some thoughts on Bell's Vireo

The Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii) that I found here on Sunday is a representative of a wide ranging species that nests from California through the southwest and then north from Texas to North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin and eastward to Indiana. There are many records of this bird appearing still further east although East Coast records are rare and many observations have not been accepted mainly because of possible confusion with young (i.e. bird-of-the-year) White-eyed Vireos which have a dark eye and white spectacles. The West Coast subspecies, known as the Least Bell's Vireo (pusillanus) has been declining and has been declared a threatened or endangered form but the nominate subspecies (bellii) which has a much wider range, does not seem to be in trouble. This bird is almost always described as drab (as in Bull's Birds of New York State or in the various on-line references) but this description really applies only to the Least Bell's Vireo which seems to have gotten all the publicity because of its status. In fact, Eastern Bell's Vireos are quite pretty little sprites with gray heads, somewhat indistinct white spectacles, olive back, white breast and belly and a bright yellow wash that extends from sides of the breast to the lower underparts. Not drab at all. In fact, seen from the rear, the underparts seem quite bright yellow and the color effect is enhanced by the constant tail flicking and occasional wing flicking that accompanies the bird's relentless and highly active search for food. The indistinct spectacles, incessant activity, tail (and wing) flicking, and the bright yellow on the vent all serve to distinguish the Eastern Bell's Vireo (the only one we are very likely to see) from the young White-eyed Vireo which is why I have no doubts about what we saw!

Did I say that all the Royal Terns have disappeared? There was a whole bunch of them on Weesuck Creek this morning, calling loudly and diving; they were apparently following a fish run from the bay up the creek. However a barge appeared on the creek led by a swan (it looked like the swan was towing the barge like a scene out of Wagner's Lohengrin but the barge was actually being pushed by a tugboat) and the terns cleared out (eventually so did the swan). Except for that flurry, there hasn't been much in the way of bird activity in the past couple of days, probably due to the change in weather and the persistence of south (southwest or southeast) winds. In addition of to a few Ospreys, the only raptor seen was a single Merlin which came zipping across the creek and marsh yesterday morning.

Eric Salzman