Birding Mount Lemmon - Part IX

On the way back down Mount Lemmon I made a quick stop at the end of Incinerator Ridge hoping to find a Virginia's Warbler. Not a great photo, but I did get a quick glance:

Virginia's Warbler

And a drive through Bear Wallow Road also produced a flock of Wild Turkeys:

Wild Turkey

Virginia's Warbler

Continuing to share my warbler photos along with information about each species, from my latest book: "Warblers of Arizona, A Guide to Finding and Photographing Warblers in Southern Arizona." 

If you are interested in purchasing it, please email me at exclusivelywildlifephotos.com or info@azuregate.com.

Virginia's Warbler

Common Name: Virginia’s Warbler

Scientific Name: Oreothlypis virginiae

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Conservation Status: Least Concern, current population estimate is 410,00 but trends are unknown

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Size: 4 inches

Description: grayish back and head; white eyering; no wing bars; variable yellow on breast; brighter yellow rump and undertail coverts; long thin gray tail; chestnut crown similar to Lucy’s and Nashville but not often seen

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Male/Female: less or duller yellow on throat and breast

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Range: Nevada, Utah, and Colorado south throughout Western Mexico

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Migration: summer and breeds in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico; winters Pacific Coast of Mexico

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Season for Arizona: April through August

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Habitat: dense oak and pinyon forests, brushy streamside hills at elevations between 4,500 and 9,000 feet

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Community Behavior: solitary or with other Virginia’s Warblers

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Feeding Behavior: gleans insects among foliage and twigs; sometimes on the ground; sometimes probing buds and flowers; usually within 15 feet of the ground

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Diet: diet is unknown, but presumably includes insects

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Nesting Behavior: on ground hidden amongst dead leaves and tufts of grass usually beneath shrubs or young trees; nests are cup shaped and constructed of moss, grass, bark, and roots; 3-5 white eggs with brown spots; male and female both feed the young; incubation and nestling periods are unknown

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Where to Find in Southern Arizona: Mount Lemmon in the Catalinas, Huachuca Canyon in the Huachucas, Madera Canyon in the Santa Ritas, and San Pedro River; check ABA Birding News for this species

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Comments: much about the Virginia’s Warbler is unknown; in part due to its relatively limited range and population; and part due to it's preference for dense brush

Incinerator Ridge

Christine and I headed up to Incinerator Ridge (Mount Lemmon) on Thursday.  It was a beautiful early morning walk with lots of serenading birds the entire time.

There is usually at least one Abert's Squirrel begging for a photo:

And, of course, Incinerator Ridge is the most reliable place in the United States to find the Red Faced Warbler:

A pair of Stellar Jays were showing off their beauty, here's one of them:

And at the top in the brush was a male Virginia's Warbler. The first photo is diagnostic even though you can only see the underside -- but you can clearly see the yellow breast and undertail coverts with light gray belly, which distinguishes them from all other warblers:

Here a little bit better photo. Although with this photo you can't be sure it is a male, nor is it absolutely clear that it is not a female Nashville Warbler. I guess that's why I like the photo above in conjunction with this one:

Mount Lemmon Birding

As Spring Migration continues and it gets down below, Mount Lemmon attracts birds (and people) of all sorts. Here are a few photos from yesterday:

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher

Olive Warbler Female

Olive Warbler Male

Red Faced Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Virginia's Warbler

Western Bluebird

Yellow Eyed Junco

Warblers of Southern Arizona: Virginia's Warbler

Continuing my series on Warblers of Southern Arizona, in alphabetical order, next up:

Virginia's Warbler

Distinctive Identification Marks: grayish back and head; complete white eyering; variable yellow breast; yellow base of tail; long thin gray tail; chestnut crown patch (seldom seen); 

Frequency: Uncommon

Season: April to September

Range: Southwestern United States

Habitat:

Mid Tree

Lower Tree and Brush

Nesting:
Nests are well concealed and little is known; often on steep hillside

Feeding Behavior:

Gleaning: perched bird takes prey from branch

General Behavior:

Hovering

Very active; constant movement

Where to Find: Mount Lemmon

Chance of Finding: usually in small numbers and uncommon makes it a difficult find; best chance is looking where recently reported. At best 10%.

