If you're like me, you can't wait for the warblers to start making their way south for the winter. Already some early migrants are passing through the states on their way to wintering grounds in Central and South America.
While the warblers haven't shown up en masse just yet, the early migrants are already making their way down, and there's one tip I share with everybody for finding those little pops of yellow in late summer:
Look for the chickadees.
Chickadees - including Carolina (southeast US), Black-capped (northeast US), and Chestnut-backed (west coast) are year-round residents in their range.
They're the "locals" - and they know where the good food is.
And they're social foragers, often making vocal flocks alongside other passerines like titmice.
Because early warbler migrants are A) hungry, and B) harder-pressed to find large flocks of their own, they often join up with mixed flocks of chickadees and titmice to forage.
Already this month, I've found early Blue-winged Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, and Yellow Warblers mixed in with chickadee flocks. These "superforager" flocks move along the canopy in mixed forests, snatching up late summer bugs.
Next time you're out birding, keep an eye out for large social chickadee flocks (often mixed with titmice and other passerines). If you watch long enough, your certain to find a few early warblers.
And in just a few weeks, things will really ramp up. Can't wait!