Thursday 5 May 2011

American Wood Warblers are very lovely

There is something about Wood Warblers, I just can't put my finger on it..... Mrs L and I have just returned from a brief trip to New York. In summary, she went shopping and did cultural stuff, and I went birding. Although there were lots of birds, the main draw at this time of year is the spring migration of the Wood Warblers in all their finery. Where Scilly disappointed two years ago, with a total lack of American passerines, New York delivered in spades. For all those of you yearning to see Hermit Thrushes and the like, rather than scour far-flung specks of land like Tiree and Coll, just go to the US. It's probably going to be cheaper, and the food is better too.

Most of them stay very high up in the trees, leading to a condition amongst birders commonly known as Warbler-neck, as you're craning your neck essentially straight up. A few however can be found lower down, and they all have to come down to drink. And sometimes you just get lucky...

In order, Canada Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler and Chestnut-sided Warbler. All lovely.








 

The full list of Wood Warblers that I saw in the middle of the urban sprawl of New York City in a mere two days is below, and I missed at least eight other species that were there. What are you doing this weekend? Book your ticket now.

Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Black and White Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Ovenbird
Canada Warbler


8 comments:

  1. [from Alex Massey, whose comment I managed to delete....]

    "Hi Jono,
    Great shots of some choice warblers there - they look so exotic compared to some of our regulars. Did you get to any other sites, or did you stick to Central Park? If so, did you see the Red-headed Woodpecker or the Varied Thrush?"

    [and my answer....]

    "No, and unfortunately, no!"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely photos Jonathan, know what you mean about warbler neck, think you may have done slightly better than me in Georgia and California. Most of the migrants I saw a few hundred metres from our friends house north of Atlanta and they go something like this: Nashville Warbler
    Nashville Warbler
    Tennessee Warbler (heard)
    Northern Parula
    Chestnut-sided Warbler
    Cape May Warbler
    Blackburnian Warbler
    Bay-breasted Warbler
    Black-throated Blue Warbler
    Black-throated Green Warbler
    Blackpoll Warbler
    Pine Warbler (resident)
    Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
    Palm Warbler
    Orange-crowned Warbler
    Prairie Warbler
    Yellow-throated Warbler
    Black and White Warbler
    American Redstart
    Prothonotary Warbler
    Common Yellowthroat
    Louisiana Waterthrush
    Canada Warbler
    Hooded Warbler
    Kentucky Warbler (heard)
    Yellow-breasted Chat
    and in addition in California:
    Black-throated Gray Warbler
    Townsend's Warbler
    Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's race)

    Such an enjoyable time!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wasn't trying to cheat by adding Nashville W twice!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well if we are doing lists, I saw:
    Palm Warbler
    Black and White Warbler
    Yellow-rumped ("Myrtle") Warbler
    Er, that's it (I only had an hour in Central Park).
    I did see the Woody though, but not the Thrush.
    Feel free to delete this comment if you don't like it...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, everybody please list all the Wood Warblers they have recently seen. Bradders?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Recent visits to Beer Head have been disappointingly thin on the American Wood Warbler front. Ummmm...no, can't think of any at all. Sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely photos!

    Ok then, Yellow-throated Warbler, San Antonio, Socorro, NM at New Year just past.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I saw a wood warbler at Galley back in April - patch tick so it was - do I win 5 pounds?

    What did you do with de kids while you were away? The cupboard under the stairs again, was it?

    ReplyDelete