Most warblers nest either on the ground, in shrubs, or in trees, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, but the Prothonotary Warbler and the Lucy’s Warbler build their nests in holes in standing dead trees or may use nest boxes when available. On Monday I was delighted to spot a Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge checking out a nest box from the outside and eventually from the inside too.
The nest box is old and may have a leaky roof, but the warbler seemed happy to have found it. The real estate market is tight in Northern Virginia right now and finding any place to live is difficult. After a short stay on the roof, the Prothonotary Warbler flew away and made an aerial approach from the front, perching at the entrance for a moment before entering the nest box.
I obviously could not see what was going on in the box, but periodically I could see flashes of yellow as the warbler moved about inside the box. Perhaps there are already eggs in the box. The warbler stayed inside the box for about five minutes before it poked its head out of the entrance and began to look around, as you can see in the final photo. I was hoping to capture a shot of the bird exiting the nest box, but it left more quickly and unexpectedly and I missed the shot.
I will be checking this spot out during my next visits to the wildlife refuge, hoping that I will be lucky enough to see some baby warblers.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 