Geothlypis tolmiei

The oh-s0-skulky MacGillivray's Warbler. I came upon this male singing in plain view towards the end of my hike around the north end of the Valley this morning. It's common enough to hear this bird, but rather rare to see it. Generally it hops about the depths of dense thickets. I followed this one around for a while as he flitted from tree to tree, warbling his little heart out. MacGillivray's sports a distinguished outfit: bright yellow belly, dark gray head, and white arcs around the eyes. It's a western-ranging species; its nearly identical counterpart, the Mourning Warbler, lives in the east.