Today I first checked the hackberry in the extreme ne corner of Section 1 at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins (Larimer). This has been the "hot" tree for the last two weeks. Today, I heard only 1 Black-capped Chickadee in it. The "heat" (i.e., psyllid hatch) has shifted to two hackberries in the northern part of the cemetery, which are roughly in the ne corner of Section E. These trees have a history of producing good birds in relation to the hackberry gall psyllid activity (Yellow-throated and Bay-breasted Warblers, to name two), and that reputation continues with a bird today that caused me considerable confusion. I never got great looks at it but have settled on an ID of fall adult male CAPE MAY WARBLER. I may have the gender wrong, but think the age is right, and, of course I sincerely hope the species is right.
The bird flew from the hackberry nw to a juniper, then to a series of spruce trees to the south. It always stayed up high, gave a barely audible chip, and was exasperatingly unwilling to show itself for more than a second or two a couple times. During the first view I had, which was the best one, it showed well-defined, sharp streaks all the way across the light yellow breast. In one brief view from the side, the yellowish tones on the latter half of the body, both rump and belly/undertail, had a distinctly light green cast. I did not take note of the wingbars except to know there was a light area on the wing (can't say for sure if it was two bars or one big "smudge". It flashed white tail spots in one view. Birds I considered in addition to Cape May were Pine and Palm. Breast streaks seemed too well defined for any Pine plumage. Undertail was not bright yellow as in Palm. Wish I had seen it better and/or gotten any kind of photo.
Additional factors contributing to the identification were its favoring of the tops of spruces, and the date is OK for Cape May at our latitude.
Do not know if this bird is chaseable, but I plan to be over there in the morning and at least check the aforementioned hackberries. FYI, there is also a row of hackberries along the north edge of the cemetery west of the center (i.e., due s of the City Park Liquors store) that also might be worth checking over the next few nice days that will conducive to psyllid hatch (last fall during psyllid emergence these trees attracted both Black-throated Green and Palm Warblers).
I would remind visitors to the cemetery that there is a map of the sections at the entry bridge at the west terminus of Mountain Avenue.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
The bird flew from the hackberry nw to a juniper, then to a series of spruce trees to the south. It always stayed up high, gave a barely audible chip, and was exasperatingly unwilling to show itself for more than a second or two a couple times. During the first view I had, which was the best one, it showed well-defined, sharp streaks all the way across the light yellow breast. In one brief view from the side, the yellowish tones on the latter half of the body, both rump and belly/undertail, had a distinctly light green cast. I did not take note of the wingbars except to know there was a light area on the wing (can't say for sure if it was two bars or one big "smudge". It flashed white tail spots in one view. Birds I considered in addition to Cape May were Pine and Palm. Breast streaks seemed too well defined for any Pine plumage. Undertail was not bright yellow as in Palm. Wish I had seen it better and/or gotten any kind of photo.
Additional factors contributing to the identification were its favoring of the tops of spruces, and the date is OK for Cape May at our latitude.
Do not know if this bird is chaseable, but I plan to be over there in the morning and at least check the aforementioned hackberries. FYI, there is also a row of hackberries along the north edge of the cemetery west of the center (i.e., due s of the City Park Liquors store) that also might be worth checking over the next few nice days that will conducive to psyllid hatch (last fall during psyllid emergence these trees attracted both Black-throated Green and Palm Warblers).
I would remind visitors to the cemetery that there is a map of the sections at the entry bridge at the west terminus of Mountain Avenue.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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