[SBB] 03/02/05 Singing Cassin's Vireo in Gilroy

[[[email protected]] (Birdermom)]

Hi!
Today, on my birthday, I decided to bird on our property in Gilroy.  When I pulled up beside the water tanks, I heard a distinctive sharpish, loud whistle, which to my untrained ear sounded like an upturned twit, repeated about 2 per second over and over with occasional pauses.  I rushed to get out and get my gear and found this very cooperative bird singing with occasional breaks to forage in the oaks above.  It remained about mid-level and stayed primarily within leaf clumps.  A few times, it came out and perched upon bare branches as if to say "look at me"!  The first thing I noticed was it's distinctive white complete white eye rings.  The shape seemed heavier than other vireos and the tail wasn't long.  It had a longer, straight, black beak, longer than is illustrated in National Geographic, but to me, it seems the beaks for Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and other vireos I've seen are all drawn shorter than in reality and I have difficulty telling them apart.  It was by itself,!
  and ignored the several flocks that flew through while it sang away.  The wing bars were whitish, then dark, then whitish (not as white as the eye rings). There was a hint of green on the back and the chest was a dirty yellowish/white (perhaps more yellow on the flanks and more greyish on the rest).  It's legs were dark.  The tail was notched, and from underneath, the sides seemed whiter than the rest.  I finally gave up on a final determination and took off down the Little Arthur creek trail.  It followed me and even came down to about 15' away as if to say, "hey, you didn't ID me yet, get a load of these specs (the distinctive eyeglass look)..."  While in my heart, I secretly yearned for a - no - I can't say it out loud...  I was really excited to have this second life sighting!  I was also pleased to see Western Bluebirds and Band-tailed Pidgeon on our property, as well as three (probable breeding) pair of Wood Ducks (there is a history of them breeding here and I see t!
 hem every time I sneak up on them during the winter, but have yet to f

ind their nesting holes).  The Belted Kingfisher was there as usual.  Altogether, a great birthday!  Happy Birth, I mean Birding Day!
Jean Myers
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