Back to Birding Mount Lemmon

I continue to bird Mount Lemmon just outside Tucson in Arizona. The first of the birding sites is just 8 miles from us. And from there up to the top (30 miles from us) is outstanding birding. 

I've been on a "mission" to find a photograph a male Olive Warbler. I'm also trying to get a better photo of a Grace's Warbler.

As I've talked with other birders, I think many of the "reported" Olive sightings have actually been Hermit Warblers -- which are plentiful. With almost every trip I find a Grace's but they are extremely difficult to photograph. They are almost exclusively in the top third of the tall pine trees above 7000 feet. That being the case it is difficult to get that full side view in full detail.

Yesterday, at dawn, I started at the top and worked my way down. The thought is that the top gets sun first which attracts the Warblers. Six hours later, I came home after having taken 1350 photos. (Thank goodness for digital). And although I missed on the male Olive again, I came back with some "bests".

Here are a few of the photos:

White Tailed Deer

Female Western Bluebird feeding its Chick

Red Tailed Hawk

Virginia's Warbler

Pine Siskin

Nashville Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Orange Crowned Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Cordilleran Flycatcher

Male Hermit Warbler

Warblers of Mount Lemmon: Summary

Many warblers are hard to find, let alone photograph. Some like the Grace's and Olive's stay in the tree tops some 40 to 80 feet off the ground. They can be completely hidden by leaves or pine needles. Your only hope is to see them fly from tree to tree.

In other cases, such as the Painted Redstart, Lucy's, Nashville, Wilson's, they like brush and can even be seen on the ground at times. 

As for identifying them, sometimes that too can be challenging. Case in point, the Olive Warbler. For those people with a fine ear (and memory) hearing becomes the best way to distinguish  a female Hermit Warbler from a female Olive Warbler. That's if the birds are vocal. But trying to identify a female Olive by sight in real time? Not very likely. Even with good photographs of both an Olive and a Hermit it is difficult. I have on several occasions come home thinking I have an Olive photograph when after careful study concluded it was a Hermit.

Nonetheless, for a birder or photographer spending a few hours in the wilderness of Mount Lemmon can be exciting when a mix flock of Warblers rolls through a canyon. We are used to spending an hour and not seeing anything -- then all of a sudden there are so many birds you don't know what to try to photograph first.  

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been trying to concentrate on Warblers of Mount Lemmon. Here's a summary of what I've photographed in the past three weeks:

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Grace's Warbler

Hermit Warbler

Lucy's Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Painted Redstart

Red Faced Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Virginia's Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Warblers of Mount Lemmon

Tuesday was a good day birding Mount Lemmon. Especially, Incinerator Ridge. It was about as "birdie" as I've seen it. Six warblers there.

Now, of course, photographing warblers is not one of the easiest tasks. They are typically foraging constantly disappearing in pine needles or leaves. So the way to find them is by looking for movement. That is movement from one branch to another, one tree to another. If it is windy, that isn't easy.

Once you find one you need a burst of photos hoping to get one in ten where you can clearly see his face. Autofocus is about the only chance since warblers are in constant motion.

(As I am writing this I glanced out my window and saw a Cooper's Hawk swoop down and grab a Mourning Dove. He's now sitting in a Palo Verde tree plucking leaves).

Back to the Warblers. Some warblers are more difficult than others because they like tree tops. That's a tough photo when shooting up into the sky trying to photograph a 5 inch bird that is 60 to 80 feet above you.

Yet, I did get some nice (though not great) photos:

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Olive Warbler

Painted Redstart

Red Faced Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Virginia's Warbler

I am going to try to get back up to Incinerator Ridge today. Doesn't mean they'll still be around though. Thing is, birds have wings.

But something drew them to Incinerator Ridge. Hopefully, that food source is still there. We will see. But I'd like to get some better shots. And who knows, maybe they'll be a Grace's or a Hermit Warbler there too.