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English and Scientific names: |
Black- Pheucticus melanocephalus |
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Number of individuals: |
1 male, first winter |
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Locality: |
Cameron |
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Specific Locality: |
Peveto Woods
Sanctuary along entrance road between blacktop and parking area on left, but
south side of road |
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Date(s) when observed: |
24 October 2009 |
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Time(s) of day when observed: |
late afternoon around 4:20 pm |
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Reporting observer and address: |
B. Mac. Myers III |
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Other observers
accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s): |
none |
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Other observers who
independently identified the bird(s) |
about an hour later that afternoon, Paul Conover saw the bird |
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Light conditions (position
of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): |
Excellent. late afternoon sun behind me as I was looking east |
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Optical equipment: |
10x42 Eagle optics, very good |
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Distance to bird(s): |
maybe 20 yards? |
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Duration of observation: |
perhaps two
minutes? |
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Habitat: |
Small tree or shrub next to a thicket of giant ragweed; when it
flew, it flew into the ragweed |
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Behavior of bird: |
Simply sitting on exposed limb, then flew into ragweed |
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Description: |
Upon first looking at it through binos, it was obviously a
Pheucticus grosbeak and almost as immediately obviously a black-headed. I
just looked at it a moment or two to be sure of what I was seeing, then concentrated on getting photos. Thick
grosbeak bill, gray, lighter lower, slightly darker upper. Sides of crown
dark chocolate-dusky, with bold white superciliary, and below that a dark
auricular patch from bill back. Below the auricular and bordering it was a
white malar or moustachial stripe. The throat,
breast, and most of the belly were a sort of dull rusty orange. It appeared
to be suffused with or maybe underlain by some yellow feathering. The wings
were very dark chocolate-dusky with bold white wingbars and some other white
spotting which was most noticeable when the bird flew. I did not note the
rump or back in the field. |
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Voice: |
not heard |
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Similar species: |
The bird looks to be a \"classic\" first winter male
BHGR, and does not appear to show any evidence of hybridism |
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Photographs or tape
recordings obtained? |
three photos by me, already submitted earlier to LBRC |
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Previous experience with
this species: |
some in LA, many out west; lots of experience with RBGR and
plenty of time looking at odd ones/looking for BHGR |
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Identification aids: |
none at time; later
Sibley, Geo, etc. |
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This description is written from: |
very brief notes at time; memory and looking at photos |
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Are you positive of your
identification? If not, explain: |
yes |
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Date and time: |
16 Feb. 2010 |