I've previously posted a fall plumage composite for this species.
Tags: composite black-and-white warbler Spring hawthorn michigan warbler Warbler Composite
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The 2024 ABA bird of the year is the Golden-winged Warbler. It is the first time a warbler has been selected for this honor. The January 2024 issue of Birding magazine features this warbler and I am honored to have been able to contribute a photo salon on hybrids and other images included in the issue. This is a composite I created from two separate images taken this past Spring in Michigan which I am sharing now for the first time.
Tags: Golden-winged Warbler Michigan Warbler Composite Golden-winged warbler pair 2024 ABA bird of the year
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Lower peninsula. This is one of the most interesting hybrids I've come across. This singing male was found in a territory that was occupied by a Brewster's Warbler 2 seasons prior, and a Golden-winged Warbler last season. He was singing the alternate Blue-W1nged Warbler song (not the Beeee-Buzzz). A classic Lawrence's Hybrid male looks like a Blue-w1nged except for the Golden-winged black face and throat patch in place of the black eye line. He apparently has incomplete penetrance of the recessive traits of olive dorsal aspect and the yellow of a B1ue-winged but complete penetrance of the black face mask and throat.
Tags: Hybrid hybrid warbler Lawrence's hybrid Michigan alternate song of Blue-winged Spring
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Upper Peninsula. It was fun to use a larch as a perch for several different warbler species in the boreal forest near Lake Superior.
Tags: Blackburnian Warbler Michigan conifer Larch Spring Warbler Whisperer boreal forest
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Upper Peninsula. While working with warblers this guy flew across the road right over my head. Then I took notice of a tall dead pine directly across the road that had areas of bark stripped away. The female also put in a brief showing. He eventually landed on the dead pine and did some foraging. He would use his long beak to lift up pieces of bark to forage for beetle larvae. Taking note of the tree and the foraging pattern on the bark I noticed a similarly marked tree down the road. I had a female of this species foraging on it a few days later. Note the three toes clearly visible on one of the feet.
Tags: Michigan Woodpecker Upper Peninsula Warbler Whisperer Spring
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