Palm Warbler
“Upon closer inspection this frigid fellow was a “Western” Palm Warbler!”
Through the year
Columns that mention it, by the month they were published.
Year by year
Columns that mention it each year.
In his words
Ten of the 14 passages, oldest first.
On the last days of April the following birds were seen and heard – Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped / Myrtle Warbler, Pine Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blue- gray Gnatcatcher and Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
Sightings in order by frequency of spotting - Black-throated Green warbler, Pine warbler, Palm warbler, Myrtle warbler, American Yellow warbler, Northern Parula, Black and White warbler, American Redstart, Nashville warbler, Ovenbird (a warbler of the forest floor), Chestnut-sided warbler and Magnolia warbler!
Lastly, on April 29 along the “honey pot” that is Pond cove I was delighted to find a handsome male Palm warbler flaunting its rusty cap and bobbing its tail amongst the company of ten Yellow-rumped warblers.
Additional and previously mentioned warblers seen and/or heard across Cape so far this Spring include (listed by frequency of spotting), Myrtle Warbler, Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler, American Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Black and white Warbler…
Upon closer inspection this frigid fellow was a “Western” Palm Warbler!
Saving the best spotting for last, on April 21 in addition to the Yellow-rumped (myrtle) and Palm warblers about, I was able to catch a glimpse of the male Prothonotary Warbler being seen at Hinkley Park in South Portland.
Lastly, on October 13 from the Spurwink trail I spied two Great Egrets pursuing prey within the tidal dog legs, a single Eastern Phoebe (flycatcher) and a Palm Warbler meandering between the trail and thickets.
I counted nine Pine Warblers within Robinson Woods III, and two male “Yellow” Palm Warblers (with bright rust caps) and a single, boisterous Ruby-crowned Kinglet foraging along a pasture trail in Robinson Woods I. While the Pine Warbler most likely breeds in Cape’s coniferous forests…
On this same outing I came across two Palm Warblers in a White Pine along the edge of the pond.
On April 11 I heard my first Pine Warbler of the season, and the following day our yard was visited by both a female Pine Warbler and a male Palm Warbler.
Show all 14 passages
I recently learned that when foraging amongst other warbler species Yellow-rumped warblers generally let Magnolia, Black-throated Green and Palm Warblers do as they wish, however with Blackburnian and Pine Warblers their behavior is more assertive.
Additionally, on April 26 I spotted my first Palm Warbler and Blue-headed Vireo of the season.
On this same outing I noted five Eastern Phoebes, three gloriously yellow male Pine Warblers and a single male Palm Warbler along the fringes of the great meadow in Robinson Woods.
In my backyard a Palm Warbler, a Red breasted Nuthatch, and a Red bellied Woodpecker fed together on suet, their colors catching the setting sun, while White throated, Chipping and Song Sparrows scratched and gave chase below.