Spring is the time of year when billions of birds around the world are on the move, travelling north to find good eats and nesting spots for summer.

Hector and I decided to go to Rock Creek Park, which is one of our favorite birding spots in the city. We were very quiet on our walk, hoping to see birds, not scare them away.

Well, we were as quiet as we ever are. Hector would be the first to admit that he is a pretty chatty giraffe! And guess what? We must have been pretty stealthy indeed because we saw a yellow warbler!

Yellow warblers are bright yellow, which makes them easier to see than many birds are, but we still felt very lucky to have found one.

“Do you think this little guy is looking for a good nesting spot or do you think he is just resting before he flies further north?” I asked Hector as we watched the bird eat an insect.

“This seems like a good spot to me,” Hector whispered. “It’s near the creek, there are a gazillion trees to build a nest in, there’s a great view of Boulder Bridge, and there sure are a lot of bugs to eat,” Hector huffed his breath in an attempt to shoo some tiny bug away from his face. “What more could a yellow warbler want?” Hector grinned at me. “Where is this bird coming from, do you know?”

“Somewhere in Central America, I think,” I answered, remembering to keep my voice to a very low whisper so we wouldn’t scare the yellow bird away. “He may have even flown here all the way from South America. Isn’t that amazing?”

“It is. I can’t imagine how such teeny birds are able to fly such long distances. It doesn’t seem like it should be possible,” Hector said in his regular speaking voice, forgetting to keep quiet.

Alas.

The yellow warbler was startled by the noise and flew away. But we hope to see him again very soon. I’ll let you know if we do!

XOXO,
Bernice