I try to walk around my large backyard every morning. The walks provide me with a chance to get some exercise while keeping abreast of the plants and animals that inhabit my backyard. For the past few weeks, the singing of up to three black-and-white warblers gave made these treks extra special.
The black-and-white warbler’s distinctive black and white striped plumage make it easy to identify. Most folks, however, are not familiar with its song. Some say the high-pitched call sounds much like a squeaky wheel—it goes something like this weesy-weesy-weesy-weesy.
If you cannot identify this song, all you have to do to familiarize yourself with it is pull up the Merlin bird identification app on your cellphone. There you find more than half a dozen examples of this unusual call. Then the next time you hear it you will know the name of the feathered songster singing it.
Lately I have heard up to three calling in my backyard at the same time. When I hear them accompanied by song calls of ruby-crowned kinglets, white-throated and chipping sparrows, pileated woodpeckers, Carolina wrens, tufted titmice, Carolina chickadees and others, I am reluctant to go back inside for a cup of coffee.
Many of us o
nly hear or see black-and-white warblers on migration during their spring and fall migrations, some actually nest in Georgia. Most of these birds breed in the northern half of the state, however, from time to time, some nest below the Fall Line.
The vast majority of these migrants spend the winter far south of Georgia. It is interesting to note that some winter in the Peach State. One place where I often see black-and-white warblers in winter is Georgia is Veterans State Park near Cordele.
I am hoping that birds I have been listening to decide to spend the summer in my backyard. Probably this will not happen. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy there serenades as long as I can,
Perhaps black-and-white warblers are singing in your backyard right now. All it takes to see if that is the case, step outside your backdoor and listen. You may be pleasantly surprised.
I love the wonderful chitter chatter of the tree swallows, the little orcas of the sky!!
We have several nesting in our neighborhood boxes. They eat so many insects, are so clean, and make me ever so happy every day! I sing & they sing back!
Thank you so much for your wonderful sentiments. The tree swallow is one of my favorite birds. I can still remember the first pair that nested in the first nesting box our family ever erected. One of the things that intrigued me so much was watching them bringing white feathers to the nest.
Terry