Subject: Solitary Vireo split
Date: Nov 20 07:54:20 1997
From: "Constance J. Sidles" - csidles at mail.isomedia.com


Tweets, I just got back from the birding festival in Harlingen, TX, and I
have a question for you: what is the current ABA status of Solitary Vireos?
I saw one at Santa Ana NWR, and when I reported it to TX birders, they
asked me which one? Huh? They said the ABA had recently split Solitary
Vireos into 3 species. The one I saw had a dark gray head and yellow washed
flanks, different from the all-gray Solitaries I see at the Fill. So I
suppose I can list two vireos now, but under what names?

FYI, I also saw:
2 (TWO) Aplomado Falcons at Laguna Atascosa
1 Snowy Plover (also at Laguna)
5 Common Pauraques (with jack-o'-lantern eyeshine right at dawn and the
full moon just setting - also at Laguna)
24 other new species including: Great Kiskadee, Gray Hawk, White-Tailed
Hawk, Crested Caracara, Green Jay, Plain Chachalaca, White-Tipped Dove,
Altamira Oriole, Ringed Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, Yellow-Throated
Vireo, Mexican Crow, Olive Sparrow, and Golden-Fronted Woodpecker.

The weather was cold cold cold - a norther came crashing down from Canada,
and I understand you had better weather here in Seattle. The weather drove
out the Anis and discouraged many Mexican strays, although a Clay-Colored
Robin and several Northern Beardless Tyrannulets did not seem to mind the
cold.

Aside from all the great birds, the nicest thing about the trip was the
welcome we birders received from the community. The festival was on local
tv several times and also was covered by the print media. The townspeople
were very accommodating. At one point, I was with a busload of birders
trying to find flocks of parrots. In our search, we rumbled up a quiet
residential street reported to be a favorite evening roosting site. Fifty
people poured out of the bus and began scanning residents' yards. Several
residents came out to greet us and give us tips about where and when to
find parrots. They seemed to regret only the fact that our numbers made it
impossible for them to invite us in for coffee. A refreshing change from
Skagit farmers who sometimes set the dogs on us when we're out looking for
raptors.