Tennessee Warbler, Leiothlypis peregrina
When one thinks of warblers, one of the things that most often comes to mind is color. So to me, the Tennessee Warbler always seems to feel a little left out from the rest of the warblers. With a grayish head, white undertail coverts, and olive-yellow-green all over the rest of its body, the Tennessee Warbler can appear very drab compared to the bright yellows, oranges, blues, and greens of other warblers. I have to admit that in the rush of searching for Blackburnians, Black-throated Blues, and other brightly colored birds I often forget to look for Tennessees! So this fall, I was surprised to see a beautiful green-yellow warbler with a striking eyeline bounce out of the goldenrod. At first, it felt like I was looking at a Red-eyed Vireo- but something about it was off. When I finally realized it was a Tennessee, I could barely remember the last time I had seen one! It seemed so much more colorful than the last time I had seen one in spring.
Tennessee Warbler having a chat with a Yellow-rumoed Warbler!
Tennessee Warblers, despite their name, do not breed in the state of Tennessee. Their closest breeding grounds are actually in Michigan. Like most warblers, they pass through the eastern United States during spring and fall migration. For whatever reason, this year there were dozens of them at Greenwich Audubon. I have now seen more Tennessee Warblers in four weeks than I have in eight years of birding combined. On many days during late September and early October, there were five to seven Tennessee Warblers in the goldenrod. On one magical day, a fallout brought about 25 of them to the grounds. Since they usually spend their time high in trees, it was great to be able to see them so closely in the goldenrod.
By now, most if not all of the Tennessee Warblers have moved on from the northeast to finish their journey to Central and South America. When they get there, they will add nectar to their food repertoire. They eat this nectar in a way that is unusual: instead of getting it from the open part of a flower, they pierce the flower tube at the base and thus do not actually help in the pollination process.
A Tennessee Warbler and an American Goldfinch enjoying the same plant!
Next spring, I am going to make a concerted effort to see more of these sleek warblers!