[ogopogo]

Feb 2 this Warbler was in a Rockland Ave back-yard hummingbird feeder, alternating with an Anna's. it's cold in Victoria (0 but -5 with windchill gusting NE53km) with chances of snow flurries, so it's nice to see them sharing. is this an orange-crowned or yellow Warbler? thanks.

IMG_6194orcr?Warbler@hbfeeder(RL) by ogopogocheryl, on Flickr
p.s. there is also an Anna's nest 3/4 finished in a Chinese Cherry tree over the sidewalk and on Jan 26 the GHOW was sitting in the next cherry tree at 8:30am right above the sidewalk.

[Greatblue]

I have heard of Orioles using hummingbird feeders but never have heard or seen warblers using them. A Kodak moment in my books. Looks like an OC to me. I can see a faint black line thru the eye. I hope the pros agree with me.

Enjoy watching the nesting of the Anna's.

[Greatblue]

addendum to my previous post.

I have just read a local reference book that mentions that OC Warblers feed on nectar. They are welcome at my feeders anytime.

[Birder2000]

Orange-crowned Warbler. Cool behaviour! I have actually even seen photos of chickadees on hummingbird feeders, and I have seen House Finches drinking from them before as well.

[ogopogo]

thanks greatblue & Liron. that hint about the black eye streak is helpful. seems the orange-crowned do show up ahead of the yellow here.

[russellcannings]

Indeed--Orange-crowned Warbler as others have posted. Note the pale eye-arcs as well (Yellow Warbler has a full eye-ring). The yellow undertail coverts contrasting with the olivey body is another feature.

Not only do Orange-crowns arrive back to BC before Yellows, some obviously spend the entire winter as this one has. I wouldn't expect 'true migrant' Orange-crowns to arrive on the coast until mid-March at the earliest.

Hopefully this one makes it through this upcoming week!

Russ Cannings
Nanaimo, BC

[ogopogo]

thanks Russell for the detailed descriptions. (strangely my Peterson Field Guide doesn't mention the black eye-stripe detail)
This Yellow-rumped Warbler showed up today at Dallas Rd 'Lagoon' (a euphemism granted by the locals, as it is actually a large cement bottomed man-made wading pond that kids & grandparents sail boats on in the summer. A few Wigeons, Mallards & Geese use it and a COHA often lingers over it hunting for sparrows etc). This warbler was flitting out over the first few feet of water hunting for flies or waterbugs, then resting on the cement siding & picnic table. Victoria 'warmed up' to 3 today when the wind died down, but my hands were still frozen. I thought perhaps the warblers were showing up now because we are the lesser of weather evils (ie is it possible this cold front is pushing them down to us?) I'm out every day for hours in many locations and haven't seen one warbler all winter (re: the wintering orange-crowned you mentioned) but I assume you have been seeing them in Nanaimo.

IMG_6354YrumpedWarbler(DallasRdLagoon) by ogopogocheryl, on Flickr

[russellcannings]

I haven't been lucky enough to bump into OCs this winter but others have, and Victoria is probably the best place in BC (in winter) to find them. Locations with lots of brushy cover are favoured by OCs and apparently they feed on blackberry juice when possible, otherwise I would imagine they find enough insects and spiders to get by. Panama Flats is probably the best spot around Victoria for them.

Because of the habitat and their generally reclusive winter habits, we don't spot them too much, and that's probably where the cold comes in as you observed. When things get too harsh out in the bushes, these guys come into town perhaps out of desperation, or perhaps they know that suet and hummingbird feeders are in good supply? Who knows, but every time there is a cold snap the number of Orange-crowned and Townsend's Warbler sightings goes up around Victoria/Nanaimo. I'm not sure how far these birds would travel but I doubt they're coming from too far away (e.g. Greater Victoria region as opposed to coming down from Powell River or something). There are virtually no Orange-crowns in the interior so they wouldn't be coming from there.

What I meant by my comparison to Yellow Warblers is that these birds are not spring migrants, just roaming wintering bandits. Do they think this is Mexico? Or are they just really hardy individuals that have the balls to stick it out up here for an earlier crack at primo breeding territories in April/May? I dunno, ask them.

Yellow-rumps (like the Myrtle-type you photographed) are definitely the hardiest of the tribe. There's a small wintering group in Penticton that has survived several extreme cold snaps over the years including a week-long stretch of -25 to -35! In that case it's all thanks to the invasive Russian Olive!

Russ C

[ogopogo]

you answered all of my questions Russell, even those unspoken, thanks.
nice to see someone living a life 'on purpose', some ingrained from childhood. read your blogs and even found Logan doing a bird count with you!