Warblers in cold weather

Yellow-rumped Warblers (above)

Orange-crowned Warbler (below)
Warblers, in general, might justifiably be considered tropical birds who spend a few months of the year "visiting" our northern region for the breeding season, and then return "home" far south of here. One species that varies from this schedule is the Yellow-rumped Warbler, and we can usually find them here in western Oregon on any winter day. But, when the weather is so extremely snowy and cold, as it is here right now, it still amazes me to see them doing so well. Today I found a flock of about 10 of them foraging in a large Douglas fir tree in my neighborhood. They must have been finding plenty of insect food, and were noisy and energetic. I found another flock eating some kind of small fruit from a clump of shrubbery. The one shown here appears to be swallowing some snow and a berry at the same time. The Orange-crowned Warbler is much less likely to be found here in winter, so this one at my neighbor's suet block was quite a surprise. If he stays close to the suet, he might have a chance of surviving this cold spell.