Wilson’s Warbler
Cardellina pusilla
The Wilson’s Warbler breeds across Canada and Alaska, from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts and south through western Montana and northern Idaho, and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. They spend winters from central Mexico south through much of Central America. A few of these smallest of North America warblers may winter near the Texas and Louisiana gulf coasts.
These birds like to breed in open woods with dense understory. Sometimes they forage high in the canopy, but more often they look for insect prey in the lower parts of the trees and in shrubs nearer the ground.
Current taxonomist classify three subspecies of Wilson’s Warbler, but recent genetic studies may soon change this view to include perhaps six subspecies. The three subspecies presently in the books are:
- C. p. pileolata breeds in Alaska, Yukon Territory (Canada), the Rocky Mountains, northeastern California, Nevada, Utah and northern New Mexico. They spend winters primarily from southwestern and central Mexico south to western Panama.
- C. p. pusilla breeds in central and eastern Canada. They spend winters chiefly on the Atlantic slope of Central America, from central Tamaulipas south to northern Costa Rica. In mild winters, we may find some north to the southeastern United States.
- C. p. chryseola breeds on the lowlands of the Pacific coast of southern British Columbia (Canada), south to southern California, and in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They spend winters primarily in western Mexico, Baja California and Sonora, and south to Panama.
These birds are always a joy to see. I’ve met them in Alaska, the Yukon, northern and southern California, and even in my southern California yard. When I visited south Texas in the spring of 2021, I met birds migrating through the region on their long journey to Canada.
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: (Wilsonia pusilla) Female at the Springs. Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California USA 2005-09-07. |
Date Taken: 2005:09:07 12:10 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/125 |
File Name: JCD1099WilsonsWarblerFemale |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: (Wilsonia pusilla) At The Waterhole. Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California USA 2004-08-26. |
Date Taken: 2004:08:26 12:29 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/180 |
File Name: JCD_9445WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: Female. Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:08:04 16:00 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 700 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_8039WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: (Wilsonia pusilla) Male bird at The Waterhole on Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California USA 2004-08-04. |
Date Taken: 2004:08:04 15:53 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_8009WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: At The Waterhole. Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:30 16:54 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/80 |
File Name: JCD_7556WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: (Wilsonia pusilla) Male bird at The Waterhole on Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California USA 2004-07-30. |
Date Taken: 2004:07:30 16:53 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: JCD_7550WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: (Wilsonia pusilla) Cut-out of an image captured at the springs on Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California USA 2011-09-11. |
Date Taken: 2011:09:11 15:10 |
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Location:
Ribbonwood |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 |
File Name: Cut_D3X2711-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: Roadside off the George Parks Highway. Denali National Park, Alaska. |
Date Taken: 2005:07:06 17:22 |
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Location:
McKinley Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD7617WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: Ogilvie River Valley, Dempster Highway, Yukon, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:21 8:46 |
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Location:
Ogilvie River Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/12.0, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD5889WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 15:26 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X9406-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 15:25 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X9395-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 14:33 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X9294-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 11:58 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X9011-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: (Wilsonia pusilla) At the Springs on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California USA 2014-08-30. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 11:58 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/125 |
File Name: D3X9010-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 11:13 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X8927-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 10:42 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X8842-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: (Wilsonia pusilla) At the Springs on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California USA 2014-08-30. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 10:27 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/125 |
File Name: D3X8804-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:08:24 11:12 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X8292-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:08:24 11:12 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X8290-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: (Wilsonia pusilla) At The Springs on Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California USA 2011-09-11. |
Date Taken: 2011:09:11 15:10 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X2711-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 15:38 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/80 |
File Name: D3X9466-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: At the 'Springs' on Santa Rosa Mountain. Elevation 7400' on southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:30 11:16 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X8936-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:13 12:27 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X4379-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:13 12:09 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/80 |
File Name: D3X4256-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:13 11:57 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X4208-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:13 11:56 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/160 |
File Name: D3X4201-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:13 10:06 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X3979-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:13 9:48 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/100 |
File Name: D3X3921-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:13 9:26 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/80 |
File Name: D3X3782-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:12 16:14 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/60 |
File Name: D3X3406-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: The springs on Santa Rosa Mountain, at 7500 feet elevation in southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2016:08:31 9:16 |
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Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D724165-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: Dairymart Ponds at The Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:03 12:07 |
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Location:
Dairy Mart Ponds |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/4000 |
File Name: D3X5825-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: Along the 'Avenue of Giants' in Humbolt County California near the town of Redway. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:15 14:43 |
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Location:
Redway |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/125 |
File Name: D3X0769-WilsonsWarbler |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: These small warblers worked over the lower portions of the canopy. Sunday was the 2nd day of the great warbler fallout, but unlike Saturday’s expedition, the sun shone through to light her subjects. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:18 15:02 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WilsonsWarbler_D5X8318-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: These small warblers worked over the lower portions of the canopy. Sunday was the 2nd day of the great warbler fallout, but unlike Saturday’s expedition, the sun shone through to light her subjects. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:18 15:03 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: WilsonsWarbler_D5X8338-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: Bird activity on Tuesday’s visit to South Padre Island was slightly less hectic than it was on the weekend, but it gave me some great bird encounters, including two birds brand new to me. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:20 17:56 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/350 |
File Name: WilsonsWarbler_D5X0399SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: Some Wilson’s Warblers winter on the Gulf Coast, but I believe these birds were passing through on their journey north. Spring visits to South Padre Island can produce unexpected results. Sometimes there are lulls in the migration, and other times there are spikes. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:29 14:49 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: WilsonsWarbler_D5X3521_SPI-ConventionCtr |
| (C)2020 Jack Daynes |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: Bird activity on Tuesday’s visit to South Padre Island was slightly less hectic than it was on the weekend, but it gave me some great bird encounters, including two birds brand new to me. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:20 13:14 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: WilsonsWarbler_D5X9869SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Wilson's Warbler(Cardellina pusilla) |
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Description: Wilson’s were one of many warblers visiting that featured a strong yellow element in their coats. It was a bright Sunday on South Padre Island, and I stayed over 9 hours. I started the morning with an hour at Sheepshead Sanctuary and drove to the Convention Centre for the rest of the day, and met a couple of birds new to me. |
Date Taken: 2021:05:02 12:23 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: WilsonsWarbler_D5X4824_SPI-ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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