What happens to vagrant warblers at Point Reyes and other migrant traps that jut southward into the open Pacific? Do most of them manage to redirect themselves back to the coast and make their way south in the morning? Or does their misorientation lead many of them to a watery death far out at sea, unless they should choose to winter on the mainland?

Good question, Joshua, as now is the prime time to see vagrant (accidental arrival) warblers at the Outer Point within Pt. Reyes National Seashore, Marin Co., CA.

Given this is a venue to which I often guide birders that enjoy a foray with me, the best time to see vagrants is now and through October. (The typical range of seeing so-called East Coast & Midwestern warblers out of range and as vagrants on the West Coast at the Outer Point is, generally, August - October (though the peak weeks tend to be mid-September through mid-October, varying by year).

In any event, to answer the gentleman's question from above....

I bow to several resources as evidence for the answer:

The majority of warblers meet a sad fate after you see them at the Outer Point area:
Neverland is their destiny, given they often keep flying over the ocean.
Their R.I.P. epitaph is simply a tuckered and tired path to oblivion. Sad, as I wrote.

Rich Stallcup, bless our passed ornithological mentor and bellweather pioneer in myriad ways,
often posited the above note about the sad death of warblers after they hang out temporarily at the Outer Point (most noticeably amid Monterey Cypress trees that offer shelter and food resources amid the dairy/ag farms dominating the Outer Point landscape).

More details to follow, if you wish to check back.

Meanwhile, it's birding in WI today: the goal is migrating warblers, of course....but, also, a change of taxon: Nelson's Sparrow has been hanging out at Lake Barney near Madison, so I'm a sleuth with some friends. Wish us luck on our foray.

Regards, Daniel

warblerwatch.com

Warbler Photo Quiz: 3 Easy Ones & 1 More Challenging Photo. . .

. . . & good day. . . & who wishes to vote on the ID of the following four wood-warbler photos, BELOW?

(See right column where you can vote far into 2016, so feel free to please Share & Tell this quiz with your birding friends....Thank you in advance, Daniel Edelstein, Birding Guide
warblerwatch.com)

(Other photo quizzes are present here if you type "quiz" in the "search box" on the right side after scrolling down....or you can type in any other warbler topic of interest to find it among the 8 years of warbler content present here.)

(Photos courtesy of Martin Meyers.)