Male Northern Yellow Warbler foraging, Summit County, UtahMale Northern Yellow Warbler foraging – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Yesterday morning was spent up in the mountain canyons again photographing the birds I found at the higher elevations, the birds I saw the most of were Northern Yellow Warblers, birds who look like sunshine on the wing.

I watched them glean insects from the trees and shrubs they visited. Photographing them is extremely challenging because these tiny dynamos don’t stay still for long.

Lil bit of sunshine - Perched Northern Yellow Warbler, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, UtahLil bit of sunshine – Perched Northern Yellow Warbler – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I have a bunch of photos to delete from the images I took yesterday because I wasn’t able to lock focus on the bird, the eyes were missing catch lights, or I had body parts that were clipped because these warblers move so much but I did manage to take a few images of them that I am happy with.

I saw a few female Northern Yellow Warblers yesterday but they seemed to stay mostly hidden while the males popped out into the open now and then.

Male Northern Yellow Warbler perched on a tree, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, UtahMale Northern Yellow Warbler perched on a tree – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

It was delightful to have my Mom along because she helped me spot the warblers I photographed and because I love hearing the excitement in her words about our feathered friends, the animals we saw, and to hear what she thought about the scenery we were seeing.

Northern Yellow Warbler male in the mountains, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, UtahYellow Warbler male in the mountains – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Even though the male Northern Yellow Warblers were mostly focused on foraging they also stopped and sang quite often.

A few facts about Northern Yellow Warblers:

  • Northern Yellow Warblers are small, uniformly yellow warblers with unmarked faces, rounded heads, tiny bills and jet black eyes. The males have reddish streaks on their underparts. There are other forms of Northern Yellow Warblers found in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Males in those species have chestnut on their heads.
  • Northern Yellow Warblers are migratory. During the breeding season Northern Yellow Warblers can be found as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far south as southern Mexico, they spend winters in Central and South America.
  • Their preferred habitats include thickets, marsh edges, swamps, willow edged streams, bogs, farmlands, forest edges and suburban gardens.
  • Northern Yellow Warblers eat spiders, insects and will also eat berries. They forage by gleaning.
  • Northern Yellow Warblers lay 3 to 6 eggs which hatch in 11 to 12 days, the females incubate and they are monogamous.
  • A group of Northern Yellow Warblers can be called a “stream” or “trepidation” of warblers.
  • Yellow warblers can live to be more than 11 years of age.

Foraging male Northern Yellow Warbler, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, UtahForaging male Northern Yellow Warbler – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I hope that I will have many more chances to photograph the Northern Yellow Warblers I find here because they are a challenge and because they are such beautiful little birds.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Northern Yellow Warbler photos.