Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Open the Migration Floodgates!

Fall is coming, and the birds are on the move! Now that migration is happening, looking out the window becomes extra interesting, because you never know who's going to show up next. On Sunday, this gorgeous Yellow-throated Vireo came through our yard:


Wow, what an outfit! At first glance, I thought this bird might have been a Pine Warbler, which I've seen in these trees during migration before, and which has remarkably similar coloring. But no, that stout bill and those cool yellow spectacles make this a Yellow-throated Vireo (a bird which, coincidentally, I'd never seen before, in my yard or anywhere else). Very cool!

I also really like how this bird looks from above, with its olive-green/yellow front fading into its monochrome gray back:


What a fun little creature. You can bet I'll be watching for more fancy visitors over the next few weeks! Keep 'em coming!

2 comments:

  1. Beautiful! Is it always two-toned like that?

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    1. As far as I know, yes! From what I've read, males and females look the same, and they don't even molt to non-breeding plumage in the winter. So they're always pretty in yellow, gray, and white!

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