Every May, forever, the spring warblers have passed through New Hampshire on their long migrations from winter resorts in the Caribbean and South America to breeding grounds further north. But, until this May, I had never seen or heard one. They are tiny, active birds often occupying the tops of tall trees so, even with their bright markings, hard to spot. And many have high-pitched songs almost beyond the range of my aging, rock concert damaged ears.

But this year, thanks to a generous expert and committed friends, we have enjoyed weekly birding walks (another new pandemic pastime) in the woods behind our home and at a nearby state park. We have seen or heard a dozen warblers, and I can now recognize the songs of a few of them. Some, like the common yellowthroat, seemed as - well - common as blue jays. We saw several yellow warblers with their proud red chest stripes and watched a female yellow warbler building her nest (guess they’ll be hanging around here to breed). There was a chestnut-sided warbler and multiple yellow-rumped warblers…and black and white warblers, pine warblers, and palm (huh, as in palm trees?) warblers. And if warblers are a challenge to spot, they are even harder (for me) to photograph so I have only a few portraits to share.

Next May, we will all go to Plum Island where the migrating warblers practically fall out of the sky exhausted from their long journey to refuel in low, visible vegetation making spotting (and photographing) them much easier. Can’t wait!

Oh, and when is a thrush not a thrush? When it is a northern waterthrush, which is, of course, a warbler.