Observers: Bob Power and various
Email: rcpower@sbcglobal.net
Verification: MONO
Remote Name: 67.170.224.17
Date: 06/18/2007
Time: 05:19 PM -0400
Our Big-day group finished at the County Park on the north west corner of mono lake on Saturday June 16th. As we exited the boardwalk onto the lawn just below (south of) the parking area, I heard a Vireo calling from the bushes that line the east side of the lawn area. I said to the group "great! we get to end the day with a Cassin's Vireo!" We walked closer to the bushes and waited for the bird to make an appearance. The bird popped up in the bushes and my "Cassin's Vireo" had a green crown and yellow throat. We saw the bird briefly in the bushes in full light and then it flew into the Cottonwoods that line the opposite side of the lawn. We tracked it there until it perched and sang and we could get a scope on it. My notes at the time say: darkish bill with a clearly hooked tip to the upper mandible. Yellow throat, contrasting medium green head. Grayish back parts, two light wingbars, whitish underparts. No distinct contrasting white eye-rings or spectacles eliminates other vireos or Nashville warbler. Relative size of the bird (smallish in the 5-6" range) and bill-shape eliminate female western tanager and female bullock's oriole, lesser goldfinch, etc. Call was clearly of a vireo and the bird called consistently. Hooked bill, yellow throat, green head, and two wingbars led to conclusion that this was a Yellow-throated Vireo. I gave up my scope view to others after a good look at the bird and I believe at least 3 other members of our party got diagnostic views of the bird before we lost it. Bob Power Oakland, CA