I had a very birdy first hour after sunrise this morning at the NY Monuments
area of Manassas Battlefield NP (Prince William County). Several goodies
including Nashville, B&W, and Pine Warblers, and Scarlet Tanagers.
I am not 100.00 % sure of a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. It appears on eBird that
this is just about a full month early for this species. I had several good
looks at it, and studied it as much as I could, knowing it was early.
Unfortunately it was not the closest range bird of the day. You often get
Kinglets just a few feet away, but this was a good 50-100 feet off. No photos,
unfortunately. I hesitate to report something this unusual. But, based on the
field marks I did make out clearly, there is nothing else I can turn this bird
into. About the closest thing would be a Chestnut-Sided Warbler, winter
female. But the coloration, size, and behavior all screamed Kinglet to me.
Steve Johnson
Fairfax, Virginia, USA
26 species total
25 Canada Goose
3 Mourning Dove
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Hairy Woodpecker
3 Northern Flicker
2 Eastern Wood-Pewee
2 Blue Jay
2 American Crow
3 Carolina Chickadee
FY Confirmed--Feeding Young
1 Tufted Titmouse
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Carolina Wren
3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
I studied this bird well in the field, realizing this is early. tiny compared
to Chickadees and 2 warbler spp. (Pine and B&W) which I'd just seen.
Hyperactive foraging behavior, classic kinglet - brief flutters, constant
motion. All slaty green plumage over whole bird, white eye ring, two strong
white wing bars on each wing. no ruby crown visible.
3 Eastern Bluebird
included one heavily spotted first year.
9 American Robin
2 Northern Mockingbird
18 Cedar Waxwing
2 Black-and-white Warbler
foraging together
1 Nashville Warbler
good, long looks. gray hoodie (but not hood), yellow wash under all, white
eye ring. under tail pattern matched too.
2 Pine Warbler
foraging together.
2 Scarlet Tanager
one male halfway through molting red->yellow, one female/immature. together.
4 Northern Cardinal
1 Baltimore Oriole
1 American Goldfinch
