Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)


February 4th, 2015. I went for a ride today. It was cloudy and cold but… I had a pleasant surprise as I was approaching an intersection. I spotted a Pine Warbler hunting food on the shoulder near the pavement. It took a few seconds to recognize it. This was the first time I’d seen one ‘in the wild’ and it didn’t seem over-concerned at my presence. 

I stopped and it flew up into a nearby branch. By the time I got my camera ready it was gone. But then I spotted it back on the ground again. Before I could take a photo, it had flown back into the branches again and, then, it flew back behind me. I could have turned around and tried to find it again. But since it was in a very shady area, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get a good photo. Sighting it did lift my spirits and let me forget my cold toes for a while.


I thought I’d share a couple of photos I took of a Pine Warbler at our feeders last Winter. (It hasn’t been cold enough for them to be regulars at our bird feeders this year). You can probably appreciate why I was excited to see one today.

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2 comments:

Ellen Honeycutt said...

Love these bright little guys. They are like a little ray of sunshine. Thanks for sharing your find and the great pictures.

JSK said...

Yes, I look forward to seeing them too. While I've enjoyed the warmer-than-usual winter this year, I've missed seeing these little guys.