Golden-winged, Blue-winged & Brewster’s Warblers in May ’22

Jeremy6 Comments

These warblers are spectacular when seen in the field, especially the male GWWA with his strong face pattern. I usually have the GWWA warblers feeding on the ground, picking through dried curled up leaves, looking for spiders. This year was no different. Warnimont Park is my favorite to find them doing this, in particular behind the archery range, just north of the golf parking lot. If you don’t see them on the ground, their song is quite easy to pick out, seee-bzzz, bzzz, bzzz, which is quite loud and easy to track down. on 5/11, I had 9 of them at Warnimont Park. The BWWA is usually higher up in the trees, but I also have them feeding on or near the ground as well, similar to the GWWA. This spring I was lucky enough to have a BWWA come down right in front of me and take a bath in the creek at Whitnall Park. Splashed around a bit and up and away he went! Warnimont Park is usually loaded with BWWA’s and I had 6 on 5/11. Although I didn’t fair as well as I usually do with them and photos. They are also easy to track down by song, as it is a very loud beee-bzzzzzz! They often seem like they are closer than they really are. The Brewster’s Warbler is a hybrid between the two species. It is the more dominant trait and is quite common where the species overlap. Brewster’s Warbler looks like a GWWA but has the black line through the eye like a BWWA. The one I saw this year at Warnimont, came on 5/11 and was the prettiest one I’ve seen. There was a lot of white on the throat, which really added to the overall coloring. Surprisingly, I see this sub-species just about every year and I’m always excited when I do. Someday, I would really love to see the Lawrence’s Warbler, which is the recessive trait of the two. Photos below are from the last few weeks in the Milwaukee area. Enjoy!

Golden-winged Warbler

Blue-winged Warbler

Brewster’s Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warblers in May ’22

Jeremy4 Comments

Usually, I do very good with this species each spring, but this year not so much. I saw a decent amount, but they just weren’t very cooperative. Whitnall Park is an excellent place to see them and the one male I saw was singing quite a bit. Minutes later I saw a female bounce past, which explains all of his singing. Then both of them disappeared and I never saw them again. I have no idea where they went! I even walked a mile down the creek and still nothing. I didn’t spend too much time this spring at Whitnall though, as Warnimont was just so much better. I can’t be everywhere at once! Photos below are from the last few weeks in the Milwaukee area. Enjoy!

Umm… Some Privacy Please???

Jeremy8 Comments

I was also fairly lucky with some warblers bathing, right in front of me. Lake Park and Whitnall Park are usually very good places to view this behavior. Whitnall Park has a creek that runs through it and is accessible in many areas. Lake Park has ravines and most of the time a small stream of water running through them. The key to finding where they bathe, is finding protection near the water. By this, I mean they want to come down into a tree overhanging or next to the water, a small bush near it or raspberry vines that are thicker for examples. This way they feel protected at a vulnerable moment and have a hiding spot should there be any danger. In my experience, when one comes down, be prepared because more are coming and coming fast! It happens so quickly and poof, they’re gone! I’ve had up to 6 different warblers in one little pool before. A lot of times I just happen to stumble upon them bathing. However, if you have more patience you can choose to sit and wait, but it may take a couple hours before you get any action. The photos below have been taken the few weeks in the Milwaukee area. Enjoy!

Who’s taking my picture???

Jeremy18 Comments

This spring so many warblers have looked directly at me while photographing them. I will get them like that occasionally, but not like this year. It has been all of the warbler species too, not just a few of them. I’m not sure if they see the huge front element on my lens, that reflects back at them or if they hear the camera shutter clicking 10 frames per second. Either way I’ve found it to be quite funny how the photos turn out. Something different than seeing the normal profile picture. Photos below are from the last few weeks in the Milwaukee area. Enjoy!

