ID-FRONTIERS for April 21-30, 2002

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Date   Time   Pacific Golden-Plover   Richard Heil    Mon, 22 Apr 2002   4:18pm   Handbook Birds World Vol. 7   ian paulsen    Wed, 24 Apr 2002   2:22pm   Connecticut warbler   ian paulsen    Thu, 25 Apr 2002   10:22am   Re: Connecticut warbler   Barb Beck    Thu, 25 Apr 2002   10:57am   Re: Connecticut warbler   Kimball Garrett    Thu, 25 Apr 2002   10:59am   Oman Gulls   Dick Newell    Thu, 25 Apr 2002   2:21pm   Pacific-slope Flycatcher voicalizations   will russell    Fri, 26 Apr 2002   6:31am   A Rather Odd Plegadis From NH   Noel Wamer    Fri, 26 Apr 2002   7:45am   Re: Connecticut warbler   Jim McCoy    Fri, 26 Apr 2002   10:25am   Re: Connecticut warbler   Mike Patterson    Fri, 26 Apr 2002   10:45am   Trinidad Mystery Gulls   Floyd Hayes    Fri, 26 Apr 2002   1:56pm   Re: Pacific-slope Flycatcher voicalizations   John C. Arvin   Fri, 26 Apr 2002   4:09pm   Re: Trinidad Mystery Gulls   Martin Reid    Sat, 27 Apr 2002   5:49am   Re: A Rather Odd Plegadis From NH   Alvaro Jaramillo    Sat, 27 Apr 2002   2:49pm   Yellow-bellied Flycatcher vocalizations   Glenn A dEntremont    Sat, 27 Apr 2002   5:57pm   Connecticut. Warbler (fwd)   ian paulsen    Mon, 29 Apr 2002   10:33am   Re: Connecticut. Warbler (fwd)   Jerry Tangren    Mon, 29 Apr 2002   10:49am   Trinidad mystery tern and gulls   Floyd Hayes    Mon, 29 Apr 2002   11:20am   Re: Connecticut Warbler   Kimball Garrett    Mon, 29 Apr 2002   11:35am   Paradigm shift on mystery tern?   Floyd Hayes    Mon, 29 Apr 2002   2:04pm

To use email addresses replace '(AT)' with '@'. This is done to confuse the spam 'bots.

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Subject: Pacific Golden-Plover
From: Richard Heil <rsheil(AT)JUNO.COM>
Date: 22 Apr 2002 4:18pm

    On Sunday, 21 April 2002 a bird believed to be PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER
(Pluvialis fulva) appeared at the Parker River N.W.R. on Plum Island,
Essex County, Massachusetts and was still present as of late afternoon on
Monday.  The bird is being seen about 1.9 miles south of the refuge
entrance, and has been observed roosting, preening, and occasionally
walking around adjacent to several small pans in the salt marsh about 150
meters from the road.

     Everything I've seen to date regarding this birds plumage and
structure suggests identification as P. fulva.  The bird is in
transitional plumage though is predominently in alternate (breeding)
plumage. No calls have been heard.   Photos may be viewed at
http://www.hawksaloft.com/plover/  and
http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~mirick/gopl/gopl2.html

  I am soliciting opinions regarding the identity of this bird based on
the current photos as we continue to attempt to document it.  Without
presenting a full description here, some of the key features noted
include:

* The short primary extension/ long tertials:  The tip of the longest
tertial falls slightly short of the tail and the tip of the longest
primary projects only a relatively short distance beyond the tail.  The
result is a short primary extension, the distance between the end of the
tertials and the end of the longest primary.  In the field I could only
make out only two primaries exceeding the tertials but it is possible
(likely) that there were three, but just could not be discerned.

* The relatively short-winged appearance, lacking the long, attenuated
"pinched at the rear" effect typically shown by P. dominica.

* The sizeable white forehead spot, touching the bill.

* The bright golden, coarsely( large flecks/spots) and densely patterned
upperparts.

* The comparatively narrow white stripe ringing the bird from
supercilliary to flanks and undertail.

* The rather long, narrow bill.

* The very long legs, evident in the field, and shown well in jpg # 14 of
the second link

* The plover also raised and stretched its wing displaying solidly gray
underwing and today it was seen in flight again showing solidly grayish
underwings.

   Any comments pro or con would be most welcome.  Hopefully the plover
will remain long enough for us to study this bird further and confirm
these initial observations.

Rick Heil
S.Peabody,MA       rsheil(AT)juno.com


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Subject: Handbook Birds World Vol. 7
From: ian paulsen <ipaulsen(AT)KRL.ORG>
Date: 24 Apr 2002 2:22pm

HI ALL:
 I understand that Volume 7 of the Handbook to the Birds of World has been
published. What do people think about this volume??

Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
ipaulsen(AT)krl.org
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way"


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Subject: Connecticut warbler
From: ian paulsen <ipaulsen(AT)KRL.ORG>
Date: 25 Apr 2002 10:22am

HI ALL:
 Someone just reported a Connecticut Warbler here in Washington
State. I'am trying to figure out what else it could have been. Any ideas??
sincerely

Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
ipaulsen(AT)krl.org
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way"


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Subject: Re: Connecticut warbler
From: Barb Beck <barb(AT)BIRDNUT.OBTUSE.COM>
Date: 25 Apr 2002 10:57am

Depends on the person... with some it might even be a  Towhee 8-)

Seriously make sure not a  female MacGillivrys or possibly a young female
Mourning or a young Nashvill Warbler.

Barb Beck
From Alberta, the Connecticut Warbler capital of the world

Edmonton, Alberta,Canada

-----Original Message-----
From: NBHC ID-FRONTIERS Frontiers of Field Identification
[mailto:BIRDWG01(AT)listserv.arizona.edu]On Behalf Of ian paulsen
Sent: April 25, 2002 10:20 AM
To: BIRDWG01(AT)listserv.arizona.edu
Subject: [BIRDWG01] Connecticut warbler

HI ALL:
 Someone just reported a Connecticut Warbler here in Washington
State. I'am trying to figure out what else it could have been. Any ideas??
sincerely

Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
ipaulsen(AT)krl.org
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way"


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Subject: Re: Connecticut warbler
From: Kimball Garrett <kgarrett(AT)NHM.ORG>
Date: 25 Apr 2002 10:59am

At 09:19 AM 4/25/02 -0700, you wrote:
>HI ALL:
> Someone just reported a Connecticut Warbler here in Washington
>State. I'am trying to figure out what else it could have been. Any ideas??
>sincerely

Ian:

Perhaps this is unfair, as I've seen no details, but I think we can
start with the premise that there is no way in hell the bird was a
Connecticut Warbler.

I think the biggest pitfalls are other warblers with eyerings, most
notably Nashville Warblers, dull female Common Yellowthroats, and dull
female Yellow Warblers.  The California Bird Records Committee long ago
virtually accepted a record of a Connecticut Warbler that was based on
a single photograph of a bird with a bold eye ring, until Laurie Binford
pointed out a number of reasons why the bird was actually a Yellow Warbler.

The biggest REAL identification issue is with Mourning Warblers that
show complete eyerings, but chances of even a Mourning Warbler in April
in Washington State are close to zero.

Of course it could have been a Hermit Thrush, a Pacific-slope Flycatcher,
an Ovenbird, or an Oriental White-eye..... one could waste a lot of time
speculating.

Kimball
*****************************
Kimball L. Garrett
Ornithology Collections Manager
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90007 USA
(213) 763-3368
(213) 746-2999 FAX
kgarrett(AT)nhm.org
*****************************


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Subject: Oman Gulls
From: Dick Newell <dick.newell(AT)MACUNLIMITED.NET>
Date: 25 Apr 2002 2:21pm

I have put together a collection of pictures of Oman gulls (and a few other
things) from late February/early March here:
http://www.magikcircle.com/birds/image.asp?title_id=586

Many of the identifications are speculative and there is a good collection
of mystery immatures and Armenian-like Gulls (maybe some of them are
armenicus).

If anybody can bring clarity to any of it, I would be grateful.
Dick


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Subject: Pacific-slope Flycatcher voicalizations
From: will russell <russellbw(AT)EARTHLINK.NET>
Date: 26 Apr 2002 6:31am

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

----INCLUDING text/plain MIME SECTION----

Yesterday morning I resolved to my satisfaction a longstanding question =
about Pacific-slope Flycatcher vocalizations.

Conventional wisdom has it that the male's location call is the familiar =
short, sharp, upslurred "soee" while that of the female's is a short, =
high, thin  "tse".  These notes were considered, as far as I can tell, =
to be sex-specific.

I had long wondered about the sex-specific nature of these calls; in =
January in San Blas, Nayarit, for example, the "tse" call is so common =
it seemed unlikely that it could be coming only from half the birds =
present (assuming the two sexes of Pacific-slopes winter together).  =
Yesterday, in Sabino Canyon near Tucson, Arizona, I watched two =
Pacific-slopes both giving  "soee" and "tse" calls repeatedly. The =
question remains, of course, if these were males or females.

Assuming they were males, it seems possible to me that the "tse" =
vocalization in males could be given on the wintering ground and in =
migration but rarely on the breeding grounds.  There is a somewhat =
parallel situation in Yellow-bellied Flycatcher where the primary winter =
call, a softly explosive "wsee", is rarely heard on the breeding grounds =
or in the northern portions of their migration route.

