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Re: A tricky ID



Mike,
     Thanks for solving the mystery bird in my yard in N. Chatham County on 
9-18.
I saw a bird that was similar in markings to the warbler you described.  I 
couldn't find a match and was going to settle on Pine Warbler, but the black 
streaky markings on it's side were too dark, and it had an eye-ring.  Looked 
a LITTLE like the photo in Dunn of a Spring Pine warbler, but not a fall.  
When I looked at the first fall male Magnolia Warbler I decided that was the 
bird I saw.  It's back wasn't noticeably streaky as the adult male is 
decribed, and the streaks on it were more apparent than the first fall female 
in the book.  
    Also had 2 Chestnut-sideds, and Black and White, male and female Am. 
Redstarts, and Pine Warblers.
     Today and yesterday have been seeing Scarlet Tanagers and Rose-breasted 
Grosbeaks eating Dogwood and Pokeweed berries.

Shelley Theye
Psbmt@aol.com
N. Chatham County

In a message dated 9/18/99 10:21:37 PM, mschultz@duke.edu writes:

<<  Today, while birding with friends on the Chatham County NC migration day
count, Norm Budnitz and I came across a puzzling warbler, and I thought
many of our fellow birders, both beginning and experienced, might be
interested in the source that solved our puzzle.  We were looking slightly
down into some Willows bordering Jordan Lake and saw the following field
marks during a brief but clear view of the bird:  a clear gray head and
back with a distinct eye ring and a clear yellow throat and breast.  The
head looked very much like a Nashville, but there are several other
eye-ringed yellow breasted fall warblers. However, our bird also had
distinct white wing-bars!!  This ruled out Nashville, and Canada, and the
yellow underparts ruled out most of the rest.  A new third edition Nat.
Geo. guide was available, but a look through the wing-barred warblers did
not find a match.  Magnolia was close but the plate shows fall birds with
an eye line and ear patch.  We remained stumped until I dug deeper into my
on board library at our next stop.  A glance in Jon Dunn and Kimball
Garrett's Warblers did find a match, a first fall female Magnolia Warbler.
When I arrived home I looked through some other guides, and the only other
accurate portrayal I found of this plumage was on the fall warbler page in
the old Zimm/Singer Golden Guide.   
  >>