Early Arriving Warblers
Most warblers arrive in Ohio around April, but the yellow-rumped warblers arrive in Ohio much earlier. In fact, though it is fairly uncommon, it isn't entirely unheard of to see a yellow-rumped warbler or pine warbler over wintering in Ohio. However, the majority do head south for the winter. Warblers often migrate south in large flocks of mixed warbler species. However, when migrating north, they don't do this. Yellow rumped warblers push north on their own without the other warbler species. In fact, yellow-rumped warblers migrate north as much as two months earlier than most warbler species. They can arrive as early as mid february. Perhaps, on occation, even earlier. A few weeks ago about 7 yellow-rumped warblers arrvied. Since then, more have constantly been moving in. Last Saturday (February 23rd) when I was out photographing the yellow-rumpeds in the juniper and cedar trees, I counted 40 of them! About twenty were in the trees where I was photographing, and about twenty more were across the yard in the maple and tulip trees. When I tried to enter this count into eBird, it asked me, "Are You Sure?". Of course I was, so I added comments and clicked the 'Complete' button.
Be on the look out for the yellow-rumpeds arriving in your area!
A yellow-rumped warbler that I photographed eating a berry.