Yellow-rumped Warblers staying for winter

Today I birded the Lakeside Cemetery in Canon City. For those who haven't done a lot of birding, such places as cemeteries (often have a lot of trees and minimal disturbance), sewage ponds (lots of waterfowl frequent these) and trash dumps (gulls and other birds are found at these unusual locations) are common birding locations for those of us who are avid birders. Lakeside Cemetery usually hosts Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in the winter. I continue to see fresh sap wells in a few trees here but haven't been able to find the sapsucker who is drilling them.

However it was a very birdy place today. Lots of Western Bluebirds and Dark-eyed Juncos. And I saw 2-3 Yellow-rumped Warblers including the one in these photos. The top photo shows a front view of what an Audubon's subtype of the Yellow-rumped Warbler in winter or "basic" plumage-brownish features with pretty distinct eyering, streaks on sides, a little yellow in throat patch and yellow patch on sides.



The lower photo of this same warbler shows the distinctive yellow rump for which it is aptly named. This is the only field mark on winter (basic plumage) birds that is not subtle.

SeEtta