[MDOsprey] Re: Late Empid

Robert Ringler (ringler@cct.infi.net)
Thu, 28 Oct 1999 20:18:49 -0700


Marshall, and others,
	Sorry for the delay in responding but e-mail has been a problem 
recently.  Concerning Marshall's question about the late Yellow-bellied 
Flycatchers in the Yellow Book I have in my file 24 reports of October 
Yellow-bellieds.  Of these, three are prior to the modern era (before 
1946), 15 of the 24 are from the 1st to the 10th of the month and the 
other nine from the 11th to the 26th.  The latest eight reports include 6 
bandings and 2 window strikes.  The latest was banded Oct. 26, 1955 in 
Monkton by Steve Simon.  So, in the past 54 years there have been 21 
reports of Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in October, and only 5 of the 21 
would I call field observations.
	I doubt that the bird can be positively identified from the 
description though it is certainly suggestive of one of the "Westerns".  
Is Least Flycatcher definitely ruled out?
	By the way, I do not believe there are an unusual number of 
lingering birds this fall, just an unusual number of talented observers 
in the field doing a good job of reporting.  Wish you were here, 
Marshall, to add a few more lingerers to the list.

Bob Ringler