Vermont Rare Bird Reports 2020

Clear with storm clouds at the horizon

Zeiss 10 x42

No acquaintance with this species; strong familiarity with most other Parulidae species. My birding has been done mostly in the Adirondacks, Minnesota and no. Vermont.

Sighted in an area of diverse habitat of wooded wetland adjoining Lake Memphremagog; a stream is nearby, invaded fields, forested areas, and significant secondary growth. This bird was seen next to my house at the edge of a forested strip that trails down to a stream.

The bird was exhibiting typical warbler behavior in working the vegetation for insects; I'd compare the hunting with that of a chestnut-sided warbler , common in this location.

I first heard a bird call that was unknown to me as I was seated on my deck with binoculars in hand; I scanned the area below me but could see no movement in the dense growth. I cannot describe the sounds made other than to say, it was unlike any of the resident species that I am able to view from this location

I was seated on my deck focused on storm clouds visible across Memphemagog when below me (50 to 60 feet) away from me i heard a bird call completely unfamiliar to me. Since my habit is to have my binocs with me because of the frequency of avian activity in the wooded edge next to my location on the deck. The edge was about 25-30 feet from my chair. I scanned the area below but could see no movement in the dense brush. But as i was scanning a bird popped up immediately to my right in the wooded edge and I immediately zeroed in on it thinking it might be the bird making the unknown call. I was taken aback by not being able to identify what this bird was so I focused on grasping as many details as i could mentally, so that i could refer to a field guide as soon as the bird had gone. I had approximately 90 to 120 seconds to observe the bird. I did knock on the window behind me in an attempt to alert my wife to this unknown species. However the bird was gone when she got outside of the house.

The bird said warbler all over it in size and in feeding behavior as it angled its body in various poses as it searched for insects. It stuck me as slightly more robust than a chestnut sided warbler.

The most distinctive feature of the head was the black marking somewhat triangular behind and below the eye.

Nothing noted

The overall color of the back was distinctively gray and quite uniform in color.

Nothing noted.

Wing bars (white) stood out

The very bright yellow of the throat was the most obvious marker. Also notable was the way the yellow sharply ended above the belly which was white.

Nothing noted about the tail other than an overall impression of gray.

This bird was unlike any other bird I have seen....there was no confusing of it with any warbler or vireo that I am familiar with. It was simply a bird that stood apart in my birding memory. I had no idea what it was until I was able to determine that it was gone and then i rushed to get my Peterson Guide and immediately was able to confirm it as a YTW. I further confirmed it in Sibley. There simply was nothing close that this bird could be confused with. I know Chestnut sided, yellow throats, yellows, redstarts, black throated green, yellow rumps, cape mays, parulas, blackburnians, no. waterthrush-they are regulars in migration and in breeding here.

In preparing this report I reviewed my initial ebird posting and supplemented that with my memory of the observation.