There's more than one way to identify a bird. This is one thing that sometimes surprises beginning
birders, but it is so true. Last night was a great example. Out on the bike trail happened to notice a small songbird flying in the tree canopy, bouncing from place to place. I knew it was a warbler, immediately, and from the its distinctive butterfly like flight, I knew it was a Redstart even before I raised the
binocular. It was and an immature male Redstart at that. In the binocular, the pinkish orange shoulder patch cinched it. Down the trail a bit, spotted another warbler low in the brush and though most of the birds body was hidden from view, the tail pumping screamed Palm Warbler. Confirmed it a minute later with the
binocular. It's often the
little things that provide the best clues when it comes to
bird identification.