ML617784024

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Tentative, will add photos. Photos were taken when bird initially seen, and my views were much worse than the time I took my only couple of frames. Calling repeatedly a thin, upslurred “whit!” as opposed to sharp “pip!” of more expected Hammonds. Gray colored overall, a bit dopey headed but felt shape wise closer to a Hammond’s than Gray. Bill on the larger side, with about half of lower mandible yellow. Views generally poor, but at one point it perched up far down the slope from me for about 30s, occasionally whitting, powerfully flipping tail upwards every couple of whits. I never did observe the mechanical, slow downwards bob I am used to associating with Gray Flycatcher. To be clear, it was really the behavior that pushed me over the fence from Dusky/Gray to Dusky. That tail bob is so reliable I think in that 30s observation I would have seen it at least once, or in any other of my briefer views. I also like that when I first saw it’s head (and was unsure I was looking at the whitting bird, which I had heard first) I thought I could be looking at a Hammonds. That is an impression a gray has never given me.

Technical information

Model

NIKON D500

Lens

150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3

ISO

1250

Focal length

600 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.3

Shutter speed

1/3200 sec

Dimensions

1954 pixels x 1303 pixels

Original file size

1.27 MB