In a bit of good natured blog banter, Joe Sweeney and I (check out his blog – https://sweeneyfit.wordpress.com/) have been passing back and forth the challenge of photographing a “rare warbler.”
Well, today I am claiming the victory! The Oxford English Dictionary defines rare as “occurring very infrequently” and this afternoon a warbler I have never seen before showed up in my backyard.
This female Prairie Warbler (at least I think that’s what it is) flitted over to the birdbath, took a quick dip, then flew off into the tree tops. I wish I could have gotten better pictures, but she was so fast I didn’t have time to fiddle with my camera settings.
Okay Joe…your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to get a picture of a rare hummingbird!
Backyard Bird Nerd 
Congratulations Kathy! A ‘lifer’ is always the greatest thrill for a birder, we always hopw every time we go out birding that we will find a new one we have not seen before, and it is a real blessing and delight when we do, but to have one call at your house is even more blessed!
Well done on your new “tick”!
Our warblers are generally more drab than this little beauty, and, I must confess to my own embarrassment; very tricky to identify!
It took my three field guides and a google search to figure this one out, and I’m still not sure I got it right!
Yay for you!
Congratulations!! So exciting!