When I first saw this bird bouncing around on the ground on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I thought that it might be a sparrow. Then I caught a flash of yellow as the bird wagged its tail and I realized that it was a Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum).
Most warblers forage high in the trees, where they are difficult to see. The Palm Warbler, however, forages mainly on open ground or in low vegetation, making it marginally easy to spot and to identify.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I’ve been watching with jealousy as birders are posting the arriving warblers the last couple of weeks. But I finally saw a few Palm Warblers this week here in Georgia. Hoping to see more species soon. Migration is like Christmas in October! William
I think that we may be nearing the end of the warbler migration season here in Northern Virgina, with the exception of a few warbler species that hang around like the Yellow-rumped Warbler. Before long l will be looking for kinglets.
Beautiful!
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Thanks, Mitzy. Most warblers have some yellow on their bodies and I am pretty excited when I manage to photograph one.
Beautiful capture, Mike! It has a pretty eye stripe.
Beautiful bird, Mike.
Very nice Mike!
I will longer assume a sparrow when I might see a more exciting warbler! Thanks!
There are so many “little brown birds” that I will photograph, never knowing for sure what they are until I am able to sort things out when I review the photos on my computer.
Very nice, Mike. Great feather detail and the eye is nice and sharp.
Thanks, Steve. The warbler spent most of its time on the ground in the underbrush, but I lucked out when it hopped on this perch and posed momentarily.