Will Russell
russellbw(AT)earthlink.net

----DELETED text/html MIME SECTION----


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Subject: A Rather Odd Plegadis From NH
From: Noel Wamer <nwamer(AT)ATTBI.COM>
Date: 26 Apr 2002 7:45am

On 16 April Steve Mirick (e-mail: mirick(AT)nh.ultranet.com) photographed a
Plegadis ibis in coastal New Hampshire.  The bird was identified as a
White-faced, potentially the second state record.  When I viewed the posted
picture of the bird, I thought it looked rather odd.  Instead of the
narrow, well-defined white border to the facial skin that would be expected
on a White-faced, this bird has a more extensive and diffuse white
border.  One person who viewed the photos likened its appearance to the
grizzled muzzle of an old dog.  I asked three experienced Texas birders to
view the picture and offer opinions.  All thought that this ibis atypical
for either species of Plegadis.

The picture can be viewed at:
http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~mirick/Photos/wfibis1.jpg

Any comments about this bird will be appreciated.  Please note that the eye
appears dark in the picture, but it appeared red to the observers.  If you
reply off-list please direct your comments to both Steve and me.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Later...

Noel Wamer
Jacksonville, FL, US
Please consider this - http://www.mcbride2002.com/index.html
"Even in its most primitive form, naming is a kind of judgment."
                                                        (Walker Percy)


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Subject: Re: Connecticut warbler
From: Jim McCoy <jfmccoy(AT)EARTHLINK.NET>
Date: 26 Apr 2002 10:25am

Yes, Kimball, your assertion is unfair.

Look, it seems very likely that the bird is not a Connecticut
Warbler.  It's quite easy to play the odds, and knowingly dismiss
the possibility based on years of experience with misidentified
birds, and your own research on the timing and well-defined
migration routes of this species.

But Connecticut Warblers breed in Alberta and northeastern
British Columbia, and they *do* have wings.  I see no
geographical reason to suppose one couldn't show up in
Washington, particularly on the east side of the Cascades,
where this bird was found.

And of course, there are always exceptions to both timing and
range.  Your own text on Connecticut Warbler is littered with
references to how retiring this species is, and how as a
result it is poorly understood.  There are two telling points
in your text:  there are (or were) 77 reported sightings in
California, almost all in the fall, and over half of which
were in the Farallon Islands, where they're easily observed.
You also state the fall migration is *more* easterly than
the spring migration.  The combination of these two points
suggests to me that not only are lots of Connecticut Warblers
being missed in California (and presumably elsewhere out west)
but also that a lot of spring migrants are being missed as well.
(By "lots" I speak relatively, of course.)

I would think that a Washington stray would very likely be
overlooked, and if anyone were fortunate enough to see it,
they would be very likely to misidentify it, especially if
it were a female, in no small part because "there's no way
in hell" it could be a Connecticut Warbler.

It's easy to rely on the weight of known data and become
intellectually lazy; we all do it.  But we run the risk of
skewing the data when we don't admit the possibility of
exceptions.

I'd prefer to start with the premise that a Connecticut Warbler
is distinctly unlikely, and find out more.  If I lived a
little closer to eastern Klickitat County, I'd go have a look.

JMc

Jim McCoy
jfmccoy(AT)earthlink.net
Redmond, WA

-----Original Message-----
From: NBHC ID-FRONTIERS Frontiers of Field Identification
[mailto:BIRDWG01(AT)listserv.arizona.edu]On Behalf Of Kimball Garrett
Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 10:55 AM
To: BIRDWG01(AT)listserv.arizona.edu
Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] Connecticut warbler

At 09:19 AM 4/25/02 -0700, you wrote:
>HI ALL:
> Someone just reported a Connecticut Warbler here in Washington
>State. I'am trying to figure out what else it could have been. Any ideas??
>sincerely

Ian:

Perhaps this is unfair, as I've seen no details, but I think we can
start with the premise that there is no way in hell the bird was a
Connecticut Warbler.


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Re: Connecticut warbler
From: Mike Patterson <celata(AT)pacifier.com>
Date: 26 Apr 2002 10:45am

Here's the problem, these are the only messages
posted to the tweeters list serve by the observer.

--- begin copy ---
[message 1]
Hi Tweeters,
  Over in eastern Klickitat County on Tuesday, 23 April 2002, and ID-ed a
Connecticut Warbler amongst the usual migrants found there.  The locale
was Dot Road in Old Woman Gulch - west and north of Roosevelt.
   On top the grade amongst the Horned Larks and Mountain Bluebirds and
wheat stubble was one out of place Common Yellowthroat.

