Warbling Vireo | Vireo gilvus | Viréo mélodieux

            During our stay a series of weather systems swept over Pelee Island, bringing sunshine and warmth - and rain and cold. The variability was good for birding, as it created the start stop conditions that bring migrants down. But what favours birders does not necessarily benefit birds.

A quick cold snap one day brought temperatures to near freezing, which put a kill switch on insect activity, causing foraging difficulties for many migrants. The Warbling Vireo above was forced to search for food in the rain-drenched undergrowth, soaking its feathers. The bird was trembling and its wings drooping, not good signs. Hopefully the resiliency of these tiny dynamos allowed it to pull through.

With its soaked feathers I had to think a bit before putting a name to the bird. An additional confusing feature is the black triangle on its forehead. At first I thought it was simply the result of the damp. Closer inspection indicates that it is genuinely black feathers, an interesting example of partial melanism.

Update: Dr. Ian Lawrence Jones, Phd, has indicated that exposure to water can temporarily blacken a single feather while leaving the surrounding tract unchanged in appearance. So probably not partial melanism.

Taken in: Canada / Ontario / Pelee (show map)

Taken on: May 11, 2018

Tags:

Pelee Island

Warbling Vireo

Viréo mélodieux

Fish Point Provincial Park

Ontario

Canada

Nature

Wildlife

Bird

Migration

Migrant

Wet

Stressed

Soaked

1D X Mark II

500mm f/4L IS II

1.4x III Extender

Canon « less

Sets appears in: • Pelee Island

Groups appears in: • Birds • Wildlife Photography more » • Flickr Nature - NO B/W, People, Structures etc • Birds , Birds Birds • Ontario Wildlife • Aves - Birds • Bird Fanatics! (No Limits) • All Ontario Provincial Parks • Unlimited Birds • Bird Images • Beautiful Bird Bokeh • The Nature Conservancy • Wildlife Photographers Central • Canadian Wildlife • Animal Photos! • Canadian Animals and Wildlife • Animals (All Kinds) • Ontario Provincial Parks • Conservation Photography • Birds as Art • Birds in Ontario • Birds Photos - Check out the new discussions! • Birding In The Wild • Birdshare • Vireos of North America • Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Lens (Mk I and II) • Wildscreen Arkive • Point Pelee, Pelee Island • Field Guide - North American Birds • World of Birds • ANIMAL... • Flickr Bird Brigade • Wild Bird Photography • Point Pelee Birds • Wildlife Photographs • AVES DEL MUNDO -- BIRDS OF THE WORLD -- OISEAUX DU MONDE • Canon Extender EF 1.4x III • Conservation Candids • Avibase • THE WORLD OF BIRDS • Wild Birds of North America • Wildscreen Exchange • Canon EOS 1D X Mark II • BIRDS OF ONTARIO • PLANET ANIMAL (animal planet) • Wild Animals in Nature « less

Camera: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec, 700mm, ISO 2500 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
Lens:	EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4x III
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/2000)
Focal Length:	700mm
ISO:	2500
Exposure Bias:	-1/3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6.12 (Macintosh)
Show full info

Stats: 5,617 views / 6 comments