Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 17:12:50 -0700 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Steve Noyes Subject: Epidonax flycatcher ID ? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi all, A question for the Epidonax specialists out there. While atlasing today in southern PG county, I saw what I thought to be a WILLOW flycatcher. I found two different descriptions for willows in different field guides. The bird had quite distinctive, but ragged, WHITISH wingbars, an epidonax crest and its back was quite uniformally brownish-gray with slight greenish tint. It did not sing and was busy "flycatching" I was in an upland woods but in a small sunny clearing and it perched in the full sun so I got good looks at color. No yellowish tinge that I could see. The Natl Geo Guide which I had with me stated that the willow does not have as prominent an eye ring as the other Epidonaxes but the Golden guide shows a fairly prominent eye ring. I saw just a hint of any eye ring; what I saw looked most like the Epidonax trailii in my Natl Geo The underside was a very light brown/gray with a lighter streak running from neck to belly. Any ideas on what this might have been?Without singing, I couldn't be sure; would have loved to have heard the fitz-beuw. If it was a willow, it's the first one of the year for me. I also wondered if young flycatchers would lack a PROMINENT eye ring of an adult.The rest of the bird looked adult. I also saw a pair of copulating scarlet tanagers (as soon as I spotted a female land, a male arrived and "hopped on"), carolina wren fledglings (3 together), a tufted titmice fledgling, a pair of wood thrushes foraging, and an ovenbird carrying food. Steve Noyes, Beltsville PG County noyessh@yahoo.com --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= Sign-up for Video Highlights of 2002 FIFA World Cup =========================================================================