Letting Himself Go

Mike Warner

It took a moment to realize that this photo was a Ruby-crowned Warbler.  The eye-ring is a prominent field mark, but the rest of the feathers looked so unkempt compared to when we see them during migration in Chicagoland.  Forgive the inappropriateness of this, but when I saw him, he looked like some guy who found a mate and then let himself go – no need to be neat and tidy anymore!