Swainson's Hawk

 Swainson's Hawk is a bird mostly of western North America open areas that generally migrates all the way to southern South America for the winter. A few are seen in the fall, very rarely, in the east, most often as they pass hawkwatches like Kiptopeke and Rockfish Gap in Virginia and Cape May in New Jersey. When raising young they prey on a variety of small mammals, reptiles and birds, but during migration, they mainly eat large insects. This one, a light morph juvenile, seen on Oct 17th at a site not open to the public in Portsmouth, was conveniently found at close range in short grass on a dirt road shoulder, likely standing on a grasshopper. I wonder if there are any other photos from Virginia of one on the ground?

The blurry photo shows the characteristic dark flight feathers.

When it was flushed by a passing truck, two Red-tailed Hawks immediately saw it and chased it out of the area.

Brian Taber

Great Purple Hairstreak

Green markings are rarely seen in Virginia butterflies, so these lime-colored hindwing marks make this rare Great Purple Hairstreak even more spectacular...long tails, red marks, blue speckles, white body spots...wow!

It was at the CVWO marina garden in James City County this morning.

Brian Taber

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are typically found throughout the southern U. S. but a check of eBird records for June and July shows they have ranged north this year to include Wisconsin and New Hampshire. While still rare, they are becoming more frequently seen in Virginia in recent years and they often only make brief stops. The two pictured here were in Williamsburg at a suburban pond on July 7th and a number of birders were able to see them. They certainly have their share of distinctive field marks as  even my distant photo shows!

Brian Taber

Willow Flycatcher

 Willow Flycatcher is rare as a breeder on Virginia's coastal plain, so this one at a site in Portsmouth not open to the public was quite noteworthy. While breeding hasn't yet been confirmed, it sang it's distinctive "fitz-bew" repeatedly from the same area from May 23rd to June 20th.

Brian Taber

Glaucous Gull

This strikingly white Glaucous Gull was seen on May 30th at a Portsmouth site not open to the public. The species is rare here at any season. Variable in size, this one is about the size of the adjacent Herring Gull and distinctly larger than the nearby Lesser Black-backed. Its white wingtips project only a little past the tail. Its large bill is sharply two-toned. Glaucous hybridizes with other gulls, but this one doesn't show any obvious signs of being a hybrid.

Brian Taber

Unusual Laughing Gull Molt

 This Laughing Gull, on May 16, was at a site in Portsmouth not open to the public and it shows a weird pattern that I've not seen or even seen described anywhere, at least so far. Laughers are 3-cycle gulls and while molt can be variable and quite confusing, this bird shows an adult head and tail pattern, like 3rd cycle, but with 1st cycle flight feathers that don't appear to be very worn...the white trailing edge even seems pretty well intact. Comments appreciated...send to taberzz@aol.com and I can post updated information.

Brian Taber

Intriguing Plover

This small plover at Hog Island Wildlife Management Area in Surry County on Apr 28th is intriguing. Semipalmated Plovers are quite similar to Common Ringed Plovers, which are found in western Europe and elsewhere and breed as close as Greenland and adjacent Canada. There are some east coast records of Common Ringed.

The right-side photos are mine, the left-side is by Michelle Gianvecchio.

This bird appears quite pale above, sandy even, as evidenced by the contrast on the head between black crown stripe and light brown rest of head. The most striking feature to me is the black loral area of even thickness, not "pinched" which reaches the gape on the right side, though not apparently on the left side...perhaps the bird still has a ways to go with molting. Many field guides used to point to this feature as diagnostic for Common Ringed, though, more extensive sources now show more examples of variability in both species. Semipalmated very often shows a distinctly "pinched" loral look or even white area there between eye and bill, quite unlike this bird. I've not seen a Semipalmated with this feature to the gape...on one side anyway.

The bill shape is often described as "stubby" for Semipalmated and longer and of more even length throughout for Common Ringed, and perhaps more extensively orange for Common Ringed. This bird has a large amount of orange on a bill that looks long-ish to me, though the orange seems less on Michelle's photo.

The breast band feature, according to most sources I've checked, is not a reliable feature of being thick or thin for either species, as it's not only variable among individuals and sexes and is also seasonal, but changes with posture.

The webbing between the middle and inner toes is basically absent in Common Ringed and in Semipalmated ranges from slight to perhaps even absent in some...it would take an excellent photo to determine this feature if the bird weren't in the hand.

Michelle's photo shows the eye in better light, but I don't see a yellow eye-ring which Semipalmated should show. There is also some white around the eye...still molting, I guess. Common Ringed usually shows more white in front of and toward the eye.

