Hello,
Sorry for the late post, but I forgot to post this after alluding to it in my previous post. Anyway, while hiking the Chesapeake Forest trail off of Puckum Rd, north of Eldorado, Dorchester Co. on 5/27, I heard a flycatcher song that I was unfamiliar with. My best description is a two syllable song. The first was a 'phwew' note, part whistle, but slightly burry. (by 'burry', think Yellow-throated Vireo or Scarlet Tanager chip-burr). The second phrase was a heavily burred hiccup sound (by hiccup sound, think Acadian Fly).
I saw the bird, but mainly I was chasing it from perch to perch. When I did see it decently, I was out of position and looking up into treetops against the sun. What I got was that it was definitely an empid flycatcher, dull brownish-green above, pale belly with a hint of a yellowish wash on the flank, lower mandible was entirely yellow. Never got a good look at its head and never saw anything about eyerings or wingbars.
My problem with the bird was that it did not sound like the textbook 'free-bee-o' or 'free beer' Alder Flycatcher heard in most recordings. But by process of elimination, it was not the 'che-bek' of a Least or Yellow-bellied; not a 'pizza' Acadian (one in the background from comparison); and not as husky as a Willow. That leaves Alder, but I hate a process of elimination identification. Anybody have experience with an Alder that sounded a little bit different?
Thanks,
Good Birding,
Glen Lovelace III
Seaford, DE |