A Chestnut-sided Warbler on the Trail and a Butter Butt at the Heronry (BPW #37)

This little Chestnut-sided Warbler showed up on the Little Miami Bike Trail May 2, and I’ve seen several others since then. If I'm lucky, I might stumble across a few more over the next week or so, but by the end of May, their numbers will dwindle as the majority will have passed through Cincinnati, already arriving on the northernmost parts of their breeding grounds. I love spotting Chestnut-sided Warblers. Their bellies are so white, and their chestnut sides and little yellow crowns really stand out.


Chestnut-sided Warblers prefer second-growth forests, so extensive cutting of mature forests for farmland in the 1800s benefitted these little birds, and they had quite a population explosion because of it. Today, however, some local populations are experiencing a slight decline as many forests mature. The Chestnut-sided Warbler is also sensitive to urbanization and habitat fragmentation, and that's never good.

This photo shows his habit of holding his tail 

partly cocked with his wings slightly drooped. 

I love it when I catch these little "Bullet Bird" shots. They 

just make me laugh...more powerful than a speeding bullet...

Looks like his bill is pointed north. I hope he has a successful 

summer, and a whole brood of young fly south in the autumn!

I grabbed this photo of another Yellow-rumped Warbler at the Great Blue Heron heronry on May 3. He was in the woods at the bottom of the field, gleaning insects from leaves. He too has almost ended his stay in our area…continuing to work his way north to raise a little family.

I love these little Butter Butts. They are so precious. I 

would like to capture a photo that clearly shows that little pat 

of butter on his rump one of these days...maybe next year!

He is always described as the most prevalent migrating 

warbler, which is just fine, because he’s so darn cute! 

Hopefully there's always plenty of him to go around.

This is my first time to participate in Bird Photography Weekly. 

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