I’ve had some luck with warblers at the Chicago Portage this fall migration season, and now that we should be in the middle of peak warbler migration, it seems only fitting to do this post. Here are warblers and a few others from September 9, and then a week later on the 16th. It’s been a matter of coming across a mixed flock. But sometimes one bird close to the trail will alert me to more activity down the road.

On September 9, I encountered this Blackpoll Warbler.

I caught a glimpse of a Black-throated Green Warbler.

Cape May Warblers were the Bird of the Day. You may occasionally see that they also have yellow on the rump, but they should not be confused with Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Another individual Cape May is below…

and yet another. This bird is at the top of the post.

I caught a distant glimpse of a Black-and-White Warbler behaving like a nuthatch, gleaning insects from the tree bark,

Below is an American Redstart which appears to be a female. I say that because sometimes they are confused with first-year males, but the shade of yellow is generally paler and less orangey on the female.

Other birds noted on the 9th – a European Starling and a Cedar Waxwing.

And I briefly saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The first photo isn’t in focus but it includes the more representative field mark.

Then on September 16, I had a bird that defied description until I figured out it had to be a Pine Warbler. At first I thought it was a Blackpoll, but it didn’t quite fit and I could not find any photos with pinkish feet. Pine Warblers can be confused with just about anybody in the fall. In this case, the wing bars won me over.

I caught a glimpse of a Black-throated Green Warbler, again.

Bay–breasted Warblers came in several different options.

Here’s another individual.

I had a Blackpoll Warbler that day as well.

Other birds that day, nothing spectacular. An American Goldfinch, of which there are many this time of year, and a Double-crested Cormorant flying over the river in the distance.

I also had some unusual looks at the features of a Red-bellied Woodpecker. You can see the “red” belly in the second photo.

I will be back with more fall warbler photos among others, as we seem to be approaching the “now-or-never” part of fall warbler migration. Due in large part to unusual weather and dramatic temperature variations, it seems more birds have kept going than stopped to refuel, at least around here. But I read Bill Hilton’s post yesterday and he is experiencing the same lack of migrants in North Carolina, and even he is stumped by it. He suggests that it’s probably too early to draw any conclusions and to see how the migration patterns sort out in a few more years. Birding will always be looking for the next bird…