Photo by Chris Bosak
Palm Warbler

The title of this post is a bit misleading because warbler season actually arrived a few weeks ago. But there early warblers are still around and the next wave hasn’t arrived in force yet, so the topic is still timely.

Anyway, warblers (small and usually colorful Neotropical migrants) move through New England starting in late March/early April. The migration continues through early June. Many warbler species nest in New England, particularly in the middle and upper parts of the region.

Although timing is always subject to change, warbler species migrate at certain times of the spring. The “early birds” are the Pine Warbler and Palm Warbler, as well as the Yellow-rumped Warbler. A recent walk through Selleck’s/Dunlap Woods in Darien in southern Connecticut yielded several Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers. I didn’t see any Pine Warblers on this particular walk, but I know they are around.

So that’s how it starts. Then the spring warbler migration slowly builds momentum and peaks during the first two weeks of May. Then it trickles down to the late migrants and then fades away to nothing. Nothing, that is, except for the warblers that nest in the area. In southern Connecticut, Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroats are common nesters.

I’ll keep you updated on the warbler migration as it progresses. Feel free to let me know what you are seeing out there, too. For now, keep an eye out for the Palm, Pine and Yellow-rumped Warblers. There are photos of each of them attached to this post.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Pine Warbler

Photo by Chris Bosak
Yellow-rumped Warbler at Selleck’s Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2014.