Great observation, John.

On their wintering grounds, the place to look for Tennessee Warblers is at flowering trees and shrubs.

Dennis


On Apr 30, 2012, at 5:12 PM, johntubbs at comcast.net wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> Around 4:30 this afternoon, I finished shopping at the IGA store on Snoqualmie Ridge. I was parked by the mitigation pond behind the store, which can be surprisingly productive for ducks in migration, and also occasionally hosts migrating warblers. As I sat there, an Orange-crowned Warbler was working through the doghair alder and planted shrubs by the parking lot edge of the pond. That sighting wasn't unusual, as there have been quite a few of this species on the Ridge already this season. However, shortly after watching the Orange-crowned, a Nashville Warbler showed up, working the shrubs within 15 feet of the car. This was by far the best observation opportunity to watch this species' feeding behavior I've ever had and the bird stayed within a short distance for a good ten minutes.
>
> What I found unusual - though it may be common and I just haven't seen it yet - was that the Nashville Warbler spent the entire time I was watching it working on a couple of Red Flowering Currant shrubs that were in bloom. I never saw any insects in its bill, so from what I could see, it appeared to be feeding on nectar. (A Rufous Hummingbird made a brief appearance close to the Nashville, feeding on the same shrub's flowers.) Of course, it could have been chowing down on small insects inside the blooms I guess, but even at that close range and with binocs I wasn't able to confirm any insects being on the dinner menu.
>
> So when I got home, I consulted 'The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior' and sure enough, found the following...
>
> "Nectar is another important source of energy for wood-warblers, particularly in winter, and many species are often seen at flowers and are even known to visit hummingbird feeders." [p. 500] Although I read this book a few years ago, I hadn't remembered that. It was certainly interesting behavior to see.
>
> Oh, and this was my personal first Nashville Warbler of the season.
>
> John Tubbs
> Snoqualmie, WA
> johntubbs at comcast.net
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-----
Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382
dennispaulson at comcast.net



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