Setophaga palmarum

A very exciting bird today! This is a Palm Warbler, a New World wood warbler species that breeds in Canada and winters along the Gulf Coast. But this is in northern California, at the Arcata Marsh, which means this bird is a vagrant! The marsh (and the west coast in general) does see this species each year, though in very small numbers and not with any consistency. It's one of the rarer birds I've laid my eyes--and lens--on. This one's looking snazzy with its breeding clothes on...it may be on its way north pretty soon.