Northern Illinois Summer Warblers: Yellow Warbler

OLD YELLER

Yellow Warbler, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/5/2012.

The ubiquitous Yellow Warbler (Above) is perhaps the most common and widespread of all warblers, as its summer range spreads across most of the North American continent. These bright yellow birds usually show up in the Northern Illinois area in the first week of May.

A different Yellow Warbler, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/5/2012.

From May 1 - 4, while I was out and about in my favorite birding and hiking haunts, there was nary a sign of these warblers, then suddenly on May 5, they were all over the place. They descended overnight. In early April, I saw many Yellow Warblers in the southeastern corner of Arizona. So it took these guys about a month to reach our end of the state.

Yet another Yellow Warbler, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/5/2012.

It seemed that every 20 yards or so I saw a new 'Old Yeller." Probably during a couple hour hike at Rock Cut State Park, I saw and/or heard 50 of these guys (an unofficial count).