Second, I am putting together the San Diego plan now as well. If you or anyone you know would put me up for a night or two, please let me know. I will probably spend 5-7 days in the area, so having a number of different lodging options would be great. I have heard from a few people, but I really need as many as possible. La Jolla, Point Loma, Mission Bay, Imperial Beach, everywhere. I want to hear from you - bikingforbirds@gmail.com
OK, now on with today......
A Yellow-green vireo was reported from the Laguna Tams in Ventura/Oxnard on Thursday, October 9. I got all excited when I heard about it. However, I was in Taft, nearly 100 miles away, at the time. Yesterday (the 10th) I rode these 100 miles hoping that the bird would stay put until I would have the chance to search for it this morning (the 11th). Multiple observers were unable to relocate the bird yesterday, so it was with low hopes that I headed out to the spot today to search for the bird. There was no sign of the vireo today, but I was able to locate a number of other migrants in a few hours of birding. This was not an expensive miss since I was coming this way anyway. The day ended up being a nice, relaxing day of casual birding, and there was even a special appearance by an American redstart who should be east of California!
28 mapped + 1 unmapped for 29 total
Pacific-slope flycatcher
Warbling vireo
American redstart
We did find one bird that has us baffled. It really stuck to the tops of the backlit Tamarisks, but I managed a few poor shots of it. I figure I may as well post them so that folks can chime in if they have any ideas. The most prominent features were the full eye ring and the slightly darker lores/forehead. Otherwise it was a generic, nondescript shade of pale yellow. The undertail coverts were a slightly darker yellow. The face may have been grayer than the rest of the body, but it was difficult to say for sure given the looks and the lighting. Legs were bright pink/orange.
I am going to kick around here for another day in hopes that something rare turns up during the back half of the weekend. I will likely ride into LA on Monday where I will spent a few days with Sonia's family. From there I will probably drop down to Huntington Beach to pick up a few more birds before heading to San Diego. There are a lot of good birds in SD right now (YG vireo!), so I do not want to delay getting there too long. I might bypass the Palos Verde area to save some time. La Jolla cove has been going strong on the seawatching front of late (Cassin's auklet, Craveri's murrelet, Black storm-petrel), so I can take another shot at some additional ocean birds from that point. There were 30(!) Brown boobies reported today around SD! I hope at least 1 of them stays put for another week.
My brain is not working at full capacity right now. This doesn't feel like the best prose I've produced this year, so I'm going to shut it down for the night.
Yellow Warbler?
ReplyDeleteIt could also be a strange MacGillivray's with a full eye-ring, because most Connecticuts have a full pink bill, whereas this one has a darker upper mandible
ReplyDeleteBut the bill does look a little longer than a MGWA would have, and the posture in the first picture is kind of horizontal. Connecticut seems to fit the bird you were stumped on. (the light colored bill isn't very reliable)
DeleteAccording to your description, Dorian, and the pictures, I would say it is a Connecticut Warbler. Exactly like what is in the Sibley's guide for a 1st Winter bird.
ReplyDeleteThe bird looks all wrong for Connecticut, which would not be moving fast in the tops of trees in the first place, and which also would show an obvious contrast between the complete gray hood and the pale yellow belly. Based on the first two photos, the appearance of a hood in the spread wing photo looks to be an artifact. Dorian, how much photoshopping/color adjusting did you do to these images?
ReplyDeleteThere was a CT warbler in Ventura several years ago. As there is no understory anywhere around here, that bird was found in the top of tamarisks just like this bird.
DeleteImmature CT does not have gray hood - bird is pretty much all yellow, much lie this bird
I Boosted exposure and added fill light - nothing else.
Right, hatch year Connecticut doesn't have a gray hood -- but does have a brown hood, which "mystery bird" clearly does not have (yellow evident on throat, greenish evident on face)
DeleteThis bird, in the first picture, does seem to have some buffy tones in the face, the and the second photo is s a little too backlit for it to prove that it has a gray hood. I just looked at the third photo another time, and the hood does look a little too gray/green for it to be a CT Warbler. I'd say either CT, Mourning, or MacGillivray's, but I shouldn't be jumping to conclusions.
DeleteHow about a hatch year (juvenile) yellowthroat?
ReplyDeleteBut a first year wouldn't have such a full yellow belly, it would be mostly gray or olive. The body shape also doesn't really match up. If you look at picture 2, the undertail coverts are pretty long. That also leads me to believe that it's a CT Warbler. Dorian, was it moving it's tail?
DeleteWhile I'm no expert, I would go with Connecticut Warbler. It appears too hooded for a COYE. You said the under tail coverts were brighter yellow, could you see how long they were? Even if you couldn't tell, overall tail length would be different and build would be different too. A CONW is very elongated, thick bodied bird. Two other things are the bill seems too big and blunt tipped for COYE (it also seems to mold right with the head not giving much of a forehead) and in your very cool open wing shot it seems to have pointed wings - something a COYE should not show. Just my 2 cents - I recommend that you send these photos to someone who has more experience with these species.
Delete