I could hear a bird singing in a tree on Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but I had trouble finding it. Eventually I spotted some movement and was able to track the bird, but it remained mostly hidden. I saw some flashes of yellow and assumed that it was some sort of warbler. I finally managed to get decent shot of it and was anxious to check out my birding guide to see what it was.
When I looked through the warbler section of the book, none of the images seemed to match “my bird.” What else could it be? Suddenly I remembered that a couple of other local photographers had mentioned seeing vireo at this refuge. Could this be a vireo?
The overall coloration and the stunning eye convinced me that this is almost certainly a White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus), a new species for me. This is definitely one of the coolest looking birds that I have seen in a long time. I love the wash of pale yellow on its breast and the darker yellow around its bill. If you click on the image and look carefully at the bill, you will see that it is slightly hooked, which is not the case with warblers.
I went to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website to learn a bit more about the behavior of this species—”White-eyed Vireos hop among branches and make short flights between shrubs, making sure to stay well hidden in the process. Males sing from the edges of understory vegetation all day long, even during the heat of the day.” I still have trouble geolocating a bird on the basis of sound, but can use all the help I can get.
I am currently alternating between looking for birds and looking for dragonflies. At this time of the year, they are found in vastly different habitats, so I have to make a decision when I set out in my car. I am absolutely thrilled that I have already had some success with both birds and dragonflies this spring and look forward to new discoveries.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Those eyes! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
There is something so special about eyes and I usually try to work hard to get eyes that sparkle in the light. With birds, that means that I end up taking multiple shots as the bird changes its head position.
Beautiful!
Thanks.
I have never even heard of this bird. It’s charming. Thanks for the introduction.
It’s amazing how much I manage to learn about nature as I seek to identify the subjects that I photograph. I tend to go to the same small number of places over and over again and still manage to seenew things.
I’m always interested when I can hear birds in the bushes but I can’t see them. Great photo, Mike.
At this time of the year, Dan, the leaves are not fully out, so I feel like I have a fighting chance of finding a bird that is singing. Before long, the birds will be completely hidden and I will give up on them and focus mostly on insects. 🙂
Congratulations, Mike, on a new bird!
We wouldn’t feel right in our wanderings if we didn’t hear the insistent calls of the White-eyed Vireo. Beautiful and curious. A great combination!
Thanks, Wally. I now am a bit more familiar with the calls of the White-eyed Vireo, though I must confess that I am really bad at identifying birds by their calls. 🙂
At least you can hear them, Mike! My inability to hear bird calls is why I must remain married to Gini. She has excellent hearing. (Uh-oh. She can also read ……)
You caught that bright little eye beautifully!
Thanks, Liz. In most of my other shots the head was turned and the eye was not visible. I was so happy in reviewing my shots when I saw that the light was hitting the eye in such a wonderful way.
Always exciting when you spot a new species. Well done Mike!
Thank, Chris. I am not very good at identifying birds in the field and have to rely on my photos and guidebooks after the fact. What that means is that my celebration of a new find is often delayed a bit until I am reviewing my photos on my computer.
Nice pic, Mike!
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Thanks, Mitzy. It was definitely a cool looking bird and I was really happy to be able to get a decent shot of it.
Very nice image Mike!
Thanks, Reed.
Love the creativity in these pictures. Amazing Photography