Ever feel like your life got way off course? A male Wilson’s warbler should be on the Gulf Coast or farther south, but he is wintering here (Hudson Valley of NY) the last couple of weeks, foraging under my feeders with all the more expected species, and drinking from the opening in the ice in the adjacent water garden.
This is quite an uncommon bird here even in milder months—they pass through briefly en route from their wintering areas to their Canadian breeding grounds—but winter?
Presumably, during fall migration he got blown off course, and happened upon my backyard, finding it to be hospitable enough to take up temporary residence in. Wilson’s warblers are insectivores, usually, but he is eating sunflower hearts (shelled sunflowers) from the ground at the moment; make do with what you’ve got, I guess.
Last week it was 13F degrees one night and I feared I would not see him again; that it would do him in. But there he was hopping around and chowing down all morning. Apparently, he is determined to make the best of having lost his way.
He sets a good example for all of us who are feeling a little befuddled by the goings-on outside in our backyards, and across the planet. – Margaret Roach, A Way To Garden
Further north, another rare bird makes a New Year’s appearance, lending her voice to create an additional layer of beauty. To joy, and full hearts.
