Prothonotary Warblers: A Highlight Of The 2018 Festival Of Flight

With spring migration in full swing here in Southwestern Ontario, I decided to take two weeks vacation in an effort to get in as much birding possible while bird numbers increase across the region. Having completed a few day trips as well as several visits to some of my favourite hotspots within the city, I birded every day this week and was quite happy with the results. 

Among the planned day trips was a visit to Rondeau Provincial Park on the north shore of Lake Erie, a popular May destination for many birders and host of the annual Festival of Flight. Friday’s forecast did not include favourable birding conditions with cooler temperatures and late afternoon showers predicted. However, with the park located just over an hour from my home in London, I thought I could enjoy several hours of birding before the rain moved in. 

Leaving London under mostly clear skies just before 7 a.m. the weather was looking pretty good. Unfortunately, as I headed west down the 401, I could see a large cloud bank on the horizon. According to the hourly forecast, it was not supposed to cloud up until 3 p.m. with rain starting at 4 p.m. Unfortunately, after arriving at Rondeau Provincial Park shortly after 8 a.m. it was already cloudy. Once again, Environment Canada’s forecast was about as useless as (insert your favourite simile here); however, I wasn’t going to let this put a damper on my day.

My target species for the day was the Prothonotary Warbler. I had tried for this bird earlier in the week at Point Pelee National Park but failed to locate one despite searching areas where they had been reported previously that day. With the Canadian population down to only 11 pairs, Rondeau Provincial Park and Point Pelee National Park are two locations where this endangered species is observed annually. 

Prothonotary Warblers had been reported from the Tulip Tree Trail earlier during the 2018 Festival of Flight. With the weather deteriorating quicker than expected, I made my way to the visitor’s centre to park and access the aforementioned trail.

Exiting my vehicle, I was happy I bought my winter jacket with me as the wind off Lake Erie was quite cool and the car’s thermometer read only 6 degrees Celsius. After grabbing my camera and binoculars, I made my way down the marked path in hopes of finding a Prothonotary Warbler. At 1.4 km in length, the Tulip Tree Trail consists of many boardwalks meandering through a mix of forest and swamp, perfect habitat for the Prothonotary Warbler. 

Making my way along the trail, several warblers were present including Yellow, Black-throated Green, and Black-throated Blue. Swainson’s Thrushes could be seen scouring the forest floor for a meal while Baltimore Orioles called and moved about the understory. As I approached one of the boardwalks, a male Prothonotary Warbler appeared to my right as it foraged along a fallen log. Too far for photos, I was happy to observe the bird through my binoculars. While the Prothonotary Warbler is not a lifer for me, my only previous observation was a first-year female, so not nearly as vibrant as this male in breeding plumage. After achieving pleasing views, the bird flew off deeper into the swamp. 

Scanning the swamp with my binoculars, I was unable to relocate the bird. After searching for about 20 minutes, the bird reappeared in a pile of downed limbs only about 15 feet from the boardwalk. With the heavy cloud cover and low light conditions in the swamp, I needed to bump up my ISO in order to achieve a fast enough shutter speed to capture this rare warbler as it hopped along the fallen logs. Due to my excitement instead of hitting the ISO button on my camera, I hit the button that controls my focus points and accidentally selected all of them. Before I could regroup the bird once again disappeared deep into the swamp. As a result, the fallen limbs and various adjacent mosses in my images were very sharp, but the Prothonotary Warbler, my target species, was out of focus.

To be honest, hitting the wrong button or turning a dial the wrong way happens to me more than I care to admit, but is a fact of photography. My excitement quite often gets the better of me resulting in missed opportunities, but this is something I don’t let bother me. The observation itself is what I take away from all of my birding adventures with capturing an image simply a bonus.

After getting my camera settings back to where I wanted them, (if you are curious this was aperture priority mode f/6.3, ISO 1250, and -2/3 exposure compensation given the dark backdrop of the swamp resulting in a shutter speed of anywhere from 1/500 to 1/1250), I decided to wait and see if the Prothonotary Warbler returned. Twenty minutes passed and once again the male Prothonotary Warbler appeared on the same fallen log where it was first observed. Just as it did previously, the bird flitted and hopped from log to log through the swamp in the direction where I was standing.

Ready this time with optimal camera settings, I captured several images as this beautiful male Prothonotary Warbler came within 10 feet of the boardwalk. Fortunately, I was able to shoot under the railing achieving unobstructed views. Several hundred images later, the bird once again disappeared deep in the swamp. 

Having had 2 encounters with this bird following the same course, I thought it would be wise to wait and see if this male Prothonotary Warbler would once again repeat this pattern. Sure enough, after about 20 to 30 minutes, the bird once again emerged from the tangle of fallen logs. This encounter was different; however; as this time there was also a female Prothonotary Warbler present. 

I watched intently while snapping several photos as the two Prothonotary Warblers hopped and flitted from log to log foraging on whatever they could find under these cold conditions. Knowing that I was observing two of only twenty-two Prothonotary Warblers in the entire county was an amazing experience and one I will never forget. If their numbers continue to dwindle, this may be my last encounter with this incredibly stunning bird. Hopefully, with habitat protection and continued conservation efforts, this won’t be the case and these remarkable warblers will be enjoyed for years to come. 

Another observation I made while enjoying this pair of Prothonotary Warblers was many birders missed these colourful warblers by moving too fast down the boardwalk. Perhaps the cold weather and fact that it was starting to rain had birders hurrying back to the visitor’s centre to warm up. It seemed that if the Prothonotary Warblers were not in plain view most birders simply kept moving while those who exercised patience were rewarded with remarkable views. 

If you are heading down to the Festival of Flight during the remaining 10 days, be patient and willing to wait for the Prothonotary Warblers to appear if you are hoping to observe this species. This approach worked wonders for me resulting in excellent views on a day where I would have been much warmer if I kept moving. 

If the Prothonotary Warbler is still missing from your life list, or you simply want to view this gorgeous endangered species, then plan a trip to Rondeau Provincial Park and check out the Tulip Tree Trail. With a little patience, great views just might present themselves proving that good things come to those who wait.

Good birding,
Paul