|
English
and Scientific names: |
Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii) |
|
Number
of individuals: |
1 |
|
Locality:
LOUISIANA: |
Cameron |
|
Specific
Locality: |
Peveto Beach Woods: BRAS Sanctuary |
|
Date(s)
when observed: |
August 30, 2009 |
|
Time(s)
of day when observed: |
Ca. 11:00 a.m. for about 3 seconds, then from ca. 12:55 to 1:25
PM for a series of brief sightings of about 2-3 minutes total duration |
|
Reporting
observer and address: |
Paul Conover Lafayette, LA |
|
Other observers accompanying
reporter who also identified the bird(s): |
Paul Conover |
|
Other observers who
independently identified the bird(s) |
None |
|
Light conditions
(position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): |
Full sun, bird in sun and shade at a variety of angles, mostly
low and in advantageous light. |
|
Optical
equipment: |
Zeiss 10Xs |
|
Distance
to bird(s): |
From about 40 yds. down to ca. 10 ft |
|
Duration
of observation: |
Total viewing duration of 3 minutes or so. |
|
Habitat:
|
Coastal
chenier with dense understory of ragweed and associated rank plants. |
|
Behavior
of bird: |
Foraging down low in ragweed thicket interspersed with fallen
trees, and higher up in 2nd growth. Also in taller live oaks with a
mixed vireo flock. |
|
Circumstances
of sighting: |
The bird was first observed as I was playing a Warbling Vireo
song. It flew up out of the ragweed and second growth into a live oak above
me, where I was able to observe its underparts for about a second. I realized
the pattern and color of underparts were consistent with Bell’s, but the bird
flew into a live oak about 40 yards away. I got a brief look at its breast
and saw the pattern there was good for Bell’s as well. I worked my way around the tree and
relocated the bird just as it was jumping into another tree, and saw the
wingbar. However, I was unable to document it with a photo. After this, I was
unable to find it for about an hour. Because of the fairly early date and the brevity of sighting, I
was going to pass on submitting the report, but I relocated what was probably
the same bird about 100 yards from the initial location and was able to get a
few OK photos. |
|
Description: |
Warbler-sized vireo. Bright bird, few distinguishing marks. Head thin and tapered toward bill. Head gray with dark eye.
Diffuse paler whitish area around eye, especially in thin partial ‘spectacle’
above eye onto lores. Eye dark, short vague dusky eyeline just before and
after eye. Bill pale gray overall, darker at tip and on culmen. Bill color
not contrasting strongly with color of head. Chin, throat, and upper breast
whitish. Sides of neck plain pale grayish, pale gray extending thinly across
breast in thin vest or U-shaped necklace separating white of upper breast
from bright light yellow flanks. White/pale gray/yellowish transition of this
area reminded me of Traill’s Flycather. Undertail yellowish. Central breast
and belly seemed whitish or whitish with pale yellow wash in the short and
limited looks I had at that area. Back bright olive green. Flight feathers slightly duskier,
secondaries edged in bright olive green, tertials edged in whitish. Greater
coverts edged fairly broadly whitish forming broad wing bar. Median coverts
thinly edged whitish, forming narrow, indistinct wingbar. Legs grayish or bluish-gray. |
|
Voice: |
None |
|
Similar species: |
Juvenile White-eyed Vireo very similar at this date. Head shape,
bill shape, overall plumage—especially facial pattern—eliminate young WEVI. |
|
Photographs or tape
recordings obtained? |
Photos attached. |
|
Previous experience with
this species: |
I’ve
seen about a dozen in LA, plus many out west over the years. |
|
Identification
aids: |
|
|
This
description is written from: |
Memory, consulting photos. |
|
Are you positive of your
identification? If not, explain: |
Yes |
|
Date
and time: |
August 31, 2009 |