| Common Name | Blue Gray Gnatcatcher |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Polioptila caerulea |
| Type of Report | Out-of-Season |
| Date of Observation | 11/23/2017 |
| Media | |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Michael Foster |
| Mailing Address | 162 Breezy Hill Rd Springfield, VT 05156 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 11/24/2017 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Paul Desjardins, |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 43.178577 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -72.44664 |
| Place Name | Michael Foster |
| Township | Rockingham |
| County | Windham |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 09:10 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | 5 minutesminutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 20 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 30 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Cool (near 30 F), clear and light wind |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Vortex 12 x 50 binoculars |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | Seen, heard and photographed this species many times. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Mixed hardwood forest with understory and nearby river |
| Behaviors Observed | Flitting quickly in the tops of trees, typical of the behavior I have seen with this species |
| Description of Vocalizations | High pitched buzzy spees typical of this bird. The vocalizations are what initially drew the attention of Paul Desjardins. |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | Paul Desjardins initially heard the birds vocalizations and then found the bird prior to my arrival at the site. We met and decided to bird the area together. We walked out to the point looking for water birds (though none were to be seen due to hunters in the vicinity). We walked back to the parking lot by the boat ramp where Paul had seen the bird and were immediately able to relocate it by it's vocalizations. It was flitting in the tops of the trees by the parking lot. We watched it for about 5 minutes when it flew deeper into the woods nearby. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Small bird similar in size and shape to a kinglet. |
| Head | White eye ring, gray cheeks and crown darker gray |
| Feet & Bill | Did not focus on feet, bill was small pointed and dainty with a hint of orange |
| Upper Back | Darker gray than belly giving 2 tone look |
| Lower Back & Rump | Not visualized (seen from below) |
| Wings | Darker wings than rest of the bird, see blurry flight photo |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | pale gray belly, under tail coverts darker, almost black |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Golden Crowned Kinglet. Vocalizations matched the gnatcatcher and no hint of yellow on the crown. The distinct white eye-ring was an easy identifier. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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