Yellow-rumped Warbler in the Yosemite High Country near Bridalveil Creek

The high country of Yosemite National Park is just beginning to come into spring. The snow melted early and the spring will be short, but the woods are starting to come alive with bird songs. We took a short camping trip last week, taking advantage of someone's canceled camp reservations, which gave us time to explore Glacier Point Road. There is a nice little meadow near Bridalveil Creek that is a nice stop to gather in the peace and quiet before braving the crowds at Glacier Point. It's a nice spot for spotting birds.

The most colorful bird we saw in the meadow was a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). It was hopping about in the forest duff, and eventually flew into the Lodgepole Pines lining the edge of the meadow. The birds are good at clearing out bugs in the forest, especially some of the beetles that are capable of killing the trees.

The Yellow-rumped Warblers are common birds all across North America, although they are only seen during the migration season in parts of the midwestern states. In their breeding season, they are one of more colorful birds you'll see in the region excepting maybe the Tanagers.

How Yosemite looks without granite cliffs!