Blue-headed Vireo sighted (I think) (1 Viewer)

M

marcus

Well-known member

• Aug 12, 2004

• #1

Hello
Yesterday morning while I was by a lake doing some birding I sure did see a bird that had all the plumage of Blue-headed Vireo, (gray head, blue wings with white-wing bars, yellow sides) except that I did not get a good enough look at it's 'face' to see the 'specatcles'. What is another bird that I might have seen but mistook for that vireo? I'm just wondering if it may have been something else because the field guides, and several places I went to online, show that there are no records of the Blue-headed Vireo breeding here in Maryland, though I know that that does not mean that it could not have visited.
I probably shouldn't have sent this. I'm that sure it was a Blue-headed Vireo.
marcus

 

S

streatham

Well-known member

• Aug 12, 2004

• #2

Hi Marcus,

Not really much to go on there so it's hard to be definitive - I think you'll have to decide fo yourself - the description has elements of blue-headed but the wings as you describe don't seem quite right. Even though it may not breed in Maryland I should imagine it is a fairly common species in migration. Although it is a little early as they are usually one of the later returning birds there's no reason not to think that there could be one around. I assume you've checked out the possibility of white-eyed vireo.

If I was you I'd head back for another look - Luke

 

M

marcus

Well-known member

• Aug 12, 2004

• #3

You know Luke, I never really considered a White-eyed Vireo, because the very obvious gray head against blue wings made me just think of one possibility, (did I spell that right?). But I guess I'm going to have to consider the White-eye, especially since that's a species which a lot of local birders have seen. I've never seen one though.
I'm going to have to wait until next Tuesday, when I'm off from work again, to go to that spot and hope that that bird is still around.
Oh yeah, have you ever seen one?
marcus

 

S

streatham

Well-known member

• Aug 13, 2004

• #4

Hi Marcus,

I have seen both - blue-headed are very common in fall here and I regularly have good numbers in my garden on good fall days - less so in spring but findable. White-eyed are much harder to find but possible. If you're in the right spot they respond very well to pishing or squeaking noises.

Good luck tuesday - Luke

 

dacol

Well-known member

• Aug 13, 2004

• #5

marcus said:

... I'm just wondering if it may have been something else because the field guides, and several places I went to online, show that there are no records of the Blue-headed Vireo breeding here in Maryland, though I know that that does not mean that it could not have visited.

Click to expand...

It depends where in Maryland you saw this bird. Blue-headed Vireo breeds in extreme western Maryland [Garrett County for example, see
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm03/ra2003_red/ra06290.htm].
Further east it is present only in migration but landbird migration starts at the end of July and we did have a strong frontal system [cold front] about a week ago that did bring some migrants, at least to Montgomery Co. near Washington, DC.

Luke's suggestion of White-eyed Vireo is a good one, specially in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain areas of Maryland where it is a common breeding species as well as a migrant. At this time there are many young WE Vireos around, they have much more gray on their heads than the adults [which have green heads with gray on the back of the neck].

Dalcio

 

M

marcus

Well-known member

• Aug 13, 2004

• #6

You guys are getting me interested. I am pretty sure it was a Blue-headed, because I saw one there before about 2 years ago. And then it was not identified by me, but by a couple who were also there and are much more 'professional' birders than I am.
Dalcio, it was in Columbia were I saw the vireo, near a man-made lake. Ever heard of Lake Elkhorn?
Have you ever seen MDOsprey online?
marcus

 

dacol

Well-known member

• Aug 14, 2004

• #7

marcus said:

You guys are getting me interested. I am pretty sure it was a Blue-headed, because I saw one there before about 2 years ago. And then it was not identified by me, but by a couple who were also there and are much more 'professional' birders than I am.
Dalcio, it was in Columbia were I saw the vireo, near a man-made lake. Ever heard of Lake Elkhorn?
Have you ever seen MDOsprey online?
marcus

Click to expand...

I occasionally post in the MDOsprey birding discussion list. I know where Columbia is but I dont know Lake Elkhorn.

If it was BH Vireo that you saw then it was a very early migrant. BH Vireos in the Fall migration are more common from mid-September to mid-October.

Dalcio

 

M

marcus

Well-known member

• Aug 14, 2004

• #8

Well, Dalcio, check out MDOsprey today. I sent something there also about my seeing Black-crowned Night-Herons this morning. I'm pretty sure that you never heard of the lake I mentioned there. Its near the Columbia Mall.
marcus

 

M

marcus

Well-known member

• Aug 15, 2004

• #9

OK, I was just looking at a several pics online of White-eyed Vireos, and I'll have to admit that it wasn't impossible for that bird I saw back on Tuesday to have been one. If it was it was a lifer.
Those pictures and what Dalcio 'said' about if it was a Blue-headed Vireo, it must have been an early migrant, makes me wonder.
marcus