Black-throated Blue Warbler.
Traipsed around Beech Hill Preserve in intermittent rain this morning with Jack, my dog. Warblers abounded—a few nice waves of them—but it was hard to take their pictures, what with the very dim light. I missed great, teed-up photo ops of a Black-throated Green Warbler, a couple of Magnolia Warblers, and a couple of Northern Parulas.
Black-throated Blue Warbler, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 20 May 2014.
Then as we were returning through the suddenly leafy bottomlands, I heard the song of a Black-throated Green Warbler. I don’t believe I’ve ever declared this hear, but that’s my favorite wild bird species—its handsome, well-dressed look, its blueness, its buzzy call, its tendency to go solo and keep to secret places. But I’ve found them also really hard to photograph on the best of days.
We left the trail and went after the warbler. Probably spent about forty-five minutes on its trail.
I took a ton of photos, near and distant, but with the low light and all the new leaves and an over-sensitive auto-focus, I didn’t think I got any images worth sharing. But it turns out I did get a few.
Here are a couple (along with a Black-and-White Warbler enjoying breakfast.)
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Northern Parula
2. Ovenbird**
3. Black-throated Green Warbler
4. Black-and-white Warbler**
5. American Robin*
6. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
7. Common Yellowthroat**
8. Chestnut-sided Warbler
9. Eastern Towhee
10. American Redstart
11. Veery (v)
12. American Goldfinch (v)
13. Yellow Warbler
14. Mourning Dove*
15. Gray Catbird**
16. Black-capped Chickadee**
17. Brown Thrasher (v)
18. American Crow*
19. Blue Jay
20. Hermit Thrush
21. Song Sparrow**
22. Northern Flicker
23. Savannah Sparrow
24. Chipping Sparrow (v)
25. Magnolia Warbler
26. Brown-headed Cowbird
27. Black-throated Blue Warbler
28. Least Flycatcher
29. Red-eyed Vireo†
30. Eastern Phoebe
Elsewhere
31. House Sparrow
32. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
33. Rock Pigeon
34. European Starling
35. Red-winged Blackbird
36. Common Grackle
37. Northern Cardinal
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Black-and-white Warbler.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, brown thrasher, brown-headed cowbird, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common grackle, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, gray catbird, hermit thrush, house sparrow, least flycatcher, magnolia warbler, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern parula, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, rock pigeon, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow warbler
