#Blackpoll Warbler on Willow

[arinewman7]

Blackpoll Warbler on Willow

Photography by Shirley Donald

[proton-wobbler]

Warbler Showdown pt2; Bracket 2, Poll 4

Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)

IUCN Rating: Near Threatened

Range: breeds in Northern Canada and Alaska and overwinters in Brazil - for note, this makes their migration the longest for any member of Parulidae.

Habitat: in Canada, found in boreal black spruce and tamarack forests. Much less picky when overwintering, found in many different wooded habitats (deciduous, rain, cloud, mangrove, and gallery forests), as well as forest edges, second growth, and coffee plantations.

Subspecies: none

Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Range: almost the entire continent of North America, save the locals of Nunavut, northern Quebec, and Greenland. Only migrates through the southern US states, and overwinters from southern Mexico all the way to Northern Brazil.

Habitat: breeds in wet, deciduous thicket, especially those with willows. While overwintering, uses a variety of wooded and scrubby habitats, as well as mangroves.

Subspecies: 9*; Mangrove Warbler could be split out as its own species

Image Sources: BLPW (Simon Boivin); YEWA (Tom Murray)

[magnetothemagnificent]

I guess it's time I share my list of birds from this past Jewish year (I've been keeping two Big Year lists, Jewish year and secular year). All are from the US, except the last few which are indicated.

