Hi Anne Marie, What a strange mystery! Wild guess here… Any chance you might have seen a Tree Swallow<https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tree_Swallow/overview>? I know it doesn’t seem to match the description: white belly and iridescent blue head, back and wings, which sounds nothing at all like fluorescent green wings and a black body, right? But those iridescent feathers can do crazy color-changing tricks when seen in the right light or from the right angle. If you look at the iridescent feathers from the side<https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/445406761>, they can look matte black. See them straight-on, especially in bright light, and they can flash brilliantly in various shades of blue<https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/443697251> or green<https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/445283421>.
The Tree Swallow is certainly a small, cigar-shaped bird (“cigar-shaped” always makes me think of swallows and swifts), a very fast flier, and likely to be seen flying over a yard near riparian habitat. Often seen catching insects in flight over lawns or meadows, but they nest near water. Similar in size to a sparrow or warbler. We have them nesting in nest boxes in Sapsucker Woods, close to the parking lot, if you want to come see and compare. Hope that helps. If that’s not it, I can’t think what else it could have been! Anyone else out there have ideas? Best, Leo -- Leo Sack Public Programs Assistant Visitor Center & Adelson Library Cornell Lab of Ornithology 607-254-2165 lt...@cornell.edu<mailto:lt...@cornell.edu> birds.cornell.edu/home/visit<https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/visit/> From: bounce-126539648-83239...@list.cornell.edu <bounce-126539648-83239...@list.cornell.edu> On Behalf Of Anne Marie Sheridan Sent: Sunday, May 8, 2022 4:08 PM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Fluorescent green,, black Help me understand what I saw? Freeville, small, (cigar shaped?), wing fluorescent green (a hair down from that towards chartreuse on the spectrum) black body. Flew fast across a yard into riparian woods. I thought it was some warbler, hummingbird I never learned, but I see nothing in the guides. Is there a large butterfly or moth that could have thrown me? I’m really confused. Thanks. Anne Marie Sheridan ’98 Assistant to Senior Associate Dean Beth Ahner Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 269 Roberts Hall Ithaca, NY 14853 phone: 607 255 4677<tel:607%20255%204677> fax: 607 254 4690<tel:607%20254%204690> am...@cornell.edu<mailto:am...@cornell.edu> -- 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/ --
