This Sunday I arrived at the park around 8:00am and right off the bat I was seeing some fun birds. This first one I caught quite a few good glimpses of and even a decent photo, though I really didn't know what it was at the time. It looked and behaved like a Warbler, sitting high up in the tree tops and moving around quite a bit. One interesting bit that I noticed right away though was that it's bright yellow coloring on the head and neck made quite an abrupt change to white on it's lower breast. This was not a pattern I was familiar with at all but since there are so many different types of Warblers I assumed I would locate soon. It took me a heck of a lot longer to positively ID this bird and the way I did was to stumble upon a photo taken by a fellow birder friend of mine
Ron Taube.
When I saw his photo of a bird with similar coloring and patterning I realized why I'd not yet identified my bird -I was looking in the wrong section of my field guides! The bird is in fact a Yellow-throated Vireo, not a Warlber at all! About the only thing I know about Vireos is that they are often mistaken for Warblers as they are similar in size and color. One thing I noticed only in my photographs later was that this bird almost seemed to be wearing bright yellow "spectacles" which is a distinguishing characteristic. So my very first photo of the day was of an entirely brand new species for me! After this I spotted some more regular late-summer birds including Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets and some Canada Geese, but soon I again spotted something with a bit more color.
Deep in side a Buckthorn Tree I could see a bright flash of orange now and again and focused in on this American Redstart. This one I know for a fact to be a Warbler though they have quite a bit more black plumage than your average Warbler. Even if you are lucky enough to spot one and follow it until it sits still for just a millisecond, it's even harder (for me at least) to capture any details of their head, face and eyes. Much like it is with other perfectly black birds including Red-wings and Crows. I got a bit luckier in that respect with this one, though I sure wish that one Buckthorn leaf hadn't been in front of his beak. I could be quite happy trying to photograph only Redstarts all summer long as they are just that challenging. Well, my day had one last surprise for me later as just minutes later I spotted a Magnolia Warbler!
This was only the second time I've ever seen one and I was in much closer proximity this time than last. Like the Redstart, it was also deep inside the Buckthorn and I had to take advantage of any and every unobstructed view I got.
I watched this one for quite some time and took quite a few photos and I got to see it from just about every angle. The bird even looked inquisitively right at me, cocking it's head to the side as if to wonder what the heck I was. I believe it was foraging for insects as many other Warblers do and I had a great time seeing a photographing this wonderful Warbler.
At the end of the day I'd taken only 32 photos total. It's amazing on some days how you can see so many interesting birds in such a short time span -and then on other days take nearly a hundred photos of nothingness. I will have to note and remember this particular week of September as an opportune time to visit Palmer Lake Park!
When I saw his photo of a bird with similar coloring and patterning I realized why I'd not yet identified my bird -I was looking in the wrong section of my field guides! The bird is in fact a Yellow-throated Vireo, not a Warlber at all! About the only thing I know about Vireos is that they are often mistaken for Warblers as they are similar in size and color. One thing I noticed only in my photographs later was that this bird almost seemed to be wearing bright yellow "spectacles" which is a distinguishing characteristic. So my very first photo of the day was of an entirely brand new species for me! After this I spotted some more regular late-summer birds including Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets and some Canada Geese, but soon I again spotted something with a bit more color. 
Deep in side a Buckthorn Tree I could see a bright flash of orange now and again and focused in on this American Redstart. This one I know for a fact to be a Warbler though they have quite a bit more black plumage than your average Warbler. Even if you are lucky enough to spot one and follow it until it sits still for just a millisecond, it's even harder (for me at least) to capture any details of their head, face and eyes. Much like it is with other perfectly black birds including Red-wings and Crows. I got a bit luckier in that respect with this one, though I sure wish that one Buckthorn leaf hadn't been in front of his beak. I could be quite happy trying to photograph only Redstarts all summer long as they are just that challenging. Well, my day had one last surprise for me later as just minutes later I spotted a Magnolia Warbler! 
This was only the second time I've ever seen one and I was in much closer proximity this time than last. Like the Redstart, it was also deep inside the Buckthorn and I had to take advantage of any and every unobstructed view I got. I watched this one for quite some time and took quite a few photos and I got to see it from just about every angle. The bird even looked inquisitively right at me, cocking it's head to the side as if to wonder what the heck I was. I believe it was foraging for insects as many other Warblers do and I had a great time seeing a photographing this wonderful Warbler. 
At the end of the day I'd taken only 32 photos total. It's amazing on some days how you can see so many interesting birds in such a short time span -and then on other days take nearly a hundred photos of nothingness. I will have to note and remember this particular week of September as an opportune time to visit Palmer Lake Park!
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