The Thinking Chair has proven to be extremely productive this year. In the past couple weeks I have seen some wonderful birds, including a Swainson’s thrush, which was a life bird for me. I may have come up with the idea anyway, but I can’t help but give some of the credit for even the idea of a Thinking Chair to my favorite naturalist of all time — John Burroughs.
In one of his most famous essays, called “A Sharp Lookout,” Burroughs provides this sage wisdom to his readers: “On has only to sit down in the woods or the fields, or the shore of the river or the lake, and nearly everything of interest will come round to him, — the birds, mammals and insects; and presently, after his eye has got accustomed to the place, and the light and the shade, he will probably find some plant or flower that he has sought in vain, and that is a pleasant surprise to him.”
The quote is presented in a type of writing that we don’t hear much anymore and the paragraph that this sentence belongs to runs on for another two pages, but you get the general idea. All you have to do is go to the same place day after day and you will, “see the procession pass.” One of the important lines in this essay is simply, “stay home.” As long as you are paying attention to the world (i.e., keeping a sharp lookout) you will eventually see almost everything.
So, weekend after weekend, year after year I go down to my Thinking Chair with my camera and a little bag of birdseed. I get settled, try for as much comfort as the day’s conditions will allow, and then I surrender myself to my surroundings. The birdseed attracts chickadees and in addition to being absolutely adorable little “friends” that will land on my head, they also provide the extremely important service of putting other birds at ease. If the chickadees are swarming all around me and even landing on me, then I really can’t be that bad, right?
So it was no surprise to me that a large family of five-six chickadees attracted the attention of some migrants last week. There were red-eyed vireos, willow flycatchers, gray catbirds, brown thrashers, eastern towhees and some of the more “regular” species of the meadow. But at one point I saw a small flash of yellow that was certainly something new and interesting. Up came the big lens, out came a muttered curse as I tried to zero in on the bird and once the focus was finally clear I knew I had hit the jackpot once again. That little flash of yellow was a Canada warbler.
This was not a life bird for me, but it was the first time that I’ve ever managed to get photos of this species … and the bird was gorgeous. Definitely a female, but of an age that I am still struggling with a bit, this bird shows the main field marks of the species in generous detail. A bright yellow chin, throat and belly is decorated with a “necklace” of black stripes on the throat. A complete white eye-ring enhances the large eye and then there are those yellow legs. A male would have the same patterns of markings, but in bolder colors. The necklace would be darker and more dramatic, there would be dark black feathers on the face and forehead and the male’s back would be a bright slate blue.
As its name suggests, the Canada warbler (Cardellina canadensis) does migrate to Canada to breed. However, the range map for this species suggests that it can be found in all six New England states, New York, northern Pennsylvania and a thin finger of land stretching down along the Appalachian Mountains. This suggests that Canada warblers like the sorts of habitat that one may find up in Canada, or further south at higher elevations. One nesting preference mentions “sphagnum moss hummocks” and you definitely have to be up in the mountains to find such things. Here in Massachusetts the bird is considered “common” for about two weeks in May. From then until mid September they are only described as “occasional.”
The Canada warbler is a true long-distance migrant. From its northern breeding grounds, which extend well up into eastern Canada, the birds will head south and not stop until they reach Columbia, Venezuela and Brazil. Because of this they don’t dawdle, and I feel lucky that I managed to see one and take its photo. By the time this column is printed the birds will be long gone, but I didn’t want to have to wait until next year to share my discovery with you.
I also want to encourage you to go out into your own yard and find a comfortable seat. Or, perhaps you have a favorite tree in a local natural area that you like to sit under. Forest edges are particularly good places to look for birds, so perhaps there is a park or even a cemetery where you can sit quietly and scan your surroundings for something interesting. More birds are on their way and everyone has a chance to see them if you just go outside and give it a try.
Bill Danielson has been a professional writer and nature photographer for 24 years. He has worked for the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, the Nature Conservancy and the Massachusetts State Parks and he currently teaches high school biology and physics. For more in formation visit his website at www.speakingofnature.com, or head over to Speaking of Nature on Facebook.