OMG! Warblers in our Backyard!

First View

During Warbler season, lots of birders go out with their big lenses on cameras, and post all sorts of beautiful, sharply focused photos of these brightly colored little birds. Must be easy, right? NO WAY, as my grandchildren say. Let me tell you what it's really like. It rained often during the night, and for several more hours in the morning, so when the sun came out, we decided to go birding at Cherokee Park, lured by reports of unusual warblers to be found there. Dick forgot his phone, and while he went back in the house, I looked around for a bird whose call I didn't recognize. And I saw the bird above. Now this is the usual view you get of a warbler--far above your head, and all you see is the underside of the tail or its back. But I take the photo anyway, since something is better than nothing.

Second View

OK, here is the second view. It's on the same branch, and I could zoom in a bit without losing it. Focus isn't the best, but again, something is better than nothing. I think I see something chestnut in color by the wings. Looks interesting.

Third View

Come on bird, turn around so I can see your front! He turns a bit more---please, please, let it be...

Chestnut-sided Warbler

YES! Triumph! It's a Chestnut-sided Warbler in MY YARD! Last time I saw one of these was on the boardwalk at Magee Marsh in Ohio. This is a life bird for my backyard.

First View

They must be happy that it stopped raining. All kinds of birds are hopping around in the big oak tree. Here's another one, and I see his throat first. Dick, Holy Cow! I think we have a...

Blackburnian Warbler

The Blackburnian is probably my favorite warbler. At a bird festival in West Virginia one year, it rained the whole blessed time we were there. But ONE morning, the sun peeped through the clouds to light up the orange throat of this little bird and make it look like it was on fire.

Blackburnian Warbler peek-a-boo

Don't ask me where they get these strange names for these birds. Lots of times, they were named for another ornithologist, or the place they were first seen back in the early 1800's. You just have to learn the names, what they look like and how they sound. Most of them are just passing through to their northern breeding grounds. WooHoo! Another life bird for our backyard!

Warbler in LOTS of leaves

This is also a common warbler view. Your eyes find the bird when it moves, and you try to mark the branch structure where it appeared, or the clump of leaves, but branches and leaves look so much alike. Then you try to focus on it with binoculars. Not an easy task, believe me! OK, this one has black and yellow and white, common colors for warblers.

Warbler in lots of leaves, front view

OK, now he's turned around so we can see his belly. This is progress. I see a yellow belly, and black stripes down the sides of it. I need to look at a field guide, but can't put the camera/binoculars down to check on it. Just keep looking and taking pictures...

Magnolia Warbler

 Even though he's partially hidden in the leaves, I can now see a white eyebrow, and the black stripes go all the way down his belly to his tail. And I can see a glimpse of white wing bars. We can't see the black necklace under his throat, but it's the Magnolia Warbler - another life bird for the back yard. Three in one day! I have never seen warblers in the yard before. Are the migration conditions changing? Remember, I saw the Rose Breasted Grosbeak and Ovenbird (also a warbler) a few weeks ago. Or am I simply paying more attention in my retirement/COVID stay home condition? I'll keep watching. No Orioles at the feeder I bought for them yet. But there is always hope!