Definitely sounds like a warbler, SPF, and the most likely ones would be either pine, prairie or yellow. All are mostly yellow birds, no black markings, and can be very bright.

The yellow warbler is a rare migrant passing through this time of year. Song is described as "6 to 8 high, sweet notes with a rapid ending." The brown streaks on the breast of this one aren't always visible, and are lacking completely on the female.

The pine warbler is clear yellow underneath, greenish yellow on the back. It's a common year round resident of the whole peninsula, and the song is described as a "musical trill lasting 3 to 4 seconds." This is the most likely of the three, I think. The wings aren't always quite this dark, but it is the only one of the three with white wingbars, so that might be a help to you.

And the prairie warbler is a common coastal resident of the southern half of the peninsula and a rare winter migrant in the center of the state. There is definite black streaking on the male, but only faint streaking on the female. Song is described as "an ascending series of buzzy zee notes."

Unless you got a really good look with binoculars, it might be pretty hard to tell which of these you had passing through, but perhaps you'll see them again in the next day or two and be better able to tell. Hope this helps!

Marcia

Thanks for the information! Wow...it's hard to tell them apart at a glance, isn't it?

I am thinking that it was not the pine warbler, as I have seen those here before. The yellow bird I saw was much brighter.

Darn - I wish I knew for sure which one it was. I hope it comes back. I've never seen such a bright yellow bird in my yard before like this one. I think a lot of the really interesting birds must skip my yard for better pickings at Ft. DeSoto!

Thanks for the response and the information. Very helpful as always!

Well, probably the brightest yellow would be the...tada!...YELLOW warbler. And even though it isn't a common migrant doesn't mean one can't stop by. The very fact that it stood out so much to you could point to it being just that bird.

Warblers are not the easiest birds to spot. They're small and move fast, and they like to stay up high in the trees, as a rule (with a few notable exceptions). They often have varying degrees of yellow on them, making them confusing to ID. And did I mention how bloomin' HIGH they like to stay in the trees? There is a particularly uncomfortable condtion that afflicts birders during migration season known as "warbler neck." Walking around for a long time with your head bent backwards, staring into the tops of the trees HURTS. (Birdwatching ain't for sissies!! Ha!)

Glad to give you some input, SPF, though without seeing the bird myself, I can't be conclusive. Keep an eye out. When one shows up, others might, too. And Ft. DeSoto Park is just the BEST place to bird this time of year. Oh, my! The things you see!!

Marcia

Prothonotory Warblers are moving through. That would be my vote for a bright yellow bird. I don't have a photo of my own but I've added a link to one I found by searching the Web.

Here is a link that might be useful: Prothonotory Warbler Photo

Rowdy, I would have mentioned prothonotary, too, except for the fact that I've personally never seen them away from water (along creek banks, and the like) and they have such vivid blue-gray wings. They definitely are extremely bright yellow, but I thought SPF would have noticed those wings. We have resident breeding PW's throughout most of central Florida, and migrating ones farther south. I always associate them with canoe trips along the Wekiva, where they nest down low along the banks, very close to the water.

SPF, you definitely could have seen a protonotary, if the wings were in striking contrast to the body of the bird. They are incredibly beautiful.

Marcia

I see we found the same photo to share. BTW, the other photos above are not mine. They are just images I found by googling the birds.

Marcia

Marcia,

Prothonotory Warblers are typically found around water, they breed along the Hillsborough River, but can be found anywhere during migration. I've found them in my yard a few times, mostly duriing fall migration. I would think anywhere in St. Pete would be possible in spring. That said, I believe their call is typically a series of three notes described as "tawee tawee taweeTEEoh".

Another possiblility would be a female Hooded Warbler, bright yellow below and on the face, green above.

Steve

Yeah, as I was saying above (somewhere! haha), those warblers can be so darn hard to ID. Moving fast, moving high, and never wanting to step out into the sunlight so you can see ALL the diagnostic markings. Though they are surely among my favorite birds, they sure AREN'T my favorites to try to "watch." Poor SPF...are you totally confused by now? So many possibilities to choose from!

Rowdy, I would be THRILLED to find a prothonotary in my yard. I've seen black & whites (a few each year), palms, and black-throated blues nearly every year, just passing through the yard for a day or so. But I've never seen a prothonotary here. Lucky you!

