Fall Warblers in Louisville

Lots of fall warblers have been moving through the woods the past few weeks.  As fall migration starts to wind down I thought I'd share some pictures I managed to get recently.  Below is a Palm Warbler in winter plumage.  Palm Warblers are common warblers, in spring they have bright chestnut caps atop their head.  In fall, like all warblers, they are less colorful but retain the bright yellow undertail coverts.  They also are known for pumping their tails up and down, a good characteristic to look for to identity Palm Warblers.

The three birds below gave me some trouble when trying to identify them.  The first bird is clearly a Tennesse Warbler in winter plumage.  It is tinged yellow all over and the eye-stripe give it away.  The last two birds are a bit more difficult to ID but I am *pretty* sure they are Tennessee Warblers as well, just birds that are in various stages of molting into their winter plumage (or they could be something else entirely).  If you think I am wrong be sure to leave a comment and set me straight.  :)

 

Next, the only warbler that regularly spends the winter in Kentucky, the Yellow-rumped Warbler, affectionately known by some as "Butterbutts" for their bright yellow rump patch.  I found a group feeding in some walnut trees this weekend along the Salt River in Shepherdsville.  Check out World Bird Wednesday for more bird photos.

Posted in: Palm Warbler,Tennessee Warbler,Walnut Tree,Yellow Rumped Warbler

Beckham Bird Club: Joe Creason Park

Barbara Woerner led a field trip to Joe Creason Park today and it was a blast.  Dense fog greeted us as we began the trip but it gradually lifted as the day went on.  Warblers were falling off the trees and everyone in attendance got great looks at several birds.  We barely made it out of the parking lot for the first two hours of the field trip.  A big willow tree next to the parking lot had so many good birds we stood and watched it for almost an hour.  Below are some of the birds we saw in the one tree alone.

Blackburnian Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Least Flycatcher

Yellow Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Eastern Wood Peewee

Cape May Warblers were in abundance foraging in the Spruce trees for bugs and caterpillars.  Several were seen in the Spruces along the road back to the Metro Administration Building.  Everyone was very helpful in trying to get me good looks at this bird so I could get a photograph.  I got a couple decent snaps but the overcast sky tends to wash out the detail in the bird's plumage.

Cape May Warbler

Here are a few random birds from the walk.

Gray Catbird

American Robin

Baltimore Oriole

We made out way to the bridge over Beargrass Creek where we saw a nesting pair of Eastern Phoebes and a very cooperative American Redstart.  The phoebes must have a nest under the bridge because they kept coming and going from the same branch.  They would fly from the branch to the underside of the bridge with a mouthful of bugs, and then from the bridge to the branch with their beaks empty.  A telltale sign that they have a nest and are feeding young.

Eastern Phoebe with food on way to nest

Eastern Phoebe without food after flying to bridge

A male American Redstart was foraging very close to the bridge, coming within a few feet at times.

American Redstart

I want to thank Barbara for putting us on some great birds.  A total of 74 birds (20 species of warblers) were seen in about four hours.  Warblers seen that I didn't get pictures of are: Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Canada, Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, several Nashville, Black-and-White, Blackpoll, Palm, Ovenbird, and apparently four more I can't remember!

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Posted in: Baltimore Oriole,Blackburnian Warbler,Cape May Warbler,Eastern Phoebe,Eastern Wood Pewee,Gray Catbird,Joe Creason Park,Least Flycatcher,Prothonotary Warbler,Tennessee Warbler,Yellow Warbler