Bay-breasted or Pine??? - 21 Aug 2024
I have to shoot first and ID later for a lot of fall warblers. This morning was no different. Some were immediately apparent, like this Chestnut-sided Warbler at Elizabeth Park.
The tiny bill and lack of wing-bars help to ID this Tennessee Warbler, which is expected during late-summer early fall.
The splash of yellow on the flanks and the undertail that is fanned help to ID this American Redstart.
From behind this American Redstart can be ID'd by that tiny little yellow flash on the outer tail feather.
Red-eyed Vireo shows a strong eye-line and cap and overall greenish hue.
At first I thought that is was a Nashville Warbler with a gray head, yellowish underside and bold eye-ring.
But, when it appeared I could see the dark streaking on the flanks and black-and-white undertail that makes this a Magnolia Warbler.
With clear skies and mild temps (60F) and little wind it was ideal for chasing warblers at Elizabeth. I ran into one flock at the north end of the woodlot in the center of the park, and not even barking dogs and grass cutters could keep them from foraging at eye-level and below. Unfortunately, they were moving fast this morning, so they were not hanging around. This was why I had to shoot fast and worry about IDs later.
Once again the Blackburnian Warblers dominated the flock. 3-4 birds would scatter at any moment and decisions had to be made which bird to chase. Shooting was difficult and I was happy to settle for any sharp images (again, it helped to shoot Auto-ISO between 100-64,000). Autofocus could not keep up and many missed shots were had due to slow focusing.
One confusing aspect of fall warblers is differentiating young Pine Warblers and Bay-breasted Warblers. They both look alike with greenish bodies and heads, hint of dark eyeline, broken eye-ring, and grayish wings with wing-bars. Undertail pattern is also similar w/ black base and white distal patches and black edging. Pine Warblers tend to have a more distinctive yellow throat relative to Bay-breasted Warblers that have a lighter throat. Bay-breasted Warblers tend to have the peachy wash along the flanks but they may not be present in the young birds.
I ID'd this/these birds as Pine Warblers based on throat coloration.
Am I seeing a hint of a peachy wash on the flanks, though?
The throat appears lighter in this bird, and the tail appears shorter, as well. I suspected Bay-breasted Warbler.
As always I welcome any comments and/or corrections.
Jerry (always learning)
Elizabeth Park (Trenton), Wayne, Michigan, US
Aug 21, 2024 10:02 AM - 10:05 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.1 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Clear, mild, 60F, winds 0-5 mph
30 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 124
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 4
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 6
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) 2
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 4
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 8
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 4
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 8
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 1
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) 2
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 1
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 1
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) 1
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea) 2
Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca) 7
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 1
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) 2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Aug 21, 2024 10:02 AM - 10:05 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.1 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Clear, mild, 60F, winds 0-5 mph
30 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 124
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 4
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 6
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) 2
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 4
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 8
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 4
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 8
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 1
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) 2
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 1
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 1
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) 1
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea) 2
Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca) 7
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 1
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) 2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
