Motif: Mourning Warbler

WOW! I usually have a hard time getting a decent look at one of these guys - never mind a great, clean photo.

A wonderful shot showing the field mark well, Jeff!
Good detail and sharpness ...

Fantastic shot! This is one of my nemesis birds, every year they are at Point Pelee, and I always seem to miss them.

Excellent detail and sharpness.

The OOF yellow on BR is a bit distracting, only minor nit in a great image

fabiolad wrote:Excellent detail and sharpness.

The OOF yellow on BR is a bit distracting, only minor nit in a great image

You know I have a version with that cloned out, and to me it looked like I took it in a studio with a backdrop...so I went back and forth...and ended up with this one. Sigh...secretly I agree with you.



Jeff

Wow this is gorgeous. I like the perch as well. I'd probably clone the OOF yellow, even if it does look "studio"-esque. But that's just me. I'd *love* to have a mourning warbler image...any mourning warbler image, let alone one this good.

As good as I've seen of this warbler -- really outstanding.

This is really awesome... I've only seen one once

Fantastic details and sharpness - well done!

Perfect, Jeff!!!!!!

Hugh

Jeff,
Outstanding shot! When we see these guys down here during migration they are real skulkers. Great job on getting him out in the open.

The story....

A couple of people have commented on how they have never or rarely seen this bird, or how it hides, so I thought I would share the story behind this picture.

I moved to WI from the east coast 13 years ago. I rarely saw Mourning Warblers out east. My first year here, I saw 8 in small patch of woods during migration. Year after year, I am guaranteed to see at least one Mourning Warbler, often more. They nest in northern WI, so I believe we simply get to see more of them here, but I also think that they are more abundant in the western half of their range--which would include WI--since there is still larger amounts of suitable breeding habitat available here.

In parts of northern WI, they can be almost common during breeding season. Door County can be thick with them, and so can northern WI. They seem to prefer mid-successional forest or openings around bogs and windblows. This is thick, brushy habitat, but when they are breeding, the males are more conspicuous than normal. Their typical behavior on territory is to skulk around in the thick brush, not making a lot of noise, then they pop up to a low branch, sing a few times--maybe 30s to 60s--then fly up higher (usually over 20 feet up) where they will sit motionless and sing, sometimes for 5-10 minutes. They can be remarkably difficult to find when they are up that high, even though they are loud, as they are entirely motionless.

This male was near our lake house this spring. I heard him singing at first, and realized he must be setting up his territory. I spent about 4 hours the first morning slowing stalking him and finding him, then positioning myself so that when he popped out to sing, I could get a nice shot. Most of those shots failed to come out well, since I had accidentally turned the IS off on my 500mm. Doh! :roll:

I then spent about 4 hours the next day, doing the same thing. I got some good shots, but not many, as the branches were always in the way, and they spend so little time perched low. The third morning I went back and it was beautiful, bright and sunny. I only had about 2 hours, but the bird cooperated well, and I got a lot of great shots.

In the end, for a total of about 10 hours on this one bird, I got maybe a dozen super shots. I got 2-3 dozen OK shots, and about 200 that were just no good. A lot of work for this bird....but it was worth it, I think. The male did end up finding a female, I saw her two weeks later. I spent a few hours looking for the nest, but they hide it well.

Jeff

Very nice shot of a beautiful little bird.

A Mourning Warbler in the open is to die for. Great shot Jeff.

Killer look at this bird. I would also suggest cloning the vertical branch on the left out, it's a little distracting. A great image.