It's that time of year here in central Texas, lots of warblers on the move. In just a couple of hours of birdwatching over the past couple of days, I've seen (just listing warblers here):
Yellow warblers - at least four, all flitting hither and dither looking for bugs on pecan blossoms and in the blooming pomegranate. There are two males and two females that I've seen, and maybe more around. They are fun to watch and try to hover occasionally, with amusing results.
Magnolia warbler - a truly beautiful bird, searching for something to eat on the yaupon and in the pecan tree, showing off in true style.
A common yellowthroat landed in the Lady Banks rose, eyed the birdbath, then flew to the wax myrtle, deciding to try that birdbath instead.
The black-throated green warbler just about gave me a heart attack. It was in the pecan tree overhead, and all I could see was its bottom, its throat, and its face. I thought at first it was the golden-cheeked warbler, which nests about 75 miles west of here, blown in overnight by a storm. I watched it and watched it, and decided it had a little yellow right under its bottom, and was the black-throated green warbler. Sure enough, it flew in a way that I could see its back, and it was green, not black.
The Nashville warbler is hunting for food all up and down the fence line under the pomegranate, hopping, then flitting, and is very hard to ID, for me. It is the only warbler I've ever seen that forages for food very low to the ground and on the ground.
The Tennessee warbler gave me warbler neck; he was so high up in the tree, but finally came close enough that I could ID him.
A pine warbler decided to check out the pecan trees, and was flitting around, then going up and down the trunk, vacuuming for bugs, I think.
A Wilson's warbler came up to the Lady Banks rose, then into the overhead pecan, showing off his black cap.
I said I'd only tell the warblers I saw, but I have to describe the shortest bird bath I ever saw. The white-eyed vireo has done this twice now, that I've seen. It comes up to the Lady Banks rose and hops down into the birdbath, maybe 10 inches below, making a huge splash. It stays in the water less than 20 seconds, if that long, and hops out into the viburnum, and preens and ruffles its feathers and shakes and generally acts like it had a 30 minute bath. It is so funny to watch.
I'm trying to finish some garden projects, so I haven't just sat out and watched birds for half a day yet, but these warblers are tempting me to do that, and forget chipper-shredding and remulching my largest bed.
Warbler Time
