After good luck with the Yellow-throated Vireo and Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Robbie Fischer, Andy Lazere and I decided to look for the Pine Warbler which had been reported at the northwest corner of Area #2 at El Dorado Park along with the Dusky-capped Flycatcher. The bird was apparently first found on 11/26/98 by Tom Wurster. Eventually Todd McGrath arrived and told us that he had spoken to some people who had seen the Pine Warbler in the morning near Call Box #2 which we eventually located at the south end of the lake. About 12:45pm we gave up and just as we were leaving we got a call that Leo Ohtsuki had located the Pine Warbler adjacent to another small lake south of the call box. We all ran back and were afforded good views of this bright male Pine Warbler for several minutes.

The following is based on notes taken during and immediately after the observation:

An average-sized warbler about the same size as nearby Yellow-rumped Warblers. The bill was decidedly larger than most warblers, thicker with a curved culmen and pale coloration. But the bill was pointed at the tip, not hooked. The upperparts were olive-green including the unstreaked crown, back and face. Most distinctive was a blackish patch around the base of the upper mandible that may have been dried nectar similar to that often seen on Ruby-crowned Kinglets. The chin, throat and breast were bright yellow, contrasting with the olive face and ear-coverts. These dark ear-coverts were separated from the nape by a projection of yellow up the side of the neck. The dark eyes had a thick yellowish crescent above and below. The sides of the breast showed faint dark streaks and the rump and uppertail coverts were a pale olive color, contrasting somewhat with the darker olive back.

The belly was dingy white, not bright white. The tail was very long, its length accentuated by the relatively short undertail coverts. Elongated, wedge-shaped tail spots were visible on the underside of the tail.

The bird showed strong white wing-bars and dark legs. In flight, a high "seep" note was heard, but the more typical chip-note was not heard.

DISCUSSION

There is speculation that this may be the same bird which wintered at the Southwest corner of Area #1 last year. This bird is brighter than that bird and it is not in the same area so I would regard it as "possibly the same" which means I regard it as different for statistical purposes.