Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 09:16:26 -0700 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Kyle Rambo Subject: Re: Hybrid Flicker in Annapolis (?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Marshall, I reported one from my backyard in Hollywood, St. Mary's County several years ago. This was the only one I've ever seen in Maryland (or anywhere on the east coast). I could probably dig up the exact date, if you need it (although the record was submitted for the MB Seasonal Reports). Kyle Rambo 24885 Morgan Road Hollywood, MD 20636 krambo@us.hsanet.net kyle_rambo@yahoo.com --- Marshall Iliff wrote: > Hello all, > > Have not been far afield birding recently, but > have seen some interesting > things. My third yard Whip-poor-will was calling at > 5:45 on April 12 and my > second American Coot was in my small pond the same > day. Also in the pond > have been 2 Wood Ducks, a Pied-billed Grebe, and, > for the past two days, an > American Bittern. My first White-eyed Vireo arrived > 11 April and has been > singing here ever since. My first Green Heron > appeared today, as did my > first House Wren. Since most of my birding has been > from the car or the > picture window, I didn't get my first year yard > gnatcatcher until today > either. > > Most exciting today, however, was a single > flicker which showed > characters of a Red-shafted x Yellow-shafted > intergrade. It flew in overhead > while I was screechowling and I immediately noticed > that its tail feathers > were rich red-orange below, though it was > immediately obvious that it was too > dull for a pure Red-shafted Flicker. It then flew > off and I spent ten > minutes chasing it in circles, but I eventually got > good looks at the face > and a quick shot at the underwings. The head > pattern was typical of a > female Yellow-shafted > with a red blaze on the nape, a gray crown, and > buffy face. There was no > whisker mark. The underwings, when seen briefly, > were orangeish. The tail > had much more concentrated red color than the > underwings, but both were far > from the yellow color of Yellow-shafted Flickers. I > have been fooled by > seeing Yellow-shafted Flickers in weird light, but > that was definitely not > the cas in today's overcast skies. The tail > feathers were a rich red-orange, > though otherwise the bird looked like a > Yellow-shafted though (perhaps the > back barring was narrower?). If that color alone > indicates hybridity, then > this was an intergrade. Kenn Kaufman illustrated an > article in American > Birds Volume 45 #5 that I do not have in my files. > If anyone has this > article or any comments on intergrade flickers I > would be interested to hear > them. > > Intergrade flickers have occurred periodically > in the East, with at least > one (?) report from Maryland, a banded bird from > Montgomery County, if memory > serves. A few years back one was found dead atop > the Smith Island Lighthouse > at the southern tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore. > Jim tells me we have > another report from this winter season: a single > feather found. > > Comments welcome. > > Best, > > Marshall Iliff > miliff@aol.com > > ============ > Marshall J. Iliff > Annapolis, MD > miliff@aol.com > ============= > > ======================================================================= > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to > listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff > mdosprey > ======================================================================= > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send online invitations with Yahoo! Invites. http://invites.yahoo.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================