Every group of birds have their own quirks. Parrots and parakeets are playful, naughty and smart. Sandpipers are always running towards you or away from you, always busy poking in the ground. Hummingbirds are nosy, on the move towards their next flower and very aware of camera lens eyes, as such responsible for many a photographers so called ‘hummingbird depression’.
Warblers are another story. Warblers are just so busy with their everyday life, going from twig to twig and tree to tree in search for the next juicy insect, that they could not care less what you are doing as a photographer. They fly back and forth, looking under leaves, checking in between the bark for caterpillars, ants and other critters. Never sitting still for more then a fraction of a second. So as a photographer it is a miracle to get a decent shot of these ones.
Now some species are a little easier to spot and photograph as they tend to react to certain sounds and will come to investigate and stay put for a few seconds to observe what it is all about.The Prothonotary warbler however is a smart cookie. When it hears the sound you make, it will come and investigate immediately and arrives soundlessly. It takes him less then a second to verify that it was indeed a human who made the unknown sound, and just as fast the bird is gone, hidden in de shadows. Hence just 1 relatively decent photo.
Prothonotary warbler – Citroenzanger
October 2021
Curaçao
Bird Watching Curaçao 