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December 2006

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Sun, 10 Dec 2006 19:17:28 EST
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Hi All,

This morning Laura Stiefel and I had what was surely a Western Kingbird at
Maumee Bay St Park (Oregon, OH).  While driving east through the cabin area I
spotted a medium-large, songbird with a long tail and dark back.  It was perched
on the tip of a tree just east of the boardwalk parking lot on the north side
of the drive. The bird flushed while I was driving by and landed for just a
second at the tip of another tree a little further east near cabin 12.  The
bird then flew north and landed a good distance away on the north side of a small
pond. It perched facing us with an upright posture with the tail obscured in
the brush.  I was able to see a gray head, heavy bill and a yellow wash across
the belly.

I was considering Western Kingbird and Cassin's Kingbird at this time.  Laura
then asked if I had noticed the white outer tail feathers when the bird had
flown between the two near trees.  I had not, and will blame it on the fact
that I was driving.  At the time Laura commented on the tail feathers she was not
aware that it was a field mark of either of the birds I was considering.
Here is a quote from Laura:  "Even after you mentioned your two possibilities I
would have had to check a book to know if white outer tail feathers fit either
bird."  I think this is important in that it shows Laura as an unbiased
observer of the field mark.

The bird disappeared while I was parking and getting the camera out and could
not be relocated over the next few hours.  At the time of the close
observation of the bird in flight it was slightly side lit, possibly causing the back
to appear slightly darker than it was.  When the bird was perched across the
pond it was in perfect frontal lighting.

I have observed Western Kingbird in several different locations in the sout
hwest in the past few years, including point blank views at Pawnee Grasslands
and in Fort Worth, TX in July of this year.

Other birds of interest observed in the park today include 2- N. Harriers, a
Rough-legged Hawk, 2-Brown Creepers, 5-Snow Buntings, a Greater White-fronted
Goose and a handful of Swamp Sparrows.

Hopefully some or all of the above birds will show themselves again for the
Toledo CBC a week from today.

Good Birding!

BZ

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