ML46697831

Age and sex

Adult Male - X

Media notes

Uncropped photo of the MacGillivray's Warbler in the willows.

Observation details

Yes!! First MacGillivray's Warbler for Herschel Island! Copied from field notes: Walking through knee-high willows along the creek, flushed a warbler which flew 20m down the creek. As it flew I quickly noted its bright yellow undersides, belly, and undertail; dusky olive wings and tail; olive-green back and grey hood. I knew immediately that this was an Oporonis-type warbler, though the genus is now Geothypis; so when it landed I focused right on its face to check for white eye crescents or lack thereof. It perched low in the willows for a few seconds and I could see the dark grey hood with blackish lores and white eye crescents; broken in front and behind the eye. I swung my camera on the bird and fires off 4 shots just as it flew, and kept shooting as it flew into the willows about 3 metres away. It seemed certain that I would get a good look, but the bird vanished. I walked up the creek about 200m and then returned to the original spot about 10 minutes later. And suddenly, out of nowhere the warbler flew in and landed 2 metres in front of me. I had a great view and confirmed the fully yellow undersides, grey hood, and bold white eye crescents above and below the eye; also pink legs and dark bill with paler lower base to mandible. And then it was gone - not to be seen again. Follow up note: Checking my camera later, I found that I got fully diagnostic documentation photos of this rare warbler. A first for Herschel Island-Qikiqtaruk.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Lens

EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

ISO

1250

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/1250 sec

Dimensions

2000 pixels x 1333 pixels

Original file size

1.69 MB