It is always very sad to find dead birds. Between hitting windows or being overtaken by marauding cats, the life of a bird is fraught with peril.

In the spring I found this little deceased Chestnut-sided Warbler and before giving it a respectful burial, I had a good look at the beauty of its plumage.

In the 19th century, ornithologists thought nothing of killing all sorts of magnificent birds in order to carefully study them. This is where names like Rough-winged Swallow or Semi-palmated Plover come from.

Please forgive me these photos but they do show the 5 principal field marks of the Chestnut-sided Warbler.

Chestnut sides:

Yellow cap:

Greenish-yellowish back:

White underparts:

Black mask:

Miles Hearn