{"id":1606,"date":"2013-06-10T15:47:49","date_gmt":"2013-06-10T19:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/?p=1606"},"modified":"2025-05-24T16:41:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T20:41:32","slug":"when-one-yellow-warbler-is-not-a-yellow-warbler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/when-one-yellow-warbler-is-not-a-yellow-warbler\/","title":{"rendered":"When One Little Yellow Warbler Is Not \u201cA\u201d Yellow Warbler"},"content":{"rendered":"

My meeting with a Wood Duck pair at Arkendo Park in Oakville taught me to look twice at any duck that might be a Mallard–or might not<\/strong><\/a>. It also taught me to go ahead and take a photo even if I “know” what I\u2019m looking at. I\u2019m awfully glad I\u2019ve brought in this new policy as I keep meeting new creatures by following it. Here\u2019s another example. For a couple of months I had to spend a few hours a week late in the afternoon \/ early in the evening waiting. Naturally, I used the time to go for a waterfront ramble along Lake Ontario.<\/p>\n

In Search of a Yellow Warbler\u2019s Nest<\/h2>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

On the second week of May, I encountered a Yellow Warbler female working her way around a thick thicket (guess those words are related) of dogwood and raspberry canes surrounded by sapling trees. That\u2019s perfect habitat for her nest. When I saw her there again the next week, I started seriously watching trying to figure out where her nest was. Of course she was much too canny to show me.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Take a Girl for Granted<\/h2>\n

The third week, the weather was iffy. There was a bit of spitting rain and it was overcast although the wind occasionally tore a hole in the clouds. I had to decide whether to go at all or whether to hide in the dry warmth of the car. Of course I started walking.<\/p>\n

At the same place as always, I saw a flash of yellow. Ah ha, I thought smugly. She must have a nest here.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

I approached fairly directly for me and without a lot of pauses. She had moved from the dogwoods to a lilac that was blooming. Everyone else always gets photos of warblers in beautiful settings, so I felt maybe my turn had come.<\/p>\n

As she darted in and out around the lilac and several dogwoods I managed to snap a few quick photos. Then the weather took a turn towards spiteful and I had to retreat.<\/p>\n

A Second Look, a Second Species<\/h2>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

At the time I took the photos I was a bit surprised how dark she seemed but I put it down to the fading light.<\/p>\n

When I got home, however, a different explanation occurred. Looking at the full-sized photos on the well-lit computer pointed out that this \u201cYellow\u201d warbler had a greeny-grey cap! And her tail, though covered on the sides with a translucent wash of yellow was not spotted with yellow.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

A browse through the Sibley Field Guide to the Birds suggested it might not be a Yellow at all. It looked far more like a Wilson\u2019s. Photos on AllAboutBirds<\/strong><\/a> and the internet seemed to agree. To make entirely sure, I had the more expert birders at OutdoorOntario<\/strong> take a look.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

The consensus was that it was a Wilson\u2019s Warbler. I\u2019m still not clear if it was a female, or a first-year (non-breeding) male, but that\u2019s ok.<\/p>\n

Keep Snapping<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve never taken a photo of a Wilson\u2019s before and if I hadn\u2019t taken a few photos of my \u201cold friend\u201d Mrs. Yellow, I still wouldn\u2019t have one. This has really reinforced my belief that it\u2019s worth taking photos of everything. You can always discard them later but you may find a jewel among the dross.<\/p>\n

Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n