Magnolia Warbler
Dendroica magnolia

20 December 2004
Mad Island Marsh Christmas Bird Count
Matagorda County, Texas, USA
Canon EOS 10D, 100-400mm IS lens, 1.4X extender.

I did the Mad Island Marsh Christmas Bird Count with Sumita Prasad, Ron Weeks, Brad Lirette, and Mark, whose last name I forgot to write down. After hours of good birding including a Wood Thrush and Great Kiskadee, we were birding a nice patch of woods on the side of a marsh. I heard Brad or Mark yell Magnolia Warbler and I grabbed my camera and ran. Turns out there was no need to hurry. The bird, an adult male in basic plumage, was more than cooperative and provided excellent looks for the next 20 minutes. At one point Mark and I were about 10 feet apart with the bird hopping around between us, in typical Mag fashion completely oblivious to our presence.

All images are copyrighted by Chris Merkord, all rights reserved