Subject: [Tweeters] Age/gender of Northern Wheatear on Vashon Island
Date: Oct 21 11:43:06 2014
From: George Gerdts - geopandion at gmail.com


Tweeters,

Jamie Acker and I made the journey (almost an odyssey) yesterday (Oct.
20th) from Bainbridge Island to Vashon Island to try for the Northern
Wheatear that had been found and photographed over the weekend. We took
the Southworth ferry, but had to go all the way across to Fauntleroy and
back to Vashon... Art Yang was at the Point Robinson Lighthouse when we
arrived, and had just seen the bird. Sure enough, a few minutes later the
little waif put in an extended 15 minute display, allowing close studies of
its plumage through Jamie's Kowa scope. After looking at a few photos and
consulting "Birds of Europe" by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom, it
seems to me that this bird is either a female in basic or a juvenile molted
to "1st Winter Plumage".

The lore area was buff, the back was gray/beige, the median wing coverts
have dark centers, the cheeks are buffy, and the tertials have buffy
edges. All the feathers look new and fresh! In any regard, a very nice
bird, and one who is a long way off course, if Africa is where it was
headed.

Any other possibilities as to its age/gender?

George Gerdts
geopandion at gmail.com
Bainbridge Island, WA
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