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Re: Great Crested Flycatcher, Lesser Scaup? - North Beach

From:

"Bell, Tyler"

Reply-To:

Bell, Tyler

Date:

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 15:30:06 -0500

As Matt Hafner said in an earlier post, it is much more likely at this
time of year for any Myiarchus flycatcher to be an Ash-throated
Flycatcher (ATFL) rather than a Great Crested Flycatcher (GCFL). The
Yellow Book shows GCFLs tapering off by the end of October with a late
date of November 18. Most of them are already gone by the third week of
August. However, ATFL sightings are relatively frequent (considering its
rarity) in mid-November.

When scrutinizing late fall Myiarchus flycatchers, make sure to check
the brightness of yellow on the belly. ATFL is a dull, washed out yellow
with a pale wash of gray from the bill down to the yellow of the belly.
The easiest way to clinch the ID of ATFL, in my experience, is to look
at the undertail. The rectrices are dark only on the outer part of the
feather on GCFL but on ATFL, the dark outer part spans across onto the
inner webbing near the tip.

Try this web page as an example of the tail pattern of Ash-throated
Flycatcher:
http://www.greglasley.net/ashthroatfc.html

as opposed to the bright yellow underbelly and restricted dark webbing
on this photo of Great Crested Flycatcher:
http://pie.midco.net/dougback/miscphotos/gc_flycatcher.jpg
http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/690/_/Great_Crested_Flycatcher_Breeding
_Male.aspx

Voice is also particularly important, assuming they call. ATFLs say
"ka-brick" while GCFLs have an upward "wheeep!"

Of course, there's always the chance of something even more exotic, like
a Brown-crested or a Dusky-capped Flycatcher. You never know. This is
the right time of year for vagrants.

Tyler Bell

California, MD

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Maryland Birds & Birding [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On
> Behalf Of Cathryn Reid
> Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 2:45 PM
> To: 
> Subject: [MDOSPREY] Great Crested Flycatcher, Lesser Scaup? - North
Beach
> 
> Saturday I did some birding in my neighbourhood and park (Rose Haven
Park)
> and had a lot of luck, the highlights are
> 
>   1 Great Crested Flycatcher - aren't they supposed to have gone south
> now?
>   1 Lesser Scaup? - big black 'duck', large slatey blue/light black
bill,
> round head, gold eye
> 
>   Also some sort of water thrush, not yet IDed.
> 
>   Cat Reid
>   Rose Haven
>   (North Beach)