Yellow-rumped Warblers

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Yellow-rumped Warblers

October 28, 2020 by Mike Powell

On Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I spotted Yellow-rumped Warblers (Setophaga coronata) multiple times. However, there is a huge difference between getting a glimpse and getting a shot of one of these hyperactive little birds, particularly when many of the trees still have their leaves.

I captured the first image when one of the warblers was feasting on clusters of poison ivy berries. I definitely was not complaining when he did not offer to share his “treats.” I was surprised to learn several years ago that these berries are a primary food source for a number of small birds during the winter months.

In the second image, I believe the warbler was getting ready to move to a new perch or may have just arrived at this one. In either case, I think it looks pretty cool to see the one wing partially extended.

The composition of the final photo is the simplest—it is just a shot of the perched warbler. However, I really like the way that some of the foliage shows through in the blurry background. You may have noted that the backgrounds are light-colored. On the day when I took these shots, the skies were completely overcast and appeared to be a solid white.

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife | Tagged Canon 50D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, poison ivy berries, Setophaga coronata, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, Yellow-rumped Warbler | 8 Comments

8 Responses

on October 28, 2020 at 11:46 am | Reply Reed Andariese

Nice series of images Mike! Enjoyed seeing them!
on October 28, 2020 at 11:49 am | Reply mitzybricker

They are adorable!!! The middle pic my fav!

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on October 28, 2020 at 11:59 am | Reply John Hric

Ahh the fun facts. Seeing the warbler perched on the poison ivy also shows the oils of the ivy don’t bother their feet either. The other fun fact is they distribute the ivy seeds. So wherever they perch they plant poison ivy seeds. I always have to look twice when pulling swamp maple seedlings from the garden. Other than the branching pattern they look very much like poison ivy. And yes warblers do flit more than they perch. Be quick with those pictures. Thanks Mike !
on October 28, 2020 at 7:03 pm | Reply Molly Lin Dutina

I do love that extended wing!! Super.
- on October 28, 2020 at 7:35 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Molly. It was a happy accident that I caught the wing in that position. 🙂
on October 28, 2020 at 9:26 pm | Reply Eliza Waters

Sweet little things! I bet they love those fat-rich berries… too bad the seeds spread via their poop. (PI and I do not get along!)
- on October 29, 2020 at 10:15 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I have not had any real issues with poison ivy but make an effort to avoid it whenever I can. The one time that I recall thinking I had a rash from poison ivy it turned out to be shingles. Ouch.
on October 29, 2020 at 10:54 pm | Reply nliakos

I have to confess that I love your bird photos best.