By Sally Siko

The pond at Apex Community Park in Apex, NC has had it’s share of rare bird visits over the years so somehow I wasn’t surprised to see that a Nashville Warbler showed up there earlier this week.
I finally had a chance to get out there yesterday to find this little beauty and was pleasantly surprised on how easily accessible he was to spot (in the bushes just left of the fishing dock, see Google Maps pin drop location at the bottom of this post).
It only took about 30 seconds of pishing to draw it out into the open offering me some opportunities to grab a few photos before the bird disappeared back into the brush.
So cool!

These lovely feathered gems are known to breed in two separate areas: the northwestern and northeastern United States, and across eastern Canada.
A small number have been found nesting as far south as into West Virginia, and likely into western Virginia counties as well.
Though the seasonal range of a Nashville Warbler extends across nearly the entire United States, they are usually only spotted in North Carolina during spring and autumn migration.
This is why seeing one here in the Triangle during mid-January is a special thing indeed!

In the far reaches of the northern part of their range, they are best spotted looking for a six or eight legged snack in cedar and spruce bogs.
Here in the eastern U.S., look for them in abandoned fields and mountain pastures with saplings and young trees.
In our western states, Nashville Warblers may be found flitting through thickets of manzanita and other shrubs near belts of pine and fir.
Pretty cool huh?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5