First week of May, 5-8-22

May 08, 2022  •  Leave a Comment

Happy Mother's Day!

How about some warblers to help celebrate?

 

5-1-22 Yellow Warbler5-1-22 Yellow Warbler

4-30-22 Yellow Warbler4-30-22 Yellow Warbler 4-30-22 Yellow Warbler with a caterpillar!4-30-22 Yellow Warbler with a caterpillar!

 

"Sweet, sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet!" There have been Yellow Warblers here almost every day since 4-22-22, Earth Day! Some years we don't see them at all. 

  4-29-22 Pine Warbler4-29-22 Pine Warbler 4-30-22 Pine Warbler4-30-22 Pine Warbler

 

An unusual sighting is this Pine Warbler that was here for several days. It is a rare but regular migrant through the St. Louis area during the last two weeks of April and first few days of May. There is a wintering population in shortleaf pine stands in the southern part of Missouri. 

 

4-28-22 Blackpoll Warbler4-28-22 Blackpoll Warbler 5-1-22 Blackpoll Warbler female5-1-22 Blackpoll Warbler female

 

Blackpoll Warblers! Orange legs are diagnostic for the species. Male is in first photo, and the most beautiful female I've ever seen in the second.  It's important to see this species in the spring because there are very few records of them in the fall. In fact, we have the third record of a fall sighting for the state. 

 

4-29-22 Chestnut-sided Warbler4-29-22 Chestnut-sided Warbler 4-29-22 Chestnut-sided Warbler4-29-22 Chestnut-sided Warbler

 

Chestnut-sided Warblers have been heard calling, "Pleased, pleased, pleased to meet 'ya!"

 

4-30-22 Blue-winged Warbler4-30-22 Blue-winged Warbler 4-30-22 Blue-winged Warbler4-30-22 Blue-winged Warbler

 

Blue-winged Warblers! "Bee-buzz!" What a beauty to be blowing raspberries, but that is just what it sounds like.

 

5-2-22 Golden-winged Warbler5-2-22 Golden-winged Warbler 5-1-22 Golden-winged Warbler5-1-22 Golden-winged Warbler 5-1-22 Golden-winged Warbler5-1-22 Golden-winged Warbler
 

"Zee-bee-bee-bee bee!" sings the Golden-winged Warbler, the bird of highest conservation concern that we've seen here.

 

5-1-22 Northern Parula5-1-22 Northern Parula 5-2-22 Northern Parula5-2-22 Northern Parula 5-2-22 Northern Parula5-2-22 Northern Parula

 

"Zeeee-up!" The diminutive Northern Parula can easily be heard, not always easily seen. It took years to coax them down to the bubbler.

 

4-30-22 Black-and-white Warbler4-30-22 Black-and-white Warbler 4-30-22 Black-and-white Warbler4-30-22 Black-and-white Warbler 4-30-22 Black-and-white Warbler4-30-22 Black-and-white Warbler

 

"Weesee, weesee, weesee, weesee, weesee." The Black-and-white Warbler has a repetitive, rhythmic squeaky song. 

 

5-3-22 FOY Magnolia Warbler5-3-22 FOY Magnolia Warbler 5-3-22 FOY Magnolia Warbler, "tail dipped in ink"5-3-22 FOY Magnolia Warbler, "tail dipped in ink" 5-3-22 FOY Magnolia Warbler5-3-22 FOY Magnolia Warbler

 

The brilliant Magnolia Warbler sings, "Weeta-weeta-weetsee". Its tail looks like it's dipped in ink and like no other warbler's.

 

4-29-22 Northern Waterthrush4-29-22 Northern Waterthrush 4-29-22 Northern Waterthrush4-29-22 Northern Waterthrush

 

The Northern Waterthrush loves the still waters of the swampy thicket. It has a loud metallic "chink" call, and sings, "Sweet sweet sweet swee wee wee chew chew chew." 

 

5-1-22 Black-throated Green Warbler5-1-22 Black-throated Green Warbler
5-1-22 Black-throated Green Warbler5-1-22 Black-throated Green Warbler 5-1-22 Black-throated Green Warbler5-1-22 Black-throated Green Warbler

 

The Black-throated Green Warbler has two songs, "zee-zee-zee-zee-zoozee!" and "zee-zee-zoo-zoo-zee." It's fun to hear all these songs tumbling on top of one another. In May, it is challenging to keep up with all the activity! 

 

Birds will be tumbling in now, in even greater numbers. Here's the forecast:   http://birdcast.info/

 

For all the birds since the last post:  Birds beginning 5-28-22

 

Just warblers, you say?   Warblers

 

 

Enjoy the miracle of migration!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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