Parula and Towhee

Just a quick post. This morning I saw a Northern Parula right across the street from my house. This is the 2nd species of northbound migrating warbler I've seen this spring. (The first was Nashville Warbler.) This is a horrible picture, but it's identifiable. You can see the wing bars, partial eye ring, and a little bit of the yellow and orange color on the breast. Warblers are one of the most sought-after family of birds to see since there are so many different species of so many different beautiful colors and patterns. They are starting to move through the Austin area now and will continue until late May.

In the same spot as last weekend, I found a Spotted Towhee again and got this mediocre picture. These native sparrows are really something to see. I hope to get a better picture of one of these sneaky birds in the neighborhood someday.

On my way back home on Stillforest I got this picture of a Red-bellied Woodpecker. This is our most common woodpecker in the neighborhood and they live here all year long. The second picture shows where their common name comes from -- they actually do have a red belly!