LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

REPORT FORM

     

1. English and Scientific names: Townsend’s Warbler Setophaga townsendi

2. Number of individuals, sexes, ages, general plumage (e.g., 2 in alternate plumage): 1 age, sex uncertain—either adult female or first-year male

 

3. Locality: LOUISIANA: (parish) Cameron____________________________________________

Specific Locality: _B.R.A.S.S. Peveto Woods________________________________________________________

4. Date(s) when observed: 1 October 2012

5. Time(s) of day when observed: first seen around 12:40 p.m., and then relocated around 1:15 pm

6. Reporting observer and address: b. Mac. Myers III, Eunice, LA 70535

7. Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s): none

8. Other observers who independently identified the bird(s): none that I am aware of

9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): Mostly very good; briefly backlit against the sky

10. Optical equipment (type, power, condition):10x42 Vortex

11. Distance to bird(s): variable, but most of the observation time was 20-35 feet

12. Duration of observation: (1st): good look 20-30 seconds, then poorer more distant somewhat backlit view about another minute or a little more. ( 2nd): several minutes; spent a couple of minutes trying to photograph it, and when I realized the focus wasn’t working, concentrated on looking at the bird

13. Habitat: coastal chenier; first seen low in giant ragweed and other low vines/forbs; second observation in live oaks

14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation (flying, feeding, resting; include and stress habits used in identification; relate events surrounding observation)(1st) Apparently feeding in giant ragweed, then flew to oaks, then disappeared. (2nd) actively feeding in live oaks, loosely associated with gnatcatchers, a Black&white Warbler,  Philadelphia Vireo, R.-e. Vireo, and some of the time a Black-throated Green Warbler

15. Description (include only what was actually seen, not what "should" have been seen; include if possible: total length/relative size compared to other familiar species, body bulk, shape, proportions, bill, eye, leg, and plumage characteristics. Stress features that separate it from similar species): When first seen, it was mostly hidden in ragweed, and I could see a bit of dark face patch and was kind of expecting Blackburnian. It popped into clear view, eye level or a little below, and it was obviously a Townsend’s: olive back with faint darker spotting; olive crown; dusky-olive face patch surrounded by bright yellow; some bright yellow breast and flanks and blackish streaking on flanks noted before it flew away. Nothing more noted while I looked at it in oaks, somewhat distant and backlit. When I relocated it, I had excellent views, confirming what I had already seen, as well as obtaining good looks at its entire undersides. And for a while I had direct comparison with a B-th. Green only about 5-6 feet away.  Olive back with some darker spots, no light lines; crown olive; dusky olive  triangular face patch, bordered above and behind by bright yellow; there was a small yellow comma below the eye; bright yellow below it ran into yellow throat. Yellow of throat extended down to about mid-underparts, remainder of belly and undertail white or whiteish. The yellow extended well down the flanks and was well-streaked with black or at any rate very dusky markings. These dark markings extended up to the sides of lower throat and partially across in a ragged partial collar or necklace. I looked hard at the vent area, as it presented different angles, and there was no trace of yellow in that area. The bird had white wingbars, and extensive white in the rectrices, but I didn’t note any details of the white.

16. Voice: not heard

17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by your observation): The combination of features noted eliminate the most likely candidates for confusion—Black-th. Green and Blackburnian. There was NO yellow in vent, and it was clearly visible in nearby B-t. Green. The back was olive with faint darker spotting, but nothing like a Blackburnian’s back. The face patch was certainly darker than B-th. Green, and the yellow of face and breast was brighter, purer, yellow than the more greenish yellow of B-th. Green. There was nothing about the bird which suggested hybridization with Hermit—and I looked.

18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained? (by whom? attached?): Took a number of photos but the focus malfunctioned and I got nothing but blur; fortunately I realized it was malfunctioning and gave up on photos and spent time really looking at the bird.

19. Previous experience with this species: A few in LA, including as recently as last fall. Plenty out west but mostly not very recently.

20. Identification aids: (list books, illustrations, other birders, etc. used in identification):

a. at time of observation: none

b. after observation: consulted Dunn/Garrett about age/sex, but it was as I had thought in the field—either adult female or first year male.

21. This description is written from: __X___ notes made during the observation (_____notes attached?);_____notes made after the observation (date:_____); _____memory.

22. Are you positive of your identification if not, explain: yes

23. Signature of reporter: __b. Mac. Myers III

Date:_10 October 2012_________Time:__4:31 pm_____