Attack Warbler

The local view of spring migration continued to improve this morning with Canada, Wilson's and Magnolia warblers all appearing in East Quogue to join the Blackpolls, Yellow Warblers, Yellowthroats, Ovenbird and Pine Warbler already here. After early morning fun with migrants right in our own backyard, we hit the trail for the Peconic River area (the LIPA crossing near Riverhead), the Peconic Herb Farm in Calverton, the VOR field near ex-Grumman and a new location, a nearby 'oldfield' off Fresh Pond Road in the same area. All in all we were able to add three more warblers: Blue-winged, Prairie and the heretofore missing Am Redstart (at least two different birds singing and feeding at the edge of the Peconic River and probably breeding birds not through migrants). 11 warblers is a good count for these parts these days even at the height of spring migrant.

These's more. At the Fresh Pond oldfield -- a former farm field now coming back to grassland with emergent shrubs and trees -- we saw and heard the season's first (for us) Grasshapper Sparrow and also had a Savannah Sparrow bathing in a mud puddle. This field is going to be worth further investigation.

But the best moment of the morning was our arrival at the LIPA crossing (we call it Snowflake because of the nearby ice cream shop on Rt 25). There is a parking area for a fish launching site that has been installed by the DEC and which we use (even if it's bird launching not fish launching that is our objective). Almost as soon as we pulled off Rt. 25 to turn into the parking site, we were attacked by a large yellow creature. A vicious giant butterfly! No, a Yellow Warbler. This warbler follows us down to the parking site and then starts to attack the front windows and rear-view mirrors of the car. After sitting in the car for a few minutes, watching this spectacle, we got out of the car, thinking this would chase him away but it didn't faze him in the slightest. Continuing to attack with only an occasional pause to sing, he would dart from one side of the vehicle to the other. There must be something about this spot because this is exactly where we found (and Eileen photographed) a Warbling Vireo singing on its nest. The vireo was there, singing away, but this time it had to play second fiddle to the attack warbler. Finally we got out of the car and crossed the river, finding a singing Canada Warbler and hearing at least two other Warbling Vireos in the vicinity. Eventually we wandered back to the car and, sure enough, Mr. Dendroica Petechia was still at it having now also fouled up the top of the mirrors and the rim of both doors with his angry poop. Mrs. Petechia was even in the neighborhood but she was definitely leaving the territorial defense to him. As we drove away, he literally followed us up the road, singing away and making sure that we were gone for good. 

The only explanation for all this behavior is as follows: this Yellow Warbler -- who had established a mate and a territory on the river -- was seeing his reflection in the rear-view mirrors and car windows, reflections that triggered his territorial defense behavior in extremis. This was not just a single rival but a whole flock of rival Yellow Warblers come to torment him and take away his hard-won assets -- land, a good place to nest and a pretty wife! But even more this bird had learned that the arrival of a vehicle into the parking lot meant the arrival of a whole flock 

Eric Salzman

Here are two of Eileen Schwinn's photos of the Attack Warbler: