Field Notes Update

Palm Warblers During Spring Migration /  by Todd Henson

Palm Warbler facing forward. Notice the coloration and patterns of its breast feathers, as well as the chestnut colored crown at the top of its head.

I was recently hiking through a local wildlife refuge with some fellow photographers looking for spring migrants, particularly warblers. One of the species that made a good showing that day were Palm Warblers. This was my first opportunity photographing this species, which we typically only see here in the Mid-Atlantic region during its migration to more northerly locales.

We found the Palm Warblers along a trail that separated a more forested area from an area of bushes and grassland. The warblers were in the trees, or at times flying back and forth between the trees and the fields. They really are an attractive species, especially with their spring breeding plumage, which includes a chestnut colored crown on the top of their head. This made it very easy to identify them.

A side view of a Palm Warbler

Palm Warbler tilting its head while posing on a tree branch

I very much hope for the opportunity to photograph Palm Warblers again.

Resources

The links below are affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. This is at no extra cost to you.

If you’d like to learn more about Palm Warblers, or any other warbler species, check out A Field Guide to Warblers of North America, one of the Peterson Field Guides. It’s over 650 pages, all devoted to warblers.

Or, if you’d like a more general field guide to birds look at the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America. This is my favorite birding field guide. Another great one is the Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America. See my Resources page for more info on the field guides I use.

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Nesting Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers /  by Todd Henson

Female Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher sitting in her nest, beautifully lit by early morning sunlight

There are times when the trees in some parks are filled with the sights and sounds of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers. These are small birds with a blue-gray head and back and a white underside. Their call has a lot of volume for a bird so small, and it matches their bravado, as they don’t seem at all afraid of people.

Male Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher sitting on a limb above the nest

Male Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher singing while sitting in the nest. It is actually working on building the inside of the nest.

The photos in this post were created over a two day period when I was fortunate enough to watch a pair of gnatcatchers building a nest on a tree limb very close to the trail. The nest was perfectly situated to be lit by the early morning sun when it wasn’t hiding behind a cloud. This combination of great location and nice lighting enabled me to create some decent images of these fantastic little birds.

Male Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher singing

I found it an absolute joy watching this pair. They would fly away, looking for small pieces of lichen, bark, grass, or spiderwebs, then return to add their find to the nest. They use the spiderwebs to hold everything together. Click on the images for full-screen views, where you can see the lichen and spiderwebs woven through the nest.

Female Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher sitting on a branch

Take another close look at the photos to compare the male and female. You can tell them apart because the male has a black eyebrow, whereas the female does not.

Male Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher sitting on a branch

Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers are one of the many species I look forward to each Spring. What species do you look forward to?

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Herring Gull and Great Blue Heron Standoff /  by Todd Henson

Herring Gull watching a fish flip on the iced over river

One morning I was photographing along the iced over Potomac River when I saw a Herring Gull and a live fish flapping on the ice. I’m not sure how the Herring Gull managed to get the fish, whether the fish jumped out of a hole in the ice, whether the Herring Gull actually caught the fish, or whether a nearby Great Blue Heron might have caught and left the fish. But the Herring Gull was certainly taking advantage of the opportunity for breakfast.

Herring Gull eating fish on iced over river

Herring Gull eating fish on iced over river

The fish soon gave up its struggle, and the Herring Gull began eating. And that is how this particular story would have ended if not for the previously mentioned nearby Great Blue Heron. For it seems the heron took an interest in the gull and the fish it was eating.

The tension builds as a Great Blue Heron watches the Herring Gull

But this didn’t deter the gull. If anything, it knew its time with the fish might be short, so it went right back to eating, determined to get what it could out of the fish.

Herring Gull continues eating fish on iced over river

But you see, the heron lived on the island not far from the gull and its fish. And it didn’t seem to like the idea of some other bird, in particular this smaller gull, flagrantly eating a fish right beside its island, and in plain view, not even trying to hide its catch.

Great Blue Heron, standing over the fish, staring down the Herring Gull

So the Great Blue Heron came over and proved its dominance, standing over top the fish the Herring Gull had been eating. The gull walked a short distance off and faced away from the heron, head held high, barely acknowledging the heron’s presence.

Prolonged standoff between Great Blue Heron and Herring Gull

This standoff lasted for a short time, the heron standing sentry over the fish, the gull standing a short distance away. The heron continued to watch the gull, but the gull paid little attention to the heron.

The Great Blue Heron grows bored with the Herring Gull and returns to its island

Eventually the heron grew bored with the entire show. It didn’t appear to be hungry at the time, and only wanted to show the gull its place in the local avian hierarchy. So the Great Blue Heron slowly walked over the ice back to its island, leaving the fish untouched on the ice. The gull walked back over to the fish and continued eating.

Crossing paths, the Great Blue Heron returns to its island, the Herring Gull returns to its fish

The Great Blue Heron had proven who was boss and demonstrated why it's called Great. The Herring Gull had remained patient, nonchalantly ignoring the heron, and was able to keep its fish. The morning ended in a win-win situation, not an everyday occurrence in nature.

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