The shy little pine warbler (Setophaga pinus) that showed up here a few weeks ago has now become a regular at my feeding station. At first I just got glimpses of yellow from time to time up high in the oaks. Eventually, he began coming down closer and once in a while grabbing a seed or a mealworm. Now I see him almost every day both in the trees and at the station. Interestingly, I have not seen any females around. I know that often these migratory birds migrate in flocks with other birds of the same sex. Males frequently leave the breeding grounds before the females, who remain a bit longer to assure that the young are as ready as possible for the long journey. In the spring, again males tend to migrate earlier; this time to find and secure territories before the females arrive. Since this is a single bird, I’m not really at all sure what is happening with him. He may have been separated from his flock somehow or he may be taking a layover on his way north from some place further south. Or it may be neither of these. I will probably never know, but it is interesting to speculate.

What are your thoughts?