Prothonotary Warbler

"One of the many fascinating sidelights of the Hiss case was how this rare bird became one of the more enduring symbols of Cold War treachery. It happened before H.U.A.C. in August 1948, when Hiss’s answer to a question about whether he had ever seen a Prothonotary Warbler convinced many people that Hiss was lying about his relationship with Whittaker Chambers.

How well had the two men known each other? Hiss, in his book, In the Court of Public Opinion, maintained that as an avid bird watcher he would have told even casual acquaintances about his rare sighting of a Prothonotary Warbler. 

McDowell underscored Hiss’s contention during the televised confrontation between Hiss and Chambers on August 25, when he said, “I would like to point out Mr. Chairman….that….to discover a rare bird or an unusual bird or identify a bird that many other people have seen is a great discovery in the life of an amateur ornithologist. You can usually recall almost everything around it. It is like winning the ball game or the yacht regatta. You can recall the time of day, how high the sun was, and all the other things.”

On 5-10-2021 we I.D.'d our 31st backyard Warbler species, a male Prothonotary Warbler. Photos really do not do justice to this bird. Nevertheless, here are my photos, proof in case I am ever called before a H.U.A.C. 

 Gunnar