Bad feather day??

I saw several yellow warblers again today. They are usually early migrants, so I expect it won't be long before they'll be departing. This young one was obviously doing some grooming when I caught it.

Yellow on purple

The strong winds of Sunday and Monday bent over the common reed (phragmites) at the marsh. Yesterday both American goldfinches and yellow warblers were feeding in the reeds, which I haven't seen before. Perhaps the bent over stems were easier to perch on.

Sleight-of-beak

The yellow warblers are still here, although they will be on their way before long. This male was foraging in the wooded area of the trail this morning. In the top photo, if you look at the top left, you will see a damselfly clinging to a grass head. The bottom shot was taken just a split-second later - the bird had picked the damselfly off that quickly.

Late bloomer

This little fellow is too cute for words. I happened upon him yesterday morning, along with one of his parents, moving about in some shrubs. It's obvious that he hasn't been out of the nest for very long since he still has some of his baby feathers, which I take to mean he came from a late brood for yellow warblers.

Varying their diet?

Sorry, I'm getting behind in my blog postings. On Monday the 25th, several yellow warblers were flitting about the gray birches that border the trail, and occasionally moving over to the grasses by the water's edge. I caught this male on a stalk of wool-grass, which seems to be of interest to the warblers. I know they are primarily insect eaters (especially caterpillars), with the occasional berry thrown in, but didn't think they were interested in seeds. Perhaps there is some insect that frequents the wool-grass that they are after.

Shedding his baby feathers

I happened to spot this juvenile male yellow warbler this morning. He's obviously molting into his adult garb.

Early migrator

I caught this yellow warbler gleaning from a cattail stalk this morning. These birds don't linger long after breeding is completed, apparently, making migrating moves as early as July.

Delivering breakfast

I encountered these yellow warblers just as I entered the trail this morning. I was focusing on the male at the top (with a caterpiller in its beak, and didn't even notice the bird at the bottom until later (the tall grasses were hiding it). I'm not sure if its the female, or if its a juvenile, asking to be fed. I added a poster edges filter to the shot to sharpen it.

That's a mouthful

There were several yellow warblers flitting about the gray birches when I walked the trail this morning. I patiently waited for one of them to hold still long enough for me to get a decent shot, and was finally rewarded. As you can see, this one's beak was stuffed with insects (crane flies maybe??). It's a good thing that yellow warblers don't seem to be declining in numbers, as they play a big role in keeping harmful pest populations under control. Midges, mosquitoes, and insect larvae are favored diet items.

Poised on one foot

The yellow warblers are still much in evidence at the marsh - although they seem to be the only warblers around at the moment. This female was flitting about among the gray birches alongside the trail this morning. She may have a nest close by. Fortunately, the yellow warbler is one of the few wood warblers that hasn't experienced significant decline in numbers in recent years.

Leading me astray?

As I walked the portion of the trail yesterday between the marsh and the old train station, this female yellow warbler flew right in front of me and landed in a bush. It proceeded to move around the bush, across the trail to a tree, and back again. I took several shots, and when I got them into my editing program, noticed that she had what appears to be the web-like remains of a larval cocoon in her beak - either that or a spider, web and all. I suspect she may have been bringing lunch home to her nestlings nearby, and was attempting to distract me. If so, she succeeded.

Stopped for a scratch

The female Yellow Warblers have arrived at the marsh (apparently they arrive a little later than the males). The yellows are difficult to 'shoot', as they are very small, and are constantly moving from one branch to another, or one tree to another. This female happened to have an itch, so held still long enough for me to get this sweet shot.

Another spot of yellow

The yellow warblers have returned to the marsh. It's a delight to hear their cheerful sweet, sweet, sweet song as they flit among the trees, or Cyd, Cyd, Cyd Charisse, as I liken it to. This male was singing his heart out yesterday, as he moved from one branch to another. Apparently the males precede the females by a week or two, and immediately begin their territorial singing. So I guess this fellow was doing what comes naturally.

Soon to leave

There are still a number of songbirds around the marsh, although their numbers will gradually decrease as the days go by. I do wonder what effect the approaching hurricane will have on the birds. Apparently birds are sensitive to changes in atmospheric pressure, which enables them to sense when a storm is coming. They then try to fly out of the storm's path or seek shelter.

I was able to catch this young Yellow Warbler (at least I'm pretty sure that's what it is) in a gray birch this morning. These warblers winter in the Bahamas, Mexico and South America, so this bird has a long flight coming up.

Sunny warbler

The Yellow Warblers are still in evidence at the marsh, busily seeking out insects among the trees. I caught this bright-eyed little bundle of energy in an English Oak this morning. I like the complement of the multi-colored leaves to the composition.

Bashful bird

It was relatively quiet on the water this overcast morning at the marsh. However, there were plenty of birds flying about in the shrubs and the trees. The challenge was to entice them out to get a half-decent photo. My usual tried - and sometimes true - method is to make a kissing sound, and then just wait - and wait - and wait some more. It paid off this morning, sort of, when this Yellow Warbler peeked out of a Glossy Buckthorn bush. There were a number of them flitting around inside the mass of shrubbery, but they resisted coming out into the open.

"Yellow bird..."

It was a bit overwhelming at the marsh this morning. There was so much going on I had to be selective with my picture-taking. Yellow Warblers were everywhere it seemed; there were several in and around a hawthorn tree beside the trail, including this one.

Brunch on the wing

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Just before entering the wooded section of the trail is a clump of willows. I have seen a pair of Yellow Warblers there a number of times, so I suspected they were nesting there. This morning I spied this male with a mouthful of tasty treats for a youngster who was probably nearby.

Of Yellow Warblers

This morning as I was attempting to get a shot of a bee on a multiflora rose blossom, I noticed something fall through the leaves of a tree next to the rose bush. I immediately started hearing chipping sounds from a bird in the tree, and then from another bird which appeared. It was a pair of Yellow Warblers, and what had fallen was one of their young, which did a little peeping and then was silent (I got a glimpse of some yellow feathers at ground level). Mom and dad fluttered about between their willow tree and a gray birch across the path and continued to 'chip' away at me until I moved on (not before getting a few shots in, though). The male is the one with the heavily streaked breast above; the other is the female.

I made up my own 'translation' of this warbler's song -- to me it sounds like "Cyd, Cyd, Cyd Charisse". (Of course, probably only people as old as I am would recognize the name of that one-time dance partner of Fred Astaire . . .) Anyway, this sweet song is heard all around the marsh.