Male Yellow-rumped Warbler perched in a Hawthorn – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Almost one year ago I spent my morning photographing so many Yellow-rumped Warblers that they seemed to almost drip from the trees. There were a few locations high up in the Wasatch Mountains where the Yellow-rumped Warblers were so thick that I had trouble deciding which birds to focus on as they moved around in the trees, on the ground, and at the edge of a creek. They may have been having what I call a “mini fallout” because the colder weather we had last spring had kept them down lower in the valleys for longer than normal.
Most of the warblers were foraging for prey by grabbing it from the ground or hawking insects from the air. This male in breeding plumage used the thorny branches of a hawthorn as a perch while he hawked insects from the air.
Looking at the length of the thorn that is to the right of the male’s tail makes it easy to understand how “thorn” came to be used in the common name of hawthorns. That thorn appears to be longer than the width of the warbler’s head.
Female Yellow-rumped Warbler up close in a willow – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I recall that I saw more male Yellow-rumped Warblers that morning in the high mountain canyons but I did see and photograph a few of the females too. This female perched so close to where I sat in a “mobile blind” that I had trouble focusing on her and had to turn the limiter off on my lens.
View of the yellow rump of a male Yellow-rumped Warbler – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
These last two photos easily show how Yellow-rumped Warblers got the nickname “Butter Butts”, that buttery yellow rump sure stands out even when I am not looking at the birds through a high-powered lens. Their rumps shine like beacons.
Butter Butt – Male Yellow-rumped Warbler – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
That morning I took hundreds of photos of the Yellow-rumped Warblers and tossed lots of them into my delete bin because they didn’t meet my standards but when I have these birds in front of me in large numbers I take as many photos of them as I can. After all, it isn’t everyday that I find warblers dripping from the trees.
Life is good. Stay safe.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Yellow-rumped Warbler photos plus facts and information about this species.
Really cool series of pics. I love the composition of each shot and the colors are striking. Thanks Mia.
Beautiful series Mia, enjoy the week-end.
LUCKY, LUCKY you. And us.
I strongly suspect I would be so awed and delighted that I would forget the camera. And am so very glad that you have more presence of mind than I could muster.
Mia, you have a poet’s instincts….
Sooooo beautiful!!!!!
The image that came to mind of “Yellow-Rumped Warblers dripping from trees brightened this rainy overcast day.” I heard my first Yellow Warbler two days ago but no sightings yet.
Beautiful photos! I still have a couple in my yard, they like the worm and nut log and the suet.
Love these birds! They are still in our area of Minnesota, but it won’t be long and they’ll be heading up to Canada. These are very nice photos!!
Sigh, These beauties left us a couple of weeks ago and I miss them terribly.
What wonderful photographs. The phrase “dripping from trees” instantaneously conjures up a mental picture of butter butts scurrying from leaf to leaf.
Thank you, Mia.
Butter Butts! Such a wonderful way to start my morning. (Had a bit of a lie in today.) Can’t be unhappy with these birds around!
Ohh, love your title.
Immediately upon reading your email I clicked over to see them dripping from trees.
In the short distance from my email to your blog I imagined them hanging like bats but was even more delighted by your photos.
How did you get them to stay still long enough to get such good shots? 🙂
What a delightful way to start the day with the yellow-rumped glowing from the trees.
Great series of photos. I think I like the colouring of the female Yellow-rumped Warbler more than the male.
Cool photos Mia