Wishing for Warblers

I've only seen four species of warblers in my life--the palm warbler, the common yellowthroat, the American redstart, and the yellow-rumped warbler. I'm also almost positive that I once observed a magnolia warbler in nonbreeding plumage, but was too inexperienced to make a positive ID then; it's only from my sketches and notes I took at the time that I'm able to deduce the identity.

I started birdwatching less then a year ago, but was quickly enchanted by the charm of these diminutive little songbirds. It's easy to see why birders become infatuated with the group. I'm hoping to brush up on my skills and add many more to my list in the spring. In particular, I would just about die of happiness if I were to see a Blackburnian warbler:

Charcoal pencil and soft pastel on paper.

It's the name that so instantly captivates one while flipping through the index of a field guide, and no one could argue that these are one of the most striking and brilliant of the warblers. Unfortunately they don't too frequently visit my neck of the woods, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I might get lucky enough to see one during the New River Birding and Nature Festival coming up this spring in West Virginia.