21 November, 2010

Belize Birds of the Week #13 and #14– Black and White Warbler, Mniotilta varia and Yellow-throated warbler, Dendroica dominica


These appealing little warblers both winter in Central and South America after breeding in North America. I have never had the pleasure of seeing either of them in North America, but I will sure be on the look out for them. The yellow-throated warbler is found mostly in the southeastern US while the black and white warbler is found throughout most of the US and into Canada.

The black and white warbler was a little shy when we sw it in the jungle near our casita at DuPlooy’s Lodge; I got only a couple of pictures.
It is accidental in n. Europe, usually in fall and has even been seen in Iceland (1 record, Chris – another vagrant for you to be on the lookout for!), also in Faeroe I. (1 record, Jul 1984), Britain (9, Sep–Dec, once in Mar), and Ireland (1 record, Cape Clear, Co. Cork, Oct 1978; 1 record, Loughermore Forest, Co. Derry, 30 Sep–2 Oct 1984). (source – Birds of North America, Cornell Bird Lab).

The yellow throated warblers were a little more visible and I took these photos of one foraging on the door to the generator shed at our place in South Englishtown.




So this is very, very cool -- I am posting this using wifi onboard a Delta airlines flight from San Jose California back to Minnesota.  There has been some frustration with losing connection frequently, but not too bad.  I will probably come back and make some edits later because my laptop is almost out of juice.  My first post while airborn!

6 comments:

  1. Love that little Yellow Throated Warbler. Reminds me of our Grey Wagtail a bit.

    Posting from the air. Whatever next lol
    Amazing how technology has developed.

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  2. HI Wilma,
    Beautiful post and superb pictures... I think both of them have been seen in Iceland, but wow, I also think they happen to come over here only once or twice, and most of the time not really around Reykjavik ;-) So no chance I will see them ;-) Well I was quite lucky with the yellow-warbler last year. so maybe one day I'll see these two ;-)

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  3. Lovely marked Bird and lovely "Flying Technocrat." {;)

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  4. Two lovely birds, WIlma. The second is very attractive. I am particularly impressed with your blogging wifi while on a plane.

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  5. Lovely selection of images enjoyed looking at these exotic looking birds.

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  6. Keith -- glad you like these little birds. They are very active and inquisitive.

    Chris -- I guess you will just have to come to Belize to see them, then!

    Roy -- thanks, it was fun, at least as a change.

    Emma -- thank you. :-)

    Anthony -- glad you like them.

    The wifi on the Delta flight was a free promotion was sponsored by Google and Delta in partnership. They will start charging for it next year, so I doubt I will do it again. Not that I didn't like it. I was fairly impressed with the speed. At one point I was logged on to 3 different internet sites as I did a little fact checking! It did lose the connection quite a few times, which was especially frustrating when uploading photos. On the other hand, I was in no hurry, being held captive for the 3 hr flight. The only worry was the computer battery running out of juice. I did have a spare, charged battery -- just in case! ;-)

    thanks to all for your comments,
    Wilma

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