[message 2]
The Connecticut Warbler was found this past Tuesday, the 23rd.  To get to
the location, from SR 14, you turn north onto Goldendale-Goodnoe Hills Road
about 3-4 miles west of Roosevelt.  This is newly rebuilt county road to the
road junction then becomes gravel.  At the road junction - choice is Old Hwy
8 or Dot Road - take Dot. This is a totally rural area of little vegetation
beyond shrubby willows etc. in the draw that Dot Road ascends.  It was in
the first narrow portion of the draw there, probably within the first
quarter mile above the junction with old St Hwy 8.  There is a wide area
before entering the steeper and narrowing Gulch.  Good areas everywhere
along here.  See DeLorme (1992) Plate 27.  If you know the area, several
years ago there was a heavily vegetated water course there that crossed the
road, and the main gully was probably 100 to 200 feet wide.  However, the
vegetation has been removed and I wasn't exactly certain of where I was
Tuesday until we got in the narrow upper part of the Gulch.

Other productive areas nearby include Rock Creek canyon to the west - again
much gravel road.  There is a gully on top these hills which I didn't
relocate that has a dirt road reaching it that was very productive of
migrants several years ago.  Unfortunately, we didn't relocate it Tuesday.
Mtn. Bluebirds all about and Western Bluebirds north and west of Bickleton.
This upper area is at elevation and can be windy and cold!
--- end copy ---

While Connecticut Warbler is certainly possible, there
is no recognition that the warbler is very unusual in the
first meassage, no description in either message and both
are posted 2 days after the observer made original observation
making relocation and confirmation by other close to impossible...

The habitat and phenology favor Nashville Warbler and without
a description that's what I assumed the observer saw when I
read the original post.

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata(AT)pacifier.com

http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html


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Subject: Trinidad Mystery Gulls
From: Floyd Hayes <floyd_hayes(AT)HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: 26 Apr 2002 1:56pm

I've just rescanned and posted photos of a 1st-year gull that several
thought might be a Kelp Gull (but I still think its bill is too thin). One
well known authority on the Kelp Gull who thought it looked good for one
asked whether a Lesser black-backed Gull would have such a white head by
July. Previously unexamined photos of a 2nd-year gull (I think two different
2nd-year and one 1st-year were present all summer) are also included. These
are posted at:

http://www.geocities.com/secaribbirds/ttmysterygulls

Note the changing appearance of wing lengths in the different photos. We
assumed all along that these immatures, seen together with an adult Kelp
Gull and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, were Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
Any thoughts?

Floyd Hayes

_________________________________________________________________
Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
http://www.hotmail.com


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Subject: Re: Pacific-slope Flycatcher voicalizations
From: "John C. Arvin" <JohnCArvin(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 26 Apr 2002 4:09pm

Will,
My comment is not on the Pacific-slope vocalization, but on the
winter/migration call of Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, which you describe quite
accurately. It is often slurred "w'see", sometimes to the point of almost
becoming disyllabic. I hear this call commonly on the wintering grounds.
These extend from not far south of the Texas border in eastern Mexico to
western Panama. In winter the species is most often found in the subcanopy or
upper understory of closed canopy tropical evergreen forest.

The famous "chu-weee" pewee-like call, once described as the "song" of the
species, I hear quite infrequently in migration and on the wintering grounds.
It may be the common breeding grounds call but I have little experience in
those areas. It is the former call that is characteristic of migrants here in
Texas, where the species is quite common both in spring and in fall. In fact,
the season's first Yellow-bellied Flycatcher should be heard somewhere in
Texas within a week.
John Arvin


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Subject: Re: Trinidad Mystery Gulls
From: Martin Reid <upupa(AT)AIRMAIL.NET>
Date: 27 Apr 2002 5:49am

Dear all,
I feel that the pics suggest this is closer to 1B Kelp than 1B
LBBG.  Features leading me to this position include:
Pic B: the apparent ventral expansion of the gonys, creating a droop-tipped
bill shape; the suggestion of dark in the "knees";
Pic F: in profile, the ratio of primary extension (wing/tail) : tail
projection (tail/tertials) looks to be close to 1:1(1B Kelp appear to me to
look a bit longer-winged than adults, with a 1:1 ratio being normal - LBBG
has a shorter tail projection at all ages)
- plus the general bulk of the bird, compared to other gulls in the pics.
However, I'm not sure it can be identified with much degree of confidence
from these images, as vital tail detail is missing (maybe it was carefully
described in field notes?)
Looking forward to more opinions...
Martin

