Blackpoll Warbler, Setophaga striata (Male): Magee Marsh, Ohio
Blackpoll Warbler, Setophaga striata (Female): Magee Marsh, Ohio
Warblers are one of my favorite species of birds to
photograph, and I have just spent two weeks in one of my favorite places
photographing these spring beauties. During the month of May and untold number of
warblers and other neotropical migrants pass through Magee Marsh on the south
side of Lake Erie in the state of Ohio.
Blackpoll warblers were a plentiful species this year. Along
with Cape May and Tennessee Warblers all seem to have had an exceptional 2017
breeding season due to the spruce budworm outbreak last year. In more than a decade of traveling to Magee
Marsh, I have never seen so many Blackpolls at Magee.
The Blackpoll Warbler is a champion long distance
migrant. Wintering in northern South
America it travels north through the eastern United States to it reach its
nesting grounds in the northern boreal forest that stretches from Newfoundland
to western Alaska.
On its return trip in the fall most Blackpolls migrate east
across the northern latitudes to the east coast and then turn south crossing
the western Atlantic to South America in a non stop 3 to 4 day trip. Blackpolls make the longest migration of all
the warblers, some traveling as much as 16,000 miles round trip. Nature
is truly amazing!
Top photo: Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f 4, exposure 1/125 second @ f 8.
Bottom Photo: Nikon D800,
Nikkor 500mm f 4, exposure 1/200 second
@ f 8.
