Lifer Gained, Lifer Lost

I always depend on getting an image to identify peculiar birds.  It is easy, take a picture and share it among the experts both local or on the internet, most often than not, a positive ID is made.  Easy Peasy! This all changed when my trusted work horse of a lens, my Sigma 120-400mm, suddenly developed a fault, rendering it unusable, now positively identifying these strange birds has become 100% more difficult.  This fact was cemented on Monday when I added a new lifer, my 138^th for the island but also lost one because I was unable to make a positive identification.  This is what happened:

Lifer Gained

On Tuesday November 27^th my birding pal, Jason, and I visited The Turners Hall Woods (THW) in the Parish of St. Andrew in search of migrating warblers.   Historically THW is a good birding spot for migrating warblers from late November to mid –February but for various reasons it is not used for birding very often.  Jason and I started birding around 9:00 am, stopping and phishing at various clearings and attracting the usual suspects – Yellow Warbler, Black-whiskered Vireo, Caribbean Elaenia, Barbados Bullfinch and the ubiquitous Carib Grackles.  We came to a point, a depression in the woods where I found my first and only American Redstart a few years ago.  Phishing at that location brought a yellow bird from high in the canopy.  At first we thought it to be a Yellow Warbler, then we saw the white undertail and quickly recognized it as a Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea).  This bird became my 138^th local lifer, 104^th year bird and my 5^th lifer for 2018.  That was the lifer gained.

The Lifer Lost

We saw this bird as we were leaving THW. Unlike the case with the Prothonotary Warbler, I was unable to identify this bird straight away so I made an audio recording describing what I saw as the bird hung around feeding for 3-5 minutes. The bird was pale, with white underparts and grayish uppers. The head was slightly darker, dustier than the back, no supercilium or eye ring of note.  We mainly saw the bird from its underparts but on one occasion were able to see a bright white wingbar.  The bird’s appearance was slim, and longish, not as round as a Yellow Warbler but about the same size.  I contacted Ed Massiah, our local expert and with my description he suggested, tentatively, Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens), a bird he himself saw at this location some years ago.  I ruled that out after examining images of that warbler, mainly because the female’s underparts were not white enough and the males black throat.  If the female had the male’s white belly with a less pronounced supercilium that would be our bird.  If I had my lens and camera, by now I would have had a positive identification but for now until it is repaired or replaced I will have to sharpen my live “real time” birding skills.  This maybe a blessing in disguise.

Any suggestions?

Here is a list of Warblers recorded at Turner’s Hall Wood between November to February:

• American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla 
• Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia
• Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens
• Kentucky Warbler Geothlypis formosa
• Northern Parula - Setophaga americana  
• Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
• Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea
• Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum - 1st Record for Barbados