Comments on: My Life’s Birds: #364

By: Jochen

Jochen — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:05:19 +0000

@Ali and Nate: that technique would get you in real trouble around the Great Lakes…

By: Nate

Nate — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:10:49 +0000

@Ali- Not a bad plan. I, too, generally assume Acadian unless given a reason otherwise.

By: Ali Iyoob

Ali Iyoob — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 01:29:39 +0000

My best technique is to play the calls of them, if it is in the fall. Other than that, they’re all Acadians to me!

By: Nate

Nate — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:42:25 +0000

@jochen- touche. And I want no part of your old world warblers. Now that’s some seriously heart-stopping stuff!

By: Jochen

Jochen — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:07:27 +0000

Oh, it seems Empids are even much harder than I realized. I mean, how much can you even trust their vocalizations when they frequently hybridize, what with being “…-bastard-Flycatchers”.

And if primary projection is a demon to you, come over to Europe with its Phylloscopus and Acrosephalus warblers for a crash course. Highly recommended – you know – NOT!

Cheers, Nate,very nice post.

By: Nate

Nate — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:04:42 +0000

@Robert- I’ve thought quiet Pewees were Willows on a few occasions only to have the bird in question sing just as I’m starting to get confident with my identification. That can be a notoriously difficult call.

@Jason- I’ve had a handful of birds that I can remember, mostly in fall, that I think were good candidates for Yellow-bellied or Alder, the least common migrants in my area, but even with drop-dead perfect eye to eye looks I’ve been too gun-shy to make the call without a bird vocalizing, which it invariably never does. On those occasions my language is likely a bit more, shall we say, “salty” than I indicate here.

By: jason

jason — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:23:19 +0000

Hysterically true! We only have one resident species; the rest just pass through. That makes identification easy in summer, but early migrants in spring and autumn make it a call-or-nothing ordeal with putting a name to the face. (Though admittedly some are easier to ID than others, as you point out, but mostly they’re of your expertly called “Why-won’t-you-effing-call-you-bastard Flycatcher” variety.)

Thankfully we can always fall back on our scissor-tails and vermilions to get a few flycatcher notches without all the frustration!

By: Robert Mortensen

Robert Mortensen — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:56:16 +0000

Amen to that! I hear ya brother. In my neck of the woods I still struggle with very similar appearing tyrants like Wood-pewees and Olive-sided adding to that the Empids like Willow. I am finally starting to learn their calls and can pick out Wood-pewees with confidence. I look forward to this Spring and Summer to sharpen my flycatcher skills.