Spring is always chock full of excitement and changes. Little, however, warms the heart of birders early in the year than the return of the jewels of the forest – the warblers. Tiny birds, but mighty, these birds flood back into their northern breeding grounds from Central and South America, bringing with them the hopes of the spring and excitement of the warm summer months. Warblers are also the cause of a condition that afflicts many birders known as “warbler neck”, because of their tendency to visit the very tips of bushes and trees, gleaning caterpillars and insects that are available early in the season. Because warblers often stay high in the canopy and are not feeder birds, many times, only their song is indicative of their presence – and identification can become a challenge since only quick glimpses and “butt views” are the norm. This makes them a particular photographic challenge, and one that I was looking forward to taking on this year. With over 50 species present in North America, and many of them either resident in, or migrating through, the state of Maine – there were ample species to choose from. However, once the leaves emerge, finding, identifying, and photographing these colorful gems becomes even more challenging. I set out to attempt to get beautiful close ups of at least 12 species, and so far this year, have topped that goal with 15 species. I still have high hopes to find at least 5 more willing birds, but the difficulties continue to mount as the season progresses and they focus less on singing and display and more on setting up housekeeping for the short and intense summer breeding season. Here are just a few of my favorites from this spring!