In a message dated 10/18/2006 7:00:14 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
 writes:

Seeing  this posting reminded me that I have been sitting on a
> good record for  too long: on October 28, 2003, we caught a Traill's
> Flyctcher at Jug  Bay Wetlands Sanctuary.  I think I remember looking up
> and seeing  that it was a record, but then forgot about it. I tried to
> convince  myself that it was a Willow or Alder, but, as always, let it go
>  unconvinced either way.
> 
> Danny



Hi all,
 The "take home" (as Pete Dunne would call it) from this post, beyond  the 
late date, is that many of these fall empids cannot be identified as to  
species, on non-calling/singing birds in the fall. If banders cannot 
safely make an ID with a bird in hand, then many of the fall empids we see  
in the field should simply be let go as "empid sp.". 
 
I say this because I have recently had folks on fall field trips that want  
to pin a name to each empid we encountered and seemed upset when I  explained 
this to them.
 
Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD