Butternut Squash, Butter-Butt Warblers, and other Signs of Fall

Since my last post exemplified the extraordinary, an American Golden-Plover, I thought my next post should celebrate something ordinary.  One of the true signs of fall is the arrival of Yellow-Rumped Warblers for me.  Their kissing calls mark the coming of fall in many ways.  Although most people will tell you about the cool brisk breezes, the changing autumn leaves, and the omnipresence of pumpkin as the true signs of fall.  But for birders, birds announce the change of the seasons.

For me, the Yellow-Rumped Warbler is one of those signs of fall.  This flighty warbler is one of my true signs of autumn.  This warbler is unique in that most of its wintering range is in North America and not the Neotropics.  There are wide ranges of biodiversity with birds and even within bird families.  Some warblers like the inside of the tree, some the outside, some the brush.  You can have several different type of warblers in a single tree, eating completely different kinds of insects in completely different parts.  The variety of Yellow-Rumped Warblers also helps us to appreciate the differences of individuals in the bird world as each butter but can pose a challenge for IDing under certain lights.  In the end, getting out and appreciating Yellow-Rumpeds helps us to understand the world of warblers better.  So get out and bird!

A Frog in a Pond

The Butter-Butt in a Tree

More Butter-Butt

Can you find the Butter-Butt?

2013 Year List: 263

Yellow-Rumped Warbler on All About Birds - Link