Martin Reid
Fort Worth, Texas
upupa(AT)airmail.net
http://www.martinreid.com


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Subject: Re: A Rather Odd Plegadis From NH
From: Alvaro Jaramillo <chucao(AT)ATTBI.COM>
Date: 27 Apr 2002 2:49pm

At 10:45 AM 4/26/2002 -0400, Noel Wamer wrote:
>On 16 April Steve Mirick (e-mail: mirick(AT)nh.ultranet.com) photographed a
>Plegadis ibis in coastal New Hampshire.  The bird was identified as a
>White-faced, potentially the second state record.  When I viewed the posted
>picture of the bird, I thought it looked rather odd.  Instead of the
>narrow, well-defined white border to the facial skin that would be expected
>on a White-faced, this bird has a more extensive and diffuse white
>border.  One person who viewed the photos likened its appearance to the
>grizzled muzzle of an old dog.  I asked three experienced Texas birders to
>view the picture and offer opinions.  All thought that this ibis atypical
>for either species of Plegadis.
>
>The picture can be viewed at:
>http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~mirick/Photos/wfibis1.jpg

Noel,

    This bird looks like a fine White-faced Ibis to me. The only odd part
is that the face colour is not more reddish. That may be age related;
perhaps younger adults sometimes are "retarded" in this feature? The white
around the face of White-faced Ibis is often extensive and diffuse like
this. I would say that is a common situation. The fact that the facial skin
is unicolored, and does not show thin blue borders before the eye entirely
eliminates Glossy Ibis. You have the white facial feathering of
White-faced, unicolored facial skin of White-faced, and apparently red eyes
of White-faced and nothing that suggests Glossy. I would not have any
hesitation on calling this bird a White-faced Ibis.

cheers

Al

>Any comments about this bird will be appreciated.  Please note that the eye
>appears dark in the picture, but it appeared red to the observers.  If you
>reply off-list please direct your comments to both Steve and me.
>
>Thanks for your thoughts!
>
>Later...
>
>Noel Wamer
>Jacksonville, FL, US
>Please consider this - http://www.mcbride2002.com/index.html
>"Even in its most primitive form, naming is a kind of judgment."
>                                                        (Walker Percy)

Alvaro Jaramillo
Biologist
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
P.O. Box 247
Alviso, CA 95002
(408)-946-6548
http://www.sfbbo.org/
chucao(AT)attbi.com


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher vocalizations
From: Glenn A dEntremont <gdentremont(AT)JUNO.COM>
Date: 27 Apr 2002 5:57pm

Here in Massachusetts, I tend to hear the "per-wee" call more frequently
than the "che-bunk" song.  There is one location here that the bird may
breed (it has never been proven) and in years past there has been up to
10 birds along this trail in mid-late June.  I tend to be alerted to
their presence by the "per-wee" call instead of the "che-bunk" song.  I
have heard this call as late as early September.

        Glenn

> The famous "chu-weee" pewee-like call, once described as the "song"
> of the
> species, I hear quite infrequently in migration and on the wintering
> grounds.
> It may be the common breeding grounds call but I have little
> experience in
> those areas. It is the former call that is characteristic of
> migrants here in
> Texas, where the species is quite common both in spring and in fall.

Glenn d'Entremont
gdentremont(AT)juno.com
Stoughton, MA


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Connecticut. Warbler (fwd)
From: ian paulsen <ipaulsen(AT)KRL.ORG>
Date: 29 Apr 2002 10:33am

HI:
 Does this add up to Connecticut??

Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
ipaulsen(AT)krl.org
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way"

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 10:07:28 -0700
From: John & Loraine Allinger <jonymike(AT)pacifier.com>
To: scottratkinson(AT)hotmail.com, Ken Harper <kharper(AT)mjbe.com>,
     barry.levine(AT)bsd405.com, ian paulsen <ipaulsen(AT)krl.org>,
     Denny Granstrand <osprey(AT)nwinfo.net>,
     washingtonbirder. Knittle <washingtonbirder(AT)hotmail.com>
Cc: Bob Hansen <bhansen(AT)wvi.com>, Ruth Sullivan <godwit(AT)worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Connecticut. Warbler

