Let the Migration Begin... In Earnest This Time

Spring may have finally arrived after plenty of spits and stutters.  Recurring April snowfalls and the fact that we haven't hit 70 at my house yet this year are making this a very difficult spring.  So leave it to the birds to get me out of my winter doldrums. This morning a very nice wave of warblers greeted me as I checked on the feeders.  The most exuberant singers were the Palm Warblers -

Palm Warbler in a brush pile at Blackwater this morning.

Yellow-rumped Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, Nashville Warblers, Black-and-White Warblers, and Northern Parulas could also be heard singing this morning.  One Orange-crowned Warbler was quite interested in the fuss I was making around our pontoon and decided to check things out (it was likely interested in the insects I was kicking up).  This warbler came in so close my camera couldn't focus on him for a while - here is a shot that even shows the orange crown a feature not often seen.  You may need to click the image to get the larger version to see the orange in the crown.

Orange-crowned Warbler - checkin' me out!