ML642811880

Observation details

Andy Engilis reported a Plumbeous Vireo from this location earlier in the day. My first view of this bird was from directly underneath as seen in the first two photos. The bird was backlit but from what I could see it seemed quite pale underneath with little indication of color. As I watched it from underneath I got occasional glimpses of the head pattern which seemed wrong for PLVI, however, and I never got a good look at the back or wings before I lost the bird. Later I encountered "another" vireo (photos 3-5) that clearly showed quite a bit of yellow underneath and in the wing panel as well as having a CAVI head pattern, so I figured I had two different birds. But look at the bill -- the deformed upper mandible (Cassin's Crossbill-Vireo?) clearly indicates that there was only one bird, and what these photos really demonstrate is how malleable the perception of yellow/white can be under different lighting conditions.