Tag Archives: Townsend’s Solitaire

More July Weirdness – Yellow-rumped Warbler and (pow!) Townsend’s Solitaire

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler (click to see the larger version)

July isn’t the most notable month for rarities at Montrose, but this July is proving to be the exception to that rule. On July 18 I found an adult male Yellow-rumped Warbler in full breeding plumage. I can’t think of a month less likely for Yellow-rumpeds in Chicago than July. Yellow-rumped Warblers nest in the northern United States and throughout Canada and that’s where they should be in July. Talk about an anomaly.

Even more anomalous than a July Yellow-rumped Warbler is a July Townsend’s Solitaire. On July 18 Mark Kolasa found one at Montrose. Townsend’s Solitaires are birds of the western United States and Canada and shouldn’t be anywhere near Illinois or the Midwest in July, though they are rare but regular visitors to our state in winter. This bird was seriously misoriented, but remember, the misoriented birds make birding magical.

Townsend’s Solitaire, November 16, 2011

Townsend's Solitaire

Townsend's Solitaire. Photo by Josh Engel (click to see a larger version).

Josh Engel found a Townsend’s Solitaire at Montrose on the morning of November 16. Unfortunately, this bird was literally a one hour wonder and was seen by only a handful of people. Ironically this bird fed on berries in the same tree that the Sage Thrasher had been using. This is only the second record of this species for Montrose, the first being in 2008.