FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Orange-crowned Warbler Leesylvania SP 10/2

[Thecattertons@xxxxxxx]

Greetings,

Thinking I probably wouldn't need my Warblers book this morning, I headed 
down to Leesylvania, hoping for a bit of migrant diversity, but not really 
expecting it. Was I blown away when I spotted a warbler I'd never seen 
before. Foraging in the trees, around the little ornamental pond by the 
playground, the bird evoked images of the Orange-crowned Warbler I had looked 
at many times in my field guides and now he's come to life. I never thought 
I'd actually see one. The blurry breast streaking on the yellowish breast, 
the yellow underparts/undertail coverts, and the olive upperparts lacking 
wing bars were the most noticeable field marks. I wish I'd paid more 
attention to the pattern about the eyes but I was so focused on the other 
field marks. I ruled out Yellow Warbler because the undertail of my bird was 
dark gray.

The first birds I saw this morning were Veery and Swainson's Thrush, both 
sitting on the same Pokeweed plant, feasting on the berries. I ran into Kurt 
Gaskill a bit later and he found a nice selection of warblers, including N. 
Parula (lots), Black & White, Magnolia, Yellow-rumped, Cape May, Palm, 
Nashville, and I know he saw some others I missed. I later found 
Black-throated Blue (2 males), Red-eyed Vireo and another Swainson's Thrush.

It certainly felt like summer out there today!

Laura Catterton
Manassas, Virginia


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