Yellow-throated Wabler - Kelly's Brook

 Earlier this week, I stepped out on my deck to enjoy the unusual mid-morning warmth on a December morning. For a fleeting moment, I imagined...Winter departed and Spring arrived. I wish!

 I began to think of warblers and long walks in the woods. While the typical flurry of wood warblers is long gone, there have been a few warblers found around the St. John's area. These include a Pine Warbler, an Orange-crowned Warbler and this beautiful Yellow-throated Warbler.

 At Kelly's Brook, I was lucky to get great views of this colorful little bird. It was working its way through a range of about 50 feet and back again.

 Busily eating, it seemed really, really tame. It came within close range several times while I watched. In fact, it came so close it was impossible to focus my long lens on it.

 While the foliage around Kelly's Brook has dulled, the bright throat of this little warbler lit the place up.

 As has happened in the past, several rare birds may likely just appear at the Brook. It is an unusual habitat for this city area that seems to continue to produce insects well beyond other areas.

As the weather gets colder, the chance of seeing something great continues to increase. Last year, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher frequented the area. A couple of years back, a Kentucky Warbler delighted birders for several weeks. Not to diminish the value of the Yellow-throated Warbler, but there may be some rare bird already scouting out the place.