End for A Worm at The End of the World

September 26, 2023

Worm-eating Warbler with Sphinx Moth Caterpillar Tubac 9-25-23. Strongly back-lit subject.

I was at Paton’s Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia on the 25th looking for birds of opportunity. There was a credible report of an Orchard Oriole, seen once by Louie Dombrowski the birder-in-residence at Paton’s. I had 50 birds for the morning, nothing really notable. There was a Berylline Hummingbird there, but they are not really unusual, except that it is getting late for them. No luck on the Oriole. A message came in that Seth Ausubel had found a Worm-eating Warbler in Tubac, and gave coordinates. Very easy spot to get to just east of Morriss Park. So I left immediately, as did several others. Arriving about 50 minutes later, the three joined several A+ birders who were already there. As soon as I got to the river a Northern Waterthrush flushed, and allowed me a couple of photos when it momentarily perched in the shade. Crappy. Then a Green Kingfisher slid by, and before that registered a second bird followed. A few minutes later Kadynn Hatfield messaged that he had reaquired the wormy. And there it was. The bird hung around the rest of the day and entertained several more birders. Also seen by some was a female-type Hooded Warbler. So that makes three eastern warblers in one day at one spot. I returned on the following morning , but the wormy and the Hooded Warbler were gone. But another good migrant showed up, a Northern Parula, high in the cottonwood canopy.