Subject: [Tweeters] OC or MG Warbler? the vote is almost unanimous, but *
Date: Feb 11 16:21:13 2014
From: Barbara Deihl - barbdeihl at comcast.net


3/4 of you who responded seemed confident that this is a MacGillivray's Warbler - 1/4 said Orange-crowned and, this just in - one vote for Palm Warbler ! And one person suggested making a tasty tea out of.....the Turkey Tail fungus (or did his descriptor "good" just mean good for you?) !

Features noted that seemed to confirm the MacGillivray's ID:
grayish hood
eye "arcs" (incomplete eye-ring)
bright yellow undertail coverts
longer bill than an OC
light bottom bill
pinkish legs

*Dennis P says it is a gray-headed sub-species of an Orange-crowned Warbler that breeds in Alaska and winters in the East. He added that MacGillivray's are yellow below, not yellow-green and their gray hood "just doesn't look like" this one's ! And he added that, as this bird's hood seems grayer than most he's seen, it is likely a first-year bird, but will take a look at Birds of N.A. online to decide for certain.

Thanks to the following for responding to my query and adding to the fervor of the sleuthing:
Brien M, Tom T, James R-H, Carol R, Michael H, Mike H, Barry B, Brett W, Barry L, Ann-Marie W, Twink C, Greg A, Amy S, Jack N & Dennis P.

This has been a fun exercise - I was hoping we are seeing a MacGillivray's, but at least it is a rare wintering Orange-crowned subspecies...UNLESS some of the visitors' photos show it sporting different traits than mine do... :-)

Again, you're most welcome to come over to try to see the warbler - a couple of hours of successful, on & off viewing around noon today. The warbler appeared and disappeared maybe a half-dozen times. Also, the once-mystery warbler has adopted a new technique for eating the bark butter - it digs out a little chunk and flies off with it to eat - the butter is softer today, so maybe that works better for it - or did it learn this technique from the nuthatches? :-) When the most recent visitor and I spotted the warbler around 2:45 this afternoon, the undersides looked pretty yellowish, but of course it was likely the lighting - everything else was so dark, the colors of the bird stood out more in contrast.

Other birds that we saw/heard in or near the yard today, included: Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Song Sparrow, Bewick's Wren, Townsend's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, Anna's Hummingbird, Band-tailed Pigeon, Steller's Jay, American Crow, American Robin, Black- and Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Varied Thrush (heard), Bushtit, Northern Flicker, Cooper's Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker (heard), Eastern Gray Squirrelbird, Black & White-crowned Cat(bird) and lastly, a Great Metallic Heron!

Good Warbling !


Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach - NE Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net









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