Bay-breasted Warblers
We are getting to the end of the spring migration season, and as hard as that is to believe our later arriving species are trickling through as many of the species that arrived earlier are getting down to nesting. One of my favorite passing migrants is the Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea), a large and gorgeous species that I believe seems more rare than it is. Bay-breasted Warblers start passing through the region as most of the other spring birds are peaking. These birds remain mostly high in the canopy – above eye-level and out of sight behind recently emerged leaves, and...
Read MoreTennessee Warbler sightings and numbers
The Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) is probably one of those migrants you’re glad to find in either the spring or the fall. It is most often an uncommon treat for the U.S. or Canadian birder as a species that breeds in the boreal forest and can readily blend into the background. Looking at my last five years of eBirding I see only 14 records and half of those came from the last fall season here in and around Chautauqua County, New York. All of the records were of one or two individuals. Suffice it to say it is a tough spot here but this is currently not the case in Costa...
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