Hi Denny, et al.,

      Please excuse our not providing individual responses. After realizing
there were a number of different questions and comments that
needed to be responded to, I - John, decided to hold up until I could
combine these into a single e-mailed response.
      No, pictures of the 'apparent' Connecticut Warbler.
      The MacGillivary's Warbler was ruled out by going over the
pictures in Sibley's during the identification process.  We went between
viewing the bird in the Bino's at a very modest distance and that particular
page of Sibley's.  Since the sighting and the identification was done out of
the front seat of the rig, the Sibley's was the immediate reference chosen
to key out this bird.   I didn't even entertain a thought of getting out the
scope! It was that close.  It had a real definite, complete eye ring.  It
had a grey head including nape and bib with a definite demarcation between
the bright yellow and grey bib or throat area.  It didn't have the darkening
at the bottom of the 'bib' area as shown on the Mourning Warbler picture.
These are the marks we focused on as we made our identification and I know
we went back in the Sibley's after making the identification off that page
and
reviewed Nashvilles, just to make certain it didn't fall under that species,
or any other Warbler.  The fact is it just didn't key out to be anything
else.
      (We've seen a male MacGillivary's Warbler at a suet feeder at
Loraine's
mothers in Milwaukie, (Portland suburb), just last summer.  Nashville
Warblers in the Olympic Mountains.)
      I saw the one green dot on Sibley's map down in the Bend-Deschutes
County area of Oregon at the time we made this identification of the
'apparent' Connecticut Warbler,.  Anyhow, where the map says they are does
in no way determine where the birds are. We didn't realize it was that much
out of place at the time.
      It was in the top of the shrubby willows etc. in the gully doing a bit
more aerial flycatching than the white-crowned sparrows -- which were in the
gully in a major migrating flock or flocks. It stayed in the same bush, just
wasn't always perched cooperatively.  However, we watched it long enough to
make certain that it wasn't one of the other species of closely marked
Warblers.
       Females / Accompanying Warblers - we didn't spend time on the less
conspicuously marked individuals as we were focused on what we perceived to
be the male. We've later compiled what we could recall of these accompanying
warblers:
1) one, an entire bright yellow feathering  below, beak to vent -
olive-green back and wings;
2) - another, buffy throat to bright yellow belly - olive-green back;
3) another, no note of special marking on the yellow belly but olive-green
back with a bit of grey on nape;
4 and yet another of grey-head, olive-green back bright yellow belly -throat
to vent.
      We didn't reach any conclusion about what species these other warblers
(females?) were.
      Another query involved SINGING.  The answer to that is NO, the bird
didn't sing during the time we observed it, but was engaged in what I'd call
frantic foraging both in the willows and in the air immediately above the
shrubby willows. It was going into the air more often than the
accompanying White-crowned Sparrows!  The Common Yellowthroat was not with
this group of birds, but was found in the uplands just beyond the gulch on a
roadside fence post in the stubble of wheat fields!  --
     Regarding the warbler,  we studied the Sibley's Guide while we watched
the warblers in the willows in the canyon.  We thought he was the
Connecticut
because Sibley shows MacGillivray's with black lores across  forehead, and
white eye arcs, not a complete white ring around the eye. Our bird did not
have black, and he did have a very obvious, complete, white eye ring. He had
a grey head, neck and bib.
    We left the area of the apparent' Connecticut Warbler sighting looking
for the 'primo' site of willow trees and shrubs where there was ponded water
next to the road and where we'd found excellent birding in the past.  This
area had numerous nests of the Northern Oriole in the willow trees.   Alas,
those trees no longer exist!  But looking back, with perfect hindsight, we
could have spent more time there on those puzzlingly marked warblers.

John & Loraine Allinger
Hockinson, Clark Co., Washington
< jonymike(AT)pacifier.com >


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Re: Connecticut. Warbler (fwd)
From: Jerry Tangren <tangren(AT)WSU.EDU>
Date: 29 Apr 2002 10:49am

Hammond's or Dusky Flycatcher?

On Monday, April 29, 2002, at 09:30 AM, ian paulsen wrote:

