Blackpoll Warblers are great little birds. Due to some quirk in the migration pathways, we tend to get many more here in mid-Michigan in the fall than in the spring. The same goes for their fall doppelgängers, Bay-breasted Warblers. In the spring when they are easy to tell apart because of their breeding plumage, we see very few. By contrast, on some days in the fall it seems like we’re almost tripping over Bay-breasted, Blackpolls and “Baypolls,” the ones we can’t identify for sure. Unless the fall mystery bird has retained a few bay-colored feathers or we get a good look at the feet to spot some yellow, it’s often just too hard to tell which one we are looking at, yet in the spring they look nothing alike. Go figure! I love fall birding even if it is harder. There are so many more birds after nesting season. Spending many hours studying those plates of “Confusing Fall Warblers” from Peterson’s Field Guide over the years turned out to be incredibly useful, and I seldom need to bring the guide along anymore. Plus, it’s acceptable to leave things unidentified on eBird.
I never get much painting done in May and July. This was no exception. I did spend a ton of time birding and on the bike, so that isn’t a bad thing! This was my first post-spring migration watercolor of 2024. I’ve had some forced time off the bike, so hopefully more paintings are on the way. I got a lot of good photo references on our annual spring trip to Northern Ohio for migration, and I’ve been busy sketching. Now I just need more time at the drafting table. I’ve also been playing catch up with posting art and creating some videos of the process. More to come!
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