ML619116959

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Huge surprise! While listening to the House Wren I heard a call coming from far south beyond it that I thought sounded a lot like the downward slurred whistle ‘teew’ of the Swinhoe’s White-eyes that have been visiting my home in Normandy Park for over 300 days (overwintering) and which I have also observed at the Des Moines Marina. A few seconds later I thought I heard the call again but I was on the phone with an ear piece in one ear and so I told my mom that I thought I might have a rare bird - got to go! I hung up to listen with both ears and sure enough I heard what sounded very good for the repeating ‘teew’ whistle calls of SWWE and I couldn’t think of what else it might be. I figured there was no harm in playing for a Swinhoe’s White-eye if one wasn’t around so I played the calls from the Merlin app - immediately a White-eye flew in from the south into the bare branches right above me allowing for great looks (at the House Wren coordinates, here: 47.4192220, -122.2745611). So cool!!! Small energetic warbler-like passerine with gray underparts (including gray flanks), yellow UTCs, greenish yellow upperparts, a yellow throat (brighter than the greenish upperparts including the rest of the head), a prominent white eyering, darkness and definition in the lores (eliminating Indian White-eye), and a short tail - a very familiar ‘yard bird’ to me at this point but shocking to see in yet another location. I recorded audio including some that captures flight calls and took many photos as well. The White-eye passed north over me and over 204th street to chill in the willows to the north for a bit before moving off further north. Seen again the following day at the same coordinates by myself, Nadine D., and Marv Breece.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS R5

Lens

RF800mm F11 IS STM

ISO

4000

Focal length

800 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/11.0

Shutter speed

1/1250 sec

Dimensions

2293 pixels x 1529 pixels

Original file size

770.26 KB