Flashy redstarts appear in the middle of May

Now that it’s the middle of May, some new warblers appear. A male redstart is a warbler, and a joy and thrill to see – a tiny, hyperactive bird, 5 inches long, and shiny black with flashes of orange in his wings and tail.

Those orange flashes have a function. The redstart perches on a branch. Suddenly and simultaneously he snaps his wings out and fans his tail out. The orange flash startles a nearby insect; it flies away quickly. The redstart flies out and with his bill, snaps the insect out of the air.

Redstarts have bristles around the bill that look like whiskers. The whiskers are really half-inch specialized feathers. Other birds – such as swallows, phoebes and whippoorwills – that snap insects out of the air also have rictal bristles.

Those bristles have a function – to enable the bird to feel where the insect is. It’s not easy to snap up an insect when both bird and insect are moving in the air. The bristles can tell the redstart, “snap right” or “snap left” when necessary.

Females and young male redstarts are gray where the male is black, and yellow where the male is orange. They are colorful, but not as flashy as the adult male.

A black-and-orange redstart is at least 2 years old. Very few first-year male redstarts manage to win over a mate. And many older redstarts – 2 years old and up – take on a second mate once the first mate is incubating the eggs.

The nest is made by the female with plant fibers and bound with spider webbing, typically in a small tree between 10 and 20 feet tall.

Get your looks at a redstart now – soon the trees will have leaves, and redstarts will be harder to see. Then you’ll have to be content to hear their three different songs, all with an aggravated tone, during June. They stop singing in July, and in August they head for South America.

To try to see a redstart, try these Audubon bird walks, which are for beginners, free, and start at 7 a.m.:

. Friday, May 16, at Bangor Land Trust’s West Penjajawoc Preserve. Leaders are Jim Hinds, Lucy Quimby. Meet at the dead end of Fox Hollow Lane, off Essex Street, Bangor.

. Saturday, May 17, at Bangor Land Trust’s Walden Parke Preserve, Bangor. Leader is Bill Glanz. From Essex Street, turn onto Walden Parke Way, then right onto Tamarack Trail to meet at its end.

. Monday, May 19, at Bangor Land Trust’s Northeast Penjajawoc Preserve, Bangor. Leaders are Bob Milardo, Elizabeth Payne. Meet at the Land Trust’s kiosk on Kittredge Road just before power lines.

. Tuesday, May 20, Orono Land Trust’s riverside trails, Orono. Leaders are Judy Markowsky, Joni Dunn. From Route 2 in Orono, turn onto North Main Street, follow it to the end, and turn left on Penobscot Street, parking at its far end, which is not paved. Be prepared for a trail whose first part is steep.

For information on Fields Pond Audubon Center, call 989-2591.