Month: May 2018

Wilson’s warbler

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Wilson's warbler

Wilson’s warbler

May 21, 2018 – A yellow and olive colored Wilson’s warbler with its’ tiny black cap holds fast to a small branch as it momentarily surveys for the next stem to continue its’ hunt for insects. Quickly moving through the understory it disappears for a time. Emerging out of the shadows the small bird hovers at the edge of a bush to catch its’ prey. The little warblers only give brief glimpses, lingering at any one branch for mere seconds, a flitter perhaps to the observer but with a definite purpose to the tiny bird. Wilson’s warblers are a very small warbler, only slightly larger than a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. The little warblers migrate through our area of the Midwest heading north into Canada for the nesting season from their winter home on the Gulf coast from Louisiana, Texas, Mexico and Central America.

The Yellow Warbler

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Male Yellow-warbler

Male Yellow-warbler

May 22, 2018 – The Yellow-warbler is considered an early long distance migrant that winters along the coasts of Mexico, the interior of Central America, and south to the equatorial countries in the Amazon basin. Widely distributed, the Yellow-warbler is also found throughout the islands of the Caribbean. A trepidation of these small bright yellow spring migrants can appear without notice as they hunt insects amongst the vivid green leaves of new growth at the edge of a thicket. The little songbirds nest from Mexico north into the northern third of the United States and most of Canada and Alaska. The bright yellow male has bold red-orange brown streaks on the breast sides, the female lacks or may have just a very slight hint of those streaks.

Female Yellow-warbler

Female Yellow-warbler

Summer Tanager

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Female Summer Tanager

Female Summer Tanager

May 2, 2018 – A mostly yellow colored, female Summer Tanager was perched and focused on hunting insects, most likely a bee or wasp, at the edge of a wooded thicket recently in Iroquois county. The Summer Tanagers are neotropical migrants and have arrived in Northern Illinois for the nesting season from their wintering range in southern Mexico south to the the Northern half of South America. The male Summer Tanager, striking in color, is the only fully red bird in North America and is more easily noticed in the green canopy of the trees than the female.

Female Summer Tanager

Female Summer Tanager

Orioles

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Male Baltimore Oriole

Male Baltimore Oriole

May 4, 2018 – Of the nine species of orioles in North America, springtime brings us the rich songs and beautiful colors of two of those species. From the tree tops of our natural areas and throughout the neighborhoods and rural country homes with backyard feeders they suddenly arrive. The branches come alive with the black and bright yellow/orange Baltimore orioles along with the smallest oriole in North America, the black and chestnut colored Orchard oriole. Although less often seen with their darker colors they are no less beautiful. The two species nest in most of the eastern half of the United States. The Baltimore orioles’ nesting range also extends into the southern part of Canada. The Baltimore oriole spends the winter from Florida and the Caribbean south to Central America and the Northern most edge of South America. The little Orchard oriole spends its’ winter in southern Mexico and Central America. Keep your eyes and ears open for the sight and sounds of some our most spectacular visitors, the migrating spring orioles.

Male Orchard Oriole

Male Orchard Oriole