1. Ruby-crowned kinglet

2. American Robin

* Leucistic American Robin

3. Song sparrow

4. Rock pigeon

* Melanistic rock pigeon

5. Chipping sparrow

6. Hairy woodpecker

7. Mourning dove

8. Northern flicker

9. Eastern towhee

10. White crowned sparrow

11. White-throated sparrow

12 Savannah sparrow

13. House sparrow

14. European starling

15. American Crow

16. Common Raven

17. Gray catbird

18. Northern mockingbird

19. Canada Goose

20. Spotted Sandpiper

21. American herring gull

22. Marsh wren

23. Limpkin

24. Great white heron

25. Cattle egret

26. Anhinga

27. Snowy egret

28. Great blue heron

29. Black-crowned night heron

30. Wood stork

31. Common gallinule

32. Blue-gray gnatcatcher

33. Turkey vulture

34. Black vulture

35. Yellow rumped warbler

36. Tufted titmouse

37. Little blue heron

38. White ibis

39. Cooper's hawk

40. Cardinal

41. Green heron

42. Carolina wren

43. Palm warbler

44. Pine warbler

45. Sandhill crane

46. Carolina chickadee

47. Bluejay

48. Osprey

49. Chimney swift

50. Red-tailed hawk

51. Prairie warbler

52. American kestrel

53. Glossy ibis

54. Pied-billed grebe

55. Double-crested cormorant

56. Grey kingbird

57. Brown pelican

58. Fish crow

59. Royal tern

60. Bald eagle

61. Painted bunting

62. American white pelican

63. Common grackle

64. Boat-tailed grackle

65. Great-tailed grackle

66. American purple gallinule

67. American coot

68. Brown-headed cowbird

69. Tricolored heron

70. Mallard

71. Black-bellied whistling duck

72. Eastern kingbird

73. Yellow-billed cuckoo

74. Muscovy duck

75. American bittern

76. Ring-billed gull

77. American Pekin

78. Mallard-Pekin hybrid

79. Eastern bluebird

80. Yellow-bellied sapsucker

81. Red-winged blackbird

82. White-eyed vireo

83. Mottled duck

84. Broad-winged hawk

85. Dark-eyed junco

86. Brown thrasher

87. Sharp-shinned hawk

88. House finch

89. Eastern Phoebe

90. Downy woodpecker

91. Fox sparrow

92. Loggerhead Shrike!!!!

93. White breasted nuthatch

94. Red-bellied woodpecker

95. Brown creeper

96. Pileated woodpecker

97. American goldfinch

98. House wren

99. Barn swallow

100. Tree swallow

101. Black and white warbler

102. Red eyed vireo

103. Yellow warbler

104. Mute swan

105. Rusty blackbird

106. Common yellowthroat

107. Warbling vireo

108. Northern waterthrush

109. Veery

110. Swamp sparrow

111. Wood duck

112. American redstart

113. Orchard oriole

114. Greater Yellowlegs

115. Lesser Yellowlegs

116. Baltimore oriole

117. Hermit thrush

118. Wood thrush

119. Ovenbird

120. Indigo bunting

121. Black-throated blue warbler

122. Scarlet tanager

123. Worm-eating warbler

124. Northern rough-winged swallow

125. Blue-headed vireo

126. Northern parula

127. Prothonotary warbler

128. Philadelphia vireo

129. Blackburnian warbler

130. Magnolia warbler

131. Cedar waxwing

132. Blackpoll warbler

133. Yellow-throated vireo

134. Eastern wood pewee

135. Acadian flycatcher

136. Tennessee warbler

137. Caspian tern

138. Laughing gull

139. Forster's tern

140. American oystercatcher

141. Green-winged teal

142. Purple Martin

143. Least tern

144. Field sparrow

145. Killdeer

146. Grey-cheeked thrush

147. Rose-breasted grosbeak

148. Great-crested flycatcher

149. Swainson's thrush

150. Bay-breasted warbler

151. Chestnut-sided warbler

152. Willow flycatcher

153. Ruby-throated hummingbird

154. Peregrine falcon

155. Hooded crow IL

156. Laughing dove IL

157. Eurasian collared dove IL

158. Eurasian jackdaw IL

159. Common myna IL

160. Rose-ringed parakeet IL

161. White spectacled bulbul IL

162. European bee eater IL

163. Chukar IL

164. Short toed snake eagle IL

165. White stork IL

166. Little egret IL

167. Pygmy cormorant IL

168. Eurasian hoopoe IL

169. Alpine swift IL

170. Graceful pinia IL

171. Eastern Olivaceous Warbler IL

172. Tristan's Starling IL

173. Fan tailed raven IL

174. Eurasian black cap IL

Here's to at least 200 next year!

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Blackpoll Warbler on willow.

Photo: Shirley Donald

Audubon Photography Awards

[debunkshy]

Blackpoll Warbler The Willows, TX 4-20-18

[nationalparkposters]

