photo: Blackburnian Warbler (Ray Hennessy)
“At night, while we sleep, warblers are migrating...”
This time of year we are treated to waves of colorful, flitting warblers moving through Maine. Our wood-warblers are small, primarily insectivorous songbirds. They come in "waves" because their movements are greatly impacted by weather conditions.
At night, while we sleep, warblers are migrating (when conditions are favorable). We enjoy their beauty and magic during the morning or daylight hours when they are refueling for the next leg of their journey. We experience large "fallouts" of birds when they've been grounded by headwinds or overcast conditions at night.
If you are new to birding, these will be the most challenging for you to spot and identify. They forage high up in the forest canopy and are small and very active, so it can be difficult to study their markings for identification. A morning of birding for these warblers flitting about in the treetops can give you "warbler neck" from straining to look up...but it's worth it!
Warblers are so spectacularly beautiful. Enjoy the "waves"!
I hope you enjoyed this Phenology Note!
Join me in witnessing the seasons of our wild world.
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-
Deborah
Perkins
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