Firebird and Patch-of-sky

Two of our most sought-after and precious avian jewels have arrived in the region. Finding them takes patience, persistence, luck and a decent pair of binoculars, but the rewards are great. Joining an organized bird hike or nature walk, such as those offered by Sharon Audubon, can help if you are a beginner.

Both of these jewels are tiny warblers with brilliant colors. The cerulean warbler is as blue as a piece of brilliant sky. The Tri-corner area is close to the northern limit of its range; the densest populations are found in southern Appalachia — where they are threatened, however, by habitat destruction, including the practice known euphemistically as “mountaintop removal.â€

Ceruleans prefer large, mature trees — tall oaks, sycamores and the like — often along watercourses or on nearby hillsides. They are fairly easily found at birding spots along the Housatonic, such as River Road in Kent.  Recognizing their song can be challenging, because it is reminiscent of some other warblers’ songs. Ceruleans give a quick series of husky notes, followed by a higher-pitched final note.

Because they generally forage high in treetops, ceruleans can be difficult to see, but the sight of one of these beautiful birds, especially if you catch a look at the sky-blue back, is memorable.

Perhaps even more unforgettable is the first sight of a blackburnian warbler.  The male of this species has black-and-white plumage with yellow on its face — and a spectacular flame-orange throat.  In our region, blackburnians are partial to hemlocks, and occur in hemlock groves at places like White Memorial in Litchfield, as well as in more isolated stands throughout our local area.

The blackburnian warbler has a more extensive and contiguous breeding range than the cerulean, which stretches from the Appalachians to the boreal forests of Canada. As a consequence, it is less threatened than the cerulean.

Like the cerulean, the blackburnian frequents treetops, but is often more obliging to birders. Its song is a series of distinct but extremely high-pitched notes.  If you do (or can) hear them, look up for that fiery throat.

Birds like these have the ability to excite a lifelong passion for birding.  One person whose life was changed by the sight of a blackburnian warbler was Phoebe Snetsinger, whose biography is told in a new book by author Olivia Gentile, a part-time resident in the Hudson Valley and former reporter for the Hartford Courant.

Snetsinger saw more birds around the world than anyone else in her lifetime, close to 8,400 species (a record since surpassed by only three people) — and she died in the act of searching for one of the rarest birds in the world on Madagascar.

The book is a stirring account of the life of this passionate birder, who was once diagnosed with only a year to live and ultimately died, one could say, with her boots on. And it all began with a blackburnian warbler. “Life List†is available at Oblong Books in Millerton, and elsewhere. I highly recommend it for early summer reading.  The author’s Web site, oliviagentile.com, is also quite entertaining and informative.

Fred Baumgarten is a writer and naturalist living in Sharon. He can be reached at fredb58@sbcglobal.net.