For the fourth day in a row, Riverbend Park meadow provided another
impressive warbler morning. It seemed more active than the previous days due
to an
abundance of foraging Magnolia and Chestnut-sided Warblers. A new arrival over
the past four days was a Northern Waterthrush spotted by Sue Heath. At least
11 species were seen today: Tennessee, Nashville, Northern Parula,
Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Black and White, American Redstart,
Ovenbird,
Northern Waterthrush, and Common Yellowthroat.
Adding to the activity were Red-eyed Vireos, a Red-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet
Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles, Indigo Buntings, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern
Wood-pewees, R-B Hummingbirds, Y-B Cuckoos (seemingly calling from all sides of
the
meadow), and an Empidonax (possible a Least Flycatcher), among others.
Some of the 9 birders present this morning found a mystery bird in the meadow
in the company of two Common Yellowthroats, and called the rest of us over to
take a look. It was a small warbler type bird with brownish gray plumage
(lighter underneath), a small warbler shaped bill, and a distinct eye ring, but
little else in the way of field marks. I caught a brief glance of the bird and
thought it showed some reddish coloration on the bill. The closest we could
come to an ID was as a young Orange-Crowned Warbler, but it lacked a stripe
through the eye, and showed no yellow in the undertail coverts. Another
possibility might be a drab first year Yellow Warbler (see Sibley), although
the eye
ring seemed too precisely defined. Any ideas?
Ralph Wall
Great Falls, VA
