Canada Warbler
As it goes, a friend and I headed out for yet another warbler outing. My expectations for this particular outing were quite high and, by some miracle, were exceeded. It's not everyday one gets the opportunity to photograph such a cooperative subject, let alone one that isn't all that common in my neck of the woods. The Canada Warbler breeds sparingly throughout the swampier, mixed forests of New Jersey. There are rumors of populations in a few far corners of the state, deep within dense wilderness where few birders trek. One could spend hours hiking the desolate trails, fending off bears and ticks just hoping to catch a glimpse of one of these stunning songbirds. Alternatively, you could hop in the car, drive around long enough in the right habitat to find a boat load of them just off the road. The choice was simple. After a few hours drive into the heart of Canada Warbler breeding territory, the first stop was made. It was quite lively. Among other things, Canada, Black-throated Green, Prairie and Blackburnian Warblers could all be heard singing. That's all great and wonderful, but none were so kind as to come into view. The Blackburnian Warbler would go on to make a passing visit, but this would last no more than a few seconds. With the likelihood of success dwindling, the executive decision was made to cut our losses and head to a new spot. We returned to a park in which we found our first Canada Warbler last year. That particular outing was by no means a failure, but it certainly left some to be desired. Last years bird were tough to get still and the lighting conditions were even tougher. That being said, we were hopeful for a change this time around. It wasn't more than ten minutes of driving in that we heard the familiar song. This patch was dense with rhododendron and swampy. Perfect habitat for Canada Warbler. Soon after, this male emerged from the shrubbery and began his routine of sing, forage, repeat. His preferred perches were low and obscured, but occasionally he would oblige us and chose an open perch. I use "open" generously. Even the open perches were low. I had to kneel and lean forward or lay on the ground to get a decently clean background. Had I sat upright, the background would've been a tangled mess of twigs and Mountain Laurel. Still, I can't complain. He found a few nice mossy logs to land on. The flower, which I believe to be Marsh Blue Violet, was just the cherry on top.
Canada Warbler
As it goes, a friend and I headed out for yet another warbler outing. My expectations for this particular outing were quite high and, by some miracle, were exceeded. It's not everyday one gets the opportunity to photograph such a cooperative subject, let alone one that isn't all that common in my neck of the woods. The Canada Warbler breeds sparingly throughout the swampier, mixed forests of New Jersey. There are rumors of populations in a few far corners of the state, deep within dense wilderness where few birders trek. One could spend hours hiking the desolate trails, fending off bears and ticks just hoping to catch a glimpse of one of these stunning songbirds. Alternatively, you could hop in the car, drive around long enough in the right habitat to find a boat load of them just off the road. The choice was simple. After a few hours drive into the heart of Canada Warbler breeding territory, the first stop was made. It was quite lively. Among other things, Canada, Black-throated Green, Prairie and Blackburnian Warblers could all be heard singing. That's all great and wonderful, but none were so kind as to come into view. The Blackburnian Warbler would go on to make a passing visit, but this would last no more than a few seconds. With the likelihood of success dwindling, the executive decision was made to cut our losses and head to a new spot. We returned to a park in which we found our first Canada Warbler last year. That particular outing was by no means a failure, but it certainly left some to be desired. Last years bird were tough to get still and the lighting conditions were even tougher. That being said, we were hopeful for a change this time around. It wasn't more than ten minutes of driving in that we heard the familiar song. This patch was dense with rhododendron and swampy. Perfect habitat for Canada Warbler. Soon after, this male emerged from the shrubbery and began his routine of sing, forage, repeat. His preferred perches were low and obscured, but occasionally he would oblige us and chose an open perch. I use "open" generously. Even the open perches were low. I had to kneel and lean forward or lay on the ground to get a decently clean background. Had I sat upright, the background would've been a tangled mess of twigs and Mountain Laurel. Still, I can't complain. He found a few nice mossy logs to land on. The flower, which I believe to be Marsh Blue Violet, was just the cherry on top.