Summer Wood Warblers

I did get to see a few warblers two weeks ago when we were up at Hasty Brook. There were a few yellow-rumped warblers mostly hunting insects among the thick beaked hazelnut bushes. I did take a walk along the path down on the creek level. I covered myself in DEET, put on a cap and headed down the steps. The first thing I noticed was that there was NO breeze. No air moving at all. Within seconds the mosquitoes were everywhere. If I opened my mouth they'd fly in. They were in my ears and behind my glasses. I stayed long enough to quickly scan the trees. I got several good looks at a golden-winged warbler but the branches were too thick and my camera couldn't autofocus on anything. I'm too slow at manual focus on my Canon- that's yet another thing I need to work on. It's a very birdy area down there but the bugs beat me down in very little time so I scrambled back up the steps.Back up in the breeze it didn't take me long to locate this pretty male chestnut-sided warbler. He stayed in the branches over my head, darting in and out of the shadows.
He seemed quite pleased with his beautiful self and sang for all the world to enjoy.

I did pick up on another familiar warbler song but just couldn't get my eyes on the singer. I got out my Birdjam and played the song just to confirm the song id. In a flash the singer got louder. I played the song one more time and the singer called back, this time I saw a flash of yellow down low in the brush around a birch at the edge of the clearing. I was alternating between my binoculars and camera. I'd get a glimpse of yellow, bring my camera up- nothing. Finally I got a good enough look to confirm the common yellowthroat but he just wouldn't stay out of the brush long enough for a photo. He'd pop out of the dense brush just long enough to take a look around then he'd dive back down out of sight. You can see the little speck of yellow in the brush above.

I zoomed to the spot where he would pop out and waited. Snap! Got him!

I tried out my mad pishing skilz and VOILA! The (not-so-)common yellowthroat!

So pretty and worth the wait.

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I've added a new section on my sidebar. There is a group of us (bird bloggers) going to the New River Birding and Nature Festival April 27-May 2, 2009 in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Julie Zickefoose describes her time at last year's festival here, here,and here. Mary from Mary's View tossed the idea of attending out there a while back. Mary's idea took on a life of it's own and now we are eight bird bloggers renting a cabin in the mountains of West Virginia! Some of us will attend for the whole week, some for half. It is guaranteed to be a good time. Good birding, lots of laughter and fun will fill my week. I am most excited to meet face-to-face many friends that I have "known" through blogging for the two plus years I've been at it. I'll be able to add to my Blogger Life List !

Check out the New River Birding and Nature Festival website. They have the 2009 festival information up. Think about joining us. There are all sorts of accommodations: hotels, cabins campgrounds. Read Katdoc's posts here and here. She attended the festival last year and recommends it highly.