> HI:
>  Does this add up to Connecticut??
>
> Ian Paulsen
> Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
> ipaulsen(AT)krl.org
> A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
> "Rallidae all the way"
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 10:07:28 -0700
> From: John & Loraine Allinger <jonymike(AT)pacifier.com>
> To: scottratkinson(AT)hotmail.com, Ken Harper <kharper(AT)mjbe.com>,
>      barry.levine(AT)bsd405.com, ian paulsen <ipaulsen(AT)krl.org>,
>      Denny Granstrand <osprey(AT)nwinfo.net>,
>      washingtonbirder. Knittle <washingtonbirder(AT)hotmail.com>
> Cc: Bob Hansen <bhansen(AT)wvi.com>, Ruth Sullivan
> <godwit(AT)worldnet.att.net>
> Subject: Connecticut. Warbler
>
> Hi Denny, et al.,
>
>       Please excuse our not providing individual responses. After
> realizing
> there were a number of different questions and comments that
> needed to be responded to, I - John, decided to hold up until I could
> combine these into a single e-mailed response.
>       No, pictures of the 'apparent' Connecticut Warbler.
>       The MacGillivary's Warbler was ruled out by going over the
> pictures in Sibley's during the identification process.  We went between
> viewing the bird in the Bino's at a very modest distance and that
> particular
> page of Sibley's.  Since the sighting and the identification was done
> out of
> the front seat of the rig, the Sibley's was the immediate reference
> chosen
> to key out this bird.   I didn't even entertain a thought of getting
> out the
> scope! It was that close.  It had a real definite, complete eye ring.
> It
> had a grey head including nape and bib with a definite demarcation
> between
> the bright yellow and grey bib or throat area.  It didn't have the
> darkening
> at the bottom of the 'bib' area as shown on the Mourning Warbler
> picture.
> These are the marks we focused on as we made our identification and I
> know
> we went back in the Sibley's after making the identification off that
> page
> and
> reviewed Nashvilles, just to make certain it didn't fall under that
> species,
> or any other Warbler.  The fact is it just didn't key out to be anything
> else.
>       (We've seen a male MacGillivary's Warbler at a suet feeder at
> Loraine's
> mothers in Milwaukie, (Portland suburb), just last summer.  Nashville
> Warblers in the Olympic Mountains.)
>       I saw the one green dot on Sibley's map down in the Bend-Deschutes
> County area of Oregon at the time we made this identification of the
> 'apparent' Connecticut Warbler,.  Anyhow, where the map says they are
> does
> in no way determine where the birds are. We didn't realize it was that
> much
> out of place at the time.
>       It was in the top of the shrubby willows etc. in the gully doing
> a bit
> more aerial flycatching than the white-crowned sparrows -- which were
> in the
> gully in a major migrating flock or flocks. It stayed in the same bush,
> just
> wasn't always perched cooperatively.  However, we watched it long
> enough to
> make certain that it wasn't one of the other species of closely marked
> Warblers.
>        Females / Accompanying Warblers - we didn't spend time on the
> less
> conspicuously marked individuals as we were focused on what we
> perceived to
> be the male. We've later compiled what we could recall of these
> accompanying
> warblers:
> 1) one, an entire bright yellow feathering  below, beak to vent -
> olive-green back and wings;
> 2) - another, buffy throat to bright yellow belly - olive-green back;
> 3) another, no note of special marking on the yellow belly but
> olive-green
> back with a bit of grey on nape;
> 4 and yet another of grey-head, olive-green back bright yellow belly
> -throat
> to vent.
>       We didn't reach any conclusion about what species these other
> warblers
> (females?) were.
>       Another query involved SINGING.  The answer to that is NO, the
> bird
> didn't sing during the time we observed it, but was engaged in what I'd
> call
> frantic foraging both in the willows and in the air immediately above
> the
> shrubby willows. It was going into the air more often than the
> accompanying White-crowned Sparrows!  The Common Yellowthroat was not
> with
> this group of birds, but was found in the uplands just beyond the gulch
> on a
> roadside fence post in the stubble of wheat fields!  --
>      Regarding the warbler,  we studied the Sibley's Guide while we
> watched
> the warblers in the willows in the canyon.  We thought he was the
> Connecticut
> because Sibley shows MacGillivray's with black lores across  forehead,
> and
> white eye arcs, not a complete white ring around the eye. Our bird did
> not
> have black, and he did have a very obvious, complete, white eye ring.
> He had
> a grey head, neck and bib.
>     We left the area of the apparent' Connecticut Warbler sighting
> looking
> for the 'primo' site of willow trees and shrubs where there was ponded
> water
> next to the road and where we'd found excellent birding in the past.
> This
> area had numerous nests of the Northern Oriole in the willow trees.
> Alas,
> those trees no longer exist!  But looking back, with perfect hindsight,
> we
> could have spent more time there on those puzzlingly marked warblers.
>
> John & Loraine Allinger
> Hockinson, Clark Co., Washington
> < jonymike(AT)pacifier.com >
>


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Trinidad mystery tern and gulls
From: Floyd Hayes <floyd_hayes(AT)HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: 29 Apr 2002 11:20am

I've now received five responses to the Trinidad mystery gulls. As for the
1st-year gull, three doubt it's a Lesser Black-backed; four suggest Kelp,
and one also suggests Herring. Nobody has commented yet on the identity of
the 2nd-year gull, which looks equally short-winged and compact.

In the meanwhile several more responses have trickled in on the mystery
tern, including suggestions of White-winged Tern and Whiskered Tern.

Because nearly all responses have been private, I assume those who send them
do not want to be identified publicly. Yet some express eagerness to learn
of others' opinions. In order to satisfy both groups, I've taken the liberty
of posting ALL responses ANONYMOUSLY, which can be accessed by links at the
following webpages:

http://www.geocities.com/secaribbirds/ttmysterygulls
http://www.geocities.com/secaribbirds/ttmysterytern

Hopefully this will facilitate further discussion and, perhaps, even a
consensus.

