Sunday, July 11, 2010

Sawfly Sunday: Double Mystery

I'm between field trips and time is short (and soggy - the weather has not been cooperating), so for this quick and late at night Sunday Sawfly I offer one on its way to being a bird dropping.  For those of us who have seen valued plants becoming sawflies of questionable value, this picture snapped in late August 2007 in a lilac bush in my back yard may offer some cheer. But I offer it as a test - who can identify the bird and, far greater challenge, any guesses on the unfortunate sawfly?
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2 comments:

  1. Northern Beauty SeekerJuly 12, 2010 at 1:55 AM

    Is it a Yellow Warbler? This is a pure guess, based on my bird book, as I am trying to identify the fast little yellow birds (usually in pairs) that I keep seeing in the ravine near the creek.

    As to the sawfly - no idea. :-)

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  2. HomeBugGardenerJuly 12, 2010 at 6:03 AM

    Hi Garden Ms S,

    Since the lilac grows above the Creeping Jenny, my guess is that the sawfly is the creepy one I posted on before - and given the relatively late date (17 August), this would suggest that it may have more than one generation a year in my backyard. Of course, this is a guess.

    As for the Confusing 'Fall' warbler, I'm pretty sure it is not a Yellow Warbler - not enough yellow. My vote would be for a Tennessee Warbler (Vermivora peregrina) due to the whitish under tail region, faint eyebrow, and general look (although I'm having to invent faint pale wing bars to complete the id). I'd defer to an actual specialist on this though or, perhaps, to a majority vote (birdwatching not being science)

    Yellow Warblers are common in the ravines - and noticeable because of their bright colour and cheery warble. I never see the Tennessee or the similar Orange Crowned Warblers except during migration - but that is probably because they are not so showy. From about mid-August (sadly, the start of our Autumn) these are the three most common warblers that we have identified in the backyard. There are also a heap of Yellow-rumped and an occasional Redstart or Wilson's Warbler too.

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