Naturalists talk about “mast years” in relation to trees and their seed production; a “mast year” for oaks results in an uncommon profusion of acorns, similar to how we use the term “bumper crop” for times when our gardens overflow with tomatoes. I’m not certain that the concept applies to fauna, but this past summer did seem to host a profusion of yellow warblers, which appeared to enjoy a particularly good year.
Yellow warblers are a common – and welcome – find throughout the summer, and are one of my more reliable species to spot in brushy or hedgerow environments. Throughout early summer I found a nesting pair at the state park and was able to reliably observe them over the course of a couple of weeks. But it seemed that everywhere I went, there was another yellow warbler, and my computer filled with cheeky yellow feathers as a result.
The photos above are from two different sessions at two different locations – so not all that same nesting pair. But in both cases you can see that the live among the dense greenery as little bolts of blazing yellow.
I usually cull my photos down to a select few, but in this case I included the full dozen examples that I had exported. Having the opportunity to watch these little guys forage for insects amid the brush, and then pop up on a tall stalk and mug for the camera, is a true joy. And the resulting photos are often full of keepers, especially once I learn which spots the warblers keep returning to and begin to predict their movements.