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?)

Hi, Thonoto! You probably do have a good habitat for a prothonotary. But one thing to remember is that (like most/all warblers) they are very small. Just about the same size as a Carolina wren at 5". (Scrub jays for comparison are 11", cardinals 8-9" or so). Maybe thinking about size will help you pinpoint it better. Prothonotaries are so vivid, they take your breath away. I've seen them many times, but almost always while canoeing. They nest in cavities along river banks, so the wetlands are a good area for them. But the general impression to my eye is a blue and buttery gold bird. The always look bluer to me than they show in photos, and the gold is VERY clear and brilliant. There are several other warblers with green-gray coloration and loads with yellow on them, so you might have to catch another glimpse to really ID your visitor. Almost all of them are insect eating, though I have had a couple of different ones visit my feeders once or twice. (Maybe is was a slow day for bugs?) Good luck finding out what you have. The visitors in our gardens enrich them so much! Marcia

no, I tried all of that too....things seem to be working for now. My next step was going to be trying the laptop to eliminate the possibility of there being a problem on my end. On the birder's site, not only was the post gone, but I didn't know there had been a response either. Hoping it is straightened out now...I like it here!!

Wow! That is amazing! I have only seen them a few times & always around water-not the ocean, just swampy places. Is that house especially for Prothonotary warblers or for other cavity nesters? Where are you located? That is so special! Do you have other cavity nesters? (Full of questions aren't I?) Susan