ID-FRONTIERS for April 9-15, 2000

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Date   Time   QRY: Black Merlin in MA/melanistic Taiga?   James H. Barton   Sun, 9 Apr 2000   3:25pm   Another mystery gull   Joseph Morlan    Tue, 11 Apr 2000   10:40am   QRY: Scapulars of young SWHA in flight   James H. Barton   Fri, 14 Apr 2000   2:29pm   yes, it's a gull again....   Martin Reid    Fri, 14 Apr 2000   6:38pm

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Subject: QRY: Black Merlin in MA/melanistic Taiga?
From: "James H. Barton" <redwing1986(AT)MEDIAONE.NET>
Date: 9 Apr 2000 3:25pm

    Friends-- On April 7, 2000, I observed an extraordinarily dark
Merlin ...F. coliumbarius subsp... from the Hellcat Dune Platform at
Plum Island, Newburyport, MA.  The bird passed by at eye level and then
below eye level at a closest distance of no more than 30 meters.   Air
clear.  Sun high.  Bird backlit by sun to observer's rear.  Excellent
views of upperparts and lower parts alike.

    Overall color "Dusky Brown" to "Dark Grayish Brown" (colors 19 and
20 in Smithe's ..Naturalist's Color Guide.. American Museum of Natural
History, 1975).   To my eye, these colors approach black but definitely
are not black.  Compare, e.g., Smithe's No. 89 "Jet Black" and his No.
82 "Blackish Neutral Gray".

    The bird presented no evidence of any markings.  No eye-ring that I
could see, no streaks on breast, and, surprisingly to me, no bands that
I could see on the tail, either from above or below.

    The bird appeared larger than the Merlins I'm accustomed to seeing;
however the bird's apparent large size might have been an artifact of
its overall dark coloration.

    The bird appeared longer-winged than I would have expected of
Merlins in the east U.S. .  Perhaps as a result, its proportions
recalled female American Kestrel ..sparverius.. when approaching as a
silhouette out the southern sun.

    Could this have been a Black Merlin ..suckleyi..?  What is your
experience with dark forms of ..coliumbarius.. subsp.?

    Yours,

    Jim Barton
    redwing1986(AT)mediaone.net
    Cambridge, MA


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Subject: Another mystery gull
From: Joseph Morlan <jmorlan(AT)CCSF.CC.CA.US>
Date: 11 Apr 2000 10:40am

ID Frontiers:

For all you gull aficionados, I've broken my "no gull" policy for this
month's mystery birds and posted one that generated great controversy
at the time. There is also a warbler for your entertainment. I've also
posted answers and discussion for last month's mystery thrasher and
bluebird at:

        http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/mysteries.htm

Enjoy!

--
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044: mailto:jmorlan(AT)ccsf.cc.ca.us
California Birding; Mystery Birds: http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/


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Subject: QRY: Scapulars of young SWHA in flight
From: "James H. Barton" <redwing1986(AT)MEDIAONE.NET>
Date: 14 Apr 2000 2:29pm

    Friends-- In their caption to Photo SH 21 on page 71, Wheeler &
Clark call attention to pale scapular patches on a >perched< year-old
light-morph Swainson's Hawk.

    Earlier today I studied a  long-winged buteo which I believe to have
been a young SWHA.  I omit relevant details for purposes of focusing on
the question of the scapulars of young SWHA >in flight<.

     Seen from above, in flight, the April 14 bird presented two long,
prominent, thick white bars on either side of the center of its back.
running parallel to the sides of sides of its body, as indicated with
exclamation marks !  ! below.  The bird's upperparts were generally
light brownish without strong contrast between areas of paler brown and
areas of darker brown.   Flying north (before perching), the bird was
well lit by high sun to my back.  The air was very clear.

                                      / \

        left wing left wing]  !  !  [right wing right wing
                       left wing]      [right wing

                                     /   \

    The white scapular bars were a very striking feature of the bird's
otherwise underwhelming upperparts.  I have never seen such markings on
any eastern hawks.   Are such markings consistent with SWHA in flight,
in one or more of its many manifestations?  In your collective
considerable   experience, have you observed such clear, prominent
markings on any other large buteos?

    Please note that I'm describing what appeared to be continuous,
well-defined  white bars on either side of the center of the back.   I'm
not talking about an ill-defined frosting or mottling.

    Thanks for your help.  If you could reply promptly, I'd appreciate
it.  Since SWHA is a rarity in NE, I don't want to put out even a
limited announcement of a possible SWHA without inquiring into the
markings described above.

        Yours,

        Jim Barton
        redwing1986(AT)mediaone.net
        Cambridge, MA


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Subject: yes, it's a gull again....
From: Martin Reid <upupa(AT)AIRMAIL.NET>
Date: 14 Apr 2000 6:38pm

Dear All,
Please go to the following web page to view the latest manifestion from the
Texas Odd Gull Factory:
http://www.martinreid.com/gullsp11.html
 - if you feel that this is a GBBG, can you please tell me what percentage
of GBBGs look like this? Then, what are the odds of getting two of these
buggers in Texas in four years (where we are lucky to get one or two GBBG
per year)???
Thanks!
Martin
Martin Reid
upupa(AT)airmail.net
http://www.martinreid.com  or  http://www.cyberramp.net/~upupa