My usual pastime of fall warbler watching declined somewhat this season, for a variety of reasons.

Time, that commodity so rare for many of us, played a part. It’s also more difficult these days to spot the movements of these swift, energetic birds in dense foliage. A vision problem that developed this past February that I have detailed in earlier columns hampered me.

My hearing’s still good, knock on wood, and I managed to hear quite a few warblers this autumn, including hooded warbler, black-throated blue warbler and Northern waterthrush.

So, I spent less time watching for the warblers this autumn and saw fewer warblers. There’s probably a connection.

I did manage to spot a few reliable favorites. I added a Northern waterthrush on a recent misty morning with that chill in the air so associated with the transition of seasons.

This warbler produces a rather loud “chunk!” chip note that’s distinctive enough to alert birders to the presence of one of these birds.

With some patience, I got a decent look at the Northern waterthrush, which is a migrant through the region in both spring and fall. Northern waterthrushes frequent wet habitats with dense ground cover. In migration, even a puddle or a damp thicket is enough to attract one of these warblers. My recent sighting took place in the branches of a sprawling yew tree adjacent to a creek.

The related Louisiana waterthrush is a summer resident – and one of the first warblers to return each spring – that nests in the region. The two waterthrushes are very similar in appearance. The Louisiana waterthrush has a heavier bill and a white eye line, while the Northern waterthrush’s eye line is usually somewhat yellowish-beige. A Louisiana waterthrush typically also has a whiter belly and underparts.

The two waterthrushes are the only species in the genus Parkesia, so named to honor American ornithologist Kenneth C. Parkes, who was for many years Curator of Birds at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

The common name of the Louisiana waterthrush is not a very apt one, as this bird does not have any special affinity for the state of Louisiana. Someone collected some of the early specimens of the Louisiana waterthrush in its namesake location, and the name has stuck through the years.

According to the website All About Birds, Northern waterthrushes are numerous, and their population has grown by an estimated 54% since 1970. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 17 million. The species rates an 8 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, indicating it is a species of low conservation concern.

Songbirds usually lead brief lives, but the oldest recorded Northern waterthrush was at least 8 years, 11 months old when it was recaptured and re-released during banding operations in Michigan in 1987, according to All About Birds. The bird had been banded originally in Ontario, Canada, in 1978.

Northern waterthrushes migrate through the region throughout October, so there’s still a window open for seeing one. Search near quiet water surrounded by thickets and listen for that chip note.

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To ask a question, share a sighting of make a comment, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.