Vireos (or Warblers), Kites (really Ospreys) and Falcons (probably Flamingo) oh my! (24-25Sep2014)

I have been staring at these photos I took yesterday of a vireo (really Pine Warbler) that was loosely associating in a mixed flock with Red-eyed, White-eyed and one Philadelphia but it was kind of off to itself.  At the time I remember thinking this is a very strange looking vireo (probably because its not a Vireo), it has the yellowish or almost peach colored wash throughout underneath closest to a Philly and the eye ring and grayish head of a Blue-headed (must have been an illusion).  It also had two faint wing bars.  The bill had a hooked appearance (at least I thought it did) but much smaller than your typical vireo bills in this area.   I lost it after a couple minutes and tried looking at my view finder but my camera stinks and so I told myself a positive ID would have to wait until I could get the pictures on my computer.

The light was bad, it was early in the morning on an overcast day but I did get great looks with my binoculars.  It was flicking its tail around and actively feeding but at the time I did not really think of this as behavior that would help in the ID.

Now that I have looked through multiple books and pictures online, I think I may have had a Bell's Vireo.  What do you think? (Its really a Pine Warbler - it just tricked me).

This was at Fort Fisher in the big oaks South of the museum mounds.

Pine Warblers are evil.

If it is a Bell's, sorry I did not post sooner, I had a crazy day at work yesterday and then today as well (Don't worry its a stinking Pine Warbler).

This morning I went back to Ft. Fisher and got lots more goodies but again the light was poor so photos were nearly impossible.  If you look closely you will find another horrible photo of a Philadelphia Vireo.

Philadelphia Vireo - yellow underneath, semi circles under and over eye.

Later this evening after work I headed out for a quick bird at Wade Park.

These Mississippi Kites (really Osprey) were circling over my house.  I messed up bad on this ID, they were soaring like kites twirling around and so I didn't even bother scrutinizing but now I see they are Osprey.  The one on the right still looks like a Kite to me, but I guess I need to work on my raptor silouhette ID.

White-eyed Vireo at Wade Park.

Then as I was about to leave, I spotted this beauty circling amongst the hundreds of Chimney Swifts.  At first I thought it was a Mississippi Kite the way it was soaring with no wing beats, but then I saw this was a Falcon!!

Light was very poor but I saw mask with binocs. Very dark underneath but way bigger than a Merlin. It was a Peregrine.  Don't worry I am not "counting" this bird, I have Peregrine already.

Not a bad couple of days barring the "trespassing" incident  with the police at Fort Fisher.  Don't get me started on that.

This is one of the reasons I am doing my big year as a photo big year because I don't trust myself with reliable IDs and value outside comments.  Makes you wonder how many birds other birders post about may be wrong.  Without a photo its hard to tell.

Great times.