Betty,
Interesting sighting. You are right to hesitant in making such a call for
Black-headed Grosbeaks are rare in VA. Young Black-headed G.can look very
similar to young Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. It would be helpful if you could
describe in detail the bird you saw. Noting bill, size, color etc, underwing
patterns, tail pattern etc etc. ... I take it you didn't get any photos?
Chincoteague certainly is a great place to bird and rarities do show up there.
Sincerely,
William Leigh leightern@xxxxxxx
Bridgewater, Virginia
From: watershed88@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:03:32 -0400
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Va-bird] Black headed grosbeak at Chincoteague?
If you don't mind answering a question from a rank amateur, I would really
appreciate it! My husband and I just returned from a few days birding at
Chincoteague, and had a wonderful time. It was windy enough that we could
actually walk around the wildlife loop without being bothered by mosquitoes,
and on the way back around, in that row of trees near the pony overlook, we
saw and heard a bird singing loudly in plain view from the road.
Unfortunately, we had left our bird books in the car, but reviewing them
later we were convinced it was a black-headed grosbeak. The next day my
husband went bike riding with our daughters and saw him again in the same
spot. Our hesitation is that a black-headed grosbeak is a rare/unusual
sighting at Chincoteague. My question is, has there been a black-headed
grosbeak confirmed there by "real" birders this year? Thank you so much for
your thoughts on this!
Betty W.
Sent from my iPad
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