Marcia

You know, it may have been a prothonotary? The call was a distinctive series of "Tweee" sounds.

The warbler (just one) was sitting near the top of my grapefruit tree. I also have a loud, gurgly water fountain on my patio specifically to attract birds.

But, my memory is definitely getting blurred. I just recall the vivid yellow and the song mostly - not a lot of details now. And, that I've never had such a bright yellow bird in my yard before. It was very striking.

Glad I didn't witness the warbler committing a crime as I would not be a reliable witness!

If it had a black mask, it could have been a common yellow warbler perhaps.

Gary

Gary, common yellowthroats are exceptionally pretty, aren't they? Even if they ARE common warblers, the male yellowthroat is so bright and colorful. I'm only used to seeing them along roadside ditches, but I'm sure they show up other places, too. But I think SPF would have noticed that mask...it is SO prominent. However, I also know that yellow is one of the more common colors on warblers, and getting a quick glimpse of one makes it tricky to figure out which one it is, especially if you aren't a hardcore birder. Poor SPF. We have totally confused her now. I'm tellin' ya...birdwatching ain't for sissies! Haha.

Marcia (ps...just to make it more confusing, they get ya with names, too. The Common Yellowthroat is one warbler and the Yellow-throated Warbler is another. At least those two don't look much alike, thankfully. The Yellow-throated is black & white with a bright yellow patch on his throat, where the Common Yellowthroat is mostly yellow with a black mask. Getting MORE confused yet?)

Shoot, I remembered what it was correctly called and couldn't get on here quick enough to correct it first! Haha, I knew you would catch it, thanks. I don't see them real often, I think because they're shy. They are normally not far from my palmettos.

As an aside, two weekends in a row I saw a hummingbird on our red salvias. Friday and yesterday, we saw a swallow tailed kite hovering very low around our yard. Very quiet and graceful. I'd like to get a real close picture of one, they never seem to stop moving though. Saw a wood thrush (pretty sure) yesterday. Still seeing two pairs of painted buntings, but no goldfinches, robins and many other winter birds. Still a half dozen catbirds eating our mulberries and white stopper berries.

Gary

That's the problem with GW forums...NO EDIT FEATURE!!! I hate that...I often see things AFTER I post that I wish I could change. Frustrating, isn't it?

But I could tell from your description that you knew what you were referring to. Just clarifying for those who never heard of either one, and might be curious.

Oooh, Gary! I wait eagerly every spring for my first swallow-tailed kite sighting. They are hands down my favorite bird of prey. Incredibly graceful and beautiful! I'll be keeping an eye out now. Congrats on the hummer, too. And all the other cool stuff. You have a nice assortment of visitors in your area.

Marcia

Aha. So that's what it was. I saw a yellow warbler about a month ago on my bird feeder but never saw it again. I figured it was migrating north. I don't get yellow birds in my yard. Usually I get blue-jays, woodpeckers, and the occasional cardinal, so a yellow guy is a most welcome treat.

I am a little late getting in on the discussion concerning prothonotary warblers, but I wanted to share this.
We have been blessed to host Prothonotary Warblers in a nesting box on our front porch each Spring since 2005. We live just south of Memphis, TN in North Mississippi. There is a small lake/ large pond across the road from us which is the main attraction for these beautiful visitors each year.
I was able to get pictures of the "first flight" on May 31 last year. Not great pictures but you can see them on the Smithsonian Migratory Bird website if you would like to take a look.
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/Featured_photo/photographer.cfm?photographer=Bonnie_Vaden

Here is a link that might be useful: Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

I have been following this thread and just can't figure out what my bird is in the picture I have linked. Can anyone help?

Here is a link that might be useful: Warbler perhaps?

Mike,

I'm assuming that you're in north Florida/panhandle. Your bird is a young male Orchard Oriole. They migrate throughout the state in the spring and breed in northern portions of the state. The link I've added is to the USGS page on the Orchard Oriole which includes pictures of the adult male and female as well as the young male. Young and adult femlaes look similar. Click on the BBS map link to the left to see their breeding range.

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: USGS Orchard Oriole

OMG! You are a live saver! You're right, I live in North Florida. I quickly thought about an Orchard Oriole but all books I have didn't really pinpoint it for me. The link you gave does. I truly appreciate your help.

Mike