I miss them already.
1/6400, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
During fall migration Yellow-rumped Warblers become a mainstay for me so I almost get used to having them around. They’re challenging subjects but they’re beautiful and even occasionally cooperative. And if I’m lucky I can find large numbers of them in the same area for several days running before they move on. But then suddenly they’re gone and when that happens it’s withdrawal time for the bird photographer.
This species migrates late for a warbler but almost certainly this bird will be the last butter-butt I photograph this year. Because of bad weather and poor light I haven’t been out shooting for a few days but it has turned cold and it’s late enough in the season that I strongly suspect they’re already gone. I photographed this bird a week ago today at Farmington Bay WMA.
For bird lovers migration is a double-edged sword. We look forward with great anticipation to the relative glut of birds it brings but the bounty is frustratingly transitory.
And when they’re gone they’re really gone.
Ron
Down here in south Florida we know warbler migration is not over until the Butter-butts arrive in numbers and it is time for the sparrows to move in. Interestingly, last winter we had relatively few of these usually abundant winter residents.
I feel a little melancholic at this time of year with birds and elections. Are the yellow rumps the only ones with that beautiful tail marking on the underside?
They should arrive here soon then. I love them too.
🙂
Ahhh, the last butterbutt of the season. 🙂 As with anything transitory or seasonal, I often wonder if I would be as enthralled if they were more a constant presence. My guess is most likely not. Now you’ll have the fun of all the winter visitors. 🙂
You’re right of course, Marty. If they were here in numbers all year I’d probably be more ho-hum about them. Yup, bring on the Rough-legged Hawks!
A small charmer. I am always in awe at bird migration – the incredible distances all without the ‘benefit ?’ of google maps. I hope that the butter butts (and all the nomadic birds) survive and thrive.
“Benefit?” indeed, EC. Lots of strings attached to that benefit.
I live in Virginia now by the Shenandoah “mountains” and we have the butter-butts more in the winter than summer. They are the one warbler which sticks around. They are so delightful in winter – flashes of yellow bouncing or flitting all over the place! But I sure do miss Colorado and Utah and their openness and beauty. Believe it or not, I get tired of everything being green! Glad this one slowed down enough to get this gorgeous photo!
If I lived where you do I’d miss the open spaces and “real” mountains, Beth Ann. But it would be nice to see more green sometimes.
They are lovely birds. I wish them well on their journey. Life ain’t easy out there!
Yes 5 days off and very few days with good morning light. I think I will go to the Island soon this afternoon just to get out. Maybe a sucker hole or two will show up.
I’m frustrated by the weather too, April. There are patches of blue right now so maybe there’s hope.
I can understand your loss. But for us, west of the Cascades, it’s our gain now and our loss in the spring. Yellow-rumped Warblers are common throughout the winter here. We have both Audubon’s and Myrtle forms coming to our feeders every day. The Audubon’s form is here all year, but breeds in the hills above the valley floor and in the mountains. Myrtles are common throughout the winter and at times out-number the Audubons here at my feeder. They are wonderful to have around. An even brighter spot of winter color for us are the Townsend’s Warblers that spend the winter here. They breed in our mountains, but that population spends the winter in Mexico. Our winter birds come from breeding areas around the Queen Charlotte Islands. They love suet and some suet products and I have occasionally had them land on my hand and take it from me as I was simply putting it on the feeder. I made no attempt to deliberately feed them by hand, they just flew out of the bushes and landed on my hand to eat. A nice and unexpected treat. I will miss them when they leave in the spring.
I had no idea you’d have warblers all winter, Dan. We get mostly Audubon’s with only a sprinkling of Myrtles.
Look forward to the Yellow-rumped Warblers arrival. They should start showing up in our backyards about now. Not sure where their eventual destination is, but we will have them for a while here in Prescott.
“Look forward to the Yellow-rumped Warblers arrival”
They’re on their way, Everett. I can attest to that.
“Labor Day quiet” happened a little later this year here – all of a sudden one morning it’s “quiet”. Suspect it’s a little more gradual than that but only noticeable when it reaches a certain level. After the 2 nasty storms here we had a “strange” assortment for awhile. A white crowned sparrow, dark eyed Juncos, a couple of towhees, a totally black headed wood pecker of some sorts. Down to usual black capped chickadees (fewer than usual), a little creeper of some sorts and a few blue jays in and out – of course, plenty of magpies…. 😉 Beautiful little “butter butt” 🙂
Judy, when they stop singing it’s really noticeable isn’t it. When meadowlarks stop singing on Antelope Island the quiet is almost deafening.
It IS!
We are chilly in Rio Rancho. I love this shot. It looks as if he is singing
Thanks, Arwen. I don’t remember that bird singing. They were pretty quiet that morning.
Also a bitter sweet event of the year for me, Ron. As the autumn season progresses with our snowfall this weekend I am somewhat melancholy with the loss of the leaves, with the loss of my easy foot travel outdoors and especially with the loss of evening light. The passing through of the long distance travelers on their way to parts south is certainly part of that but I do take comfort from knowing they will be back, passing through on their way to summer breeding grounds again just as they have for thousands of years. Your photos of them are a key part of assisting me through this long dark season and helps me remember this endless cycle of life,
My photos help me in the same way, Art. Thank you for taking the time to put it in words.
At least once during our winter’s someone photographs a Snowy here in central Illinois. I always consider it an awesome gift of nature.
Maybe six or seven years ago we had one on the causeway to Antelope Island. I was on the island that morning but didn’t know the owl was there and never saw it…
Beautiful Audubon’s Yellow-rumped, love it!
So true: “For bird lovers migration is a double-edged sword. We look forward with great anticipation to the relative glut of birds it brings but the bounty is frustratingly transitory. And when they’re gone they’re really gone.”
The weather hasn’t been that great at this end of the country, just a tad warmer. Yet the birds, all except a few House Sparrows and Rock Doves, have almost disappeared.
Looking forward to Rough-legged Hawks and Snowy Owls.
Thanks, Dick. I wish we had Snowy’s around here but I’ll settle for Roughies any day. I hope it’s a good winter for them.