• 

• 

• 

This past Saturday I checked out a nearby park, recommended by a friend from work. The place was small but it was quite birdy. While trying to capture a decent shot of a busy Blue Gray Gnatcatcher (more about him tomorrow) this Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) popped into view.

Since it was a bit chilly out, he was far more interested in foraging for insects in the old wooden fence than worrying about me. Which meant that I finally caught a few decent photos of this very busy, wren-like bird. My first set of photos last February were quite awful (much like the year, now that I think about it).

True snow birds, this species migrates down to the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean for the winter. If I wanted to see this male in his dapper breeding plumage, I’d have to head up to the far northeast or Canada in a couple months. Even without his rufous cap and belly streaks he is still a handsome avian!