For you birders that read this blog and live at our same latitude in west central Minnesota or further south, I have some great news: the warblers are in the midst of fall migration. I have been out birding in the early morning hours the last couple days while my family has been camping at Sibley State Park, and each morning has been action-packed.  I birded for nearly an hour the other morning just staying in one spot, and there was no shortage of warblers to look at.  I was brought back to that magical day in late May when the trees were dripping with warbler migrants on their way north.  Those of us who do not live in the nothern reaches of this country only get to see most of these birds when they pass through during spring or fall migration, so right now is a real special time!

I fully realize that many readers of this blog may not be birders and may not know a warbler from a vireo. For that reason, I thought I’d do a photo post of warblers from a spring and summer of finding them and chasing them.  I hope these pictures will open your eyes to this amazing family of birds that do not come to bird feeders as they are insect eaters.  The beauty is astonishing to say the least.  I am also doing this post as a preface to the review I’ll be writing on a new, exhaustive field guide I was given by Princeton University Press called The Warbler Guide by Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle.

Yellow-throated Warbler

Cerulean Warbler

Ovenbird

Northern Parula

Blackburnian Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

American Redstart

Yellow Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

Blackpoll Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler (my spark bird)

Golden-winged Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Canada Warbler

Black-and-White Warbler

If you’re a birder, I hope these photos get you excited for migration.  If you’re not a birder, maybe these gems of the forest will spark an interest.  Whether you’re a serious birder or not, we’d love you to comment below on what you’re favorite warbler is and/or which one you’d most like to see!  Stay tuned for my upcoming review of The Warbler Guide.