This Warbler doesn't live in Connecticut

I've been trying to find a Connecticut Warbler for many falls now. This funny warbler doesn't migrate through NJ in the spring. Instead, it prefers to migrate more in the interior of the US, just east of the plains. The fall is a different story. It migrates along the coast towards in South American wintering grounds. This notorious skulker usually appears in small numbers at places like Sandy Hook and Garrett Mountain. It seems that in the last week, there have been an abundance of Connecticut Warblers in NJ (or "possible" sightings as some would argue - not me).

I had my once-a-month volunteer duty at the Sandy Hook Bird Observatory (aka the book store) yesterday. Lucky for me, 4(!) Connecticuts had been seen there on Saturday. Woo-hoo! I woke up early Sunday, hoping at least one had stuck around. I ran into some friends who had the same thoughts. In fact, there were a ton of birders around. I think we all had similar thoughts. My friends had seen about 15 species of warbler by the time I got there, but no CT. We birded around for a while and we found an uncommon Yellow-bellied Flycatcher which was nice. We found several other species of warblers, but no luck on the skulker yet. I ran into my buddy Pete (who runs SHBO) and his lady friend. They too were in search of the CT Warbler. Unfortunately, my 10:00 volunteer starting time quickly approached and I was off to the book store one warbler short. I had searched every spot they were sign previously, but no luck! There were fleeting reports from other birders, but my morning was done.

The store was hopping and I made a bunch of sales and had some nice conversations. Around 11:30, a fellow birder called to report a confirmed Connecticut on a trail we had previously checked. D'oh! I'd have to wait until 3:00 and then get EXTREMELEY lucky to find the bird on the mosquito-ridden trail where it had been found. Ugh.

At lunchtime, the friends who had found the CT showed up for lunch at the center. We chatted for a moment and then I tended to some customers. A bit later I went to grab my lunch. I noticed that my friends were now standing outside staring at a small pine tree next to the building (actually, the ONLY tree next to the building). I walked to the backdoor and opened it. "THERE'S A CONNECTICUT WARBLER HERE!" shouted one of the birders. Now, you've never seen birders move this fast in your life. I bolted for my bins and the three customers and I ran out the door.

The bird had been flushed into a high patch of grass on the lawn next to the building. As we approached, it took off and landed low in a sycamore tree for us all to get amazing looks! We saw all of the field marks, especially that bold white eyering and dark gray hood. This was an adult bird. Everyone was so elated. It was just amazing that this bird appeared right next to the center. What a yard bird! The bird flew off into the distance never to be seen by our eyes again. It was one of my more memorable birding moments (and I didn't have to go out to the trail at 3:00!).