Field notes, v1549
Page 317
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Remsen, J.V. 1977 White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus June 7 Point Reyes, Marin Co., Calif. I ad. seen along the northernmost row of cypress trees at Mendoza Ranch where it had been found earlier by Don Roberson and Bob Richmond. We arrived at 1315 and left at 1715 having seen or glimpsed the bird about 10 times in that four hour period, and only once were we really able to study the bird - not only was the bird extremely secretive and stayed mainly in the center of the canopy, but the strong winds made finding the bird very difficult. We would find it, get a few glimpses, and then it would disappear for 30 minutes. We were sure that it never left that row of trees. It foraged actively in the cypress foliage and only once did I see it within 20 ft of the ground (I thought this was supposed to be an undergrowth bird!). It sang twice. The song was a short series of harsh, spitting notes, the first few of which sounded like the "chi-di-duc" call of the Summer Tanager, and had an Empidonax quality to it. The following plumage description is based mainly on our last view of the bird when it was seen well at about 20' above the ground in the interior of the cypress trees for a minute. The light was not particularly bright but was adequate for color discrimination. Description: [overall size]: very small for a vireo - about the size and shape of a Hutton's Vireo. [bill]: short, stumpy, dark, and hooked; [head]: the forecrown was a conspicuous, glowing yellow-green - I thought this was the most striking thing about the bird. The major portion of the crown seemed to be a grayish-green; I did not see the nape although Joe Morlan and Tim Manolis said it was gray; the face was mainly grayish; the eye was pale except for a black pupil - this pale iris and dark pupil was seen distinctly;