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All:
Browsing a few mailing lists reveals several western and southwestern avian
strays lately in n.e. U.S.A. and e. Canada suggesting that others may be that
may be in the pipeline for us. These include an Ash-throated and
Sulpher-bellied flycatcher, Cave Swallows, and an astonishing Phainopepla
(their 2nd) in s. ON; Western Tanager and Townsend's Warbler in MA; and an
Ash-throated Flycatcher in Ferryland, Avalon Penin., N.L.
This is the time of year for such things. Of course it's unfortunate for the
worong-headed birds (as Hans Toom has pointed out) but it helps build up a
picture of where such birds come from and what goes wrong. That's why details
(and photos) of such birds as our Sp. Towhee and Black-thr. Gray Warbler are
useful. Age and sex (oops, gender) are the birds helps address old questions
about which birds are most likely to "choose" fly to or be wafted off course.
Males are more likely to overshoot in spring (their tactic is to get there
first and claim territories, and they don't have the burden of having to
produce eggs on arrival). But there is also a notion that young males are more
explorative (new worlds to conquer?) even in fall. That's why the sex and age
of the Bl-thr, Gray W. are of interest. First fall males and AHY ("adult")
females share some features, and photos like the nice one posted by Mike King
might settle this point. There are also subtle differences among three heavily
white-spotted subspecies of Spotted Towhee that might be expected here, and the
many good photos of it might help assess the ultimate origin of the bird.
Same thing with "southern" strays. Dave Currie just sent some nice pics of
Dartmouth's Yellow-throated Warbler, showing it to be a partyicularly
long-billed, yellow-lored and yellow chinned bird of the sort breeding largely
in the Delmarva Peninsula - what proportion of our birds come from that
(nearest?) population?
So, as Mike King Says, "go birding" (and take photos and notes).
There endeth the preaching.
Cheers, Ian
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