Spring Arrivals

April and May bring colorful flowers, green leaves and migrating birds.

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I was enjoying a warm, lovely North Carolina spring day when I looked toward a walnut tree and saw an active adult male yellow-rumped warbler protecting the bird feeder I had hung.

Phylicia Clemens

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

FOUR LOOKS

There are four forms of yellow-rumped warbler, all with distinct appearances. Myrtles (shown above) are found in the East and far north, while Audubon’s can be seen in the West. The other two forms are found in Mexico and Guatemala.

It took hours and many thousands of pictures to learn how to photograph birds well, but sometimes there are moments when things just fall into place. Baltimore orioles are regular visitors to our farm, but I couldn’t get them to come within shot. I sat outside waiting for such an opportunity, and two birds appeared on the honeysuckle. Was I lucky, or what?