When I first got my telephoto lens I started to identify more warblers successfully. Having a photo to study at home and compare to field guides helped immensely. Otherwise, I would tend to notice a patch of colour on the wing or nape, but while noting that, the bird would move and I would miss whether it had wing bars or eye rings. After a couple of May migrations, I had managed to get photos of most of my local migrant warblers but I had trouble with Pine Warblers. Then on one spring bird walk led by Luc Fazio and Dan Salisbury at the Riverwood Conservancy in Mississauga, they pointed out a small yellow bird near the top of a pine near Chappell House. It was not, as I had thought dismissively, yet another American Goldfinch: it was a male Pine Warbler.
This is a male Pine Warbler: he apparently doesn’t care that this is not a pine!
This is a male American Goldfinch who was trying to confuse me on the same April afternoon at Riverwood.
Armed with the knowledge that not every small yellow bird is a Goldfinch or a Yellow Warbler, I started to watch for Pine Warblers at Riverwood, particularly along the Green Butterfly trail. I also paid attention while amongst the pines on the eastern ravine-top trail at Lion’s Valley Park in Oakville.
Female Pine Warblers are much harder to notice, unless they are moving around the forest with their mate. (I am assuming this was a female because of the attentions of the male.)
What’s the High-Pitched Metallic Trill Coming from the Top of the Pine Trees?
In both locations, I heard Pine Warblers singing.
I watched as this male Pine Warbler kept singing almost non-stop while it hunted and fed. It was hard to figure out where it was as it did not stay still while singing.
Pine Warblers have an interesting high harsh trill of a call. You can hear it on the AllAboutBirds website, if you are curious. It’s almost machine-gun like in some weird way.
Chipping Sparrows have a call that is a bit similar. That caused me to take photos of Chipping Sparrows way up in pine trees in various parks which was a bit silly as I have lots of good photos of them hunting on the ground under the decorative Crabapple tree in my own front yard.
I noticed while singing the male kept his wings a bit out to the side but I don’t know if they always do that or if it was just a one-time thing.
I heard this type of call in the pines at Bronte Creek Provincial Park and spent ages trying to spot the bird. Now, I’m 90% sure there was a Pine Warbler up there somewhere–probably enjoying my confusion.
Of course hearing a bird calling that you still can’t get a look at is particularly frustrating. So the day that the Pine Warblers decided to move down and hunt through the deciduous trees at Riverwood I was very happy indeed.
When Do Pine Warblers Arrive in Mississauga in Southern Ontario?
Pine Warblers often arrive in the first wave of early spring migrants, along with Golden-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers.
When the Yellow-rumped Warbler flew it was easy to notice flashes of yellow and get tricked–the warblers were all feeding together that afternoon.
The eBird data shows Pine Warblers have been reported at Riverwood as early as the second week of April. At the Rattray, they seem to be more often seen the third week in April and on.
I noticed that the Pine Warblers would often stretch out before diving after insects. Their body shape isn’t a factor I would use for identification.
That rather strong-looking beak is supposed to be a useful field mark, though.
According to AllAboutBirds, they will eat suet and some seeds from feeders. That kind of feeding flexibility probably increases their survival rate if they arrive back up north a bit too early.
Do Pine Warblers Have Eye Rings?
The way the light was reflecting off these birds made it a bit hard to see the 2 wing bars and the feathers near the eyes.
However, eventually I realized that the male Pine Warbler does have a yellow broken ring around its eyes.
Females have a yellow broken eye ring too, according to AllAboutBirds, while juveniles have a white broken eye ring. (I am assuming this one is a female because the male seemed to think so.)
I would have trouble with using the white/yellow eye ring difference–I found it hard to pick out the eye ring in the field at all, much less tell what colour it was.
I think this is the back and head of the female Pine Warbler. I thought it shows the mossy greenish colour on the back and head well.
I am ready to see some of these lovely Pine Warblers again–sure hope they are working their way north to my neck of the woods!
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