Re: A Hot Spot for Oporornis Warblers
Mike Collins (collins@ram.nrl.navy.mil)
Wed, 9 Sep 1998 10:17:53 -0400
There has been some skepticism regarding the birds
I have reported from Wakefield Park. I don't blame
anyone who is skeptical because I have been skeptical
of my own eyes and ears at this place. When I heard
the third Mourning Warbler singing this spring, I
really didn't believe my ears until it popped up in
plain view. I managed to get some video of that bird
that skeptics are welcome to see. Dalcio Dacol saw
the fourth Mourning Warbler. I tried to get the
word out, but I was the only one who saw the others
to my knowledge. I also reported good numbers of
Gray-cheeked Thrushes at Wakefield this spring. At
least two other people saw them.
Both of the Connecticuts I saw this fall had well-defined,
brown hoods, with complete, bold eye rings. I had great
looks at them. The immature Mourning Warbler had a broken
eye ring and a well-defined, grayish hood. The hood went
clear across the breast, but there was a small amount of
pale yellow on the throat well above the base of the hood
just as in the illustations in Dunn and Garrett.
Dalcio Dacol and I stopped at Wakefield today. We saw
lots of hummingbirds and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak but
no Oporornis warblers. Skeptics beware--there were lots
of Common Yellowthroats and at least two Nashville
Warblers in the area. I had only seen one Connecticut
Warbler before this fall. However, I had seen about
50 Nashville Warblers and 20 Mourning Warblers. I have
no doubt about any of the IDs.
Mike Collins
Annandale, Virginia
collins@ram.nrl.navy.mil