Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Butter-butt Bonanza at the Bog

1.yellow-rumped warbler kab Yellow-rumped Warbler 10-10-11 Stirling Street Bog

I’ve been counting birds at the Stirling Street Bog for over a year now. Last October when I first moved here to Andover I counted several warblers there in the month of October. I presumed the bog would be full of warblers next spring and summer, but I was wrong. The warblers I saw last year were just migrating through. So, this autumn I have been waiting for them. Finally a cold front moved through on the night of October 5th. When I woke up on October 6th, I was greeted by the sound of a white-throated sparrow singing, “Oh Sweet-Canada, Canada, Canada,” outside my window. While drinking coffee on the back porch and watching birds, I saw a black-throated green warbler in the tree next door. That’s when I knew I’d better grab my bins and camera and get down to the bog. Sure enough, there were birds everywhere!

2. butter butt kab Yellow-rumped Warbler a.k.a. “Butter-butt”

Yellow-rumped warblers are affectionately know as Butter-butts because it looks like someone placed a little pat of butter on their rumps in the area right above their tails.

3. butter butt-kab Butter-butt showing its yellow rump.

Yellow-rumps come in two varieties: Myrtle, predominately on the east coast; and Audubon’s, predominantly out west. The Myrtle has a white throat and the Audubon's has a yellow throat but they do overlap in territory and during migration.

4. yellow-rumped warbler-kab Eye-arcs seen clearly here on yellow-rumped warbler

Yellow-rumped warblers are closely associated with coniferous trees during the breeding season. It seems to me that I often see them around water. They often act like flycatchers, picking insects off the ends of branches or snatching them from the air. Because they can and do eat berries, they are often one of the first warbler species to migrate north in springtime.They make a little “tic” sound as they glean insects and it is often one of the ways that I find them. Yellow-rumped warbler was one of the first warbler species I ever saw and learned to identify. I saw my first one in Florida in January of 2003, and then I saw them again in my back yard in Maine of that same year. Since then I have seen them in 11 states.

5. YRWA-kab Yellow-rumped warbler on guardrail between road and bog 10-6-11

These yellow-rumps here are all seen in fall plumage. While not quite as colorful as their breeding plumage, I still think they are adorable and I am so happy to see them at the bog again. They are only here for a short time and soon they will be gone again until next year.

6.Autumn bog-kab Autumn Splendor at the bog 10-11-11 Andover, MA

WBW Just click on the image to see more birds!

22 comments:

  1. Yay! They were hanging out in my willows, and I sent them down to you! Glad they arrived safely! :)

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  2. your AUTUMN Splendor is magnificent!!! and those cute little birds!!
    i LOVE the first shot...the background is amazing...like a painting!!

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  3. Hi Katie...what a delightful fellar the little Butter Butt is!
    Your first photo is great and they all show of the yellow real well!!

    Grace

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  4. Butter butt - tat made me laugh, but it's a good name for those birds. The autumn colours are amazing.

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  5. Wonderful birds to see... your images are so lovely..
    Many thanks for sharing, it's great to see birds from other countries.

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  6. They look like very cute birds! Great catch.

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  7. Beautiful little birds and the photo of Autumn Splendor is really beautiful.

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  8. Your butterbutts are just adorable. Wonderful photos, Kathie! And I lvoe the shot of the colorful Autumn trees. Happy Birding.

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  9. The Yellow-rumped is a real beauty Kathie.

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  10. Hi Kathie

    Lovely shots of the wablers and it looks like you have beautiful fall colour. I think the migrants are one of the great pluses of autumn.

    Regards
    Guy

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  11. Wonderful birds and beautiful autumncoulors!

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  12. wonderful photos Kathie, looks like a fantastic spot, and the fall colors are gorgeous.

    dan

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  13. These little birds are so lovely and the autumn colours are simply breathtaking!

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  14. Awesome post Kathie! Your photography is superb and the information you provide, enlightening. I am fascinated by warblers too with their many variations. Your autumn color seems to be in full swing, things are fading fast around here!

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  15. The fall colors are lovely there and your captures of this little bird are splendid!

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  16. beautiful pictures, he is a cutie pie.

    your autumn shot is fabulous, you are way ahead of new jersey!!

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  17. Great shots of the Butter-Butt! I can't wait for them to arrive in GA.
    Beautiful Autumn portrait...:)

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  18. I've seen my share of these little birds lately but that top photo-wow Kathie! What a great close-up! Good info too.

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  19. What a beautiful autumn you have! I love your little warblers. The first photo is my favorite.

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  20. Wow, what great pictures of this Warbler! We record them as Myrtle Warblers at the banding station (that is, the Eastern Yellow Rumped as opposed to the Western Yellow Rumped which is now called the Audubon)

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  21. Fabulous! What a lovely collection of pretty birds.

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  22. Hi, Kathie -- Your photos are all stunning, but I especially like your fourth picture above of the yellow-rumped warbler. The only time I've seen one in my area was a couple months ago when, sadly, one flew into my sliding glass door and died.

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Welcome to my nest! I hope you will enjoy spending time here with me and the birds. Thank you for your comments. I will try to get back to you as soon as I get back from counting more birds.