Blackburnian Warbler

["William J. Hunter" <dixiewili at redrock dot net>]

No use to come a runnin' as it's passed on through. This is proving to be an
exciting fall for migrants.

* * * * * *

Here's one for you. A warbler, this morning (9/5/03), slightly smaller than
an Audubon's, a dark olive drab dorsally, with a brilliant yellow eye line;
yellow throat, flanks and belly. When it faces me in real life 20 feet away
(no magnification) it had the prettiest rusty-orange breast, w/o stripping.
Double white wing bars very prominent. No eye ring. It had "fallen out" of
one of the thunder storms this morning, or was just migrating. It was by my
garbage can in the Pyracantha. Moved into the gray-leaf Cotoneaster and then
in to a Texas Privet, and once on the ground. Beautiful bird. I studied
hard, 'cause I knew there wouldn't be time to go and get my binocs. Definite
stripping on the back - 1, 2 stripes?. What do I think... Blackburnian
Warbler. The upper breast and lower throat had a beautiful orange, not
brilliant, but rich. The rest of the bird (dorsally) was an olive-drab
(green) color. No mistake. And no mistaking the bright and bold yellow eye
stripe. A lot of birds have the eye stripe, but not the orange breast
w/double wing bars.

What comes to your mind?

Date: 9/5/03
Time: 11:17am
Observation: 3-4 minutes
Weather: Sunny, 86 degrees, following a morning desert thunder storm(s) that
lasted most of the morning hours, mellowing about 7am.
Distance from subject: 20 feet, 15 feet; front lighting. Bird not timid
would perch and look directly at me. Never showed any "fear" and was very
accommodating, but was moving north. Lost it when it flew across street and
I came in to put my powers of observation to work. I had never seen one
before, but knew that was what it was before even opening a book. Alas, no
pictures, no witnesses.

Bill

Dixie Willie
SunRiver St. George