A veritable flotilla of Yellow-breasted Sapsuckers came in last night. There were at least a dozen (probably more), mostly clustered in an around the dead trees at the head of the marsh and flying from tree to tree to tree. This bird, with its inimitable moniker, is a regular migrant and winter visiter here but I have never seen so many of them at once.
Check the picture below. Eileen Schwinn had Blackpoll Warblers in 'confusing fall warbler' plumage on Monday and managed to get a fairly good photo. If you can blow this photo up (or look at it in Preview) you can see -- barely -- most of the features that distinguish it from the very similar fall Bay-breasted and Pine Warblers. These include light breast streaking on a greenish/yellowish breast, white wingbars, heavier back streaking, white undertail coverts and yellow feet and legs. Spring males are black and white so this is quite a change. These birds are on their way to South America, flying up to 1800 miles or more, one of the longest ; many Blackpools are known to do the longest part of their fall flight over the open Atlantic!
Eric Salzman
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