Warbler Watch

When we moved to Camp Colegate in 1998, I purchased three bayberry shrubs to attract fall warblers. The berries of the bayberry shrub have a high cholesterol content, which fuels the warblers for their migration South. In addition to that desirable quality, the shrub has a tendency to holds its leaves longer than most shrubs. However, living here in the country, I quickly learned that many shrubs do not survive the windy conditions of our former wheat field. The shrubs survived, but don't hold their leaves like foundation plantings would. I quickly learned that only one of our three bears the fruit, so there must be a male/female connection here. I have been delighted to learn on my wanderings around Camp Colegate, that we have bayberry volunteers throughout the property, and they are bearing fruit. What a delightful surprise.

Over the years, I have learned that the birds come in around or after Bonfire (see my first blog). It only takes a few days of feasting for them to gorge themselves and move on. Thankfully, they were so gracious to spread their visit over a weekend that I would be off. My clue to their presence was their sweet chipping and flurry of action. They are nearly impossible to spot with binoculars, as they flit from the tree line, across the trail, and into the interior of the shrub. I quickly learned to train my binoculars on the mid-sized trees at the trail edge. Eventually, a bird would fly into my binoculars' field of vision, and I could then identify the bird. The Cornell website has great information: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-rumped_Warbler/id

Now that I'm no longer working, I have the luxury of spending time outdoors, leisurely watching for these sweet birds and observing the dwindling berries. I've included a few photos of the bayberry shrub with berries, the mid-sized trees across the trail which they use as their base of ooperations, and the trail. The bayberry shrubs are on the left, the trees on the right of the trail. Good luck finding the warblers in there.