outdoor photography

Palm Warbler Central Winds Park We have the pleasure of finding Palm Warblers in Florida throughout the Winter and Spring.  Most of them are the "western" subspecies, and they are rather drab in their winter plumage.  But a few are the "eastern" subspecies.  These birds sport a fair amount more yellow, even up into the supercilium stripe. These are a special treat for me.  I typically see them in the drier habitats, rather than marshes and other wetlands.   Palm Warbler Marl Bed Flats I'm also told that the western and eastern subspecies actually cross paths during migration.  The yellow "eastern" birds typically migrate farther west, while the more drab "western" birds head east into Florida.  This accounts for why we see so few "eastern" birds on the east coast of Florida. Palm Warbler Lake Apopka Palm Warbler Marl Bed Flats

Palm Warbler Palm Warblers have arrived in force here over the last few weeks.  Some of my favorite birding places are now seemingly overrun with them.  They are pretty birds, so I try not to get annoyed with this--after all, it's not their fault that I have to look through about ten of these to find any other species.  Thankfully, these warblers are also one of the easiest to identify with their yellow under tail coverts and tail-wagging. An eye-stripe and two white spots on an otherwise dark tail can also help.  I often do not need my binoculars to say, "just another Palm Warbler." Palm Warbler Palm Warbler Palm Warbler Palm Warbler Palm Warbler Palm Warbler