Very early on in my visit to Deer Hill Wildlife Management Area on May 6, 2026, I could hear the call of a Blue-winged Warbler. Having visited this location many times in the past, this struck me as peculiar because this particular location at Deer Hill was not one where I had seen a Blue-winged before. Still, it was persistent and Merlin was confirming what I was hearing, which was the call of a Blue-winged Warbler. When I finally saw it, however, I could see a black throat. At first, I thought it was a different warbler, but I saw it call and the call of the Blue-winged Warbler was what was heard. It had all of the markings of a Blue-winged Warbler, but the black throat was throwing me for a loop. Having never seen a Lawrence’s before, I took some pictures and planned to do more research when I got home. It wasn’t until later in the morning when another birder asked me if I had seen the Lawrence’s when I learned that what I was hearing and seeing was in fact, the Lawrence’s Warbler. I returned to Deer Hill several times and each time the Lawrence’s was flittering among the lower trees of the canopy, flying from one branch to another, proudly singing away.
This beautiful photo by Tony Baldasaro on 5-27-2026 at Brentwood, NH shows the overall yellow body and bluish wings of the Blue-winged Warbler but has the dark throat and dark eye mask of the Golden-winged Warbler. This Lawrence’s Warbler is one of the well-known hybrids of these two warblers.
Editor’s Note: The birding community was very glad that this bird stayed at Deer Hill Wildlife Management Area for almost three weeks so that many could view it there, and over 60 sightings were reported to eBird during that time.
Enjoy this field note? Check out other field notes from Spring 2026!
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Kurk Dorsey
- Broad-winged Hawks on a Yard Layover by Kathy Carson
- American Herring Gull Eats a Snake by Kathryn Frieden
- Season of the Ticks by Cameron Johnson
- Orchard Oriole in Coos County—Again! by Lori Charron
- The Little White Bird by Cameron Johnson
- Painted Bunting—a Random Rare Sighting by Rebecca Elliott
- Short-billed Dowitchers in Dummer by Janice Landry
Want even more? Visit our “From the Field” page.