Best Things To Do in Denali National Park

Best Things To Do in Denali National Park: Encompassing the pristine area of Alaska's interior, Denali National Park is a place you'll never forget, and likely something you'll be talking about for years. With its incredible and diverse range of wildlife, meandering rivers, and massive mountain, the stunning scenery all around will leave you breathless and inspired. Open year-round, Denali has one main road that bisects the park, making it easily accessible by car or bus in the summer months. But come winter, the ice and snow make mass tourism difficult, and parts of the park are closed. For those adventurers seeking solace, late autumn through late spring holds a lot of promise, as the crowds are virtually gone. As the highest peak on the North American continent, Denali looms large at 20,310 feet above sea level. It is so large, in fact, that it creates its own weather system. It is not unusual for the mountain to be completely shrouded behind a bank of clouds. My name is Rob Decker and I'm a photographer and graphic artist with a single great passion for America's National Parks! I've been to 51 of our 63 National Parks, and Denali is the perfect way to experience the vast and untouched wilderness in Alaska's remote outback. Whether this is your first time to Denali or your tenth, here are the top activities in Denali National Park. Spectacular Hiking There are endless opportunities for hiking all around the park. Trails that are close to the park entrance are plenty, with many running along the main road and connecting to important attractions and facilities. The McKinley Station Trail is a short, but very interesting hike. However, for hiking that is a little more strenuous, the Mount Healy Overlook is the perfect trail if you don't want to climb but would like a stunning vantage point. The Triple Lakes Trail is the longest in the park and very beautiful. Hiking with a Ranger For an inside look into Denali NP, hiking with a ranger can help you appreciate and understand the great significance of Denali. Most ranger-led hikes take place around summertime from late May through mid-September. These hikes, as well as other ranger talks, are free and there's no need to sign up in advance. Photographing Denali A photographer's dream, Denali offers unsurpassed photographic opportunities all through the year. Beginning and amateur photographers have no shortage of subject matter with which to hone their skills. The biggest draw is of course “The Mountain,” which can be seen from as far away as Anchorage on a clear day. Try to catch the best lighting around “golden hour” which is right as the sun is going down. Go Camping To truly immerse yourself in the Denali experience, camping is a must. The park has several developed tent and RV campsites that can be booked online at the NPS website, or if you want to backpack and create your own primitive site, be sure to secure a backcountry permit. Most of the campsites are located along rivers, creeks, and lakes, so there really is no bad view from your camp spot! In Search of Wildlife Roaming wild and free, there is no guarantee that you will actually see wildlife, but the promise is always there. Iconic species such as moose, black and grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, and the famous Denali sheep are permanent residents here. Other smaller mammals are red squirrels, arctic ground squirrels, marmots and foxes. Biking on Denali Park Road Get up close and personal by letting the fresh air whip around you on an epic cycling tour of Denali. A full 92 miles along Park Road is open to cyclists and is a great way to get some exercise while taking in the grandeur of the park. You can start at the park entrance, or at Savage River and ride to your heart's content. Make it an afternoon, day trip, or multi-day excursion. The choice is yours. Explore the Savage River Further out, the Savage River Area is located near Miles 13 – 15 on Denali Park Road. The 2-mile long Savage River Loop is a lovely stroll along the river. For a more strenuous hike, The Savage Alpine Trail at over four miles long never disappoints. This is also a prime place for wildlife and bird viewing. Flightseeing Experiences There is no experience in Denali that can be more dramatic than seeing nature from a bird's eye view. Regular flight excursions from small aircraft are available to park visitors, and it's the perfect way to absorb the enormity and diversity of the landscape. Imagine flying over Denali mountain and spying the tiny forms of mountaineers as they make their way to the summit. Flights are available from several local companies outside the park. Visit the Sled Dogs From left to right: Troll, Hobbit, Munchkin, Lady, Royal, Throne, and Pika! If these adorable canine rangers don't win your respect, they will at least win your affections. The gorgeous huskies of Denali are an essential part of the historical and cultural significance of the park and are the only sled dogs in the U.S. that protect the wilderness and wildlife of the area, and have been doing it since the 1920's. You can visit them at their kennels, however as they are frequently out in the field doing their job, you will want to inquire beforehand to see if the kennel is open. Go Birding With both migratory and permanent-resident birds found throughout Denali year-round, the park is truly a birder's paradise. Of the 169 species of birds, some commonly seen species are the American Robin, Arctic Warbler, Black-billed Magpie, Blackpoll Warbler, Common Raven, Golden Eagle, Canada Jay, Gyrfalcon, Long-tailed Jaeger, Northern Hawk Owl, Surfbird, Swainson's Thrush, and Willow Ptarmigan. Exploring Denali with Kids Taking your kids to Denali will be an eye-opening and educational experience they will not soon forget. The park offers innumerable programs perfect for kids during the summer months, including summer camps and field trips. At the Visitor's Center, be sure to pick up the free Denali Discovery Pack and Junior Ranger Activity Guide. Click here to see the Denali National Park poster. Rob Decker is a photographer and graphic artist who had the rare privilege of studying under Ansel Adams in Yosemite National Park when he was just 19 years old. Now, Rob is on a journey to explore and photograph all 63 of America's National Parks. He's creating WPA-style posters to help people celebrate their own national park adventures -- as well as encourage others to get out and explore! https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/best-things-to-do-in-denali-national-park?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=Sendible&utm_campaign=RSS

[extraordinarylivingblogs]

Birdwatching: Blackpoll Warbler Blackpoll Warblers breed mainly in spruce and tamarack forests in Canada's boreal forests, but they also use young stands of evergreens and alder or willow thickets.