I'm Not The Same As When I Began: Subspecies 2

Brown Booby. Sula leucogaster. This is Sula leucogaster plotus I believe, which is the subspecies that breeds in the Hawaiian Islands. Here in California we get the occasional brewsteri, which can be identified by the male's frosted white head. Photographed on Eastern Island, Midway Atoll. If you look carefully below her bill you can see the head of a newborn chick sticking up.

Nashville Warbler. Vermivora ruficapilla. This is the eastern subspecies Vermivora ruficapilla ruficapilla. V.r. ridgwayi is the western subspecies. Interestingly, genetic testing suggests that each of these subspecies are more closely related to Virginia's Warbler than they are to each other. A future split maybe?  Photographed at Powdermill Nature Preserve, PA.

White-eared Hummingbird (Basilinna leucotis) have 3 recognized subspecies. This is Basilinna leucotis borealis, the northernmost subspecies. The southern subspcies, B. l. pygmaea, makes it all the way south to Nicaragua. Photographed at Miller Canyon, AZ, which is the only reliable place in the country to find them.

Dunlin (with a few Western Sandpipers mixed in). Calidris alpina. I am guessing these are Calidris alpina pacifica, based on where the photo was taken, but obviously you can't determine anything from this picture. There are (up to) 9 subspecies of Dunlin worldwide, earning them the title of World's Most Diverse Shorebird. *NERD ALERT* To see an absolutely insane website on Dunlin subspecies identification, go here. Photographed in Petaluma, CA.

Black-capped Chickadee. Poecile atricapillus. This familiar and friendly bird also sports 9 subspecies, 8 of which occur in the United States. I would be lying if I knew what subspecies this belonged to...lets hope someone doesn't try to split them anytime soon. Photographed a Presque Isle State Park, PA.

It's Just Like Going To A Funeral

A few Philadelphia Vireos graced me with their presence while I was at Presque Isle. This one was in a big flock of warblers, but always kept close to its Ruby-crowned Kinglet buddy. While following the flock around, I knew that whenever I saw the kinglet the vireo would invariably appear a few moments later.



Black-capped Chickadees are one of the friendliest eastern birds. Maybe thats why you can always find a lot of other migrants with them.



Yeah....this was my only well-photographed bird the whole weekend.



There were a lot of Common Map Turtles, which I'd never seen before.



Here's a closer look.



"Traill's" Flycatcher. Either a Alder or a Willow....impossible to know without hearing a call note. Note the mild eye ring, which western Willow Flycatchers lack. Its species like this that make people scared to even look at certain birds....and yes, it is because they are ferocious man-eating predators, not because it is easier to summit Mount Everest than it is to accurately identify them.



If you ever get the chance, drop by Presque Isle for some great birding. Don't do it during a marathon though.

I've Become What I Hate

Good God. Look at this abomination. Two giant, jet black mutant feet. A massive, Hutt-like torso, with some sort of gull head protruding off to one side, all in a guise of angelic whiteness.



Actually, its an unseasonal Tundra Swan hanging out with a gull flock at Presque Isle.



Warblers are not easy to photograph, particularly when you are not posted up at a water source and can have them come to you. That would be too easy. Usually, the pictures you get end up looking like this Magnolia Warbler and Black-capped Chickadee.



But sometimes they come out a little bit better.





Least Flycatcher. This species, and other members of its genus, have been causing aneurysms and epilepsy among birders for as long birders have existed, due to the extreme difficulty in telling them apart.