The warblers continue...

 

Scarlet Tanager, UMASS Amherst, Sep 20, 2013

Cape May Warbler, UMASS Amherst, Sep 20, 2013

Cape May Warbler, UMASS Amherst, Sep 20, 2013

 

'Traills' Flycatcher, UMASS Amherst, Sep 20, 2013

Another cool, foggy start to the day with a sunny and warm end. The fog stayed in place through most of the morning and only burned off late morning. Once again the fog made viewing a bit difficult and photography a bit of a challenge. I started off the morning at UMASS where several other birders and I had another spectacular day of watching the migrants move through. I have included the eBird list below. Some of the numbers were quite impressive in my humble opinion.

UMass Amherst
6:14 AM - 9:44 AM

Mourning Dove  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker  3
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  3
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  1
Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher)  1     Late, photos.
Eastern Phoebe  5
Blue-headed Vireo  3
Warbling Vireo  1
Philadelphia Vireo  1
Red-eyed Vireo  12
Blue Jay  9
American Crow  2
Black-capped Chickadee  12
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
House Wren  4
Carolina Wren  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Wood Thrush  6     Calling in morning
American Robin  12
Gray Catbird  22
Cedar Waxwing  5
Black-and-white Warbler  5
Tennessee Warbler  7     Amazing numbers with variety of plumages
Nashville Warbler  2
Common Yellowthroat  11
American Redstart  11     One adult male
Cape May Warbler  1    bright adult male
Northern Parula  26     Minimum
Magnolia Warbler  8
Blackburnian Warbler  1
Chestnut-sided Warbler  7     Minimum
Blackpoll Warbler  12
Pine Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  17
Black-throated Green Warbler  24     Minimum
Wilson's Warbler  1
Chipping Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  9
Lincoln's Sparrow  3
White-throated Sparrow  6
Scarlet Tanager  5     Minimum
Northern Cardinal  7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  3
Indigo Bunting  1
Bobolink  1     Heard
House Finch  12
American Goldfinch  2
 

 

Tennessee Warbler, Silvio O. Conte NWR, Hadley, MA, Sep 20, 2013

Tennessee Warbler, UMASS Amherst, Sep 20, 2013

Tennessee Warbler (1st year), UMASS Amherst, Sep 20, 2013

Tennessee Warbler (1st year), UMASS Amherst, Sep 20, 2013

Tennessee Warbler (1st year), UMASS Amherst, Sep 20, 2013

 It certainly has been a great year for warbler species that feed on spruce bud worm outbreaks. The numbers of Bay breasted, Cape May and Tennessee Warblers have been very impressive and are some of the best counts I have ever had of them. Sometimes these species are difficult or impossible to find during fall but not this year. The most numerous of the three has been Tennessee Warbler and I think the large number of them around has led to many (but not all) reports of early Orange crowned Warblers. The 1st year Tennessee Warblers can look ALOT like an Orange crowned and I don't think many appreciate just how close they can appear to each other. Hopefully everyone gets out and enjoys this spectacle of unusual warblers as they move through on their way to the tropics.

Great Blue Heron, Silvio O. Conte NWR, Hadley, MA, Sep 20, 2013

Great Blue Heron, Silvio O. Conte NWR, Hadley, MA, Sep 20, 2013

Eastern Phoebe, Silvio O. Conte NWR, Hadley, MA, Sep 20, 2013

Field near entrance, Silvio O. Conte NWR, Hadley, MA, Sep 20, 2013

 

Yellow Warbler, Silvio O. Conte NWR, Hadley, MA, Sep 20, 2013

Nashville Warbler, Silvio O. Conte NWR, Hadley, MA, Sep 20, 2013

 

Brown Thrasher, Silvio O. Conte NWR, Hadley, MA, Sep 20, 2013

Once I finished up at UMASS I headed over to the Silvio O. Conte NWR in Hadley to check out the area. Even though it was late morning the area still had a lot of birds with highlights being another Tennessee Warbler, a couple Yellow Warblers, a couple Brown Thrashers and lots of phoebes. The area looks great to attract an odd flycatcher or sparrow this fall. I bet a return trip here in spring could produce some amazing warblers.