Common Yellowthroat
The Gray Catbirds have been gone a couple weeks. The last time I saw the Common Yellowthroat was Friday, and there was still one White-Throated Sparrow.
White-Throated Sparrow
I checked back today and the White-Throated Sparrow is still on territory, but the Common Yellowthroat is gone.
The Common Yellowthroat had a habit of lurking in the foliage, snapping up bugs by making his rounds among the dozen or so trees and then hiding behind the leaves close to the wall, making him all but disappear. He sang and he sang, over and over again, “witchety-witchety-wit.” I felt lucky to have ten to fifteen minutes every morning to try and keep track of him. He was my little good will ambassador.
Yesterday, I heard and saw no one except for the chirps of a House Sparrow. Today the White-Throated Sparrow sang and appeared, but the Common Yellowthroat has definitely sought greener pastures.
I’ll miss my little Common Yellowthroat male, but after all that singing he just wasn’t attracting any girl birds to join him on this little island of green in the middle of the skyscrapers. I hope it’s not too late, wherever he’s flown off to!
Yellowthroats are such beautiful birds, however, i’ve never photographed one. Oh well, maybe someday! Thank you Lisa for the pictures. 🙂
Thanks for the comment, HJ. These guys are notoriously elusive in the field, and this one wasn’t any more cooperative in his temporary digs. On the other hand, the first one I ever saw was in the north garden of the Art Institute of Chicago…without binoculars. I was sitting on the grass and the bird hopped from a hedge.