They don’t come much cuter than a freshly-fledged and hungry baby warbler.
I recently mentioned that I occasionally go back into my archives to see what I photographed where on this date in previous years so I know where to look for them now. Well I did it again last night and found these photos from one year ago yesterday.
I think I’ll be looking for newly fledged Yellow Warblers in the mountains this week.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I believe there was more than one youngster in the bushes waiting to be fed by their parents but this one seemed to be the most adventurous of the brood. Occasionally it would come out just enough to be seen but like most warblers most of the time it spent the majority of its time buried in the branches, twigs and leaves.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
In this photo and the next one of the male parent feeding the chick only one bird is sharp but that’s to be expected in this situation at these focal lengths. Here the fledgling has just taken possession of a juicy green grub and believe me it didn’t last long.
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
A few frames later neither bird is truly sharp but we can see the adult better than in the previous photo and the youngster is already begging for more food.
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This is probably the clearest shot I got of the fledgling. At this point it was capable of short flights to and from adjacent twigs but I could tell it was still learning its flight skills so it’s official pilot’s license was still only a pipe dream.
Going back into my archives for a timely reminder of what photo subjects may be available now is nearly always a joy because those photos have already been culled of the garbage shots.
And often it even pays off in the field. Time will tell if it works this week.
Ron
sensational series Ron!
Charlotte
Ron, love these photos. I would expect that a youngster is always looking for more food regardless of how much it has been fed. We saw some very tiny California Quail puff balls in our yard the other with Mom and Dad watching and guiding them very closely. The little chicks are always delightful to see, just like this young Yellow Warbler. Thanks, Ron
I’m jealous of your young quail, Alice. Usually I see quite a few of them about this time of year but not this year, mostly only adults. They used to nest under the shed in my back yard but haven’t for a few years.
I’M going to say “cool” — and not just cool, but “coolamatious!” 😱😇 Too cute for words. I can just imagine the adult in shot 3 after the youngster down-the-hatched: Ah jeez — not again! 😉
I hope you find many more of these lovely feeding scenes. And soon.
Ha, I figured I’d inspire someone, Marty…
You know if there’s bait, I’ll take it👽
As my great niece says ‘simply adorbs’.
Cuteness to the max. Not surprised at all at how quickly that beak opened to beg for more though. Oliver had nothing on young birds (who I am pretty sure don’t say please).
Mote, please!!!
EC, a lot of my female students used to say things similar to that which often made me wince a little inside. But then I still can’t bring myself to say “Cool”. In fact I don’t think I’ve EVER said it in that context.
I wince with you. And also don’t say cool – except about temperature.
They are adorable and demanding. I heard some yesterday but only saw a couple of parents.
I enjoyed our conversation this morning, April. Hopefully we can do it face to face sometime soon.
Glad everything worked out!
Yup, the story’s almost complete and so far at least everything looks good. I’m gonna wait a while to report it here but report it I probably will.
Cute!!! Not sure if I’ve ever seen one before…only the adults…and LOVE them!!!
I don’t see them very often either, Patty.
Love your “well I did it again “ ❗️ How well I know that one 😬
Great pictures of this little one❤️
Enjoy your day
Well, I DID do it again so I fessed up, Diana… 🙂
Great sequence of shots but I detect a slightly different story line:
1st photo: “Stick around and I might poop for ya.”
2nd photo: “You are not leaving this branch until you eat that bug.”
3rd photo: “Can I be excused, now?”
4th photo: See 1st photo.
I actually thought he MIGHT poop in that first shot, Lyle. Didn’t happen…
I hope you find a baby puffball! 😀
Me too, Arwen. They’re tricky to get a bead on, that’s for sure.
Too cute Ron. Really neat to be able to see a newly fledged bird of any kind. The Warblers are especially pretty birds. Let’s hope for a long life for this little guy and perhaps you will shoot him again as an adult somewhere down the road.
Maybe I’ve already seen this bird as an adult, Everett. Who knows…
Aww – whata cutie! 🙂 I love the yellow warblers…. Fun that you look for “this time of year” as I have discovered a Yellow Warbler nest in a lilac bush – at least one chick poking it’s nose over the edge yesterday. Lot of activity with them zipping out over the creek for insects or whatever.
“Zipping” is the operative word for them, Judy. Talk about challenging subjects!