This may or may not be relevant:
One of my friends who was walking her dog in uptown New Orleans saw a
Moorhen (Common Gallinule?) stationary on the sidewalk. She didn’t bother it
but later checked on it to find it had died.
Her neighbors told her they had found a Starling and a Crow also dead.
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 30, 2020, at 2:21 PM, BRIAN JOHNSTON <johnston127235@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
We have right now in our back yard one of the oddest or most unexpected birds
that we have ever hosted. I was just now sitting at the computer looking out
at the feeders periodically to appreciate all the Red-wing Blackbirds and
Blue Jays that have become our most common sights.
About 20 feet outside the window, sitting in the palm tree at eye level, I
saw a bright purple color. Looking more closely, I could see a white crown
and bright red bill. It is a Purple Gallinule still sitting in the Palm Tree
right outside the house and beside the feeder. I went outside to get a few
clearer photos and as I was doing that, I saw a yellow flash, and it was a
male Hooded Warbler, our first one of those for the year too.
You can’t make up stuff like that. I have photos that I will post on my
Ebird Yard list for the day. We don’t live anywhere near any water or
little creek either.
Now would this Gallinule have just flown across the Gulf from the Yucatan or
has it flown around the shore line of the Gulf from wintering in Florida or
South Texas? Any guesses or expert opinions?
The purple bird is still sitting in the same spot in the Palm Tree as I hit
send on this one.
Brian and Mary Johnston, Pascagoula, MS
