Winter doesn’t seem like a time when you’d encounter warblers. We often think of warblers during the great spring and fall migrations as well as those times during the summer when we go birding and crane our necks to try to catch a glimpse of them at the tops of trees.
But here in Loudoun, we do have 5 species that can sometimes be seen in the winter: Orange-crowned warbler, Yellow-rumped warbler, Palm warbler, Common Yellowthroat and the Yellow-breasted Chat. Of these, the Yellow-rumped warbler is considered common in winter while sightings of the other 4 are considered rare.
So, why am I writing about all this? Well, because one of our members, Beth Arsenault, had a Palm warbler at her homemade suet feeder the last few weeks!! Isn’t that cool!
She writes that it showed up with the Goldfinches, eats suet (not only from the ground but also by hanging upside down to get it) and enjoys eating the mealworms that she puts out. She also notes that it bobs its tail up and down constantly.
What a great sighting! And what a smart bird for going to Beth’s house where, with her TLC, she had all the best foods! (Who wouldn’t love homemade suet!) 🙂
You can learn more about Palm Warblers – see where they normally winter, hear their calls – on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Bird Id site.
Let us know what birds are coming to your yard this season!