Yellow Warbler fledgling on July 6th
The past few weeks I’ve been hearing and seeing Yellow Warbler fledglings while I have been photographing birds high in the Wasatch Mountains. Some people can’t hear the soft begging calls of this warbler species but I sure can. I could locate where the fledglings were because I could hear them.
Neither of these photos will make it into my photo galleries because they have flaws but I thought the images showed how quickly the plumage changes on Yellow Warbler fledglings. When they are just out of the nest their plumage is mostly gray. The gray plumage can even cause people to misidentify them.
Yellow Warbler fledgling on July 12th
Within days though more and more yellow feathers will replace the gray feathers. It all happens so fast.
I’m not saying these two Yellow Warbler fledglings are the same bird even though they were photographed in the same location but these two photos taken just six days apart do show the color changes of the plumage nicely. In just a couple of weeks very little of the gray juvenal plumage shows and by the time these warblers migrate in late August and early September they will look very much like the females of this species.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Yellow Warbler photos plus facts and information about this species.
I can definitely see the promise of what’s to come in the first bird. 💜
They grow up so fast… Something every parent will be familiar with.
Happy birds, happy photos! You make me smile!
Great photos and learning something, a great way to start my day, Mia. Thanks!
Wow, they change so quickly. Such cuties…..gray or yellow.
It all happens so fast and they are gone.
Such alittle beauty…they always lift my spirits…
Great to see this plumage difference of only a few days