Cerulean Warbler at Lake Park

Jeremy6 Comments

In addition to the Connecticut Warbler being so cooperative yesterday, a beautiful male Cerulean Warbler put on quite a show for a few of us. I was able to locate it by song and watched it move along the trees to the east side of the locust ravine. There I was able to go up from the ravine and get some rather low pictures of this bird, that thought it was higher up. The bonus of having steep ravines! We watched it for about 10 minutes feeding on insects and singing his little heart out, bouncing around the branches. After that, he flew off to the east bluff, near the new bridge being constructed. I was able to relocate him about 45 minutes later, on the east side of the locust ravine again. It sounds like it was seen again today, though I never heard it while I was there. Maybe it will stick around a few more days. Photos below are from yesterday morning. Enjoy!

Connecticut Warbler at Lake Park

Jeremy6 Comments

This morning was very good at Lake Park. I chose to start here because I was hoping that the Connecticut Warbler was still going to be around. Well, not only was he still around, but he was also the most cooperative Connecticut Warbler ever!!! He would literally walk right to you if standing still. Best looks I think I will ever get of one! Then a little later, a second one was found. Both were in the Locust Ravine, the cooperative one was on the north end. I didn’t try for the south one, so I’m not sure how he was, but a few people said they got good photos as well. He was just walking around the ravine, in and out of the water, feeding on the insects. They are both still present. Photos below are from the morning. Good luck if you go! Enjoy!

Yellow-breasted Chat at Lake Park

Jeremy4 Comments

A Yellow-breasted Chat was found on the golf course at Lake Park yesterday. It was hanging out in 3 different thickets, between holes 1 and 2. When it was singing, it was easy to find, but if silent not so much. It really blends right in, even with the bold yellow throat and breast. By the time I got there in the afternoon, it was eating out in the open, but up high. It would pop out on the backside of the thicket, for a few minutes and then go back in and sing for a little bit. Then I’m guessing it would take a nap, because I couldn’t hear or see it for 20 minutes or so at a time. As of noon Tuesday, this bird is still being seen. Photos are from Monday afternoon, the couple hours I was there. Enjoy!

Worm-eating Warbler at Whitnall Park

Jeremy6 Comments

This morning I found a Worm-eating Warbler foraging along a creek at Whitnall Park. I kept hearing leaves crunching and when I finally turned to see what it was, it was already within 25′ of me. I didn’t even need binoculars to confirm, I could see clearly with my eyes. I couldn’t believe it! I turned my camera, and it quickly took off. I watched where it went, and then I saw a bird zoom out of the approximate area. I got my binoculars on it, and it turned out to be a female Magnolia Warbler. I had lost it! I then found it and lost it two more times, over the 2 hours. I have no idea where it went. I figured I would chase the reported, Yellow-breasted Chat at Lake Park. I spent a little over 2 hours down there and decided to go back to Whitnall in the late afternoon. After walking around about an hour and a half, I found it again, but way to the west of where I originally had it. The bird moved about an 1/8 mile or so. This time, I relocated it in a wider open area, without all the dense shrubs. I got off a few pictures and down it went into the water, bath time! So exciting to be able to see this rare warbler in the water! Photos below are from early this morning and late this afternoon. Enjoy!

Prothonotary Warbler at Warnimont Park

Jeremy4 Comments

An uncommon but extraordinarily stunning warbler when seen! On 4/26, this male did not disappoint. He appeared less than 15′ from me at first, and then worked its way along the edge of the bluff, feeding on midges. He first showed along the path, just north of the trail, that runs east of the archery range. He continued north, along the thickest part of the trail. I watched him for several minutes and then as fast as he appeared, he was gone! I don’t think anyone else saw him the rest of that evening. Photos below are from Tuesday 4/26. Enjoy!

Hooded Warblers at Warnimont Park 4/25 & 4/26

Jeremy4 Comments

There have been 2 Hooded Warblers along the bluff, behind the archery range at Warnimont Park. One was still seen today, but was on the golf course, just across from the archery range. I’m guessing the brutal east winds on Wednesday, forced them away from the lake a little. This is one of my favorite warblers and they were just posing for the camera Monday and Tuesday, while I was there. It was hard not to sit and watch them all day, but there was so much else going on too. Every time I would make a pass back and see one, I’d stop an admire a little more! Photos below are from Monday and Tuesday this week. Enjoy!