[obol] RE: Smith & Bybee (BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER)

[David Bailey]

Trask,

Perhaps you noted a behavior that might be helpful in clinching your 
identification of the black and white warbler as a BLACK-AND-WHITE 
WARBLER? Black-and-white Warblers generally creep around the large 
branches and trunks of trees behaving much like nuthatches, while 
Black-throated Gray Warblers work the foliage in similar ways to other 
warblers. The behavior can be supportive of the identification.

In a related vein, I once looked at photographs of a warbler taken by 
the late Richard Forbes at Oaks bottoms in Portland in winter that he 
had identified as a Black-throated Gray but noted that it lacked the 
yellow spot. Initially I agreed with the id though it didn't seem right, 
but after studying the photos more carefully I realized that the bird 
had white eye arcs, completely wrong for B-t. Gray, but correct for 
Townsend's Warbler though the wrong color. I finally, and confidently 
identified the bird as  a Townsend's Warbler that lacked yellow pigment. 
Some of the subtle plumage details of the head plumage also supported 
that id. I think the likelihood of a Black-and-white Warbler are 
probably better than a mutant Townsend's Warbler, but I have been 
wanting to share that story for a long time, and you provided me with an 
opportunity.

I am sure that the Multnomah County birders will be interested in 
looking for the bird you saw tomorrow. Smith and Bybee Lakes is a Metro 
managed greenspace in N. Portland near the confluence of the Columbia 
and Willamette Rivers. The lake near the meadow is Bybee lake. I 
remember which is which with a mnemonic: Smith lake starts with s and so 
does "south;" Smith is the more southerly lake.

David

David C. Bailey
Seaside, Oregon
baileydc at pdx.edu

> *Subject: Smith and Bybee*
> From: "Trask Colby" <tcolbyster AT gmail.com>
> Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 17:28:57 -0700
> Started out somewhat nice outside, before slowly turning to pouring down
> rain, but the day yielded some nice results.
>
> Started off with a very dark Fox Sparrow and chasing 4 Northern Flickers
> down the trail. The first pond had Wood Ducks and many Mallards, with a
> Kingfisher and many Robins flying across the lake, and a Red Tail on a snag.
> The meadow before the lake with the blind (I don't which is which) had a
> Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, Golden Crowned Sparrow, Barn and Tree
> Swallows. Out on the lake were many Pied-Billed Grebes, Great Blue Herons
> and Great Egrets. 3 Greater Yellowlegs were in the mud. A calling and then
> flying Bald Eagle was a great sight, only to be followed up not a minute
> later by a Peregrine Falcon that hung around for a while for some great
> looks. Now what was most interesting was a small warbler flock by the blind,
> that i believe contained O.C. Warblers, and 1 female Black and White
> Warbler. I looked carefully for a yellow dot by the eye, and there was none,
> and I was surprised at how the belly and neck were completely white. Though
> I didn't have my bird book on me at the time, I've now searched both
> Sibley's and National Geographic and believe it to be a B&W Warbler. Maybe
> someone else will relocate it._______________________________________________