Friday, May 11, 2012

Tentative ID: Orange-Crowned Warbler


Day 211 (bonus edition): On the advice of a colleague, this lovely and elusive little lady is being identified as an Orange-Crowned Warbler. She was seen in the company of a male with a bright spot on the top of his head, but I was unable to get a shot of him or even a full view of his body so that I could pick out other identifying features. I have seen a number of different warblers around Swofford Pond and particularly in the area where these were today.

Warblers are a birder's nightmare. Many of the species are difficult to tell apart, and to further complicate matters, they love to hide. You will often hear them (many birders learn to identify them by song), but you seldom get to see more than a flash of movement. I suspect this may have been a young bird and therefore less wary of me. I feel fortunate to have been able to get a photo of her at all.

To date, this is my only "mystery bird."

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