MI - Warblers in Spring Part III

Kentucky Warbler - Tawas Point SP, Michigan. May 18th, 2019.

Originally found by Scott Surner on May 15th and looking somewhat bedraggled by May 18th. 

Despite having fabulous views of Kirtland's Warblers the previous evening, we returned on Sunday morning for a second helping and to enjoy some of the other species that we'd seen all-too-briefly the day before. These included Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush and Nashville Warbler. We worked hard for Upland Sandpipers but couldn't find any before moving onto Hartwick Pines State Park for fantastic views of Evening and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Winter Wren. And there was even a Barred Owl calling the classic 'who-cooks-for-you' in the middle of the morning. The afternoon was dedicated to Bobolinks around Mio and the early evening to marshland birds where we heard lots of Soras and Virginia Rails but couldn't work-up any magic with Yellow Rail.

Winter Wren - Hartwick Pines SP, near Grayling, Michigan. May 17th, 2019. 

Evening Grosbeaks - Hartwick Pines SP, near Grayling, Michigan. May 17th, 2019. 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Oak Openings, Ohio. May 14th, 2019. 

We rounded off a brilliant spring trip with time spent at another migration hotspot, Tawas Point State Park. It was alive with migrant warblers and vireos, not least of which was a lingering Kentucky Warbler found on May 15th be fellow Pioneer Valley birder Scott Surner. We also enjoyed more Golden-winged and Orange-crowned Warblers, and what could only be described as a 'flock' of Philadelphia Vireos on the very last morning of the trip. I dare say that had we been given more time, Tawas Point would have kept on giving to us. John and I rounded up a stunning tour with 31 species of wood-warbler recorded. A big miss this year was Mourning Warbler but then the views that we had of Connecticut Warbler at Magee Marsh seemed like an appropriate trade off and there were no complaints forthcoming from us!

Blackpoll Warbler - Tawas Point SP, Michigan. May 18th, 2019. 

Red-breasted Nuthatch - Tawas Point SP, Michigan. May 19th, 2019.

Philadelphia Vireo - Tawas Point SP, Michigan. May 19th, 2019.

MA - Kentucky Warbler and much more in late May.

Kentucky Warbler - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. May 31st, 2019. 

After traveling and leading trips for much of the first three weeks of the month I've finally been in a position to relax a little and get down to some local birding. I must say that the last ten days of the month have been fantastic from a Franklin County perspective bringing several waves of late 'boreal' migrants. Impressive numbers of Northern Parula, Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, Cape May and Tennessee Warblers and to a lesser extent Canada Warblers livened up the yards, woods and field edges throughout northern Franklin County.

Kentucky Warbler - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. May 31st, 2019. 

Mourning Warbler - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. May 29th-30th, 2019. 

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - New Salem, Franklin Co., MA. May 24th, 2019. 

Scarcer migrants have included an excellent showing of Mourning Warblers with multiple birds turning up from the 27th-30th in Deerfield (2), Gill (2) and Montague (1), and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers appeared in Gill on the 23rd, New Salem on the 24th and Montague on the 30th. But the pick of the warblers would have to be the Kentucky Warbler found singing in Montague on the 31st - only my second ever in the county (and the Pioneer Valley) and strongly recalling this singing male in Gill in 2015; https://pioneerbirding.blogspot.com/2015/05/ma-kentucky-warblerin-gill.html
The bird in Gill stayed for over a week and it will certainly be interesting to keep an eye on the Montague individual. The latter bird sand vigorously for over an hour and appeared to be holding a territory.

Eastern Meadowlark - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. May 31st, 2019. 

Other unusual passerines included a singing Eastern Meadowlark at Tuner's Falls Airfield on the 27th and a Red-headed Woodpecker in Montague on the 29th, the latter being quite territorial, drumming and excavating cavities.

Red-headed Woodpecker - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. May 29th, 2019. 

Black-billed Cuckoo - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. May 29th, 2019. 

The 29th also produced a small shorebird 'event' at Turner's Falls after overnight rain and a significant drop in temperature with 54 Semi-palmated Sandpipers, 5 Semi-palmated Plovers, and single Least Sandpiper and Greater Yellowlegs.

Semi-palmated Sandpipers - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. May 29th, 2019. 

MA - Kentucky Warbler....in Gill!

Kentucky Warbler - singing male, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 27th, 2015. 

Found as a 'heard only' during my early morning bike ride, this Kentucky Warbler was still singing in the same spot when I returned with bins and camera a couple of hours later. Perhaps the result of the latest spell of very warm southerlies, this bird behaved in a territorial manner in what looked (to me at least) to be suitable breeding habitat. Unfortunately the site is on private rather than public land. The bird was easy enough to hear but very difficult to see as it chose five or six different song posts, often remaining surprisingly high in the canopy. Though not great, I was pretty happy to come away with these unambiguous record shots. 

Kentucky Warbler is one of several 'southern' warblers that I've been hoping to come across in Franklin County this year and, as far as I'm aware, this bird has the potential to be a county 'first'. 

A fine local morning for warblers was rounded off with a singing Worm-eating Warbler, again in suitable breeding habitat, on Ben Hale Road, Gill. Unfortunately, that bird was far less co-operative for the camera but I may try the site again in a couple of day's time.......bird on!

 Kentucky Warbler - male, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. May 27th, 2015.