September 2011 Bird of the Month Yellow-rumped Warbler

This Male Yellow-rumped warbler it was pointed out to me by Ryan O'Donell is a hybrid Western Audobon's subspecies  and Eastern Myrtle subspecies.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audobon's) is very common here in Utah especially during Spring and Fall Migrations but I have seen them every month of the year. I often see them in my yard and they are abundant at Farmington Bay. I have never seen the Eastern Myrtle Subspecies other than the hybrid shown above but they are occasionally reported in Utah.

I took this picture of a female last January at Beus Pond in Ogden. The temperature was below zero that day 

This one showing it's yellow rump, this picture was taken on the Nature Trail at Farmington Bay

These Russian Olive trees were full of Yellow-rumped Warblers

Yellow-rumped Warblers are perhaps the most versatile foragers of all warblers. They're the warbler you're most likely to see fluttering out from a tree to catch a flying insect, and they're also quick to switch over to eating berries in fall. Other places Yellow-rumped Warblers have been spotted foraging include picking at insects on washed-up seaweed at the beach, skimming insects from the surface of rivers and the ocean, picking them out of spiderwebs, and grabbing them off piles of manure.

They are beautiful warblers I am always exited to run into a group of Yellow-rumped Warblers

Yellow-rumped Warblers typically forage in the outer tree canopies at middle heights. They're active, and you'll often see them fly out to catch insects in midair, sometimes on long flights. In winter they spend lots of time eating berries from shrubs, and they often travel in large flocks.