Our Beloved Willy Warbs

Without a doubt, our favorite warbler is the Wilson’s. Luckily, Willy Warbs is common here in spring and summer, so we’re currently enjoying this vibrant yellow jewel daily.
 
Willy’s song – less musical than some other warblers – may be the first song we ever learned. It’s typically a series of 5-10 notes that rise ever so slightly in pitch, intensity, and speed, before dropping down a bit at the end. Listen to this classic song snippet.

In this next example, the pitch stays steady at the end.

Willy Warbs’ absence during winter only makes our hearts grow fonder. Our yearning for his return usually peaks in March when we start remarking to each other that we’ll be hearing Willy any day now. Our ears subconsciously tune to the WIWA radio station and then – finally – one day it happens! We hear Willy’s song wafting through the air and our hearts swell knowing all is right in the world once again, for Willy is back in town!
 
Last year, our first sighting of Willy Warbs was on March 30. Our eBird checklist stated:

Oh, glorious day – FOS, finally! Greeted us as we got out of the car at horse trailer parking lot. Moving around singing constantly with multiple Townsend’s Warblers and Chickadees.

This year, we first encountered Willy Warbs on March 18, during the monthly Petaluma Wetlands Alliance bird survey at Ellis Creek. Along the southeast edge of the facility, our ears perked up at the long-awaited tune coming faintly from the willows.

We beamed from ear to ear all day long after we caught a glimpse of him!

The male Wilson’s is relatively easy to identify. His field marks are simple – bright yellow, jet black cap, beady black eyes, and a yellow-olive wash on his back, wings, and tail. Females don’t always show the black cap, though here in the western United States they typically do.

Check out the “pompadour” effect this Wilson’s Warbler’s black cap creates. This was just one of nine Willies we encountered during a short 3/4-mile stretch of Steep Ravine Trail in Marin County last July.

Wilson’s Warblers can often be spotted fairly low or a bit above eye-level, moving steadily through shrubs and low in trees, often pausing on a branch to sing. They prefer riparian woodlands, and in our conifer forests lining the Russian River, we can’t walk down our road without hearing another Willy every quarter-mile.

The Wilson’s Warbler chip note is a wet, smeared “chep,” often loud enough to cut through the sound of running water.

On a neighborhood walk last June, we were lucky to witness three different stages of Willy’s juvenile development.
 
These two youngsters had adult-looking plumage and moved around independently, but sat near each other for stretches of time while a third bird – presumably a parent – foraged in nearby trees. In the second photo, you can see one of the juveniles shaking its wings as the parent approached.

Though the fledgling in this photo below was mobile and hopped around following its parent, its plumage belied its young age – less than a week old. Gray-brown feathers covered its body, with bits of yellow showing on its face and belly.

Lastly, we observed an adult Wilson’s Warbler repeatedly bringing food into thick Scotch broom. Begging and interaction noises emanated from within, and we caught a glimpse of a stationary fledgling deep in the brush. Its wings and tail feathers were still completely undeveloped. We recorded these thin, high-pitched chip notes from the newborn while it waited in the bramble for ma or pa to return.

We feel so fortunate that Wilson’s Warblers breed in our neighborhood, providing us with great opportunities to observe them. Their simple but sweet song is not only a sure sign of spring, but also a sure sign you’ll find smiles on our faces.