I'm very uncomfortable with how early it is in September for
Connecticut Warbler. I've known for awhile that some leave their
breeding grounds in mid-to-late August, but those typically migrate
south more in the central US. August records on the east coast, from
what I can tell, are very sparse. Yes, my bird was on Sept 1, but it's
close enough.

I think this temporal anomaly is enough for me to ramp up the scrutiny
and when I awoke this morning I tried to take a hard objective look at
my notes and I don't like them. I don't think I would believe the
sighting if somebody else posted them. Not getting a good look at the
underparts and the much higher probability of other superficially
similar birds like Canada Warbler or Nashville Warbler being around,
combined with the very short time I observed the bird, makes me very
wary. I should've been more detailed and cautious with this bird. So,
for ther record, I'm not counting it. I do think it's worth trying for
though and hopefully I can get back out there today or tomorrow.

Robert Ostrowski
Crofton, MD