Category Archives: Warblers

For the Birds: This trip up north was a long time in coming

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Photo by Chris Bosak A pair of loons at Second Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg, NH, June 2025.

It had been several years since I had been to Pittsburg, NH, a place I used to visit three times a year or more back in the day.

My visits gradually became more infrequent as I got older, gained work and family responsibilities and grew less inclined to make the long drive. Besides, moose sightings had become increasingly rare up there, while they used to be a sure thing. Moose had always been the main attraction for me and many others who visit there.

Even so, the area has retained a special place in my heart, and I often long to be there. I just wish I could teleport there with my truck, canoe and camping equipment.

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Warblers up north

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Canada warbler in Pittsburg, NH, June 2025.

Here are a few warblers I saw on my trip up north. Previously, I had posted photos of loons and an eagle. Canada warblers and magnolia warblers are similar looking with their bright yellow chests and bellies streaked with black. There some obvious differences, such as the eyes. Canada warblers have an obvious eye ring, while magnolia warblers have a black mask with less obvious broken eye ring.

Photo by Chris Bosak A magnolia warbler in Pittsburg, NH, June 2025.
Photo by Chris Bosak A Canada warbler in Pittsburg, NH, June 2025.

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.

Singing in the Spring: Blue-winged warbler

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Photo by Chris Bosak A blue-winged warbler sings in New England, spring 2025.

Here is the latest photo in the Singing in the Spring series: the blue-winged warbler. One of my favorite warblers, blue-winged warblers arrived back in New England over the last two weeks. They nest in New England and have a song that sounds more insect-like than bird-like.

Singing in the spring: Black-and-white warbler

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Photo by Chris Bosak – A black-and-white warbler sings in New England, spring 2025.

Black-and-white warblers sound like squeaky wheels when they sing. Their song can be ubiquitous in the New England woods depending on the time of year.

For the Birds: A not-so-good first of the year

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Photo by Chris Bosak Yellow-rumped Warbler at Selleck's Woods in Darien, Conn., April 2014.
Photo by Chris Bosak Yellow-rumped warblers are one of the first warbler species to arrive in New England in the spring.

Birdwatching firsts are usually good things.

A new birdwatcher sees a scarlet tanager for the first time. The first warblers show up in the spring. An evening grosbeak visits a feeder for the first time. (I’m still waiting for that one, by the way.) Witnessing a unique behavior, like an eagle harassing an osprey into dropping a fish, for the first time is always a thrill.

But not all firsts are cause for celebration. Some firsts are best avoided if at all possible. I was reminded of this last week when I woke up and found this year’s first deer tick embedded in my thigh.

I should have known better, of course. But there I was tromping through waist-high grass trying to get a better look at a swamp sparrow. It will be okay, I thought, it’s still early in the season, and it hasn’t really warmed up yet. Every year, it takes this lesson for me to realize that ticks emerge before I think they will.

I returned to the car after my unsuccessful attempt to close in on the swamp sparrow. As I sat down and got ready to turn the key, I noticed a deer tick on my pants, its tiny black-and-red body slowly crawling as it searched for a way to get to my blood.

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Palm warbler kind of spring

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Photo by Chris Bosak – A palm warbler passing through southern New England, April 2025.

Palm warblers have been by far the most visible spring migrants on my walks lately. Along with pine warblers and yellow-rumped warblers, palm warblers are one of the earliest returning warblers to New England. If you see a small yellow bird pumping its tail constantly, it’s probably a palm warbler.

Photo by Chris Bosak – A palm warblers passing through southern New England, April 2025.

For the Birds: Warblers come early

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Photo by Chris Bosak A pine warbler seen March 31, 2025, at Huntington State Park in Redding, Connecticut.

It’s an early start to the warbler season for me.

I was walking at my usual patch on March 31 when I heard a familiar trill-like song from the top of a tall white pine. A fast-paced trilling usually means it is a junco, chipping sparrow, or pine warbler. All three of these birds are in New England now, so unless you are an expert at identifying birds by song, it is best to find the bird and get visual confirmation.

Like most warblers, pine warblers do not sit still for very long, so it took only a few seconds of searching to find the tiny bird moving among the branches. It was indeed a pine warbler, a mostly yellow bird with white wing bars on gray wings.

Pine warblers are always the first, or at least one of the first, warblers to show up in New England each spring. I usually do not find them until a few days into April, but this year, my first warbler sighting came on the last day of March.

Coincidentally, I saw my first chipping sparrow of the spring last week as well. Yes, spring migration is underway.

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A few more early warblers

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Photo by Chris Bosak Palm warbler in New England, April 2025.

My first warbler (a pine warbler) showed up on March 31. Here are numbers two and three for the year: yellow-rumped warbler and palm warbler, both seen today (Friday, April 11, 2025). More to come in the weeks ahead!

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Early start to warbler season

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Photo by Chris Bosak A pine warbler seen March 31, 2025, at Huntington State Park in Redding, Connecticut.

Pine warblers and palm warblers are typically the earliest warblers to arrive in New England in the spring. This year, the pines showed earlier than usual (at least in my estimation.) I found at least two pine warblers yesterday (March 31, 2025) at Huntington State Park in southern Connecticut. Here’s hoping the rest of the spring migration is as good.

Drop me a line and let me know what you’re seeing out there.

Photo by Chris Bosak A pine warbler seen March 31, 2025, at Huntington State Park in Redding, Connecticut.
Photo by Chris Bosak A pine warbler seen March 31, 2025, at Huntington State Park in Redding, Connecticut.