Mourning Warblers in May ’22

This was a very good spring for Mourning Warblers in the Milwaukee area. Whitnall Park produced several along the creek corridor at Wehr as well as other places along the creek in the park. This is almost a guarantee every year, so if you miss out on the Mourning Warblers, check Whitnall any time after the May 10th. It’s also the best place to photograph them, as they are within 25′ of you at most times, foraging on the opposite side of the creek. They can be quite skittish, so be patient and avoid a lot of movement. This year however, my best views came at Warnimont Park, when I found one hopping around the pine trees near the 4-way intersection, on the NW corner of the archery range. I was walking with a friend over to the pines and it jumped out right in front of us, paying no attention just feeding in the grass. I was like, “woah, a Mourning Warbler!” So, we sat on the ground and watched it for about 25 minutes. It came so close to us at one point, that it was too close to focus on. My minimum focus distance is just over 14′. It was feeding the same way the Kentucky Warbler was at Sheridan Park, hopping in and out of the evergreens. I was also lucky enough to see two females this year, one at Lake Park and the other at Grant Park. The female has a broken eye ring and pale throat. Photos below are from the last few weeks at various Milwaukee County Parks. Enjoy!