Warbler Guy, why is it so challenging to find warblers now? Are warblers absent already?

Ned (in New York), there's good reasons why the forest seems devoid of wood-warblers this time of the year.

(Above, a molting non-warbler species)

One, many nesters have already completed their cycle, so their fledged newborns have dispersed. The adults themselves have done likewise, with some already migrating south.

Two, many songbirds molt before migrating south, so, because they are vulnerable while their new feathers grow, they remain out of view and less easy to spot.

Of course, some wood-warbler species are already in full southward migration, including such species as Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow Warbler, and Tennessee Warbler — among others.