-Floyd

_________________________________________________________________
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[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Re: Connecticut Warbler
From: Kimball Garrett <kgarrett(AT)NHM.ORG>
Date: 29 Apr 2002 11:35am

At 09:30 AM 4/29/02 -0700, you wrote:
>HI:
> Does this add up to Connecticut??

        In a word, "no".  But having gotten some grief for my
previous "no way in hell" comment, I'd like to apologize for
perhaps appearing insensitive to the observers but more
importantly I wish to break down the anatomy of this apparent
misidentification so that we may learn from the episode.
        The description provided by the observers concentrates
on plumage, and is a classic case of trying to identify a bird
by elimination through matching "field marks" with illustrations
in a popular (and excellent) general field guide.
        It would be better to start with a general grasp of the
bird's shape, size, and behavior -- i.e., why it was a warbler, and
more specifically why it was an Oporornis.  A small bird (apparently
a warbler) doing frequent aerial sallying from willows is not very
likely to be an Oporornis.  Anyone who has agonized over getting
views of Connecticut Warblers (apart from teed up singing birds
or migrants in places with few hiding places) will be incredulous
that one would behave this way.
        In reviewing descriptions of Connecticut Warblers (as I often
do as a member of the California Bird Records Committee) I first look
for comments about the shape and behavior of the bird.  Was it
chunky and thrush-like? did it walk Ovenbird fashion? was it retiring,
keeping to the ground or large limbs?  If none of these points are
covered, then the plumage description would have to be very airtight.
        One person commented that just because such a record would be
unprecedented, it shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.  That person is
correct.  However, standards for judging such records are necessarily
strict, and it helps immensely if the observers are aware of the
unprecedented nature of the sighting and are accordingly thorough
with the documentation.
        I note that the earliest accepted spring record of Connecticut
Warbler for California is 4 June!  The earliest record for British
Columbia is 22 May.  I think this all adds up to our having to step
back and seriously question the report currently under discussion.
But my first posting was regrettably harsh -- I should have said
no way in heck.

Kimball

Excerpts from the description are copied below to bolster the points
I've made.

>      The MacGillivary's Warbler was ruled out by going over the
>pictures in Sibley's during the identification process.  We went between
>viewing the bird in the Bino's at a very modest distance and that particular
>page of Sibley's.  Since the sighting and the identification was done out of
>the front seat of the rig, the Sibley's was the immediate reference chosen
>to key out this bird.   I didn't even entertain a thought of getting out the
>scope! It was that close.  It had a real definite, complete eye ring.  It
>had a grey head including nape and bib with a definite demarcation between
>the bright yellow and grey bib or throat area.  It didn't have the darkening
>at the bottom of the 'bib' area as shown on the Mourning Warbler picture.
>These are the marks we focused on as we made our identification and I know
>we went back in the Sibley's after making the identification off that page
>and
>reviewed Nashvilles, just to make certain it didn't fall under that species,
>or any other Warbler.  The fact is it just didn't key out to be anything
>else.
>      I saw the one green dot on Sibley's map down in the Bend-Deschutes
>County area of Oregon at the time we made this identification of the
>'apparent' Connecticut Warbler,.  Anyhow, where the map says they are does
>in no way determine where the birds are. We didn't realize it was that much
>out of place at the time.
>      It was in the top of the shrubby willows etc. in the gully doing a bit
>more aerial flycatching than the white-crowned sparrows -- which were in the
>gully in a major migrating flock or flocks. It stayed in the same bush, just
>wasn't always perched cooperatively.  However, we watched it long enough to
>make certain that it wasn't one of the other species of closely marked
>Warblers.
>      Another query involved SINGING.  The answer to that is NO, the bird
>didn't sing during the time we observed it, but was engaged in what I'd call
>frantic foraging both in the willows and in the air immediately above the
>shrubby willows. It was going into the air more often than the
>accompanying White-crowned Sparrows!

*****************************
Kimball L. Garrett
Ornithology Collections Manager
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90007 USA
(213) 763-3368
(213) 746-2999 FAX
kgarrett(AT)nhm.org
*****************************


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Paradigm shift on mystery tern?
From: Floyd Hayes <floyd_hayes(AT)HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: 29 Apr 2002 2:04pm

Three prominent birders on the west side of the Atlantic have recently
suggested the Trinidad "mystery tern" might be a Whiskered Tern. Could one
have such a prominent carpal bar? I've just replaced one photo with a new
one taken through a different camera at a different angle. Any thoughts from
those more experienced with Whiskered Tern on the east side of the Atlantic?

-Floyd

_________________________________________________________________
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