I spent a short time down at the Fox River Sanctuary in Waukesha today and observed my 1st Yellow-rumped Warblers of the season. There were 3 present and they were hopping around in the trees eating what appeared to be small insects. I also enjoyed watching 2 different Black-capped Chickadees and 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker excavating nest cavities in dead trees while I was there. The sun felt nice, but it was chilly when it clouded over with the steady breeze.
Yellow-rumped Warbler April 8, 2014
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Binomial name: Setophaga coronata
Category: Wood-Warblers
Size: 5.50” long, 9.25” wingspan
Weight: .43 oz.
Habitat: Open coniferous and mixed coniferous-deciduous woodlands and edges.
Diet: Insects are their main diet, but depend on berries when insects are not available.
Nesting: The small shallow cup nest is built on a horizontal branch of a tree any where from 4’to50’ from the ground. The nest is constructed of grass, twigs, rootlets, with a inter lining of feathers with plant fluff that drapes over the edge of the top of the nest and partially covers the eggs. Female sits on 3-6 eggs that are white and incubates them for about 12-13 days.
Notes: The Yellow-rumped Warbler is known for one of the earliest warblers to arrive in spring and one of the last to leave in fall.
Yellow-rumped Warbler April 8, 2014
Black-capped Chickadee excavating a nest hole in a dead tree.
Black-capped Chickadee excavating a nest hole in a dead tree.
Black-capped Chickadee excavating a nest hole in a dead tree.
Black-capped Chickadee excavating a nest hole in a dead tree.
Red-bellied Woodpecker excavating a nest hole in a dead tree.
Just looking around!
Just looking around!
Yellow-rumped Warbler – image taken in SE Wisconsin pre-2014
Yellow-rumped Warbler – image taken in SE Wisconsin pre-2014
Yellow-rumped Warbler – image taken in SE Wisconsin pre-2014
Yellow-rumped Warbler – image taken in SE Wisconsin pre-2014
Yellow-rumped Warbler – image taken in SE Wisconsin pre-2014
Yellow-rumped Warbler – image taken in SE Wisconsin pre-2014
Great captures Jim.
Jim – what fun to see these feathered carpenters at work. They know just what to do – and each has the right tool. Thanks for tucking yourself away to capture these great images. I can almost smell the wood shavings…