A Black-and-white Warbler in Foggy, New-green Woods
This morning the filmy hint of green that’s been hovering in the woods the past several days came out into new green leaves on many of the trees – mostly the water oaks, sweet gums and tulip poplars, I think. All of a sudden now, the woods look green again, instead of bare gray, though the foliage is still young and scattered and thin. A light fog hung among the trees, and a Black-and-white Warbler was singing in the white oaks close to the house. This time I could see it very well on the still-bare limbs of the oaks – a small, slim bird, crisply black-and-white striped all over, creeping over the branches, searching for food. It captured a long, wiggling caterpillar, and took several tosses of its head and snaps of the bill to consume it all.
A Pine Warbler sang nearby, a Mourning Dove cooed, a Red-bellied Woodpecker called a musical quuurrrr.