Point Pelee, May 13, 2012 --- A "Solitary" Vireo that my Dad (Eric Holden) and I had just a ways north of the Sparrow Field near the tip of Point Pelee.
Here's the pics: (everything I got of the beast)
Not a lot of throat contrast in my opinion...
Hard to see, but in most of these photos you can see how weak the upper wingbar is..
Very limited yellow colouration on the underside
I really wish this one was in focus...
Very poor contrast between the head and the back
The bird was first seen in a Red Cedar/Juniper and was responding to some light pishing by an unknown observer (actually not me!)... I heard them say they had a Blue-headed Vireo, when I was pretty surprised to look at the bird and see a very un-contrasting back with VERY LIMITED white/pale edging to the tertials... The bird shuffled a bit, and I was able to see that it also had very thin wing bars...
After an experience with this bird at Point Pelee in 2006 (found by Dan Salisbury): http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhbirds/5772863317/
I was more prepared than one might expect to try and ID a bird like this. I knew that the overall paleness and limited contrast, combined with the thin wing bars and limited white edging on the tertials was a dangerous combination to not see on a "Solitary Vireo"...
Right away I went for my camera, and was able to get the photos you see above --- when the bird made a serious flight overhead and far/deep into the woods on the east side of the road --- and we didn't see the bird again. (We took a break, then returned just over an hour later and still didn't see it) --- Although Barb Charlton and David Bell were able to get some views of the bird in roughly the same area during our lapse in searching.
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And for some added fun, here's three photos of a Blue-headed Vireo taken at virtually the same place, just over two hours later..
The fun part, is they have the EXACT same post-processing done as the above images, with the same camera, contrast, saturation etc. etc. etc.
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Will post any updates/edits below, this line... But for now (8:30pm) I'll publish what I've finished above!
Brandon
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Some Cassin's Vireo photos I've found interesting:
http://www.ventanaws.org/conservation_bsol_update/2009/april09.4.htm - a bird with the "fresh" wing bars, but similar reduced colour below...
http://www.pbase.com/image/62350993 -- more colour that todays bird?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boblewis/502856199/ -- taken in May, like todays bird - with the worn/ugly tiny wing bars...
http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20090701035458.jpg -- june with similar colour/wing bars..
http://www.zuropak.com/photogallery/cassin's-vireo/slides/Cassins-Vireo-30.html -- I guess they can look just like Blue-headed Vireos too???
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