Kojo Baidoo
Northern Parula
It was a delight to be able to see one of these beauties again! Northern parulas are one of my favorite warbler species, and rightfully so. Males boast a truly unique color combination of blue, white, orange, and yellow, and females aren’t too shabby-looking themselves. This is a bird that knows it’s handsome, too; they don’t let just anyone see them and spend an ungodly amount of time in the canopy. However, certain conditions (mostly pishing luck or an insect that’s particularly difficult to catch) can find them spending time down here on Earth. Their regular song can be considered pretty basic by warbler standards; it’s a buzzy ascending trill that abruptly cuts off (“Trrrrrrrrr... BZZT!”), and it fits them perfectly. I enjoy watching them sing close up because their entire bodies vibrate as they sing and it’s pretty darn incredible that such a loud noise can come out of such a tiny body. Unfortunately they don’t nest locally, but they are common migrants and I’ve been getting a larger number than usual so far this spring. Bring on the rest of the birds!
Northern Parula
It was a delight to be able to see one of these beauties again! Northern parulas are one of my favorite warbler species, and rightfully so. Males boast a truly unique color combination of blue, white, orange, and yellow, and females aren’t too shabby-looking themselves. This is a bird that knows it’s handsome, too; they don’t let just anyone see them and spend an ungodly amount of time in the canopy. However, certain conditions (mostly pishing luck or an insect that’s particularly difficult to catch) can find them spending time down here on Earth. Their regular song can be considered pretty basic by warbler standards; it’s a buzzy ascending trill that abruptly cuts off (“Trrrrrrrrr... BZZT!”), and it fits them perfectly. I enjoy watching them sing close up because their entire bodies vibrate as they sing and it’s pretty darn incredible that such a loud noise can come out of such a tiny body. Unfortunately they don’t nest locally, but they are common migrants and I’ve been getting a larger number than usual so far this spring. Bring on the rest of the birds!