ML528457591

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Almost certainly an Alder Flycatcher, but no calls heard. ID tentatively endorsed by Jon Dunn and Philip Unitt. I have uploaded four photos which have been scanned from slides (so colors and contrasts are probably not completely true). Following are notes verbatim from my notebook, written ad ay or two later but based on quick notes made in the field. "Shortly after getting out of the car we stumbled into an Empidonax that immediately struck me as an "eastern" bird, yet clearly a "Traill's" type. The "eastern" conclusion was based on the blackness of the tertials w=and the crisp yellowish-white borders to the tertials and secondaries. The bird was so distinctly different from a typical western Willow Flycatcher that I looked very carefully to make certain it really was a "Traill's" flycatcher and not a Least, Hammond's or some other species. I watched the bird for about fifteen minutes as it perched generally at or below eye level in the mesquites. Lighting was excellent. I used the Kowa scope for some views, but spent a good deal of the time with the camera. I took about 8 shots, mostly distant but perhaps will show the bird reasonably well." I only jotted a few notes in my field notebook. They read "Empid (Alder?). Thin eye ring and pale supraloral. Bold blackish tertials brightly [edged] buff-white. Very greenish above for Traill's. White throat. Tail flick up. Cinnamon buff wingbars = juv. No calls. Pale sharp outer web to outer rectrices." There follows in my field notes a six paragraph detailed description of the bird – too long to repeat here. But the section in my note on “Identification” reads as follows: “The fairly large size, long and broad bill, very thin eye ring, extensive white throat, long tail, and overall color clearly showed this bird to be a “Traill’s” flycatcher in the broad sense. My experience with Alder Flycatcher is limited to birds on the breeding ground (usually singing at a distance, and with rather worn plumage). I’ve been pretty well-versed from CBRC proceedings and Phil Unitt’s work to know that to expect with Alder, and of course am very familiar with brewsteri Willow Flycatchers, and abundant migrant through southern California. The wing pattern on this bird immediately set it apart from any western Willows I have seen, and the overall greenish tones were also quite different; the thin but fairly evident eye ring was another departure from western Willow. Without calls being heard I realize the differentiation from eastern Willows is problematical at best, The fairly strong greenish tones to the upperparts and head, and the uniformity of the crown, face, hindneck and upperparts might argue for Alder, but these are subtle characters and probably should not form the basis of a first state (Sonora) record. [Note – in the interim between then and now (2023) I have seen many more good photos of Alder Flycatchers and feel strongly that this birds characters fit that taxon better than any eastern (nominate traillii) Willow Flycatcher. I finally had access to a slide scanner so decided to amplify my eBird notes on this bird and change the ID to Alder; alternative opinions are welcome.]

Technical information

Model

96660

ISO

50

Focal length

2.8 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/1.8

Shutter speed

1/17 sec

Dimensions

3764 pixels x 2521 pixels

Original file size

1.84 MB