Male Yellow Warbler checking out his territory – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Two days ago my pulse quickened when I saw and heard my first of the season Yellow Warblers while looking for birds to photograph high up in the Wasatch Mountains. Although all of the Yellow Warblers I saw were too far away to take images of I smiled each time I saw them flitting about the still leafless willows or heard their songs floating on the breeze.
It is early in the season and I am certain that soon enough I will have these feathered balls of sunshine in my viewfinder. The males will perch out in the open on the willows and belt out their songs and the females will stay a bit more hidden from view.
Have a listen to a Yellow Warbler singing here, perhaps you’ll be able to identify some of the other birds in this recording too. I can.
Spring Yellow Warbler female close up – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Yellow Warblers are among my favorite warblers to photograph because they are abundant in the Wasatch Mountains that are just east of where I live and because they aren’t timid birds, sometimes they will fly in so close that I can’t focus on them.
Both of the Yellow Warblers in the photos above were taken on the same day in May of 2019 just two minutes apart. The female may have been drawn in by the male’s song.
Life is good. Stay safe.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Yellow Warbler photos plus facts and information about this species.
Beautiful pics; stunning colors and the detail is amazing. Thanks Mia.
Nice images! I’m sure you will be getting closeups very soon. One of my favorite birds which I will probably miss as spring migration draws to a close here in south Florida. I found that they start collecting nest materials almost as soon as they arrived in NE Illinois.
This is wonderful news, and the photos are cheery. I will expect to see them here in about two weeks.
What a charmer. And, as Marty says, many thanks for their song. It speaks louder and more sweetly to me than human orchestras.
I’m often blown away by how far tiny birds migrate. Thank you for including this particular recording too — I could happily lose a couple of hours being surrounded by such a birdy orchestra! 🙂
These are a beautiful splash of sun!
OK now I really need to get out there!
The 2nd photos is awesome. I haven’t seen any “feathered balls of sunshine” yet around here but I have been looking.
Wonderful photos, Mia