There were two Hooded Warblers and one Worm-eating Warbler near the second bridge on the trail going west from Park Street at Pheasant Branch Conservancy on Saturday. A third Hooded Warbler was found on the trail going north from Century Avenue. A Cerulean Warbler was also found on the west trail. Fortunately, these birds were observed by many birders throughout the day. 23 warbler species total.
I observed and photographed the above Yellow-rumped Warbler for an extended period of time - it was a rather feisty bird. It exhibited very aggressive territoriality by chasing away all other yellow-rumps that came within ~20 feet of the area where it was foraging. However, it didn't seem to mind a Restart, Palm, and Nashville Warblers that were in the same area.
This evening I found a Black-throated Blue Warbler at the 3rd stream crossing going east from Park Street at Pheasant Branch Conservancy. Three other lucky birders got to enjoy it as well (Dottie, Tim & Agnes). Other warblers present were Cape May, Blackburnian, Palm, and a few others. Other birds included Veery, Swainson's Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The corridor was quiet compared to this morning, making the Black-throated Blue Warbler's song easy to hear. This makes 30 warbler species observed at Pheasant Branch so far this spring. Bring on the Connecticut!
All images © 2009 Mike McDowell