ML34811491

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

*Very interesting bird though *probably* just an off-Black-capped. On the logpath by Gull Pond I played some screech playback and several chickadees appeared; as the play continued probably 20 or more birds arrived and I stopped so as not to disrupt them further. As I was sifting through the birds for a stray vireo etc, one caught my eye. This bird seemed slightly smaller, grayer, and dingier overall than a Black-capped. I looked away for a moment and (it?) called; I spun around because the call was higher and harsher and immediately recalled Carolinas I have heard very well in my trips to the south. I looked more seriously at the bird but did not take photos right away and now I regret that; bird appeared to lack much (any?) white edging on the primaries which really piqued my interest. In addition, the auricular white seems to fade into gray towards the rear and would not appear to be so extensive as it should. Throat patch is in aggressive molt and shadow so I don't think it is a relevant mark in this case, but who knows. Overall, this bird just seemed different from the Black-cappeds I see and love every day. I have fairly extensive experience with CACH in Virginia, DC, Georgia, and Florida. If I had to make a call, I don't think I would, simply because I can't make much out from the *1* photo I obtained and don't know enough about the patterns of occurence or even hybridization among these species. Just something to note but doubt it could be anything more than that.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D

Lens

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L

ISO

400

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/800 sec

Dimensions

3162 pixels x 2108 pixels

Original file size

2.27 MB