The Rockingham Bird Club had a wonderful birding retreat at Fort Lewis Lodge
in Bath County this past weekend. Over 90 species were encountered. Polly
Scott reported seeing a Golden-winged Warbler along Rt. 678 by the Riverside
House. Later when the group stopped at this site we heard the classic
distant "beeezz-buzzz" of a Blue-winged Warbler, but no one could see the
bird. No Golden-winged Warbler song was appreciated. Later that day as we
were heading home I spent some time searching for the bird and found it. By
plumage it was prototypical Golden-winged Warbler (no hybrid features). The
curious thing is that when watching the bird on a high perch one could see
it tilt its head back, open its beak and utter a classic *Blue-winged*
Warbler "beeezz-buzzz." I would wager a pair top dollar binoculars that any
hot-shot birder out there upon hearing that song would not instantly and
confidently consider it a Blue-winged song.
What is especially strange is that this is the SECOND such bird that I have
encountered. The other is a well known bird in Sussex County, NJ that was
seen and heard by countless top birders during the World Series of Birding,
for two years in a row now -- most viewed it and counted it as a
Golden-winged. That bird was actually digitally recorded by Steve Rannels
who plans to compare the sonogram with a known Blue-winged. We all know
these two species interbreed and one could expect hybrids to give either
call. But a typical Golden-winged singing a typical Blue-winged song is
unusual, I would think. Any one else ever encounter this?
John
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