Jesse:



I guess my experience with imm. Am Redstarts has been that they are highly variable. Seems like imm birds are often strikingly dishevelled or patchy-appearing on the face and throat, seems like no two look quite alike. I don't see any real black streaks at the flanks myself, if there were I'd be tempted to consider a Dendroica hybrid. Don't know that I can go along with the bird having TONS of yellow, either, for an Am Redstart. As far as your two photos detected on-line of 2nd yr birds, they are interesting, but don't cover the full range of plumage variation for imms. I see a bit of orange at the shoulder in a couple of the original photos. I think the eye ring, upperparts, throat, underparts, including undertail coverts--all fall within the range of variation for imm Am Redstarts.



That said I'm thinking a bit more about the bill, and related to comments earlier about a Nashville x Am. Redstart hybrid--that one never crossed my mind. Such a cross must be exceedingly rare however, surely on a probability scale an Am Redstart would be much more likely, although as my earlier post notes these are quite early birds--and no one has come forward (yet) with other Am Redstart entries this early in May (please join in if you are out there). There is some limited overlap in nearby breeding range of Nashville and Am Redstart, at least.



Scott Atkinson

Lake Stevens

mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com



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