Plate 59 – Chestnut-sided Warbler

John James Audubon and Lucy Bakewell married on April 5, 1808. Only days after being wedded, Audubon and Lucy were riding in a stagecoach on their way to live and work in Louisville, Kentucky. And Audubon continuing his fascination with birds was pretty much guaranteed when Audubon felled not far from Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, five Chestnut-sided warblers while there “was a slight fall of snow at the time, although the peach and apple trees were already in full bloom.” This is the first and last time Audubon encountered the species. “They all had their wings drooping, as if suffering severely from the sudden change of the weather, and had betaken themselves to the lower rails of a fence, where they were engaged in searching after insects, particularly spiders.” Chestnut sided-warblers today are still difficult to see and hear near Pottsgrove. According to Cornell’s eBird system, no more than 13 Chestnut-sided warblers have been counted in the county (Montgomery) in which Pottsgrove is located. Sheryl Johnson counted the birds on August 27, 2025, at Haverford College: “Most warblers I have seen in years! Primarily in two areas: on the hillside and near my house. CSWAs were vocal; others, not.”