Date: 9/13/26 8:15 am From: lwpayne919 via groups.io <lwpayne919...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Juv Yellow Warbler Hayward Shoreline
@ end of W. Winton.
In the last moments of birdwalk around the ponds n waterways there, thru a cyclone fence that borders path to parking lot, some little yellow-gray something darted into a bush.
I didn’t see it exit that bush, but I initially didn’t see it in the bush either…had to wait it out. Finally seeing movement, but unable to determine what it was with binoculars, I just held camera steady aimed at the spot by holding onto outer lens and the fence with the same hand.
It was so exciting! And I had no idea what it was.
Got home, moved photos to laptop, and was so happy to find there were some really good (for me) photos. I resisted Merlining them and pored over birdbooks instead.
Didn’t initially imagine a warbler would have such a large bill, but Peterson’s and Nat’l Geo birdbooks told me otherwise. I tried to turn this into a female Connecticut warbler. But I had to reach out to birdwatching comrades for consultation. Thanks to C. Waterman and his sis for guiding me to the correct ID. I hadn’t known or seen that immature yellow warblers could have such a prominent, perfect white eye ring.
While this didn’t turn out to be a lifer, it was nonetheless a really beautiful experience all around.
Tide was super high, literally lapping at the bottom of the wooden footbridge. There were willets, yellowlegs sp., hunting wt kite and rt hawk, song sparrows, lesser goldfinches, huge #s of barn swallows - a few daintily picking prey from the wavy waterways, crows, ravens. g & s egrets, b phoebes, and CA towhees.
