Ryan Johnson and I enjoyed the mid-spring migrants at Susquehanna State Park (Rock Run and Picnic Area) yesterday afternoon, with Pine Warblers, Palm Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrushes, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and most importantly, Yellow-throated Warblers (hereafter YTWA) making an appearance. We saw 2 of the 3 YTWAs and one dropped to about eye level. I noticed the bird had yellow lores. YTWAs are divided on eBird into white-lored and yellow-lored, with white-lored being our main subspecies in Maryland. This bird had obvious yellow lores. Matt Hafner informed me that some white-lored birds have a tinge of yellow on the lores, and that a long bill is the major deciding factor for yellow-lored.
After reviewing the photos, several top observers confirmed that our bird was, in fact, a yellow-lored YTWA. For those of you who chase subspecies (and you should, because you never know when a species will get split, thus offering you a new bird for your life list) it was across Deer Creek at the entrance to the picnic area.
Here is Ryan's photo, edited by me: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tlc_enigma/8640431618/in/photostream
I went to Swan Harbor afterwards with Josh Emm. Nothing unusual, though a drake Wood Duck in the wetland impoundment was a nice treat.
Tim C.
Baltimore/Anne Arundel
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