Had a delightful encounter with a male Common Yellowthroat this morning while birding at Harris Lake Park in New Hill North Carolina. I’d been watching a couple of Orchard Orioles high up in the pine trees when this handsome little guy flew onto a branch right above my head.

He hopped around a bit stopping to sing every few minutes to an unseen counterpoint somewhere in the brush surrounding me.
Then he stopped and stared at something on a branch nearby. I thought he might have a go at trying to eat what he found but perhaps this particular meal might have led to him biting off more than he could chew, lol!
He eyed it for a bit before taking off in search of a more suitable meal.
Check out the next photo to see what he was considering for breakfast 😉

Common Yellowthroats typically feed on small insects and spiders, probing in dead vegetation and in bark crevices for hidden 6 & 8 legged meals. Their short wings make them weak fliers, so as was the case with this gorgeous bird, they’ll typically hop from perch to perch while foraging, and they fly distances in quick bursts, a streak of yellow skimming low over thickets or marshes.
Such great looking birds, they never fail to capture my attention no matter how many times I’ve seen them!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame SLR, the @canonusa
#5Ds