The vocalizations are described as slightly different and a good close-range recording would possibly be a clinching piece of evidence, though, there may be variability with that as well...experienced researchers can probably weigh in on that.

I've seen Common Ringed in western Europe, though never studied them carefully there. I've seen many thousands of Semipalmateds during waterbird surveys mainly in Virginia.

All-in-all, to me, an interesting bird.

Please feel free to share comments to me at taberzz@aol.com and I can update the Blog.

Brian Taber

Stunning White Bonaparte's Gull

 This stunning, nearly pure white Bonaparte's Gull was seen by Dr. Dan Cristol and his William and Mary biology class and me on March 26th in a flooded field in James City County during a heavy rain storm. Hundreds of gulls and hundreds of Wilson's Snipes were also enjoying the scene. Michelle Gianvecchio then re-found the gull on March 30th  and got these great close photos. The bill shows reddish coloration, instead of the usual black, apparently further demonstrating the bird's inability to produce the proper pigments. I'm not aware of a similar-looking Bonaparte's in Virginia, though there are internet photos of a similar bird in Connecticut in 2013, thought to be either Black-headed Gull or Bonaparte's, as size apparently couldn't be accurately determined. Comments welcome...send to taberzz@aol.com.

Brian Taber

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch!

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches live in the western U. S., western Canada and Alaska, often at quite high altitudes, but in recent months there have been some eastern records...including Virginia's first at a rocky overlook at 4,000 feet on Mt. Pleasant in Amherst County a few days ago! This stunning frontside photo, by Nancy Barnhart, was from Feb 11. The backside view is my photo from Feb 13.

Rosy-Finches nest in rocky crevices and interestingly, from Kaufman's "Lives of North American Birds," they eat, in addition to berries and seeds, insects that are carried up to higher elevations by updrafts and then freeze!

Brian Taber

Storm Wigeon!

 I've seen plenty of American Wigeons, but until today I wasn't familiar with the term "Storm Wigeon" for one with white on the face below the green patch and white forehead and crown, but this striking bird was in Portsmouth today at a site not open to the public. Hunters apparently felt this very rare form appeared after northerly storms and gave it the name. I'll do some more research to see what others have to say.

Brian Taber

White-crested Waxwing

 As if Cedar Waxwings weren't stunning enough, with smooth, velvety feathers, blended bronzy-yellow shades, colorful wingtips, colorful tail tips and a dark mask...this one on New Year's Eve near Jamestown, photographed by Deborah Humphries, also had an amazing white crest! I had seen it a few days earlier at this berry-laden privet bush, along with about 50 other Cedar Waxwings, but couldn't get a decent photo. Happy New Year!

Brian Taber

Frosty Robin

This unusual, white-spotted American Robin was part of a large flock stripping holly berries in James City County on Dec 11th.

Brian Taber

 

Western Flycatcher

 This bright yellow Western Flycatcher was wayyyy out of range near Scottsville, found on Nov 11, for Virginia's second record and first to be photographed. Staying low to the ground while foraging, it was fairly cooperative, allowing everyone who was patient to see it. The distinctive eye-ring is flattened on top and pointed behind the eye. Photo by Deborah Humphries.

Brian Taber

Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied and Red-naped sapsuckers are closely related and look similar and even hybridize, though their ranges don't overlap much. Red-naped is mostly found west of the Great Plains and Yellow-bellied east and also into northwest Canada. Some Yellow-bellieds have red on their napes and some Red-napeds lack that feature, adding to the confusion. 

The two main differences pointed out in most field guides are:

that the red on the throat of Red-naped can touch the white on the face, while on Yellow-bellied the red is separated by a complete black line and...

that the white on the back of Red-naped is organized into two rather neat columns, making it appear darker overall unlike the more "messy" white pattern of Yellow-bellied.

The bird pictured here, which I photographed in James City County, feeding on holly berries, on Oct  23, 2023 seems to show the two features of Red-naped above and also has a reddish tint on the nape, though a little hard to see in the photos. The blurry photo of the left side also shows the lack of the black border to red throat on that side.

I'm awaiting comments from some experts and will add them here. If anyone else has comments, please send to taberzz@aol.com.  Brian Taber

Ash-throated Flycatcher

 An unusual pattern during fall migration is that Ash-throated Flycatchers, normally found far to the west, show up along the east coast with fairly good regularity in late October and November. This one was found at Kiptopeke State Park by CVWO Hawkwatcher Sage Church on November 2. Initially playing hide-and-seek, it eventually sat in the sun long enough for the Eastern Shore Bird Club's field trip participants to all see it well. Another was found the next day in Virginia Beach and one was found in Hopewell on Nov 5...and...2 were near Charlottesville on Nov 7...then...near Scottsville, Eastern Shore again...and Chesapeake...wow!

