a Wow! bird

I had a Wow bird this morning. While making my rounds and approaching the head of the marsh I caught a glimpse of brilliant yellow flashing high in the treetops overlooking the marsh. As the bird moved out of its leafy cover, I could see that it was a tanager with a glowing yellow body and a red head (!) as well as clearly marked wing bars (one white, one yellow). Only one bird fits that description: WESTERN TANAGER! This way-out-of-range bird is considered a mere vagrant in the east but it does turn up. I once led a walk in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, where we found a female Western and a few years ago there was a winter bird that frequented a feeder in Baldwin, L.I. But this morning's bird was an early September migrant male in full breeding plumage: a gorgeous sight to behold and a genuine first for the property (not to mention the first that I have seen on Eastern Long Island). My total over the years for this locality is no less than 243 species (and that doesn't include two parrots and two hypotheticals). I called Eileen Schwinn and she came rushing over but we failed to refind the bird. Oh well, that's the fun of bird-watching: you never know! This unexpected arrival was part of one of the best migration mornings in quite a few years. A vireo with a broad white eye stripe, olive/gray head and back (without contrast), and white underparts shading to yellow underneath was a Warbling Vireo -- a bird that nests locally but is not seen much around here. My longer list for the morning included Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Mute Swan, Mallard, Osprey, Wild Turkey (a small covey of five poults and one fat hen), the usual gulls, Royal Tern, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, the three breeding woodpeckers, Eastern Phoebe, Warbling Vireo (but not Red-eyed), jays and crows, fair numbers of Tree Swallows (spin-offs from the huge barrier beach migration), Bank Swallow, chickadees and titmice, the two resident wrens, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Robin, all three mimids, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Western Tanager (!), Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow (no longer on territory), Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles (no longer on territory but in flocks), House Sparrow, and both finches (Gold and House) in good numbers. Eric Salzman