Just a thought, and an inference based on passerines (Red winged blackbirds): Late fledged males were also likely to turn up in spring with more juvenile plumage—orange-y epaulet, small epaulet, lots of light edging to the feathers or some downright brown. Naturally my sample is small because we always got few returns of banded males. BUT if climate change makes breeding seasons longer, by extending the dates by which late nesters or renesters have to have fledged their young in order for them to migrate successfully, maybe we will also see a wider range of plumage transitions to adult/breeding because some of the transitioners are really younger.
A theory supported by very little data... > On Feb 24, 2019, at 8:25 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@me.com> wrote: > > Thanks, Bob, for leading a fine field trip, including timing our stop at > Sheldrake Point just when the front came through, which was fun to see, and > only a little wet. > > While the species we saw on the ponds at Union Springs were expected, they > included an individual which I found interesting. On the Factory Street pond, > a pair of Buffleheads were moving together, with the male following the > female, yet trying to stay ahead of her and in her view while also mimicking > her movements - classic courtship/pursuit. > > But the behavioral male did not have the the typical male Bufflehead breeding > plumage with the huge circle of white encompassing the back of the head, and > the bright white neck, breast and sides. > > Instead, he looked a lot like the female, with an oblong white mark behind > the eye that was only a little broader than usual on an otherwise dark head, > and gray sides that, instead of being plain, faded to white toward the top > and faded to a paler whitish breast and even whiter toward the top of the > neck. Sibley shows this plumage for non-breeding males from June through > September, when Buffleheads are much less commonly reported around Cayuga > Lake, so I don’t recall seeing it well before. > > But why would he wear it now in late February? I have 2 guesses. > > Perhaps this is an adult male who for some reason has not molted out the > non-breeding plumage on time. In other words, this individual bird and Sibley > disagree on the timing of this molt. > > My other guess is that perhaps the reason we saw it in late February was that > this was a young male. Sibley shows first winter males (“Nov-Jul, variable”) > as extremely similar to females: The only difference I see is that the male’s > head is more black while the female’s is very dark gray, but each has > essentially the same oblong white mark behind the eye, and plain gray on > sides, breast & neck. > > But at some point the young male must transition to typical male breeding > plumage. Do they go through an intermediate stage in late winter which looks > like the non-breeding male in summer? > > If anyone else knows better why this June-to-September plumage would be > evident in late February, I am very curious. By the way, his feet and legs > were also dull in color rather than the bright pink that breeding-plumage > males show. > > - - Dave Nutter > > On Feb 24, 2019, at 5:14 PM, bob mcguire <bmcgu...@clarityconnect.com > <mailto:bmcgu...@clarityconnect.com>> wrote: > >> In spite of the dire weather prediction for today, four folks showed up to >> join me for a drive around the lake. I will save a full report for the CBC >> March newsletter, but want to share the highlights now. A FOY >> (first-of-year) KILLDEER greeted us as we got out of the cars at Myers, >> foraging on the gravel bar along side the creek. We also had a variety of >> ducks, including 3 Long-tailed Ducks and 3 White-winged Scoters (birds that >> have been there for the past few weeks). >> >> We received the RBA message of a BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Groton, which would >> have been a life bird for several of us, and decided to chase it. By the >> time we got there the flock of 35 waxwings (as reported) had dwindled to 32, >> and the Bohemian was missing! >> >> Somewhat disappointed, we continued north and encountered a large flock of >> Snow Buntings (approx 500) along Davis Road. They were far back in the corn >> stubble, constantly in flight and, try as we might, we were unable to pick >> out any Lapland Longspurs. >> >> Aurora Bay was empty of grebes; there was no sign of Friday’s Gyrfalcon in >> the vicinity of Great Gully (didn’t really expect it to be that >> cooperative). >> >> We found a few Green-winged Teal along the shore to the north of Frontenac >> Park. There was nothing out of the ordinary on the ponds in Union Springs >> nor on the water at Mud Lock. >> >> Next we checked the Finger Lakes airport for Snowy Owls (none) and the area >> of the quarry for Gyrfalcon (nothing). >> >> The view from Sheldarake Park was unremarkable. And from there we ran ahead >> of the cold front (wind and rain) all the way home. >> >> Bob McGuire >> -- >> >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >> >> ARCHIVES: >> 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> >> 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds >> <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> >> 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html >> <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> >> >> Please submit your observations to eBird: >> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> >> >> -- >> > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > Archives: > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > Please submit your observations to eBird <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! > -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