Brian Taber

American Flamingo!

 Birders and non-birders alike have been astounded at seeing American Flamingos in the eastern United States following the passage of remnants of Hurricane Idalia in early September. Apparently swept up in the storm on the Yucatan peninsula, they have been reported from several states and this one appeared at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge yesterday.

Photo by Brian Taber

Here's Something You Don't See Every Day!

 ...in fact, I'll bet few of us ever have...none for me...

Wow and wow...Jim Easton found and photographed another amazing local sight in James City County on August 21st. This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail looked at first to be a very rare bilateral gynandromorph, containing both male and female characteristics. The condition is most frequently seen in organisms that show marked differences between males and females. Eastern Tiger females in their yellow form show more blue in the hindwing than males which are yellow, but females can also occur in a dark form, as in this photo. So...it looked like half male and half dark female. 

But...wait a minute...there's a small blue spot on the forewing on the yellow side, which is shown in yellow females, but not males. The yellow side hindwing is missing.

So...it's apparently a female showing both yellow and dark forms...quite remarkable.

Thanks to local colleague Ken Lorenzen for forwarding the term "bilateral same-sex mosaic morph"!

An "event" in mitosis during early development is the cause of such conditions.

Brian Taber

Another Florida Red-shouldered??

 This adult bird with a strikingly gray head has been of interest to local birders recently. I saw it yesterday at Greensprings Interpretive Trail in James City County, after being alerted by Jim Easton a few days earlier. It appears from eBird that Terry Moore also photographed it last month. It resembles the "Florida" type extimus.

Besides the head color, the dark feather shafts on the breast are quite thin, unlike the usually heavier, even sometimes blotchy look of our more usual sub-species lineatus. There are other, quite subtle, features to compare and we are evaluating. But...searching for photos and other information in eBird has been tough, as many Red-shouldereds are entered, of both types, with no photos or details.

There are few reports of "Florida" birds north of that state.

These photos are by Jim Easton.

The post below shows what I think is also a "Florida" type that was photographed this spring at nearby York River State Park.

Brian Taber

Pollinator Week

 

As we head into Pollinator Week, we appreciate all that pollinators do. Flies, bats, birds, bees, butterflies, wasps and many other organisms do the daily work of pollination, keeping our world so lush. But they do feel the combined pressures of habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The Observatory conducts regular surveys of butterflies throughout coastal Virginia and manages butterfly gardens, such as the one pictured here at Jamestown Marina.

This Pearl Crescent made a brief appearance today at the marina garden, on Mountain Mint flowers, in a rare sunny moment in the midst of a very rainy spell of several days.

Brian Taber

Florida Red-shouldered?!

 

These images, taken by Deborah Humphries at York River State Park on May 5th,  appear to show an adult "Florida" Red-shouldered Hawk, a sub-species that I don't think has been recorded in Virginia. There are records of this sub-species in eBird from Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, in April and May, so rare wandering does occur. It normally stays within the Florida peninsula, unlike other Red-shouldereds which often migrate long distances.

Unlike the richly-colored Red-shouldereds we see in Virginia, "Floridas" or extimus are extremely pale above and below and are strikingly whitish on the head, as seen here. Another interesting feature is the shortish tail, apparently still growing in, probably indicating a different molting pattern for this southern sub-species.

The color pattern looks just right to me for extimus, which I've seen, so not an abnormally pale individual of our usual Virginia birds. Comments are welcome and may be sent to taberzz@aol.com.

Brian Taber

New Marina Garden

 In October 2017, the Observatory was allowed to restore an overgrown garden at Jamestown Marina. The partners were the then new Billsburg Brewery and James City County. The garden was a magnet for visitors and also for butterflies and other pollinators. It produced 60 species of butterflies, several of which were rare and two that were not previously recorded in our area, Eufala Skipper and Zarucco Duskying.

We always knew that development would eventually happen at the valuable site and since it was becoming more imminent, we moved the garden just across the entrance road in March and April. The new spot is longer and with few paver paths, so the total amount of vegetation for wildlife is greater. It borders the new shoreline of Powhatan Creek established by the County and is next to the woodlands and wetlands, so an excellent location. There are more than 100 plants of more than 40 species. Volunteers will continue to do butterfly surveys there.

Brian Taber

Hybrid Gulls

 

Years ago, Lesser Black-backed Gulls were rare in Virginia and now they are quite regular throughout the year. In eBird there is now even a pull-down menu choice for the hybrid Herring Gull X Lesser Black-backed Gull, as that interbreeding is known to occur. The two species are commonly found together. While it would take DNA analysis for actual proof, providing eBird records for this and other suspected hybrid types does help to increase our awareness and understanding of interbreeding among species.

