Friday's Foto

I chose this photo of a Prothonotary Warbler by my friend Sean Sime for this week's photo for a couple of reasons. The most obvious is that it is a beautiful image of a stunning bird. More important, however, is that I try to choose a subject that is relevant for the seasonal moment. The northern edge of the cavity nesting "Swamp" Warbler's breeding range is actually south of New York City. Usually early in the spring migration a few individuals that overshoot their range can be found in our city's parks, sparking a rush of birders in search of them. This bird was photographed in Green-Wood Cemetery. The name "prothonotary" refers to an order of Roman Catholic clerks who wore bright yellow robes.