Mike Powell

I was ecstatic to spot this bright yellow Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It can be a little frustrating at time of the year when warblers are migrating through our area, because there are leaves on the trees that conceal the little birds—I often end up hearing more warblers than seeing them.

The warbler was perched on this clump of vegetation at the end of a branch and was reaching down into the cluster of leaves. At first I thought that the item in the warbler’s bill was an insect, but now I wonder if it might be a seed. Although Prothonotary Warblers like to eat all kinds of insects, they will also eat fruits and seeds.

I am by nature a curious person and don’t recall encountering the word “prothonotary” in any other context. What is a prothonotary? According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “The Prothonotary Warbler got its name from the bright yellow robes worn by papal clerks, known as prothonotaries, in the Roman Catholic church.” A prothonotary is also the chief clerk in certain courts of law, including in the state of Pennsylvania.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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I was tracking the movement of this colorful Prothonotary Warbler on Monday (Protonotaria citrea) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge as it hopped about in the dense green foliage, when suddenly it popped into the open and I was able to capture these images.

I absolutely love the bright yellow coloration of this warbler that never fails to put a smile on my face—years ago I used to drive a Toyota Matrix that was Solar Yellow and was visible from a long distance away. It was cool during this encounter that the bird was close enough to me that I managed to capture the reflection of the sky and the landscape in its eye.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Yesterday I set aside my macro lens and put my telephoto zoom lens back on my camera.  Over the past week, I have seen some amazing photos by local photographers of a variety of colorful warblers that migrate through our area in the spring and the fall and I felt compelled to try to photograph them. I must confess, though, that I have never had much success photographing warblers. I can often hear these little birds, but have trouble locating them in the tops of the trees—they seem to be teasing me as they flit about and sing their songs.

I walked around a lot and eventually had several encounters with Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Some warblers have markings and colors that allow them to be camouflaged in the foliage, but the plumage of a Prothonotary Warbler is such a bright yellow that it is impossible for one to hide.

These warblers never seem to sit still for very long and they move quickly from branch to branch. I was happy that I was able to track them reasonably well, considering that I had my zoom lens extended to its maximum length. It takes some practice to be able to see something with your eye and then be able to point the lens in the proper direction.

I exceeded my expectations in getting these shots and also managed to photograph several other bird species that I will probably be featuring in future postings. Today I will probably switch back to my macro lens and focus again on insects. The transitional seasons definitely keep me busy as I try to keep an eye on close-in subjects and those that are farther away.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Most of the warblers that I am fortunate enough to see are partially hidden by branches. Although hope is usually not an effective technique for taking photos, essentially that is what I do when I spot a hidden warbler—I start shooting and hope that the little bird will reveal itself enough for me to capture a clear shot of at least its head.

That was the case on Friday when I shot numerous photos in an attempt to capture an image of this Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) at Occoquan Bay Naational Wildlife Refuge. Unlike many warblers that are found bushes and in trees in more open area, Prothonotary Warblers are creatures of the swamp. I initially spotted one of these beautiful birds in a marshy area and was thrilled when one of them eventually made its way into some vegetation overlooking the water.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Prothonotary Warbler got its name from the bright yellow robes worn by papal clerks, known as prothonotaries, in the Roman Catholic church. This background information is fascinating, though I must confess that it is hard to find an opportunity to inject the word “prothonotary” into an everyday conversation unless I am talking about this bright yellow bird.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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