With winter settling in, birders around the country are looking forward to spring and the return of migratory birds, especially the colorful warblers.
In March, birders from across the country will flock to South Texas with their high-dollar scopes, binoculars and cameras to welcome the birds back from their winter homes in Central and South America.
As the birds move north throughout the spring, some birders will follow them all the way to Canada in late May. Locally during migration, a stroll through Brison Park, a hike through Lick Creek Park, or a visit to a number of other parks should produce several birders looking for a photo, or perhaps just a glimpse of a Cerulean, a Blackburnian, a Yellow or one of many other beautiful warblers.
Migration is an exciting time, but you don’t have to wait until March to find some cool warblers.
Brazos County hosts four warblers throughout the winter months. Cold temperatures, barren trees and dwindling natural food supplies make the three that migrate north in the spring relatively easy to spot. These are the pine, orange-crowned and yellow-rumped warblers. Look for them in wooded areas in mixed flocks with chickadees, titmice, downy woodpeckers, ruby-crowned kinglets, blue-headed vireos or chipping sparrows. All will frequent backyard feeders that present suet or peanuts. Shadows mute their colors so you may need binoculars to appreciate them fully or even make a positive ID.
The male pine warbler is olive above, bright yellow on the throat and breast, with white on the belly and under the tail. The gray tail has two white outer feathers and the gray wings have two white bars. There are bright yellow spectacles around the eyes and faint streaks on the sides of the breast. The bill is relatively large and very pointed. The much less colorful female along with the colorless immature can be a real challenge to ID. These can be found foraging in the tops of trees (especially pines), on the ground, or at feeders.
The orange-crowned warbler is generally a light olive bird that is grayer toward the head and brighter on the rump. A bright yellow under tail is a good field mark. A dark line through the eye and faint broken eye arcs are present as well as faint streaking on the breast. The colors on the female are less bright. The orange crown for which it is named is rarely visible and then only faintly. Look for them in wooded and scrubby areas or frequenting backyard feeders.
Our most common winter warbler is the yellow-rumped warbler (Myrtle). In winter, they are generally brown above with bright yellow patches on the sides of the breast and rump. A yellow patch on the crown distinguishes a male. There is a dark cheek patch, a light throat, dark streaking on the breast and flank, two white wing bars, and white on the corners of the tail. A western version (Audubon’s) has a bright yellow throat. “Butter-butts,” as they are affectionately called, can be seen in mixed flocks in woodlands or shrubby areas flying out from a perch to catch insects out of the air or rummaging through trees or bushes for berries. They also will visit suet and peanut feeders.
The rarest of these four can be found in Brazos County all year long. Common yellow-throats are the least likely to be seen because of their rarity and their habitat choices. Sculking along brushy edges of woods, waterways and fields, they do not associate in mixed flocks with the other winter warblers. They are not as likely to show up at backyard feeders. Olive/brown above, they sport a bright yellow throat and breast. The male has a black mask with a white border on top.
The pandemic has curtailed a lot of large group activities over the past couple of years. Fortunately, birding is an activity that can be done singly or in small groups with “social distancing.” Therefore, the number of birders in the country has swelled over the past two years. If you are a veteran birder or have never tried birding, grab a pair of binoculars and go out and see if you can locate some of these winter warblers. Better yet, join the Rio Brazos Audubon Society’s free monthly bird walk and let some experienced birders help you find them. Check riobrazosaudubon.org for details on dates, times and locations.
Ron Newhouse is a retired Bryan High School teacher and coach, avid nature photographer, expert birder and longtime member of the Rio Brazos Audubon Society.