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Posted by David S. on 08:18:47 05/03/12
Late yesterday afternoon I had 10-15 warblers 'hawking insects' in an open area in my backyard. The area is about a 60-70 foot open space, surrounded by the house on one side and 3-4 large trees on the others. The warblers would fly from the trees to the opening and snatch flying insects, then fly back to the trees, almost like flycatchers. I observed this for about 45 minutes. Redstarts, Cape Mays, Blackpolls, and a Black-throated Blue exhibited this behavior, while the Northern Parulas, 2 Magnolias, and a Black & White preferred to forage in the trees.
This area is somewhat protected from the wind, so it may have been easier for the birds to feed this way, and the ability of so many insects to concentrate in a less windy place.
Other birds that flew through-out the area were also noted:
Blue Jays, Cardinals, Purple Martins, Starlings, White-winged Doves, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, a Great-crested Flycatcher, a Common Nighthawk, and a Screech Owl was heard.
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