IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES:

Blackpoll Warbler

HOW MANY:

1

REPORTER:

Cliff Weisse
4125 Beaver Springs Rd.
Island Park, ID 83429
208-558-7789

REPORTER EMAIL:

cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

OTHER OBSERVERS:

Darren Clark - riversilt@hotmail.com

DATE REPORT PREPARED:

9/11/2007

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:

9/8/2007

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:

Camas NWR near Hamer.

HABITAT:

Shelter belt of Cottonwood trees with irrigation canal runnign through it, although the canal was dry except for a puddle at the south end

CONDITIONS:

Observation time about 5 minutes at distances from 30 yards to 50 yards in shade and direct sun. Bird was foraging on the ground so excellent views of the upperparts were obtained. Binoculars were Nikon Premier 10 x 42 LX

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?:

No, not at all

DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?:

Yes, another day after the observation

WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?:

Peterson's Field Guide to Warblers of North America

DESCRIPTION:

Thin black bill, olive/green upperparts with dusky streaks on mantle, white underparts with yellow wash on breast, faint blurry streaks on flanks, white undertail coverts, short tail, faint eye line with olive supercilium and darker olive crown, two white wing bars and clean white undertail coverts.

BEHAVIOR:

Foraging on the ground near a puddle in an irrigation canal. This bird was in a mixed flock that included Wilson's, Yellow-rumped, Townsend's and Orange-crowned Warblers. No interactions with other bird noted and no vocalizations heard.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU?

The combination of white wing bars, short tail, faint eye line, white undertail coverts, and streaked mantle, and faintly streaked flanks convinced me of the ID.

HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY?

Pine and Bay-breasted Warblers are the obvious species for confusion. Pine is eliminated by the short tail and streaked mantle. Bay-breasted is eliminated by white undertail coverts and streaked flanks. American Goldfinch is similar in color pattern but has a unstreaked flanks. Tennessee Warbler has unstreaked flanks and mantle.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):

I've only seen one fall Blackpoll previously and have never seen a fall Bay-breasted. I've seen several Pine Warblers most recently in April 2007 in NJ.

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:

14 years

WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?:

None