blue-winged warbler – A Thousand Acres of Silphiums

Brewster’s Warbler?

One of my goals this spring has been to get a better photograph of the Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA), a species that passes through Missouri during migration to nest in the upper Midwest, Ohio valley and northern Appalachia. Although I have been lucky in finding at least ten of these birds so far this spring, they are primarily treetop dwellers and I have struck out in getting one near enough and in good light.

While birding at Babler State Park in St. Louis County last weekend, I heard the familiar “bzzzzzzz buzz buzz buzz” vocalization of the GWWA. My birding companions and I began our search and I grabbed a few mediocre images before the bird quickly departed. Because I knew the lighting was poor and the distance was long, I didn’t spend much time reviewing the photos in the field. Arriving home later that evening, I reviewed the photos I collected that day and realized I captured something I was not expecting.

Brewster’s Warbler showing the lack of a dark throat patch and a mostly white breast.

It is well known in the birding community that the Golden-winged Warbler is closely related to it’s more southerly cousin, the Blue-winged Warbler (BWWA). Despite completely different physical appearances and different vocalizations, it has now been shown that the two species are 99.97% genetically alike. Where the nesting range of these two species overlap, hybridization occurs. There are two primary forms of this interspecies union. The first is what is known as the Brewster’s Warbler pictured here. The Brewster’s Warbler looks pretty much like a GWWA but lacks the dark throat patch and has an eye stripe more similar to the BWWA. This is the more common of the two hybrid forms between the BWWA and GWWA. The other hybrid form is known as the Lawrence’s Warbler. The Lawrence’s Warbler keeps the yellow belly coloration of the BWWA and has the black throat of the GWWA that is the recessive version of this trait.

Little did I know I’d be getting a “lifer” so close to home this weekend!

Spring Migrant Wrap Up

wildlife, wildlife photography

A few leftover from my one day at Tower Grove Park on May 16, 2021.

A Spring Day at Victoria Glades

birds, landscape, wildlife

Following up a Saturday morning spent at the Eagle’s nest, Steve and I traveled to Victoria Glades to finish up the day during the perfect season to spend time on Missouri Ozark Glades. We decided to focus on the MDC side of things as we explored The Nature Conservancy holding about the same time the previous year. My primary goal of the day was to get some acceptable shots of a Prairie Warbler while performing his song. I had no idea how relatively easy this would be. We were able to find this male almost immediately along the trail as he patrolled his territory – focusing on trees isolated within the glade habitat.

Lovers of the treetops and focused more on trees that make up the forest edge border with the glade, the Yellow-breasted Chat is a bird I have wanted to get photos of for quite some time. Not perfect, but acceptable. Steve and I watched and listened as neighboring males carefully partitioned the area into well established boundaries that they seemed to know so well.

What’s that? Getting bored with yellow? Okay, let’s change things up a little and look at this Scarlet Tanager male that we found within the forest canopy. With a song similar to the Summer Tanager, the chip-burr call note of the Scarlet Tanager is most diagnostic. We were somewhat surprised to find a couple of Summer Tanagers singing in the open areas of the glade near sunset later this evening.

And now for something downright plain. Well, at least from the front, which is not the Field Sparrow’s best side. This female was definitely not interested in us as we got these close looks of her trying to feed on insects and seed at the same time. We watched her and listened to her mate advertise his rights to their home with his dropping ping-pong ball like song.

Just when you thought we were done with the yellow… Along with the Chat, these were my first photographs of a Blue-Winged Warbler as well. After we discovered what the hell was going on, Steve and I discovered and learned the dawn song of this feisty bird.

On our travels through the glades we couldn’t help but take note of this truly magnificent Post Oak, surrounded by blooming prairie/glade forbs such as Fremont’s Leather Flower and Lance-leaved Coreopsis. Mostly secluded on a low hill, this was the spot to wait and see if the sunset would turn into anything special. As we watched the progression of dusk we were most fortunate in hearing a special symphony composed of Woodcock, Whippoorwill, Chuck-Will’s Widow and Barred Owl. Twas quite the memorable day and it goes without saying, I can’t wait to get back.