Bird Photos - South Central Texas

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WARBLERS

Warblers are many people's favorite birds. Stunning beauty,
fast action, endless variety, amazing lives, most with long
migrations, and in fall, identification challenges.
Most don't really warble very well, but their songs are
favorites, each usually with A and B songs, plus a selection
of call notes.... imagine 55 chip notes to learn!
How exciting can it get!?!

Here we'll show a few of them, and even include some photos
taken elsewhere to better illustrate them. About 35 of North
America's 55 species are known from the Sabinal River Valley area.
Only about 20 occur in any given year, if you are lucky.
I have seen 24 species at Utopia Park (5.5 yrs.). There is a
Black-throated Gray record someone else saw there too, so
that means at least 25 sps. at the park so far, that I know of.
With its 40 years of spring birder coverage Lost Maples shows
33 species of warblers on its list. BUT nearly HALF of them
(15) have been seen only once (x). Less than 20 occur annually.

We have a few nesting species of warblers locally. Of course
everyone has at least heard of the Golden-cheeked Warbler due
to its endangered status. It is best seen at Lost Maples.
Other warblers nesting there (and other headwater stream habitats
locally like Big Springs over the hill) are Louisiana Waterthrush,
and Black-and-white Warbler. Anywhere along the big rivers in the
tall Cypress trees there are nesting Yellow-throated Warbler,
of a vocally distinct flavor, and a ball moss specialist here.
Edwardsplateauensis I call it. Finally, the 5th regular nesting
warbler is Yellow-breasted Chat which uses brushy areas either
in the riparian flood zone, or around fields and woodland edges.

In the borderline irregular category, there are a few other
warblers perhaps trying to breed locally. There are what seem to
be nesting Northern Parula across the divide from Lost Maples at
Big Springs, the Frio river headwaters, discovered by Tony Gallucci.

Then territorial singing male Tropical Parula are nearly annual in
along the big rivers in April and May in small but multiple numbers,
but no local breeding is known or proven. Almost all are males.
There are no summering Northern Parulas along the Frio or Sabinal
Rivers. They only occur as rare migrants in April. The above
mentioned probable nesting Northern Parula are way above Leakey
in a unique exceptionally lush headwaters micro-habitat, unlike
the Frio or Sabinal riverside habitats along their corridors.

A PAIR of Rufous-capped Warbler was resident a couple years
at Concan until a 3-day icestorm. There are numerous local
records and it should be expected to continue attempts at
colonization, as the Tropical Parula is. So three additional
species of warblers have toeholds, sorta, locally, as extremely
low density presumed attempting breeders, though a nest has
never been found in the state for the Rufous-capped, or in the
hill country for the Tropical Parula. Any suspected instance
requires good evidence documentation.

For spring warbler migration, Nashville Warbler is the only abundant
species locally. Yellow-rumped (mostly Myrtle, some Audubon's),
and Orange-crowned, the next two most numerous, could qualify as
common migrant species. Then probably Yellow Warbler is the 4th
most common. After that it gets slim pickens quickly, and nothing
could be considered common. This is not migrant warbler heaven,
with its low diversity of generally inland or overland migrants,
and no focal point of geographics or habitat (concentration factor).

Yellow-throated Warbler

Common Yellowthroat
(yes the names can be confusing)

Common Yellowthroat going after an insect

Orange-crowned Warbler
some are named for the hardest part to see

Pine Warbler, immature

Myrtle Warbler
"Myrtle" form of Yellow-rumped Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Rufous-capped Warbler

Rufous-capped Warbler

Tropical Parula, a rarity locally

Golden-cheeked Warbler

Golden-cheeked Warbler

Ruby-crowned Kinglet, not a warbler
but often with them in winter.

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