Rare for the Season: Pine Warbler

 A couple of weeks ago I noticed a drab bird on our suet feeder. My first impression was goldfinch but a 2nd look told me that was completely wrong. A moment of cogitation yielded Pine Warbler. Pine Warblers are supposed to migrate south long ago, so this was a rarity.  I certainly never expected to see one on suet. I posted a question to Jerseybirds about how unusual this feeding behavior was. The response was unanimous: not unusual at all.  The first time I saw the warbler I wasn't able to get any photos, but it and another, much brighter bird (the drab one is probably a first winter female, the bright guy is just that: a guy) have been returning with some regularity and I've managed to take decent pictures through the window.

 The last couple of days, instead of going to the suet, I've seen the male picking away at the pine cone I've smeared in peanut butter. I guess what these birds are really looking for is protein. With no bugs around, the warblers have to switch to whatever protein source they can find.

A couple of experts I've spoken to (Pete & Scott) both said that Pine Warblers are probably more common around here in the winter than one would think. It's just that no one is really looking for them and since they are silent in the winter, they're much harder to find. I did see one in November in the WMA with a mixed flock of juncos, White-throated Sparrows and bluebirds. Scott said that was a classic mix in which to find one. So, I've been faithfully reporting each sighting into eBird, good citizen-scientist that I am. It's neat to have another warbler in the winter besides yellow-rumps, which, by the way, seem to subsist on berries in the winter.