In the autumn, various species of warblers fly through our area as they migrate south and I spent a large amount of time this past Friday trying to get shots of what I believe were mostly Palm Warblers (Setophaga palmarum). Warblers in general are tough for me to identify, even in the spring when the colors and patterns on the birds are bright and distinctive. At this time of the year, however, all of the colors and patterns are muted and many species look really similar to me.
Palm Warblers are a little easier to spot than most warblers to identify, because they often can be found pecking away on the ground rather than in trees, as you can see in the second shot. Although I usually strive to get unobstructed shots of my subject, the first image is my clear favorite of the three in this posting. The branch in the foreground that partially blocks the bird helps in the composition, I think, and reinforces the sense of the elusiveness and caution of this little warbler.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice Mike! Always fun & challenging to photograph Warbkers!
If the rain lets up today, I might be out again trying to photograph more warblers. Some of them stay in our area for only limited periods of time.
Warblers are tough to ID, for sure. Nice captures, Mike.
All nice, Mike! I do like that triangular composition in the first photo, and it emphasizes the way we usually see these little fellows. The one on the ground was a great rare catch. The light and leaf color in the last image are very pleasing. I hope they stick around awhile for you.
Thanks, Ellen. You have beautifully described what I like about each of the photos. As the old song quite rightly said, “Everything is beautiful in its own way.” When I went out yesterday, it was mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers that I saw. Photos will be coming soon.
You’re welcome! Nice–I do like the “butter butts” and haven’t seen any in ages. It’s kind of nice for viewing that the vegetation is dropping back a bit as fall creeps in.