Subject: Re: Canada Warbler in Wapato-NO
Date: Aug 02 23:22:53 1998
From: Jack Bowling - jbowling at direct.ca


** Reply to note from "Andy Stepniewski" <steppie at wolfenet.com> on Fri, 31 Jul
1998 07:42:21 -0700

<snip>
> After deliberation, I conclude I made a mistake on this report. The bird
> probably was not a Canada Warbler but a atypical patterned Nashville
> Warbler. I believe I also saw white somewhat forward of the undertail
> coverts on the lower belly. The song I heard was probably uttered a few
> feet from me, thus making it sound louder. Singing being out-of-season, >and
being loud and piercing, made me think of a rarity. At very close range,
> the song of a Nashville also probably has a "jumpy" quality.

Having just returned from the Fort Nelson area in n.e. BC , near the NW edge of
the Canada Warbler's breeding grounds, the only comment I can add is that I
spent two mornings out in the woods and did not hear anything sing except
White-throated Sparrows and Red-eyed Vireos. It is pretty much the "Dead Time"
in the forests up there these days as adults chaperone their growing brood
around undercover so as not to announce their presence to potential predators.

> I was breaking some of Dennis Paulson's memorable axioms regarding
> rarities: 1- "true rarities are truly rare and seldom encountered"; and 2-
> "consider the common species first."

You may be a bit too hard on yourself, Andy. One would think that some of those
Canadas that show up every fall in Oregon and California (well, California
anyway) have to get there by passing through Washington.

- Jack

P.S. - Dennis's axioms still stand, though...
> Wapato WA



==========================
Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jbowling at direct.ca