Upper Texas Coast (UTC) birders begin their birding life chasing showy warblers; THE group of birds most responsible for turning casual nature lovers into birders. Annually, UTC birders find about three dozen or so warbler species each Spring; sometimes 25+ in a day. Though warblers can be accessible in numbers, they’re restless subjects that are hard to keep in a binocular view. Though colorfully plumed, it is daunting to tease them apart. It’s the finding and teasing apart of the warblers that makes for better and lifelong birders. Yep! Warblers can teach you birding skills.
This workshop will focus on the techniques that emerge from an UTC encounter with warblers: species separation. The focus is on migratory warblers most likely to be encountered in coastal oak mottes, marshes and prairies as well as nesting species and their habitats. In addition to field marks, this workshop will include vocalizations and behavior ticks. Everything learned about warbler separation techniques also works on other migrants such as vireos, hawks and thrushes!