaged individuals. By the end of the month I had found a total of 29 species plus a few hybrids but nothing too unusual.

Hooded Warbler, Mount Holyoke Range SP, Hadley, MA, Jun 7, 2020

Blue winged x Golden winged Warbler hybrid, Quabbin Park, MA, Jun 8, 2020

Lawrence's Warbler, Belchertown Land Trust Trail, Belchertown, MA, Jun 16, 2020

Yellow Warbler, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jun 16, 2020

The month of June featured the tail end of migration with the typical species around through mid month plus a few hybrids. The most unusual sighting for the month was a Hooded Warbler that stayed around for a couple days early in the month in Hadley.

Canada Warbler, Packardville Road marsh, Pelham, MA, Jul 1, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Cadwell Memorial Forest, Pelham, MA, Jul 1, 2020

Common Yellowthroat, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jul 18, 2020

Pine Warbler, Prescott Peninsula, New Salem, MA, Jul 18, 2020

I decided to start off the normally birding doldrums of July with a big warbler day in Hampshire County on the first and I found a total of 19 species plus the continued Lawrence's Warbler. The remainder of the month was rather uneventful and I didn't add any new species beyond the 19 I found on the first of the month.

Blue winged Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Aug 8, 2020

Canada Warbler, Packardville Marsh, Pelham, MA, Aug 8, 2020

American Redstart, Ware, MA, Aug 11, 2020

The beginning and middle of August was hot and humid as usual but it featured the beginning of fall migration and dispersal of local breeders. The highlight for the beginning of the month was the discovery of a Blue winged Warbler in the yard...a species I have been looking for since moving to Belchertown nearly 15 years ago! The Blue winged Warbler became the 29th species of warbler for the yard...no idea why it took so long to get this species to show up in the yard but it was nice to finally get it.

Blue winged Warbler, Quabbin Park, MA, Sep 4, 2020

Northern Parula, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Sep 13, 2020

Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 19, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 19, 2020

Cape May Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Sep 19, 2020

September began with a new late date for Louisiana Waterthrush for me in the county. The first third of the month started out quite slow for warbler migration. Things heated up a bit by the 19th with 19 species of warbler for the day including my first Connecticut Warbler (it ended up being a very slow season for that species compared to the last few years). By the end of the month I had found 27 species of warbler for the month. Overall the month was quite slow for warbler migration with very low numbers of several species....I suspect many birds took advantage of night after night of good migration conditions and just bypassed the area on their journey south. Tennessee Warblers were the exception to the slow season with good numbers around for the entire month.

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2020

Palm Warbler 'western', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 3, 2020

Connecticut Warbler, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Oct 6, 2020

Orange crowned Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 14, 2020

Tennessee Warbler, Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Oct 22, 2020

October began with a large influx of Yellow rumped Warblers with one of my highest single day counts. By the end of first week I had found 17 warbler species including a late Connecticut Warbler (one of just three this entire fall and the only one I got photos of). I had a great day mid month where I had 11 species for the day including some late individuals as well as high counts for a number of others for so late in the season.

Blackpoll Warbler, Hadley Cove, Hadley, MA, Nov 1, 2020

Magnolia Warbler, Wentworth Farm Conservation Area, Amherst, MA, Nov 9, 2020

Tennessee Warbler, Hadley Malls, Hadley, MA, Nov 11, 2020

Wilson's Warbler, Hadley Malls, Hadley, MA, Nov 11, 2020

I started off November with three species including a couple of late Blackpoll Warblers and by the end of the first week I had found a total of five species (which is a higher total then I have over the course of a typical November here). Then remainder of the month produced even more warblers and by the end of the month I had a record setting total of eight with multiple species setting new late date records for me.

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Arcadia, Northampton, MA, Dec 1, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Hadley, MA, Dec 21, 2020

Yellow throated Warbler, Lancaster, MA, Dec 24, 2020

The last month of the year started off with a couple Yellow rumped Warblers at Arcadia...making it 44 months in a row I have had at least one warbler species in Hampshire County. I searched many of my 'go to' spots for late season warblers over the last few years but came up empty for most of the month. Thankfully at least one continued into late month in Hadley...hopefully it can make it through the winter and continue my streak of warblers in the county. A little before Christmas I heard of a Yellow throated Warbler coming to a feeder at a private residence in Worcester County and I made the drive out on the morning of Christmas Eve to see it as I had yet to see this species in the state. After about an hour of waiting it showed up...now just to find this species in Hampshire County. I sadly was unable to find another warbler species in the county for the month so December ended by streak of two warbler species in the county for the year.

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Home, Belchertown, MA, May 4, 2020

Black and White Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 4, 2020

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 10, 2020

Black throated Blue Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 11, 2020

Ovenbird, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 13, 2020

Common Yellowthroat, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 15, 2020

Wilson's Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2020

American Redstart, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 16, 2020

Northern Parula, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 26, 2020 (first warbler at the new water feature)

Black throated Green Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Sep 28, 2020

Palm Warbler 'yellow', Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 1, 2020

Tennessee Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 9, 2020

Yellow rumped Warbler 'myrtle', Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 10, 2020

Blackpoll Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Oct 11, 2020

The camera at the old water feature caught a number of warblers for the year including two new species for the water list (Ovenbird and Wilson's Warbler) bringing the total number of warbler species captured on the camera up to 16. After having an issue with the old water feature late in the summer I decided to upgrade to a new set up that I got up and running later in September. Even with the late date I still managed to capture five species of warbler (including my first Black throated Green Warbler at the water feature...warbler species #17 at the water feature overall). Really looking forward to seeing what next spring brings in to the new water feature.

This is where I typical look toward the next year and the trips I have planned to find more warblers but given the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic and the inability to travel to many of the spots I want to go to without loads of restrictions I don't have any trips planned at this point. My hope is that by next fall the pandemic will be under control and travel will be back open. I have some thoughts on trips to take but until travel opens up again I can't plan much of anything. My next trips will likely be another trip down to Costa Rica and perhaps Baja California and/or a couple more islands in the Caribbean but who knows when those trips will happen.

Below are few tables of warblers seen overall for the year, warblers per month and warblers seen in Hampshire County by month.

Warblers (running tally for year)

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
22 30 40 41 46 46 46 46 47 47 47 47

Warblers overall per month

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
22 16 23 9 29 24 19 20 27 19 8 2

Hampshire County warblers by month

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2 2 2 9 29 23 19 20 27 19 8 1