Yellow Bird at Arkendo Wastewater Treatment Plt - Reuven?

[BetCrooks]

I'm hoping someone can help me, particularly Reuven might since he had reported a warbler at this location earlier in the winter.

Today for a second or so, despite a biting wind, I saw a bird that had vivid yellow on a fairly large area. It was foraging near ground level in a dense thicket of bare branches of shrubs along the east fence line of the wastewater treatment plant just north of Arkendo Park in Oakville. I had stopped to watch a group of 15 robins that were picking something (downed midges?) off the cement at the sides of the water lagoons when the movement of this little bird caught my attention.

It was warbler-sized and the yellow I could see was as bright as a summer plumage Am goldfinch.

I never got a clear line of sight on it. A van drove into the treatment plant, which startled up the mallards in the ponds, the robins on the deck, and this little guy, who flew further down along the fenceline staying in the shrubs. I didn't spot it easily again and since I was feeling the cold I deliberately left the area so as to reduce the chance of spooking it again as it must be close to starving/freezing if it actually is a warbler.

I really can't report this bird because it's almost impossible to guess what it is based on my photos. But I'm happy to hear opinions, especially from anyone who's been at the area recently and who may have seen it. (e.g. if anyone saw a full-summer-plumage goldfinch, I'll have to accept that it wasn't a warbler regardless of my general feeling about its shape and behaviour!)

If anyone feels they can make a definitive id I will, of course, post it to eBird with these fuzzy photos.

Thanks!

[attachment=2:14x8keb5]YellowBirdArkendoWastewaterPlantJan52016A.jpg[/attachment:14x8keb5]

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[BetCrooks]

last fuzzy one

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[Pat Hodgson]

I think you can see enough of the wing to be sure this is not a goldfinch.  It certainly looks like a yellow warbler but hard to be certain.  Seems much too bright for orange-crowned.

[Reuven_M]

This is the same male Wilson's Warbler that has been here since mid-November at least. You can see the black cap and wing/tail posture. As you found, it is extremely secretive, I've been there about six times, at least an hour each, since I first saw this Wilson's on November 14, and I doubt I've totaled a full minute of having it in view!

[Reuven_M]

I should add that this is the first sighting I believe since December 18th

[BetCrooks]

Thanks, Reuven! I guess I should report it to eBird even those these photos are pretty poor, so the record is up to date.

And thanks, Pat, for the confirmation that it IS a warbler: everything about its behaviour said it was but I know goldfinches are way more common in winter than warblers that have managed to hang on.

Thanks again.