Spring Warblers at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land

I couldn't stay away.  Even though it wasn't very sunny this morning, I had to check out BHCL.  Today, the warblers were in the apple trees closest to the wetlands.  I concentrated on the one apple tree closest to the trail (electric fencing for the Belties blocks the access).  Birds in this tree included:

Black-Capped Chickadee
Chestnut-Sided Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Magnolia Warbler
Red-Winged Blackbird
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow (chased away the Chestnut-Sided Warbler - bad sparrow!)
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Also heard my first Prairie Warbler at BHCL on my way out.

WOW.  What fun!

Magnolia Warbler (male)

(take your breath away beautiful!)

This bird winters in Central America and may fly as far as Canada before breeding.   They are impressive long-distance flying creatures!

again

and again!

Yellow Warbler

(sweet!)

This bird also winters in Central America and as far south as northern South America.  It has a much broader breeding range of almost the entire US (except for some southern states) all the way to northern Canada.

Magnolia Warbler (female)

again

Common Yellowthroat

This bird winters in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America and has a breeding range across much of the US and Canada.

Chestnut-Sided Warbler (life bird!)

This bird winters in the Caribbean and Central American and breeds from Pennsylvania north into parts of Canada.  It appears to stay east of the Rockies during breeding season.

All of these warblers are a temporary treat during spring migration and get many birders out of bed early.  There are many other varieties I have not yet seen.  The spring migration period can be very addictive and can cause some serious neck strain!  Luckily, at BHCL, the apple trees are shorter and it's not as hard to enjoy the warblers!  Also, the trail in the back, along the thicket line, looks down on some of the trees, so you are a bit closer to eye level to some of the birds.

and a bunny!

Nothing left but a memory of the pole barn now.

I had a new yard bird today, when a couple of American Redstarts sang in the tree out front.

For my lunch break, I thought I'd switch my attention to butterflies and walked the Sherborn Power Line trail for about half an hour.

Gray Hairstreak

Eastern Pine Elfin

Here's a sight I haven't seen before at the power lines.  What the heck happened here?

Bird's Foot Violets

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle

I went back to BHCL for a short evening hike.  It was much quieter than this morning!

Baltimore Oriole (female)

Red-Winged Blackbird

Baltimore Oriole (male)