Doug Weidemann's pictures - Yellow-green Vireo - Sept. 6, 2010

Here are Doug Weidemann's photos of the Yellow-green Vireo from September 6, 2010. The Yellow-green Vireo was first found at Cannon Road (AKA Old Cannon Road Pond) on August 4, 2010 by Dan Jones http://antshrike.blogspot.com/2010/08/yellow-green-vireo-at-canon-road-8-4-10.html. Reports for the past week have been negative, and Red-eyed Vireos are migrating through now - just to complicate things!

Yellow-green Vireos are nearly impossible to locate after they quit singing (especially as the use of playback is not allowed here). Doug and Don Weidemann relocated the bird by checking each tree carefully according to their post to TEXBIRDS - and at some point the bird did start singing. Note especially the blurry face pattern in the first picture - and the full tail. When I saw this bird on August 22 the bird was in molt and the tail was but a stub - or I had a different bird; early reports were of two birds. The song is somewhat similar to a Red-eyed Vireo but more clipped and - dare I say it - House Sparrow-like. Listen a song on Xeno-canto here: http://xeno-canto.org/recording.php?XC=28870

The use of playback is not allowed at this site as it is USFWS Lower Rio Grande NWR land. The use of playback is not allowed at most LRGV sites.