Vagrant Parula

["David Murdock" <dhmurdock@hotmail.com>]

     Despite the cold steady rain Saturday (Jan. 19) I felt a need to get 
outside and was rewarded with an unusual siting.

     I drove south of Raleigh, stopped at Lake Wheeler Park and decided to=
 
walk around Simpkins Pond. I had to keep my binoculars dry under my rain 
jacket and the hood disrupted hearing and vision so birding was difficult 
and my expectations low.  There were few birds about and nothing noteworth=
y 
until I stopped to scan a small flock of mixed sparrows and noticed what 
looked roughly like a blue Kinglet foraging in the bamboo and marsh grasse=
s. 
A few fleeting glimpses through the undergrowth revealed a yellow breast a=
nd 
an olive green back. At that point  I guess I knew what it had to be, but 
kept thinking =93no way =85 this is January!=94  I had to get that definit=
ive 
look. After five frustrating minutes of trailing the bird, occasionally 
thinking I=92d lost it, soaking my binoculars and loosing all feeling in m=
y 
cold wet fingers, it finally paused in clear view for a few seconds. And 
yes, it was a male Northern Parula.
It brightened up a damp, miserable day for me. I can=92t find any referenc=
es 
to mid-winter sitings of this species in the area so thought it was worth 
mentioning.

Dave Murdock
Raleigh
dhmurdock@hotmail.com