Here are a few more beautiful birds I found this spring. Perhaps some of these are new to you, and you'll now watch for them.
Let's begin with a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Many people list this as their favorite bird.
This male posed for me after singing his flute-like song. Most birds throw their beak wide to cast a loud voice, but grosbeaks barely crack their beak. Soon, the male jumped out to an end branch of this walnut tree and twisted about like a corkscrew to pick out a tiny larva. I love it when I see some behavior like this.
The next bird is an entirely new sighting for me. I happened so quickly that I only got this one image of the Wilson's Warbler. It was very secretive and uncommon. Hope to find him again.
A few days later I was walking a woods trail in a nearby state park and happened up several Ovenbirds. Like the preceding warbler, it was in deep shade. Unlike the grosbeak, it opens up wide to make its song carry.
Just today I found a number of American Redstarts along an abandoned railroad track bed. The sun really catches the ribbing on the black feathers. They rarely stay on a given perch for long, so I have to be fast to line up the shot.
Overall it has been a productive season, although several subjects have been difficult to locate or hidden inside deep cover. That is just the nature of bird photography.
Paul Schmitt
