bird songs, songs, songs

Blackburnian Warbler!

This orange-headed warbler is one of the most attractive and sought-after members of an attractive and sought-after group of birds. This late migrant is only the second of its kind that I've seen this year and the first that I've spotted on our place. I found it typically high in the oak canopy only by recognizing its strange, weak little song. I have probably lost the ability to hear some of its extremely high notes that characteristically top its high-in-the-trees song as it searches for insects in the emerging oak tassels. Dinky as the song might be, I still could recognize the lead-up to the high notes, particularly one little phrase that ends in ascending trill.

Other events of interest in the bird world included the powerful song of the Brown Thrasher, with its pairs of repeated notes and variety of phrases, all uttered in a throaty tone of voice. This bird sang continuously through the first part of the morning moving from one high perch to another. Another persistent singer in the early morning was a Red-eyed Vireo, also picked out by its distinctive and persistant (if weaker) song.

Back to the warblers. I never did observe the outcome of Saturday's Yellowthroat chases but the apparent winner was singing away at the head of the marsh from a consistently high perch, letting all and sundry (possible contenders, willing females) know that he was king of his wide domain. However a singing male and a clicking female were also found on the other side of the place opposite the pond. And a singing Yellow Warbler was present around the head of the marsh and into the wooded area just beyond.

A Baltimore Oriole with a very distinctive tone and song came visiting today and hung around all morning singing a short, sterotyped, penetrating, flutey melody that mostly ended with a downard glissando flourish. Most Baltimore Oriole songs are a little more vague or informal-sounding in structure. This one, so different from any oriole song that I have ever heard, was formal and very insistent. I thought that some local oriole would come out and challenge him but it didn't happen. Maybe the song was so different that even another male oriole did not recognize it as an oriole song and therefore chose to ignore it!

Eric Salzman