Hi Listees,
My wife and I spent some time at Sky Meadows today after we wrapped up
hawk watching at Snickers Gap. There were few migrant warblers around but a
half
a dozen Trail's type empidonax flycatchers were there. A treat for us were
several Warbling Vireos, two of which were softly singing their song. I
mentioned in a post recently that they do produce song in the Fall and I can't
remember an autumn that I have not heard it. These bright Fall birds are often
mistaken for Philadelphia Vireos. I am not questioning the recent rash of
Philly
sightings. I would just like to bring to peoples attention that Warbling Vireos
in the Fall can be surprisingly bright with a good deal of yellow, and are a
lot more common than Phillys. On Phillys make sure that you are seeing nice
dark
tips to the primaries, dark primary coverts, and a fairly strong dark line
both in front of and behind the eye. These areas will be light gray on a
Warbling giving it a faceless look. The tail is short on a Philly but with all
of the
fairly long tailed Red-eyed Vireos around both of these other species will
appear short tailed.
As a matter of fact the first Fall Philadelphia Vireo I ever found was a
Warbling. (Thank you, Dick Forster. RIP)
Bob Abrams
McLean, Virginia