In the above photos, the 3rd bird from the right in front is a suspected Herring X Lesser because the mantle color is clearly intermediate between Herring and Lesser. It stands out as markedly different. It's head is tucked and legs are hidden, but there is so much variability in those features, that if shown, it wouldn't really add much. What's very lucky here is to have the various species side-by-side, because, as we know, lighting and angles can distort colors. A bird like this all by itself would be nearly impossible to judge.

The top shot shows part of a group of 22 Lessers and dozens of Herrings I saw together in southeastern Virginia in late February. There are few Virginia records in eBird for this suspected hybrid, some without photos or details, though birders should be aware of such possibilities and document as much as possible, to add to our knowledge.

Brian Taber

Juncos With Wingbars

"Slate-colored" Dark-eyed Juncos very rarely can show white wingbars, so 4 juncos together at my feeder this week in James City County showing wingbars was a noteworthy event. 

The top 3 photos show the same bird white wingbars on both greater and median coverts, some pale edging on tertials and overall pale gray plumage with contrasting dark loral area that's most evident in the 3rd photo down. In the images with the bill closed, the bill appears larger than those of the other juncos.

The 4th photo down shows another with 2 wingbars, but is a different bird from the other with 2 wingbars, due to its weaker wingbars, presence of a large amount of brown in the primaries, a pale brown back and crown and interestingly, a more convex-appearing gray border on the lower breast, with even darker markings below a slightly paler throat. "Oregon" Dark-eyed Juncos show a more convex lower border there as well, often with very dark shades.

The 5th photo down shows a bird with several white tips to just the greater coverts and white edging to the tertials, overall pale gray plumage with a darker loral area and faintly streaked brownish back.

The 6th photo down is of a very striking bird with a dark-streaked brown back contrasting with blue-gray head, whitish tertial edges and a broad white wingbar on the greater coverts.

The "White-winged" sub-species of Dark-eyed out west looks very similar to the birds shown here, as seen in many eBird reports from Colorado...some show bolder wingbars, others quite faint and there's variable bill color. Photo images change, of course, with different lighting, including bright snowy backgrounds, making the gray tones appear variable. Some show grayer bills, others pinkish. There are 3 white outer tail feathers in "White-winged" and usually just 2 in "Slate-colored," a feature which can't easily be checked unless the bird is in-hand or there's a very lucky photo.

"White-winged" can stray eastward, as 2 were banded and examined closely for tail feathers and other features on Oct 24, 2020 in Pennsylvania, as seen in eBird.

Comments welcome at taberzz@aol.com.

Brian Taber

 

Crazy Sparrow

 This bird has been seen in January several times by local birders near Jamestown. The head looks very much like a White-throated Sparrow, with white throat, white crown stripe, black lateral crown stripe and broad white supercilium. Song can show white throat. There is no yellow on the supraloral, as for White-throated, but on one side it appears buffy. The broad white crown stripe also resembles that of a White-crowned Sparrow. The forehead shows both black and brown. The lower mandible shows a slight, but interesting angle. The bill appears bicolored, gray above, pinkish below.  But the underparts are streaked like a Song Sparrow, a species which shows wide variation in striping pattern and brownish coloration. In this case, there's blackish streaking on the breast and rufous streaking on the flanks.   

The cheek shows some whitish and there is some gray there, too. Interestingly, the tertials are edged in white, not a typical feature of Song or White-throated, though shown in some White-crowneds. There are small white tips to the greater coverts, though not obvious wingbars.

Many species can show unusual white in their plumage, but the broad white crown stripe and black lateral crown stripe are especially intriguing as they are not features of Song. If a hybrid, it might then be of species of different genera, rare, but not unheard of. There is also the possibility of grandparent genes also being expressed.

Photos by Deborah Humphries.

I'm interested in any comments, please send to me at taberzz@aol.com.

Brian Taber

MacGillivray's Warbler

 This rarity, a western bird, has enchanted many birders in recent days near Harrisonburg. The photo, showing all diagnostic features well, is by Bill Williams from December 7th.

Brian Taber

Tropical Kingbird

Another rare southern kingbird?! This Tropical Kingbird, a first State record, was found at Oyster on the Eastern Shore on Oct 19. It's diagnostic vocalizations were recorded by CVWO's Kiptopeke hawkwatcher Andrew Rapp...the photo here from Oct 21 is by Nancy Barnhart. The heavy-billed structure is similar to the Gray Kingbird on the previous post, though Tropical is brightly yellow underneath.

Brian Taber