ML122152151

Observation details

**late; very bright and straightforward (i.e., not 'Western' Flycatcher) individual first seen feeding within a foot of the ground in sheltered hedge along road and then followed into sheltered NE corner of field where viewed for 20+ minutes and joined by Jeremiah; never heard to call so ID on visual characteristics only; Western Flycatcher eliminates by 1) narrow and even whitish eyering with only slight point at rear and no hint of classic ‘teardrop’ of Western; 2) wings very dark and blackish with strong contrast with wing bars and white-edged tertials; 3) wingbars whitish with faint yellowish cast (vs. buffy); 4) head rounded when relaxed occasionally with small peak when crown feathers raised, but not the more consistent peak of Western. Other key field marks: fairly bright greenish-olive above and on head and nape, throat clear medium yellow, chest with olive cast, belly medium yellow, tail short, broad bill with dark maxilla and orange mandible from below, with maxilla CROSSED (shows well in photos and likely helps explain late presence here, either a deformity or collision injury); very active with nearly constant abrupt tail flicking often in conjunction with wing flicks; ties state late date of 4 Nov with one banded at Wing Island; many photos by Sean, Jeff, and Jeremiah