As I said yesterday, it's always good to have recording equipment ready because you never know when
opportunity will strike. In this case, I was walking out of Barry's Espresso Bakery & Deli in Eugene, no doubt
having just devoured one of their best-on-planet cinnamon rolls (this is an endorsement), when
I was greeted by the sweet sound of singing Yellow Warblers. "Can this be?" I wondered, because there
was only one small tree on the side of the building. I crept into its shade and peered around, confirming
the identity of the singers. The car was right there and the gear was ready to go, so I got a bit of song. Now it is your
job to count how many individuals are singing. I'm not sure.
Some species sing on migration; some don't. Warblers are pretty good about it, which helps birders add
dozens of ticks to their lists in May. Go back three days to the eBird list associated with the Eastern Warbling
Vireo and you will find Yellow Warblers there, too. Like these, they were on migration, headed for some green
spot in their
coast-to-coast breeding range. Yellow Warblers are the
most widespread warbler of North America, and they have one of the sweetest songs.