Maine ID Challenge Answer
Well, ladies and gentlemen, sometimes in the birding world we just have to let one go. I want my mystery bird to be a Cape May more than anything, but I can't rule out Black-throated Green, Magnolia, Blackburnian, or others. I've asked my readers, several forums, and a few others and I have not received a consistent answer. The bird was covorting with a Black-throated Green and the chip notes it was making don't sound anything like the Cape May on my CD. BUT, the bird did have a gray back as I recall. I would expect a BT Green to have an olive-green back. We can go on and on and look at Blackburnian, Magnolia, and the others that were suggested. I won't do that though since the photos are poor, the bird's plumage is poor, and everything is just speculation. So, in conclusion, I'm calling it "unidentified ratty warbler".
5 comments:
Letting go can be really hard.....Even the most ratty of warbler is cute though!
I have had to let go many shorebirds this past week, along a busy highway that is too hard to get out and scope. There will be three or four different kinds and I will only I.D. one or two of them.
I think there's a 12 step program available for people like us.
-Patrick accidentally posting as my fiancee and too lazy to change my id
There is a twelve Step Program:
Step 1: Is it a Chickadee?
Step 2: Is it a Woodpecker?
Step 3: Is it a Kinglet?
Step 4: Is it a Heron?
Step 5: Is it a Gull?
Step 6: Is it a Flycatcher?
Step 7: Is it a Warbler?
Step 8: Is it a Crow?
Step 9: Is it a Blackbird?
Step 10: Is it a Sandpiper?
Step 11: Is it a Duck?
Step 12: Hey what's that bird over there? (go back to Step 1)
That is very big of you as, if I remember correctly, it would have been your life Cape May?
Oh well...
Nice one Will!
And yes Corey, it would have been a lifer and it is a major jinx bird for me.
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