04/30/2026
While on a walk with my camera, I had been having a pretty great day with the spring arrivals, but after getting up onto the ridge I had a real gem moment.
On Sachems Head, the overlook has you able to look down at the pines instead of up, so it’s an awesome spot to get to see the species that tend to prefer the high crowns of the trees. When I got up there I continued down the trail a ways and found one of my favorite spots, tucked a little out of sight but with a great view. I sat down, took off my gear, and suddenly realized the Blackburnian Warbler I had been hearing was actually really close. As I started taking pictures he just kept getting closer and closer, singing and foraging the whole way, until he stoped about 3 feet from my face. I was pretty much just holding the shutter the entire time, until he was so close my camera was useless. I held my breath for what felt like minutes, until he zipped right past my ear and over the shoulder.
As he continued on his way, I realized that this was the same spot that I got my first picture of a Blackburnian Warbler, which (after a lot of searching) I found in a 2012 photo folder.
Tis the season for colors, songs and surprises.
