This morning I ran over to Sana Ana NWR to look for butterflies. As I walked to the visitor's center a calling Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet was a good omen for what would prove to be a great morning. After checking in I immediately found my first Boisduval's Yellow for the refuge. And then plenty more good butterflies along the trail on the north side of Willow Lake. After working the trail that crosses the lake at the fourth overlook, I sat down for a rest on the concrete water intake and was admiring my photos of Silver-banded Hairstreaks when I head a very familiar "see-ooo" call. It took me a minute. Not Social Flycatcher and not a Rose-throated Becard.... hmmm.... Crimson-collared Grosbeak!
I have been fooled by Green Jays making very similar calls so I wasn't going to get too excited. I whistled an immitation of the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl and Black-crested Titmice got excited and and scolded me. And then a basic plumaged Crimson-collared Grosbeak landed right over my head. Wow!!!
A closer look at this bird seems to reveal a pale gape indicative of a newly fleged bird. Most of the birds had their moths open on this hot humid morning. I don't know what that pale ring around the eye is about unless it's flaking off the sheaths of newly sprouting feathers.
After I got home I posted the first photo above on Facebook and quickly recieved lots of positive feedback. Most interesting was a comment by nationally renowned birder and author Kenn Kaufman. He stated the first Crimson-collared Grosbeak in the United States was also found in June in 1974 and most of the others have been during winter. The TOS Handbook of Texas birds says all the other records have been between November and May. So this bird represents the first June record since the intial find fifty years ago.
And if this is a newly fledged bird, where did it come from? Did it wander over from Mexico or did we have a successful nesting on this side of the border? Anyway, Happy 50th Anniversary!
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