Western Palm Warbler
In another part of the neighborhood, a colorful Western Palm Warbler was feeding along the roadside, gleaning insects from the grasses and weeds, with very small, pale-purple flowers in bloom all around it. This was a much closer and better view of a Palm Warbler than when I saw two in a tree a few days ago. This one was close and vivid – a small, slender bird with red-brown crown, dark streak through the eye, bright yellow throat and bright yellow under the tail, a brownish back and streaks on the sides of a pale breast. It continuously, quickly pumped its tail as it foraged, and stayed on the ground for several minutes, before flying up into a low branch of a nearby tree.
Many other birds were active in this burst of sunshine and blue sky, among them Cedar Waxwings, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Chimney Swifts, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker and one Hairy Woodpecker. Two Red-shouldered Hawks flew low out of the woods and across the road in two different spots. Eastern Bluebirds flashed their colors, hunting in grassy yards.
Birdsong seemed to be everywhere – Eastern Phoebe, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Brown Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Pine Warbler, House Wren and House Finch all were singing. And I was somewhat surprised to hear the zhreeee calls of what sounded like a good many Pine Siskins still here in the trees around several yards, mixed with the mews of American Goldfinches.