Birds

Wood-Warblers During Spring Migration

May 14, 2011 by Corey 3 Comments

This is, simply enough, a gallery of wood-warblers that have cooperated and stayed still long enough for pictures to be taken this spring.  Some of these shots are not the most gorgeous of images but they were all taken this spring, which means that sometimes I had to take what I could get.  Wood-warbler photography can be difficult and every time I get a good image I get giddy but most of the time I just get frustrated.

These shots were taken in a couple of ways – my digiscoping rig and a 75-300mm lens – but always with my Canon EOS50D.  I hope you like them!  Most have a larger version for your viewing pleasure if you click on them.  I hope you’ve seen as many birds this spring as I have.

American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla

Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica

Yellow-rumped “Myrtle” Warbler Dendroica coronata

“Yellow” Palm Warbler Dendroica palmarum

Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia

Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens

from left to right, a Northern Parula Parula americana, Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea, and a Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorus

Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus

Cape May Warbler Dendroica tigrina

I hope you enjoyed these shots and have been inspired to go searching for your own wood-warblers during what is left of spring!

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This week, 8 May – 14 May 2011, is Wood-Warbler Week on 10,000 Birds!  Though wood-warblers, the mostly brightly colored birds of the family Parulidae, are only found in the New World we felt that birders the world over would be pleased to see a plethora of posts about these striking and sought after species.  We are devoting a whole week to wood-warblers but are only just barely scratching the surface of possible topics involving this amazing family of birds.

Right now great flocks of wood-warblers are making their way north from the southern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America to breed across the United States and Canada.  Many other non-migratory wood-warbler species are living their lives across the neotropics, doing their best to survive and pass on their genes. Wood-Warbler Week is a celebration of all wood-warblers and we hope you join us in celebrating these absolutely wonderful birds.  Read about them here but also get out and experience them.  You won’t regret it!

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Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.