Category Archives: migration

For the Birds: Wrapping up the warbler season

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Photo by Chris Bosak – A northern parula sings from the top of a shrub in New England this spring.

Now that the spring migration is over, at least for the most part, it’s time to turn our attention to summer birdwatching.

Before we do that, I want to recap my spring birdwatching highlights. Spring highlights often begin and end with warblers, and this spring was no exception, although some non-warblers are certainly worthy of inclusion here.

It was another good spring for warblers. I’ll get into some of the less common ones later in the column, but the warblers that are often seen in New England did not disappoint. Yellow warblers were, and continue to be, seemingly around every corner. Their ubiquitous song is inescapable. (Not that I’d want to escape it in the first place.)

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A few birds from spring migration

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A red-winged blackbird defends his territory, May 2026.

Here are a few shots taken over the last two weeks. More to come.

A hooded warbler sings from a perch in New England, May 2026.
Black-throated blue warbler, May 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak
Black-and-white warbler at Huntington State Park, Redding, CT, May 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A red-winged blackbird defends his territory, May 2026.

A few birds from this weekend

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A few birds from this weekend …

Photo by Chris Bosak Yellow warbler at Huntington State Park, Redding, CT, May 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak Black-and-white warbler at Huntington State Park, Redding, CT, May 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak Eastern towhee sings at Huntington State Park, Redding, CT, May 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak – Field sparrow, Huntington State Park, May 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak Female common merganser on small pond in Newtown, CT, May 2026.

For the Birds: Kinglets rule the walk

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Ruby-crowned kinglet, fall 2025, Huntington State Park, CT.

Two species dominated my latest bird walk.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the white-throated sparrow was the most dominant species. I lost track of how many I had seen early in the walk as dozens of these beautiful native sparrows were around every bend.

The second-most dominant species may be a bit more surprising. While large groups of white-throated sparrows lingered around every corner, singular ruby-crowned kinglets kept me occupied on the straightaways.

They were constant companions during the walk. Little flashes of movement in the bushes or low branches of trees gave away their whereabouts. Not that they were trying to stay concealed, as they can be surprisingly tame for wild birds. 

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For the Birds: Fall is different, but still great for birdwatching

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Photo by Chris Bosak – A black-throated green warbler, September in New England.

Fall is a great time to watch birds, but it’s much different than watching birds in the spring. It’s quieter, sometimes harder to find the birds and many of the birds don’t look the same.

It’s quieter because most of the birds are not singing. In the spring, birds are singing constantly as the urgency of securing a territory, finding a mate and breeding is foremost on their minds. The songs of perhaps dozens of birds overlap and it can be difficult to isolate the songs of a single species.

That urgency has long passed by the time fall comes around, and foremost on their minds is getting to their winter grounds safely. That doesn’t mean they are silent, however. Fall is when you hear more calls than songs as the birds issue warnings to other birds and try to remain in contact more quietly. 

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For the Birds: Saying goodbye to old friends

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Photo by Chris Bosak – An eastern towhee lurks in the brush at Huntington State Park, CT, September 2025.

Fall bird walks can seem like a series of goodbyes to old friends.

I thought of this when I saw an eastern towhee receive an “infrequent” designation on eBird the other day. Ebird, a massive bird database, often flags birds when they are out of their territory or uncommon in an area.

I was a little surprised by the infrequent flag, as I see eastern towhees in that park quite frequently. Of course, it wasn’t because the bird is uncommon in the park, but rather it is getting late in the season for towhees.

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For the Birds: Fall migration under way

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Photo by Chris Bosak A male scarlet tanager in the fall.

It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming back the warblers and other songbirds during spring migration and here we are at fall migration already.

Many of the birds we saw in the spring heading north will look the same on their southward journey. Many others, however, will look different. 

Some, like male scarlet tanagers, will bear little resemblance to what they looked like in the spring. When we saw them in May and June, they were the most brightly colored birds in the woods. A sighting always yielded a gasp of excitement as we wondered how a bird in New England could be so brilliant. After the breeding season, however, they molted and are now dull yellow with less shiny black wings. They are still awesome-looking birds but not the striking birds they were in the spring.

In addition to many adult birds molting, the fall migration includes first-year birds that haven’t attained familiar adult plumage yet. They often resemble females or a mix of male and female plumage. 

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A few more warbler photos

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Photo by Chris Bosak Blackburnian warbler at Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pa., May 2025.

Here are a few warbler photos I took earlier this month and never got around to posting, until now. The photos don’t do it justice, but the blackburnian warbler is one of the more strikingly colored birds that pass through New England. The warbler migration is winding down, but the ones that nest in our region will keep us busy and occupied for the next few months.

Photo by Chris Bosak Blackburnian warbler at Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pa., May 2025.
Photo by Chris Bosak Bay breasted warbler at Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pa., May 2025.
Photo by Chris Bosak Chestnut-sided warbler at Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pa., May 2025.
Photo by Chris Bosak Black-and-white warbler, New England, spring 2025.
Photo by Chris Bosak Blackburnian warbler at Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pa., May 2025.

For the Birds: The other bird families that highlight spring in New England

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Photo by Chris Bosak – A veery stakes out territory in New England, spring 2025.

Warblers get all the press, but they are hardly the only bird family that passes through in great numbers in the spring. 

I’m guilty myself of fixating on warblers, both in my birdwatching and writing. It’s hard not to as they are a fascinating family of birds and a joy to see in the spring. They come in a wide variety of colors, which is a welcome sight after a long, gray New England winter. 

But enough about warblers, at least for now. Let’s focus on some of the other families that brighten our spring.

The other day, during a morning walk, I saw a great-crested flycatcher, wood thrush, red-eyed vireo and field sparrow. They are all members of families that have several species that either migrate through or nest in New England. 

We don’t often think of sparrows as migrants as several types remain here all winter. I also think house sparrows are so ubiquitous that they are the only birds some people think about when they hear the word sparrow. But over the past few days, I’ve seen chipping sparrows, swamp sparrows and field sparrows. Don’t forget that eastern towhees are sparrows too. I’m growing more and more fond of the sparrow family as time goes on – house sparrows excluded. 

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Singing in the spring: Warbling vireo

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Photo by Chris Bosak A warbling vireo sings from a branch in New England, spring 2025.

It’s not surprising to get a photo of a warbling vireo, as these birds sing constantly. A bird that is true to its name.