DVD Review: Watching Warblers
Review by Andy Birch
andyrbirch AT yahoo.com
December, 2004
Earlier this year, I reviewed the DVD of Watching Sparrows also by Birdfilms. Like the Sparrows DVD, this Warbler feature does not disappoint either. What's not to love? Glorious spring-plumaged males singing their hearts out at the top of a northern spruce or under a shady canopy in the south. Not only is the footage of exceptional quality but it is also a great way to get to know your spring warbler songs as much of the footage is made up of singing males.
Everyone has their favorite wood warblers but for this Californian birder, some of my personal favorites on this DVD are the Swainson's Warbler, Ovenbird, Kentucky and Cerulean Warbler. All of them filmed in loving close-up.
There are quite a few nest shots which are interesting. At first, I was a little leery of so much nest photography as it reminded me of early 20th century bird photography with twigs neatly tied back to reveal a nesting bird. However, this footage is interesting and obviously the film-makers went to great lengths to make sure their subjects were comfortable. On occasion, the odd singing bird may look down to inspect the camera but on the whole you feel as if you are spying in on their private lives.
There is also a small section on warbler migration in the fall at Cape May. There was some instructional footage here and I would have loved to see more of this (especially as migration is often when most of us see these birds).
Like all good polished DVDs these days, there is bonus material. I really enjoy the behind the scenes footage. The account of the Colima Warbler search brought back some memories of that gruelling hike earlier this year. I cannot imagine what it would have been like carrying all that camera equipment! Male and Fieth have set a precedent and unless the footage is frame-filling, crisp and well lit showing off all the features, then it is disappointing. They have to wait a couple of days before they get that perfect shot of a Colima Warbler. But it is worth it! Their account of finding and filming the French Joe Rufous-capped Warbler is also a fun one and the footage of this beautiful vagrant is worth savoring for anyone who has had made the early morning hike out to see these birds.
>>Ordering Information from Birdfilms.com
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